Sports Withstand Rocky Upfronts

Comcast chief financial officer Jason Armstrong said the NBA “is going to be a key anchor of what we look to do around the upfronts”

May 12, 2025

Sports Are Poised to Power Through an Uncertain Upfront Market
“[While] advertising is the category that has shown the most economic related cyclicality in our business historically … for the upfront and for the balance of the year, we feel well positioned in the market as we capitalize on the NBA launching in the fourth quarter,” Comcast chief financial officer Jason Armstrong noted last month during the company’s first quarter earnings call. Armstrong went on to say that the NBA “is going to be a key anchor of what we look to do around the upfronts,” and with 50 additional regular-season games coming to broadcast next season, advertisers are already clamoring for a piece of the league’s enhanced inventory.
^Sportico

Josh and Jace Jung Square off in Rare, Emotional Mother's Day Matchup With Mom Watching: 'My Heart is Just Exploding'
Yahoo Sports’ Ryan Young writes, “Mary Jung had perhaps the best Mother’s Day an MLB mom could have asked for. She got to watch her two sons play each other, and throw out the first pitch, at Comerica Park on Sunday afternoon in a rare Mother’s Day brothers meeting in Major League Baseball.

“Mary — who wore a custom half-and-half Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers jersey — threw out the first pitch on Sunday ahead of her sons', Josh and Jace Jung, matchup in Michigan.”
^{AP News}

Warriors Try to Buy Time for Curry as NBA Playoff Ratings Stay Up
Sportico’s Anthony Crupi writes, “While Curry’s injury has yet to put a damper on the series’ TV ratings—Thursday night’s 117-93 loss averaged 4.96 million viewers on TNT/truTV, down just 3% from Tuesday’s opener—an early exit by Golden State would likely stall the NBA’s forward momentum. Through Game 2 of the series, the league’s media partners are averaging 3.86 million viewers per game, good for a 6% boost compared to the year-ago 3.65 million. Given a concomitant 7% decline in overall TV usage this season, any year-to-year gain is encouraging, but a vanishing act by the NBA’s last remaining big draw would likely drive the Nielsen numbers down in a hurry.”
^Sportico

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch and Another Allen-Mahomes Matchup are Among Biggest 2025 NFL Games
AP News’ Rob Maadi writes, “Get ready to make those viewing plans. The NFL schedule is coming out. The league’s broadcast partners will begin to announce select games Monday and the full slate of games will be revealed Wednesday night. The thirst for football is so great the schedule release is a three-hour, prime-time broadcast on the NFL Network.”
^{AP News}

Rockies Fire Manager Bud Black After 7–33 Start to 2025 Season
The Colorado Rockies fired manager Bud Black on Sunday despite the team beating the San Diego Padres 9–3 earlier in the afternoon. The Rockies have posted a disappointing 7–33 record so far this season, and lost 21–0 to the Padres on Saturday.
^{Sports Illustrated}

Sources: PGA Tour Also Eyeing Top NFL Exec, Former Ticketmaster Chairman for CEO Spot
Two more high-ranking sports industry executives have surfaced as possibilities for the PGA Tour’s CEO role, according to sources familiar with the search. Sources across both golf and the NFL said the tour has continued to show interest in NFL Chief Media & Business Officer Brian Rolapp, while sources said Jared Smith, the former Ticketmaster chairman, also is on the tour’s short list.
^{Sports Business Journal}

NHL Commissioner Says Atlanta is 'Different' Now, Past Hockey Failures Have no Bearing on Future Expansion Potential
“I think it’s a different place than when the Flames and the Thrashers left, in terms of how big the city is, how robust it is and the sporting interest,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in comments that were reported Friday. “I don’t think the prior two visits have any bearing on whether or not we would go back, if all of the other pieces that I referred to are put together.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

NBA Draft Lottery: Cavaliers and Magic Have Landed the Most Top Picks in the Event’s 40-Year History
AP News’ Noah Trister writes, “The lottery is now an annual NBA event in which largely downtrodden teams find out if fortune is smiling on them. Every franchise has had significant experience with the lottery — with some certainly enjoying it more than others.

“The Associated Press reviewed each franchise’s draft lottery history. Here are a few highlights and lowlights:

“— Most lottery wins. The record for lottery wins is four, by Cleveland and Orlando. The Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and San Antonio have received the top pick three times…”
^{AP News}

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Report: NCAA Could Lift Ban On Pro Sports Gambling
The NCAA is moving closer to “removing its prohibition against gambling on professional sports.” Athletes, coaches, and staff members currently cannot wager on pro sports that are also sponsored by the NCAA, including football, basketball, hockey, baseball, golf and tennis. As legalized gambling has spread in the U.S., “particularly on college campuses, it has outstripped the ability to enforce applicable NCAA rules in some areas.”
^{SI via Sports Business Journal}

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