Sport & Story Daily November 7, 2023

Stay Ahead of the Game

November 7, 2023

Good morning! The PGA boosted its tech game, landing a deal with T-Mobile that will look to innovate, while the NBA finally found closure with DSG…

PGA of America lands T-Mobile as its exclusive 5G wireless innovation partner
The PGA of America has chosen T-Mobile as its official 5G innovation partner. T-Mobile and PGA of America will work together to develop technologies that “level up the fan experience and increase operational efficiencies for facilities and events,” while also helping PGA of America Golf Professionals improve their game. Plus, PGA of America will utilize a 5G hybrid network to enhance fan experiences at the PGA Championship and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Read more here.

NBA local TV rights to be up for grabs following regular season in DSG deal
The NBA locked in an agreement with bankrupt sports broadcaster Diamond Sports Group that paves the way for its teams’ local television rights to enter the open market at the end of the current season. The will see Diamond retain the right to broadcast its full slate of NBA games through its network of regional Bally Sports channels for the league’s current 2023-2024 season. Read more here 

Netflix moves into sports sponsorship with new Netflix Cup golf event
Netflix is charging $2 million for companies to sponsor the platform’s upcoming event, the Netflix Cup. The moves marks a change for the company, as professional golfers and Formula 1 drivers compete in Las Vegas. Unlike traditional sports broadcasts, the Netflix Cup will not serve up any commercial breaks. Instead, sponsors will have their names prominently displayed around the golf course, ensuring maximum visibility to viewers. Read more here.

ITF lines up record prize money for Billie Jean King Cup
Champions from this year's Billie Jean King Cup will receive a record $2.4 million, with prize money for the finals of the women's team event matching the winnings of the men's Davis Cup. Overall, a total player prize of $9.6 million is up for grabs to be shared between the 12 competing nations in Seville. Read more here.

Fortnite celebrates its “biggest day” in history with over 44 million players Fortnite smashed its all-time player records on Saturday following the launch of the nostalgic Fortnite OG season, which has brought the classic Chapter One map back to the battle royale. A tweet posted by the official Fortnite account read “Yesterday was the biggest day in Fortnite’s history with over 44.7 MILLION players jumping in and 102 MILLION hours of play.” Read more here.

Excel Sports Management picks up Rep 1, launches football division
Excel Sports Management has acquired the football division at Rep 1 Sports, one of the largest agencies representing pro football players. It’s a significant move for the sports talent and marketing agency as it looks to increase its presence across pro football and further compete against other powerhouses like CAA and WME.
sportico.com

Billie Jean King Cup adds Iberdrola as official energy partner
The International Tennis Federation announced that Spanish energy company Iberdrola has become the Official Energy Partner of the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge, the women’s World Cup of Tennis. The 2023 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals begin on Tuesday 7 November in Seville, Spain.
itftennis.com

Dana White insists that the UFC's new deal with Saudi Arabia was organized by Vince McMahon
Dana White labelled Vince McMahon as an 'incredible partner' after claiming he was responsible for the UFC's historic deal with Saudi Arabia. Last month, the UFC announced they will host their first ever event in Saudi Arabia in March next year in news hailed by Conor McGregor as 'incredible'. It seems the nation state will dip their toe into the mixed martial arts scene with a UFC Fight Night event planned, rather than a major pay-per-view card to start with.
dailymail.co.uk

Humana announces four new sponsorships of leading U.S. pickleball organizations
New sponsorships include the Association of Pickleball Players (APP), Major League Pickleball’s D.C. Pickleball Team, Professional Pickleball Association Tour (PPA), and U.S. Senior Pickleball (USSP).
businesswire.com

TGL presented by SoFi to include shot clock, timeouts and a referee
TGL presented by SoFi today announced several competitive elements bringing fundamentals from other sports like a shot clock, timeouts, and a referee to the new primetime, team golf league developed by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy’s TMRW Sports in partnership with the PGA TOUR. “The competitive format and tech-heavy environment enables TGL presented by SoFi to incorporate elements that are familiar to sports fans from other sports in ways that would not translate on a traditional golf course but are commonplace in a sports arena environment,” said Mike McCarley, CEO and Founder TMRW Sports and TGL.
theathletic.com

World Rowing to set up JV to manage new Beach Sprint franchise league
World Rowing is preparing to launch a franchise-based league for Beach Sprint, its newest discipline that will debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The new entity will operate as a joint venture with a private investor.
sportbusiness.com

Mike Monaco inks new contract at ESPN
Mike Monaco has inked a new three-year deal at ESPN, cementing his future at the network as he continues to call a wide variety of events as a play-by-play announcer. Aside from his regional work with the Boston Red Sox, Monaco has been utilized by ESPN on coverage of various events since he signed with the company in 2019.
barrettsportsmedia.com

National Lacrosse League unveils NLL UnBOXed youth-focused grassroots initiative across North America
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) today announced the launch of NLL UnBOXed, the League’s new continent-wide grassroots campaign designed to bring the NLL’s fast-paced lacrosse game to more young boys and girls in more communities across North America.
nll.com

Monumental seeks $600 million for Capital One Arena revamp, report says
The owners of Capital One Arena want the D.C. government to contribute $600 million toward a major renovation, the Washington Post reports, citing two sources. Monumental wants the $600 million to fund an overhaul of the arena that would begin in 2024 and incrementally advance over four summers, according to the reports, while Monumental would invest an additional $200 million.
axios.com

FaZe Clan and SteelSeries launch co-branded gaming gear
North American esports organization FaZe Clan and gaming peripherals brand SteelSeries have joined forces to launch a co-branded range of gaming gear. The collection, which includes a computer mouse, mousepad, headset and keyboard, prominently features FaZe Clan’s logo and the organization’s color scheme.
esportsinsider.com

Arizona Rattlers announce move to Desert Diamond Arena, leaving downtown Phoenix
The Arizona Rattlers’ three-decade run playing in downtown Phoenix will end in 2024, with the team announcing Monday it will move from Footprint Center to Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
arizonasports.com

Tennis Channel promotes Neil Roberts to vice president of marketing, brand partnerships
Tennis Channel is promoting longtime marketing executive Neil Roberts to the position of vice president of marketing and brand partnerships. Based in the network’s Los Angeles-area headquarters, he will continue to report to Bill Simon, executive vice president, COO and CFO. Roberts was most recently executive director of marketing and is one of the longest tenured executives at Tennis Channel.
tennis.com

Tuesday Trivia
Michael Jordan has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated more than any other person. Which athlete is second?
Answer to last week’s question: The Seattle Supersonics.

Thanks for reading!

Sport & Story Daily and Sports & Story College are the sport industry’s daily resource for business news. In addition to serving up exclusive trends, Q&As, and columns, the newsletter connects reads to top platforms and stories from across the sports landscape.

Chris Pursell is the founder of staple industry events such as the Cynopsis Sports Business Awards, the Esports Business Summit, the CMO Exchange, the Tempest Awards, and the Esports Newfronts. He was previously a reporter and editor for publications such as Variety and The Los Angeles Times and launched leading business publications for Cynopsis and PromaxBDA.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here!

And feel free to read our Privacy Policy.

8