Sport & Story Daily September 15, 2023

Stay Ahead of the Game

September 15, 2023

Good morning! As the NFL eyes continued growth within Europe, the league locked down a home in the UK, extending an agreement to play at the home of the Hotspur…

🏈 NFL is hot for Tottenham as league goes long in the UK
The NFL is growing roots in the UK, inking a deal to host a minimum of two National Football League games a year through the 2029-2030 at the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has already hosted 12 of the league's 32 teams and will be given official status as the "Home of the NFL in the UK." The Bills will play the Jaguars in the stadium on Oct. 8. Read more here.

🏀 2023 WNBA season delivers another viewership spike
The 2023 WNBA season notched its most-watched regular season in 21 years, rising 21% increase in viewership for nationally televised games across ABC, CBS, ESPN, and ESPN2 over 2022. The league also experienced its highest total attendance figures in 13 years. Read more here.

⛳ LPGA taps Legends for new Pro Shop
The Ladies Professional Golf Association announced the launch of its new online merchandise shop, the LPGA Pro Shop, through a partnership with Legends. According to the org, “This e-commerce platform represents a significant milestone in the LPGA's efforts to strengthen its brand and provide fans with an additional touchpoint to connect with the organization.” Read more here.

⛷ Olympic committee gives Salt Lake City official go-ahead to bid for future Winter Games
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee gave their official endorsement to Salt Lake City on Thursday as an American bid city for an upcoming Winter Olympics, targeting 2034 over 2030. Salt Lake City previously hosted the Winter Games in 2002. The AP writes that the 2030 bid process has been “muddled,” with Canada and Japan pulling out of the running, while Sweden, Switzerland and France are discussing a possible bid with the IOC. Read more here.

💎 Diamond Sports Group and Los Angeles Kings strike multi-year renewal
Diamond may be down, but the sports group continues to make swings, yesterday unveiling a new, multi-year market and digital rights agreement that keeps Diamond as the LA Kings’ exclusive local media partner. Under the agreement, Diamond’s Bally Sports West will broadcast approximately 65 live games, as well as pre and postgame shows and original programming. Fans will also have streaming access via the Bally Sports app. Read more here.

Captain Morgan recruits Victor Cruz, Bebe Rexha for NFL treasure hunt
Captain Morgan newest NFL activation is sending football fans on a treasure hunt for NFL prizes and experiences including concerts, parties and a trip to the Super Bowl. Fans can find clues hidden in bars, in ads and on social media, and are eligible for prizes when registering at FollowTheCaptain.com.
adage.com

E-commerce platform Parity Locker opens virtual doors
Sponsorship platform Parity announced the launch of Parity Locker, an e-commerce platform that offers a curated selection of one-of-a-kind memorabilia from prominent professional women athletes across sport. Athletes/merch currently on the platform span 10 sports including basketball, motorsport and lacrosse with plans to expand further.
prnewswire.com

BioSteel files for bankruptcy protection, will lay off 181 employees
BioSteel Sports Nutrition has filed for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The company will now undergo a court-supervised sale process for its business and assets. The move was triggered by a decision by Ontario-based Canopy Growth to stop funding BioSteel’s operations. Canopy, whose main business is cannabis, owned 90% of the equity in BioSteel. sportico.com

Outback Steakhouse sponsors own employee in NASCAR truck race
Stephen Mallozzi is a racer and Outback Steakhouse employee, and Thursday night, he will take to the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway in a race truck sponsored by his employer. Mallozzi has worked at one of Outback’s restaurants for three years, but he is taking the day off to compete in his fifth Craftsman Truck Series race.
wjhl.com

FOX Sports 1 viewership continues to rise
Over the last calendar year, FOX Sports has broadcast its fair share of marquee events and attained viewership records within several of its properties. Standing out from the rest of the pack is Super Bowl LVII, which garnered accolades for the most-watched television program in American history with an adjusted average final viewership of 115.1 million households.
barrettsportsmedia.com

DAZN, PGA Tour and Red Bull Media House bringing FAST channels to Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus, the electronics giant’s connected TV platform, is adding a host of new free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) sports channels.
sportspromedia.com

England captain Harry Kane signs memorabilia deal with American company Fanatics
The platform will become the sole distributor of the Bayern Munich striker’s autographs, match-worn shirts and boots and other collectable items.
sportspromedia.com

NBC Sports launches “Scary Good Sunday Night” Parties for SNF
NBC Sports is launching a slate of Sunday Night Football viewing parties across the country this week that “will help fans ease the new-week nerves as they watch the NFL’s best in primetime each Sunday.” Gatherings kick off on Sept. 17at Grails Miami (Miami) and Tavern in the Square Allston (Boston).
nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com

One Up and NBA players to launch $1m NBA 2K24 Championship Series
The new NBA 2K24 esports series will be open to the public and features 20 online qualifying tournaments, each of which will be hosted by an NBA player. Names involved in the series include Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers) and Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers).
esportsinsider.com

USGA’s social media campaign to modernize rules of golf gain traction with over 4.5 million views on Instagram
The USGA’s campaign to modernize the Rules of Golf and make them more accessible has gained popularity on social media. In particular, a video explaining Rule 16.1/1, which deals with relief from abnormal course conditions, has garnered over 4.5 million views on Instagram.
golf.com

Silver: NBA isn’t planning to force a Trail Blazers sale
The estate of the late Paul Allen owns both teams and is led by his sister, Jody. Paul Allen, who died in 2018, left instructions to sell the teams and donate the proceeds to charity. NBA bylaws also mandate that any estate-held team in the league be transferred within a “reasonable” time period.
frontofficesports.com

Roger Goodell responds to NFL Media lawsuit that includes Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Bills owner Terry Pegula
Jim Trotter, who previously worked for NFL Media, has filed a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the NFL and his former company, per Wigdor Law. Trotter claims that he repeatedly called out the league for not addressing, "long-standing, institutional discrimination within the coaching ranks, the NFL league office and NFL Media newsroom," and that it affected his own employment.
cbssports.com

Kevin Hart’s tequila brand strikes deal with Philadelphia Eagles as spirits push deeper into sports
When the Philadelphia Eagles kick off their home opener on Thursday Night Football, the National Football League team will also start a new sponsorship deal with Gran Coramino, the luxury tequila brand co-founded by comedian, entrepreneur and Philadelphia native Kevin Hart.
cnbc.com

Venkatesham to step down as Arsenal CEO
Premier League club Arsenal has announced the departure of chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, who will leave next summer after 14 years with the club.
sportbusiness.com

On This Day in Sports History:
1978: Muhammad Ali becomes the first three-time heavyweight champion
1978: Dodgers become first major league team to draw 3 million fans
1990: Chicago White Sox Bobby Thigpen becomes first to record 50 saves
2000: 27th Olympic Games open in Sydney, Australia
2004: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announces lockout of the players union

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.

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