Sport & Story Daily September 27, 2023

Stay Ahead of the Game

September 27, 2023

Good morning! After a 27-year run atop CBS Sports, Sean McManus announced his retirement, having changed the sports landscape forever…

🥂 CBS Sports’ McManus to retire, Berson to take helm
Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports, will retire in April 2024 after a legendary 27-year run leading the division. David Berson, who has been president of CBS Sports for over 10 years, will succeed McManus as president and chief executive officer. “Leading CBS Sports has been an honor and I have been so fortunate to work with the most talented team in sports media, along with our incredible partners, for nearly three decades. It has been a fantastic run and the thrill of a lifetime,” said McManus. Read more here.

🏈 America’s Game of the Week swiftly scores the most-watched telecast of the week on any network
FOX Sports reports that America's Game of the Week scored as the week's most-watched telecast on any network, according to Nielsen, averaging 24.3 million viewers. Week 3’s national window also ranked first among F12-17, F18-34, F18-49 and F2+ demos this week. Read more here.

📢 Genius Sports launches BetVision, an immersive sports betting experience featuring NFL live game video
Genius Sports Limited unveiled BetVision, described as “the world’s first immersive sports wagering experience that brings live streams together with integrated bet slips, statistical insights, and real-time augmentations within a single interactive player.” The platform will feature NFL live games in the U.S. and allow sportsbook customers to place wagers from within the live video player in the sportsbook app. In the initial launch, U.S. sports betting operators Caesars Sportsbook and Fanatics Sportsbook are the first to be live with the product. Read more here.

🎾 Professional Pickleball, Tennis Channel deepen media partnership with 24/7 streaming channel
The PPA Tour and Tennis Channel are launching a joint venture to help grow the sport. The deal will see Tennis Channel \produce all PPA Tour events and have the rights to broadcast a vast majority of them on its pay-TV network and streaming platforms. In addition, the duo is launching pickleballtv, a 24/7 standalone free, ad-supported streaming channel featuring matches as well as entertainment surrounding the sport. Read more here.

⛵ SailGP lands deal with Women’s Sports Group to boost sport
The Women’s Sports Group is joining forces with SailGP in a move to bolster its Women’s Pathway program, driving gender equity in the sport of sailing. The Women’s Pathway fast-tracks the development of its female athletes through world-class training and development opportunities, racing at the top level, creating role models for the next generation and elite talent identification. Read more here.

Diamond Sports Group prepares for creditor hearing, Comcast negotiation
Diamond Sports Group has until this Saturday to negotiate a restructuring plan with its creditors that would result in the end to its Ch. 11 bankruptcy it claimed in March. The company has been rejecting media rights contracts throughout the Major League Baseball regular season, resulting in the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks to have their games produced and locally distributed by the league’s local media department.
barrettsportsmedia.com

Carrera Revell of Americas announces landmark partnership with NASCAR
Commencing in 2024, Carrera Revell of Americas will hold the NASCAR license, introducing an lineup of slot car sets and individual car models that pay homage to the Hendrick Motorsports Team and their esteemed drivers. This partnership marks a new era of excitement and innovation for racing enthusiasts and collectors alike.
yahoo.com

Travis Kelce was an NFL ad darling before the Taylor Swift thing
Since Kelce’s bid to become a reality star fizzled, the two-time Super Bowl champ has transformed himself into a media phenomenon. The tight end mans the mic on the top-ranked sports podcast on Spotify (New Heights, a joint effort with his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce) and is currently featured in national ad campaigns for Lowe’s, State Farm, DirecTV, Pfizer and Campbell’s Soup. Oh, and he’s also said to be romantically entangled with the most famous woman on earth (sorry, Oprah).
sportico.com

CW names media AOR as it seeks live sports audiences
The CW has selected Known as its media agency of record, responsible for the network’s media strategy, planning, buying and optimization. The announcement marks a moment of transition for both organizations, as The CW works to broaden its audience beyond the “Gossip Girl” set and introduce live sports, and Known endeavors to make its name in the world of media investment.
adage.com

