Sport & Story Daily October 9, 2023

Stay Ahead of the Game

October 9, 2023

Good morning! The NWSL has seemingly locked down its media partners for the next media cycle, landing a barrage of deals across cable, broadcast and streaming platforms…

Report: NWSL strikes 4-year media deals with ESPN, Amazon, CBS and Scripps
The NWSL has found its media partners as the league looks toward the future, inking agreements with ESPN, CBS, Amazon and Scripps, according to Sportico. The deals run for four years, the people said, which would allow the league to hit the market again directly after the 2027 World Cup. Read more here.

TNF’s feeling fuzzy with Bears win
Another week, another big bump for Prime Video’s 2023 Thursday Night Football slate, as last week’s matchup between the Bears and Commanders landed another double-digit increase in viewership vs. both the comparable week, as well as the same TNF matchup from last season. According to Nielsen National TV Ratings (panel only), TNF on Prime Video averaged 11.72 million viewers on Thursday night, an increase of +21% over last year’s comparable TNF game (9.70M for Colts vs Broncos, 10/6/22). Read more here.

Superteam matchup driving record WNBA Finals ticket sales
A battle of superteams in the 2023 WNBA Finals between the Liberty and the Aces is setting attendance records for the league. Front Office Sports writes that Game 3 at Barclays Center is outselling any single WNBA game ever — playoffs or regular season — on ticket reseller StubHub. Last night’s matchup to kick off the series (and won by the Aces) was sold out at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Read more here. Read more here.

NBA legend Kevin Garnett to launch STR33T, a 3x3 basketball league
NBA athlete Kevin Garnett is backing STR33T, a new 3x3 pro streetball league expected to begin play in early 2024. Garnett's sports venture arm, Big Ticket Sports, is partnering with Pro League Network to bring the vision to life. The STR33T series will take place over four weeks, featuring men's, women's and co-ed teams with daily and season-long prize pools. Read more here.

UEFA postpones all matches in Israel
UEFA will postpone all matches scheduled in Israel in the next two weeks with new dates to be confirmed later, the governing body said on Sunday. The moves comes after Israel declared war on Sunday, following an attack by Hamas militants. UEFA stated that the league would assess whether the European Championship qualifier between Kosovo and Israel can be played on the scheduled date of Oct. 15 or will need to be postponed. Read more here.

Max’s B/R sports add-on represents the ‘substantive’ digital strategy leagues are seeking

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) has made all the live sports programming it airs across linear channels –300 games per year– available to Max customers via a new Bleacher Report branded add-on. B/R Sports on Max launched late last week (Oct. 5).

WBD is looking to make its Max offering stickier, and capture a percentage of the ~30 million broadband homes outside the Pay TV and broadcast universe, by flanking its entertainment offering with tier one sports (and news) programming.

“We want to attract incremental users,” Luis Silberwasser (chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports) said. “We’re [also] trying to attract younger viewers.”

The company is trying to best position itself for pending/upcoming sports rights negotiations too.

“Whether it’s the NBA right now or [another property] in the future, it was very important for us as a company, and for the leagues, that we develop and roll out a compelling strategy on the digital side,” Silberwasser said.

Total Pay TV penetration has fallen to its lowest levels since ’92 (58.5%).

Read the rest of this at JohnWallStreet.

Aston Martin F1 extend Cognizant co-naming rights deal
A new multi-year renewal sees Cognizant become the team's global technology services partner and the duo will align to optimize operational efficiency across the new AMR Technology Campus in Silverstone, England. In addition, it will seek continued focus on joint sustainability, community and inclusion initiatives, including a drive toward zero-emission commitments through energy-efficient technologies.
astonmartinf1.com

Lululemon adds DK Metcalf as ambassador
Lululemon continues to add athletes as brand ambassadors, picking Seahawks WR DK Metcalf to be its lone active endorser from the NFL ranks (the brand previously had a deal with former QB Nick Foles as its first NFL ambassador).
sportsbusinessjournal.com

NFL Players Association invests in Infinite Athlete
Infinite Athlete, a cutting-edge technology company, in conjunction with NFL Players Inc., the commercial branch of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), is excited to announce an innovative and extensive partnership that is poised to bring about significant advancements within the worlds of sports, performance and player health and wellness.
nflpa.com

NBA can shift the balance of power in media with its next rights deal
With the National Football League’s media rights locked up until 2033, the NBA has a unique opportunity to play media kingmaker. The National Basketball Association’s upcoming decision on which companies will acquire the TV and streaming rights for its live games could transform the entire media industry.
nbcnews.com

