FIFA's Pitch-Perfect Pursuit

FIFA’s Pursuit to Grow Perfect World Cup Pitches; More Major Media News

October 31, 2024

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Inside FIFA’s $3M World Cup Research Deal With Tennessee, Michigan State
Sportico’s Daniel Libit reports: “FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, is paying two American land-grant universities—Tennessee and Michigan State—a combined $3.13 million to figure out how to grow and maintain perfect pitches for the 2026 World Cup host stadiums and practice sites.

“Both schools are evenly splitting FIFA’s funds, which are going to pay for the salaries and fringe benefits of the researchers, travel, materials and supplies, grad student tuition and fees, and other direct costs.”
^Sportico

Playfly’s Consulting Arm Gaining Ground With FIFA World Cup Cities, Sponsors
SBJ’s Terry Lefton writes, “At a time when every agency and many brands are looking at the newly expanded (32 to 48 teams) 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup as something that could dwarf even the Olympics in significance, it’s the consulting group’s progress within that event that’s impressive. Playfly and its clients are markedly closemouthed on client specifics here, but I'm told more than half of the 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are receiving ‘strategic, planning and commercial development’ consulting from Playfly.

“Underlying all that is a sturdy and pedigreed group of soccer marketers, including Playfly Consulting co-head John Kristick (on the 2026 World Cup Bid Committee)…”
^{Sports Business Journal}

Report: Arctos Partners in Talks to Buy Minority Stake in Bills
Private equity firm Arctos Partners is “in talks" with Bills owner Terry Pegula to "acquire a minority stake" in the franchise, according to sources cited by Tan & Williams of BLOOMBERG NEWS via the SBJ. A transaction has not been agreed to and it is possible “another suitor, or suitors, could emerge.” A Bills representative said that the team’s sale of a non-controlling, minority stake “remains ongoing,” adding “any potential investor cannot be confirmed or finalized until it is approved by the NFL.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

DoorDash, NBA, WNBA Extend Partnership With Throwback 80's Ad Campaign
According to ADWEEK via the SBJ, DoorDash, NBA, and WNBA announced a multiyear partnership renewal that extends DoorDash’s role as the official on-demand delivery platform partner of the two leagues. The partnership started in 2020. DoorDash partnered with rapper Kurtis Blow to reimagine the 80s classic "Basketball." The new music video features Knicks Gs Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, along with former WNBAer Sue Bird.
^{Sports Business Journal}

EA Raises Annual Bookings Forecast as American Football Titles Outperform
Reuters’ Zaheer Zachwala writes of the 2% raise in extended trading shares, “EA's sports titles ‘Madden NFL’ and ‘College Football’ show strong engagement even as the industry navigates a challenging time marked by higher inflation. The company now expects full-year bookings in the range of $7.50 billion to $7.80 billion, compared with its prior forecast of $7.30 billion to $7.70 billion.”
^Reuters

Mavericks Owner’s $100 Million Trump Donation Dwarfs All Other Sports Owner Political Giving
As FOS’ Alex Schiffer and Margaret Fleming write, “The Dallas Mavericks boast a payroll of about $180 million this year, ranking in the top 10 in the NBA. That’s a drop in the bucket for ultra-wealthy owner Miriam Adelson, who has spent more than half that amount on a single politician this year.

“Adelson has put about $100 million behind her Preserve America political action committee backing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign…As extraordinary as the size of the donation is, Trump was expecting more. He was feuding with Adelson earlier this summer and expected her to spend a quarter-billion dollars on his election campaign, according to the New York Times.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Amazon Prime Video Officially Sold Out of Black Friday NFL Ad Inventory
ADWEEK’s Jason Notte reports: “In a conversation at ADWEEK’s Mediaweek, Amazon head of U.S. live sports and video sales, Danielle Carney, confirmed that the streamer sold out of ad inventory for its Black Friday game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. And conversations were already kicking off at the beginning of the year.

“Carney noted that after Amazon Prime Video brought in nearly 10 million viewers for last year’s initial Black Friday matchup between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, 40% of advertisers at this year’s game will be new to the platform.”
^ADWEEK

WSL Agrees [to] ‘Significant’ New Broadcast Deal With Sky Sports and BBC
The Women’s Super League (WSL) has agreed to “the most significant broadcast partnership ever for women’s football” in the UK and Ireland. in the 2025-26 season. The new five-year deal begins in the 2025-26 season, and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) says it will enable supporters to watch every game from the top league of women’s professional football in England live.

The Athletic’s anonymous sources briefed on the deal estimate its value in the region of £65million. The previous agreement, announced in March 2021, was for an initial three years and was worth in the region of £7m per year.
^{The Athletic}

Jaylen Brown to Star in Second Season of Netflix’s “Starting 5” Series
Netflix announced Tuesday that the second season of “Starting 5” is underway, with Jaylen Brown set as one of the five stars showcased in the series. 

Along with Brown, Boston.com notes that the other stars set to be featured in the second season of “Starting 5” are Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers), and Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers). 
^Boston.com

White Sox Hiring Will Venable as Manager After Historic 121-Loss Season
The Chicago White Sox are hiring Will Venable as their manager, according to a major-league source via The Athletic. Venable comes to Chicago from Texas, where he worked as the associate manager of the Rangers’ Bruce Bochy for the past two years, winning a World Series title in 2023. Venable played nine MLB seasons as an outfielder for the Rangers, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2016.
^{The Athletic}

U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties Hires Former Nike Executive John Slusher as its CEO
The joint venture between LA28 and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has hired former Nike executive John Slusher as its CEO. According to SBJ, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties, which serves as the commercial arm of the domestic movement, has not had someone in that role since December. Slusher comes to the role after 26 years at Nike, where, most recently, he led global sports marketing.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Copa del Rey Games and Other Sporting Events Postponed After Deadly Floods Devastate Southern Spain
Valencia and Levante's Copa del Rey matches have been postponed following floods that killed more than 60 people and caused havoc in southern Spain. Other sporting events were also affected by Tuesday’s flash floods, which reportedly swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers, and disrupted rail lines and highways—the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent years.

“Real Madrid is deeply saddened and expresses its solidarity with all the people affected by this catastrophe, to whom it conveys all its full support and sympathy,” the club said.
^{AP News}

With Clark and Reese Gone, New Crop of Talented Women’s Basketball Players Ready to Take Over
“I know we lost some great ones in Angel and Caitlin, but we gained so much more. We gained so much more talent, skill set and marketability,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “I’m really looking forward to it. I’m glad it’s happened during a time in which I can attest to it, I can share with other people who are just now tuning in.”
^{AP News}

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