Sport & Story Daily June 18, 2024

Stay Ahead of the Game

June 17, 2024

Good morning! Soccer Takes Center Stage

Soccer United Marketing Gets Brand Refresh as Part of Busy Year
As SBJ’s Alex Silverman reports, “Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of MLS, is rolling out a refreshed brand identity ahead of a summer in which it will promote or operate more than 130 soccer matches across North America. The move is meant to shed light on an entity that has largely been a behind-the-scenes player throughout its two-decade history.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Sounders, Carlyle Officially Take Over NWSL’s Reign
Per SBJ, the Sounders’ ownership group and global investment firm The Carlyle Group officially announced their previously reported $58 million purchase of the NWSL Seattle Reign FC from France's OL Groupe. The Reign is the fourth NWSL club to share ownership with an MLS club, joining the Houston Dash (with the Dynamo), Orlando Pride (with Orlando City), and Utah Royals (with Real Salt Lake).   
^{Sports Business Journal}

Shaun White Launching New Snowboarding League
Snowboarding legend Shaun White is launching The Snow League, a new snowsports property that will debut next March with a $1.5M prize purse across a five-stop global season. The league has institutional investment from Ares Management, David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, Ryan Ventures and Will Ventures, and it’s now pursuing deals with top broadcasters, sponsors and resorts.
^{Sports Business Journal}

For Dodgers, Losing Betts and Yamamoto Hurts. But Getting Them Back for October is What Matters
The Athletic’s Andy McCullough writes, “It is hard to find silver linings when you put $690 million worth of baseball talent on the injured list, a reality the Dodgers confronted on Sunday. In the morning, the team shelved Yamamoto, who was only able to pitch two innings on Saturday before reporting soreness in his triceps. The team will soon make a similar move with Betts, who was hit by a 97.9 mph fastball from Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Altavilla in the seventh inning of a 3-0 Royals victory on Sunday.”
^{The Athletic}

Tom Brady Makes Fox Broadcast Debut as Analyst During UFL Championship
As The Athletic reports, Tom Brady was back at a football game Sunday, making his debut as a Fox Sports analyst during the UFL’s championship game. His appearance in the booth came roughly three months before he’s slated to make his NFL broadcasting debut as Fox’s lead analyst during the Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 8.
^{The Athletic}

⛳️ Just for fun, this might be the best post-U.S. Open interview EVER. 👀

Golf’s ‘Anchor Sites’ Have the U.S. Open on a Lifetime Plan
As FOS’ David Rumsey writes, “The United States Golf Association’s crown jewel dates back to 1895 and has been staged at more than 50 venues. This year’s event, however, marks the start of a new era focused on “anchor sites.” The label describes a trio of famous courses that will play a major recurring role in hosting the country’s top championship: Pinehurst No. 2, Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, and Pebble Beach Golf Links in Northern California.
^{Front Office Sports}

Ukraine Displays Destroyed Stadium Stand in Munich in Reminder of War Ahead of Euro 2024 Opener
“Today we’re going to start our games,” said former Ukraine coach and striker Andriy Shevchenko, who is the president of the country’s soccer federation. “One team on the field but a million soldiers who stay and defend Ukraine.
^{AP News}

Florida Panthers, With Help From NHL, Push to Grow Hockey in Latino Communities
“The demographic makeup in Florida certainly expresses an interest that it’s extremely important to connect to the Latino community,” said Rob Knesaurek, the NHL’s senior vice president of community development and industry growth. “They’re deeply rooted in sports. Why wouldn’t they pick our sport?”
^{AP News}

Anthem Sports Group Names Former WWE Exec Chief Revenue Officer
Rob Kligman has been named the chief revenue officer at Anthem Sports Group. The longtime sports media executive has been hired to drive revenue across multiple areas of the global media company’s business, from sales to sponsorships. He joins Anthem Sports & Entertainment after serving as vice president of marketing operations and sales at G Fuel. Prior to that, he spent eight years at WWE where he was vice president of global digital and integrated sponsorship sales.
^Sportico

College Bowl Games Using NIL Contracts ‘Right Around the Corner’
As FOS reports, Snoop Dogg, who will sponsor this year’s Arizona Bowl, recently announced the game will become the first to provide name, image, and likeness deals to competing players. Could that model be the new norm for all bowl games? “That’s a decision that’s up to each individual bowl game,” Carparelli explains. “But I think we would all be naive to think that that’s not right around the corner for everybody.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Did Coleman Hawkins Sign $2 Million NIL Deal to Land at Kansas State?
On Friday morning, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins committed to Kansas State after withdrawing from the NBA draft. Shams Charania, an NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium, reported via On3 that Hawkins inked a $2 million deal. Repped by Nate Conley of Court XIV and Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball, leaking deal numbers has become a popular way to draw new clients.
^On3

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