This One Strikes a Chord

SBJ writes, “This summer alone, there were pregame or halftime concerts at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, the MLB Speedway Classic and even regular-season WNBA games.”

September 10, 2025

FIFA Club World Cup, MLB Speedway Classic Show Why Live Music at Sporting Events is Becoming New Norm
SBJ’s Bret McCormick writes, “Musical acts performing at sports events is nothing new. But in recent years the idea has spread far beyond jewel events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series and various All-Star Games. This summer alone, there were pregame or halftime concerts at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup, the MLB Speedway Classic and even regular-season WNBA games.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Lachlan Murdoch’s Victory Brings Stability to Fox Sports Rights Future
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “Fox CEO and executive chair Lachlan Murdoch has prevailed in a long-running intrafamily dispute for future control of the Murdoch family media empire, providing a key dose of certainty and stability for sports leagues and investors. 

“An agreement reached Monday in a Nevada court proceeding will see three of family patriarch Rupert Murdoch’s other children—Elisabeth, James, and Prudence—gain about $1.1 billion each in return for their personal holdings in Fox Corp. and News Corp. The family drama, resolved through a complex series of financial transactions, furthered the deep parallels between the fictional television series Succession and the real-world conflicts among the Murdochs.”
_{Front Office Sports}

Mets Owners Donate More Than $2M to Organization Supporting Women’s Baseball
New York Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen have granted more than $2 million to the International Women’s Baseball Center, the nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting women’s baseball, the IWBC announced on Tuesday. The Cohens made the donations through two charitable arms, with the Steven & Alexandra Cohen giving a $2 million grant, and the Amazin’ Mets Foundation granting $350,000.
^{The Athletic}

Networks Set NFL Ratings Records As New Measurements Begin
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “The impact of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel audience measurement system is now fully coming forth, as CBS Sports reported record-setting viewership for its Week 1 coverage of the NFL. The network said late Tuesday that it averaged 20.38 million viewers for its overall coverage of the NFL’s opening Sunday, and 23.89 million viewers in particular for its national-level broadcast of Lions-Packers in the late-afternoon window. Both are the highest Week 1 measures since CBS regained NFL rights in 1998, and the overall figure is a 15% lift from last year.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Advertisers Continue Flooding Into ESPN College Football; Network Sees Opportunities for Fridays With NBA Changes
SBJ’s Austin Karp writes, “When 80% of advertisers on ESPN are buying into college sports, the start to football season is a big moment. College sports now accounts for 40% of total TV sports ad revenue, and advertiser demand has soared across ESPN platforms.

“The commercial success started with the upfronts back in the spring, and builds upon what Jim Minnich, Disney Advertising’s SVP/revenue and yield management, sports and entertainment, said are ‘double-digit-type clients who come back year after year after year’ to advertise in the sport -- of which ESPN networks have a 70% share.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “The Bills are targeting southern Ontario in a far deeper way, formally aligning with Canada’s most powerful sports entity to expand their footprint there. The NFL team and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment formally unveiled a multifaceted deal Tuesday, one aimed at enlarging the Bills’ presence in the province and promoting American football in Canada.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Broncos Eye 2031 Opening for New Multibillion-Dollar Stadium
FOS’ Eric Fisher writes, “Less than 24 hours after the Bears said they are committing to suburban Arlington Heights, Ill., as their preferred site for a new venue, the Broncos have made a similar pronouncement. The team said Tuesday it intends to build a retractable-roof stadium at Denver’s Burnham Yard. The privately financed stadium is aimed to be the centerpiece of a planned mixed-use development and entertainment district in a former railyard property just south of downtown Denver.”
^{Front Office Sports}

NHL’s Daly Says League Needs Firm Bid Before Considering Atlanta Expansion
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said that the league “needs a ‘fully baked plan’ from an ownership group in Atlanta before having its board of governors consider bringing an expansion team to the city,” according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com. Daly said that the NHL “met with multiple groups in July who are seeking to make Atlanta the league’s 33rd team.” However, Daly added that those talks “haven’t ‘matured to the point where we have a proposal.’”
^{ESPN via Sports Business Journal}

Illinois Scores $100M gift, FB Stadium Renamed
A $100M gift from Univ. of Illinois alumnus Larry Gies to the school’s Division of Intercollegiate Athletics will result in the renaming of the home of the football team to Gies Memorial Stadium. The donation is the “largest gift” in DIA history.
^{Champaign News-Gazette via Sports Business Journal}

USF Taps Rob Higgins for CEO of Athletics Role
The Univ. of South Florida “has selected” longtime Tampa Bay Sports Commission Exec Dir Rob Higgins for its new position of CEO of Athletics, replacing traditional AD Michael Kelly. Higgins -- a USF alum and a 2016 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree -- was “believed to be the top candidate among many inside the athletic department, due to his devotion to his alma mater and the constellation of national contacts he has developed” in his time with the TBSC.
^{Tampa Bay Times via Sports Business Journal}

Monumental Hires CFO From Warby Parker Amid Major Arena Project
Sportico’s Jason Clinkscales reports: “Monumental Sports & Entertainment has hired veteran finance executive Steve Miller as its new executive vice president and chief financial officer. Miller arrives from eyewear retailer Warby Parker, where he spent the past 14 years and served as CFO. He shepherded multiple funding rounds for the retailer before it went public with its direct listing on the NYSE in late September 2021.

‘The move comes as MSE embarks on a multiyear renovation of Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.”
^Sportico

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CW Angling for Major Impression Ahead of First Ranked College Football Matchup
SBJ’s Ben Portnoy writes, “The CW landing a high-profile matchup this week is the culmination of recent efforts by the network to further integrate into the sports world. Nexstar acquired The CW in 2022, and the network has since built sports offerings that include the ACC and Pac-12 on the college side, along with properties such as NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and ‘WWE NXT.’

“The ACC deal is of particular note this weekend. The four-year agreement that runs through next year was negotiated as part of a deal with Raycom, which sublicenses ACC events from ESPN. That results in what will be 13 ACC football games on The CW’s airwaves this fall.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

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