Court denies WWE’s restraining order against Panini
The recent decision from a New York court gives Panini the right to continue making WWE products while WWE and Panini’s lawsuits continue in the courts. The restraining order was initially requested by WWE in an effort to force Panini to stop making products while both companies sorted things out in court.
yahoo.com

CBS nets 13-Year high in September NFL viewership
Sunday’s NFL on CBS coverage, which featured Patriots-Jets, was the most-watched September single-header broadcast for CBS Sports in 12 years. The Patriots-Jets window drew 17.5 million viewers for CBS, up 19% over Week 3 last season. This season’s first three weeks of NFL games on CBS averaged 18.69 million viewers, giving CBS its best September NFL viewership in 13 years.
frontofficesports.com

Horse racing groups introduce competing safety legislation they hope will replace HISA
The Racehorse Health and Safety Act, proposed by the North American Association of Racetrack Veterinarians and several horsemen’s associations, would include a national umbrella of rules for states to follow but give individual racing commissions more authority to enforce them.
apnews.com

EverWonder Studio sets tennis doc on Chris Evert-Martina Navratilova
EverWonder Studio is teaming with John Skipper’s Meadowlark Media on its first project, a feature-length documentary examining the dynamic relationship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, which it will finance and co-produce. The teams have also secured rights for a future scripted adaptation of the story.
deadline.com

SiriusXM presenting broadcast coverage of 2023 Ryder Cup
The official Ryder Cup Radio channel, which is produced in partnership with IMG and Ryder Cup Europe, will include a score of additional voices such as Alberto Binaghi, Raymond Burns and Sophie Walker. All of the broadcasts will be available to consume on SiriusXM channel No. 92 and on the SiriusXM app.
barrettsportsmedia.com

Seattle Sounders unveil new logo, wordmark
The Seattle Sounders unveiled a new logo and wordmark Tuesday, moving to a modernized look while still incorporating the Space Needle imagery. The refreshed branding comes as Seattle approaches the 50th anniversary of the original Sounders team, which competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1983. The year 1974 was added to the club’s crest.
apnews.com

Oklahoma City Council sets vote on $900M arena to keep NBA’s Thunder through 2050
The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to set a Dec. 12 citywide vote on a proposed 1% sales tax for six years that would fund a new $900 million downtown arena and keep the NBA’s Thunder in the city through at least 2050. The council also voted 7-2 to approve a letter of intent with the Thunder’s ownership group that would require the group to contribute $50 million toward the arena’s cost.
apnews.com

Timberwolves and Caribou Coffee announce global partnership ahead of 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Caribou Coffee today announced a new partnership ahead of the team’s preseason games in Abu Dhabi which will be played in early October. The multi-year agreement includes international marketing rights and branded behind-the-scenes content, inclusive of a team visit to Caribou’s newest UAE location.
nba.com

Hornets, Novant Health extend and expand longtime partnership
Hornets Sports & Entertainment (HSE) and Novant Health announced an extension of their partnership in which the company remains the official hospital and orthopedic provider of the Charlotte Hornets and the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, and becomes a partner of HSE’s NBA 2K League affiliate, Hornets Venom GT, making it the first organization to be an official sponsor of all three teams.
nba.com

Newcastle United partners with online sports betting brand BetMGM
Newcastle United has announced a multi-year partnership with newly launched UK 'iGaming' and online sports betting brand BetMGM. BetMGM has become an official club partner for the 2023/24 season and its brand will be visible to match-goers and global TV viewers across St. James' Park.
nufc.co.uk

Miami is a new soccer hub with FIFA, Argentina moves
FIFA is starting to plant its roots in the U.S. — specifically in South Florida, continuing the trend of soccer organizations capitalizing on a hot market stoked by Lionel Messi. FIFA is moving more than 100 jobs from its headquarters in Switzerland to Coral Gables, which will house the organization’s legal department and the audit, compliance, and risk management teams.
frontofficesports.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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