ESPN Films’ “Candace Parker: Unapologetic” about WNBA superstar to debut November 12 at 9 p.m. on ESPN
ESPN Films’ latest documentary “Candace Parker: Unapologetic” Presented by CarMax will debut Sunday, November 12 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Directed by award-winning Joie Jacoby, the wide-ranging, revealing, and at times intimate film will cover Parker’s journey through basketball and life, from the weighty expectations that have surrounded her potential since she was just a young teenager, through her redefining what it means to be a women’s sports star in the twenty-first century, and where she might go from here.
espnpressroom.com

Ex-FIFA boss Blatter slams decision for World Cup in six countries
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter has criticized the decision by world soccer's governing body to hold the World Cup in six countries across three continents. Morocco, Spain and Portugal were named hosts of the 2030 tournament, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will also host the opening matches to mark the tournament's centenary.
reuters.com

NHL Network announces new studio programming rosters
NHL Now will be hosted by Lauren Gardner and Jamie Hersch, both rotating in the role throughout the regular season. They will be joined by studio analyst and former Stanley Cup champion Mike Rupp, along with a panel of contributing analysts with recent playing experience. Former forward Brian Boyle, defenseman Thomas Hickey and goaltender Devan Dubnyk are part of this rotation, and they will bring fresh perspectives and forthright commentary to the air on a daily basis, starting at 4 p.m. EST.
barrettsportsmedia.com

The NBA Is “Everyone’s Game” in 2023-24 Tip-Off campaign
The NBA debuted its 2023-24 season tip-off brand campaign, “Everyone’s Game,” which is now streaming across all NBA social platforms and on the NBA App. Reigning Kia NBA MVP Joel Embiid and four-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum headline a cast of NBA talent starring defending NBA Champions Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bradley Beal, De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine, all putting in work as they prepare to help lead their teams all the way.
capitalfm.co.ke

Apex Legends Global Series year 4 announced; China added as new major region
The Apex Legends Global Series, the highest tier of competitive Apex Legends, will continue throughout 2024 with several improvements and a new region. The new year will feature three LAN events, a total prize pool of $4m, and two teams from China will earn a spot in the Split 1 Playoffs. South America will be removed from the Pro League, but ALGS LAN events will feature more teams from more competitive regions.
esportsinsider.com

Allegiant Stadium becomes first NFL stadium powered by 100% renewable energy
The Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, in partnership with NV Energy, announced the stadium's conversion to 100% renewable energy. With this historic achievement, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders is now the first NFL stadium powered exclusively by renewable energy. The Raiders' upcoming Monday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers at Allegiant Stadium will mark the first NFL game to be fully operated by renewable power since the announcement.
raiders.com

Merged USFL-XFL apparently plans to sell franchises
The USFL and XFL are merging. If/when the deal is finalized, the combined spring leagues will pivot toward spreading equity beyond those who currently own the two operations. Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, former Fox Sports executive vice president Larry Jones (who still serves a consultant to Fox) mentioned during a Columbia sports management conference that, in three years, the unified spring league will "go out to sell teams."
yahoo.com

Bally Sports strikes Lightning deal
Bally Sports Sun announced Thursday that it would broadcast all 71 non-nationally-exclusive regular-season Lightning games, starting with the second game of the season, at the Red Wings on Oct. 14. The Lightning’s other 11 regular-season games will be shown by ESPN and TNT, starting with Tuesday’s season opener against the Predators (ESPN). Potential first-round postseason games also would be broadcast on Bally Sports Sun.
tampabay.com

New Jersey Devils launch multifaceted esports platform
The Devils Gaming Group Esports Lounge will be created overlooking the ice rink at the Prudential Center, the home of the New Jersey Devils. The facility will host a range of activations including in-person competitions and streams featuring fans, influencers, and the team mascot. In addition to the facility, the New Jersey Devils will join forces with Rival to host online tournaments where participants can compete to win fan experiences and opportunities to attend New Jersey Devils home matches.
esportsinsider.com

Bay FC and Legends form strategic partnership to propel local and global growth of new NWSL expansion club
Bay FC, the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area, has joined forces with Legends, a global premium experiences company, in a multi-year partnership to drive commercial revenue and global brand partnerships for the club. This collaboration seeks to provide the club’s passionate fans with exceptional experiences and propel Bay FC to unprecedented heights in women's soccer.
legends.net

UEFA vice president Nilsson resigns as head of Swedish sports body in fallout from pro-Russia vote
UEFA’s decision to welcome Russian youth teams back into its competitions cost its Swedish vice president his other top-tier job Friday as head of a national sports body. Karl-Erik Nilsson resigned as chairman of the Swedish Sports Confederation (RF), after coming under pressure in the 10 days since UEFA surprisingly eased its blanket ban on Russian teams imposed 19 months ago amid the invasion of Ukraine.
wfmj.com

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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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