Sport & Story Daily October 25, 2023

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October 25, 2023

Good morning! In a deal that reportedly tops $100 million, UFC is getting back into the Octagon with an old friend…

Bud Light rejoins UFC with record sponsorship deal
The UFC landed a new partnership with Anheuser-Busch that makes Bud Light the official beer of the promotion, returning the brand to the MMA outfit in what has been called the biggest sponsorship deal in UFC history. The multiyear contract, which begins Jan. 1, 2024, comes on the heels of the UFC merging with WWE under parent company Endeavor to form the new publicly traded company TKO last month. Bud Light will have "prominent branding" in the Octagon, including on Dana White's Contender Series in addition to integration across broadcasts and social media. Read more here.

NFL delivers week 7 records
NFL ratings saw Monday Night Football’s coverage of the 49ers/Vikings topped 18.6 million viewers across all platforms, setting the franchise’s best week 7 audience in the ESPN era and up 57% from MNF Week 7 in 2022. CBS’ offering of the Chiefs and Chargers averaged 24.38 million viewers, ranking as the most-watched Week 7 game window for CBS in a decade, while SNF on NBC platforms accrued 20.61million viewers. Read more here.

Rangers round up ALCS gains for FOX Sports
On the baseball front, FOX Sports saw the Texas showdown in the ALCS wrap up as the company’s most watched since 2019. The battle between Houston and Texas averaged 5.3 million viewers across FOX, FS1 and FOX Deportes. Read more here.

LeBron James, Obamas and Peyton Manning developing NBA docuseries
What do you get when you put together LeBron, the Obamas and Peyton Manning? Fans will soon see the answer as James and Manning partnered with the Obamas’ production company to launch a sports series about the NBA. The series will divide up each episode following various NBA athletes as they live their lives, similar to the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback,” which followed three NFL quarterbacks during the 2022-2023 football season. Read more here.

Professional Women’s Hockey League unveils its logo with the emphasis placed on the ‘W’
The newly launched Professional Women’s Hockey League is all in on the “W” as the league unveiled its identity in a logo on Tuesday. The design incorporates two crossed hockey sticks to form the “W” in PHWL, and is made up of six pieces, including a puck, to reflect the PWHL’s six inaugural franchises. The league begins play in January. Read more here.

Louis Vuitton renews its 35-year partnership with the America's Cup
Louis Vuitton the French fashion house formed in 1854, has renewed its 35 year partnership with the America's Cup. For the 2024 event, it becomes the Title Partner of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona and returns to organise its legendary qualifying stages of the Challenger Selection Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup.
sail-world.com

Fanatics becomes Make-A-Wish official sports partner
Sports fan merchandise company Fanatics has become a fan of helping give children in crisis an experience. The Michael Rubin-founded company has become the “official sports partner” of Make-A-Wish, starting off the effort with a $10 million contribution to the foundation while opening more than 900 sports partnerships and exclusive contracts with thousands of athletes to the nonprofit dedicated to creating life-changing experiences for children with critical illnesses.
forbes.com

The booming business of F1 to be explored in CNBC documentary airing ahead of Las Vegas Grand Prix
Formula One fanatics will get more behind-the-scenes access to the global motorsports series through a new CNBC documentary that explores the business aspects of the highest form of racing in the world. The documentary “Inside Track: The Business of Formula 1 " will debut Nov. 16 on CNBC ahead of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. The Las Vegas race is a third stop in the United States this season as F1 has expanded through North America behind a burst of popularity sparked by Netflix’s own docudrama on the series.
apnews.com

2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia expanding to 24 teams with shorter schedule
The new format will feature six pools of four teams, with a round of 16 added prior to the quarter-finals. This will enable the tournament window to be reduced from seven to six weeks, while promoting a rhythm that builds momentum across the pool phase and respects the same minimum number of rest days between matches as at France 2023.
florugby.com

NBA’s in-season tournament highlights TNT, ESPN coverage
TNT and ESPN tip off coverage of the NBA’s regular season this week with high viewership expectations, given the league’s overall appeal with fans and the introduction of an in-season tournament. The pro hoops league tips off its 2023-24 campaign after averaging 1.6 million viewers during 2022-23, which was flat compared to 2021-22, according to SportsBusiness Journal.
nexttv.com

How the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup grew Hispanic audiences
While the long-lasting impacts of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup are still unfolding, the rapid growth of Spanish-speaking audiences is easy to see. Despite the U.S. Women’s National Team exiting the tournament in the knockout rounds—the earliest it has ever departed a World Cup—and powerhouses Canada, Brazil and Germany also getting bounced, the tournament consistently provided solid viewership for Telemundo, which holds to exclusive Spanish-language rights to the FIFA World Cup.
adweek.com

Knicks sign jersey patch deal with owner James Dolan’s Sphere Entertainment
The New York Knicks are keeping it in the family for their next jersey patch sponsor. Madison Square Garden Sports announced Tuesday that Sphere Entertainment will become the NBA team’s official jersey patch partner for the 2023-24 season. The patch will debut Wednesday night when the Knicks tip off the season against the Boston Celtics at the Garden. Both companies are owned by James Dolan.
cnbc.com

Lil Wayne invests in Texas pickleball team
Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne has invested in the Texas Ranchers—one of the eight founding members of Major League Pickleball.
sportico.com

NHL rescinds ban on rainbow-colored pride tape, allowing players to use it on the ice this season
NHL players will be allowed to use Pride tape this season after all with the reversal of a ban that sparked a backlash around hockey and among LGBTQ+ advocates in sports. The league, players' union and a committee on inclusion agreed to give players the option to represent social causes with stick tape during warmups, practices and games. The move announced Tuesday rescinds a ban on rainbow-colored Pride tape for on-ice activities that was provided to teams earlier this fall as guidance for theme nights.
usnews.com

Kristen Ledlow stepping away from NBA TV, NBA on TNT this season
Kristen Ledlow has announced that she will be departing Warner Bros. Discovery’s coverage of the National Basketball Association on TNT and NBA TV for the 2023-24 season to focus on her priorities at home. Within her statement, which was posted to X on Tuesday morning, she also revealed that she is pregnant and that she will see everyone down the road.
barrettsportsmedia.com

Everton chairman Kenwright dies aged 78
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has died at the age of 78, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. Kenwright, who was Everton's longest serving chairman for more than a century, succeeded Philip Carter in 2004.
reuters.com

NFL Insider Jordan Schultz is leaving theScore to move to Bleacher Report
In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Schultz revealed he’s joining the digital outlet in the same capacity. “BR is a phenomenal brand that I have admired for years, and its coverage is synonymous with bringing you the best sports media,” Schultz said in the announcement. “I will continue to do what I love most: Breaking news, reporting stories, and covering the NFL while highlighting and empowering the players. I am excited for this new journey and can’t wait to get started.”
barrettsportsmedia.com

Ralf Reichert departs ESL FACEIT Group to become CEO of Esports World Cup Foundation
Ralf Reichert has left his role as Chairman of ESL FACEIT Group to become the CEO of Saudi Arabian government-founded non-profit organization the Esports World Cup Foundation. Reichert was the Founder of prominent esports tournament operator ESL Gaming prior to the $1.5bn merger between FACEIT and ESL by Savvy Games Group.
esportsinsider.com

Parity bolsters team with industry veterans Devon Krivec and Marianne Schroer
Parity, the sponsorship platform dedicated to closing the gender income and opportunity gap in professional sports, today announced industry executives Devon Krivec and Marianne Schroer have joined the company as Head of Product and Director of Marketing, respectively.
paritynow.co

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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.

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