Comcast Revises NFL Network Statement, Adds Incendiary Tone
Update - Comcast amended its statement on NFL Network going dark in a carriage dispute to make it more incendiary https://t.co/q0XPV8A9hS
Sports Media Roundtable Dissects Amazon Deal, TV Futures
Just taped a sports media roundtable with @paulsen_smw, @Armand_Broady, @GlobeChadFinn and @derekfutterman. Topics include Amazon's Duke deal, whether Russell Wilson will be good on TV, CW partnering w. ESPN and where Vrabel-Russini goes from here. Out tomorrow at 3AM. TO LISTEN:...
Chelsea Seeks Club World Cup Badge for 2026‑27
Chelsea, who last won the Premier League in 2016/17, apply to have the FIFA Club World Cup winner’s badge on their shirt for 2026/27.
Tribunal Declares Referees Self‑Employed, Not PGMOL Employees
Tax tribunal that started in 2017 finally rules in favour of PGMOL against HMRC and referees are deemed to be self employed and not PGMOL employees https://t.co/TDOGnIlaNQ
Kentucky Derby’s Timeless Formula: Tradition Fuels Massive Viewership
How did the Kentucky Derby become THE Kentucky Derby? How does a horse race continue to draw 20 million viewers every year? I dove into the history and found some lessons for any sport that wants to present its own spectacle 🏇...
Trump Administration Proposes Commanders Manage Langston Golf Course
Trump administration wants the Washington Commanders to oversee Langston Golf Course in Northeast Washington. Story from two great WaPo reporters: @RickMaese and @jocwapo: https://t.co/xYdHHu708t
Kentucky Oaks Debuts Prime‑time Slot Amid Sports Showdown
It's Friday Night Lights in Louisville, as NBC and Churchill Downs are running the Kentucky Oaks in prime-time for the first time (8-9pm ET) Not without sports competition: 🔲Two NBA Game 6s/Prime Video 🔲Two NHL Game 6s/ESPN, ESPN2 🔲UFL on Fox https://t.co/DaPo0eFn4d
Hamilton Accies Report £1.36 M Loss, Facing Going concernHamilton Accies Report £1.36 M Loss, Facing Going Concern
A week after the 23/24 accounts came out, Hamilton Accies publish their 24/25 figures ⚽️Loss for year £1.36m ⚽️Total losses over the years £4.4m ⚽️Bank loans £1.51m ⚽️Owed to related parties £1.6m although the auditors expressed concerns about the accuracy of these figures ⚽️Going concern...
Private Equity Targets Universities Amid Enrollment Decline
This the reality of the private equity marriage to higher ed, which begins with athletics but I think will move toward education as schools are crunched for money with the enrollment cliff (fewer kids born in U.S. starting in 2008)...
Sheffield Wednesday Deal Near Finalization, Fans Rejoice
Fantastic news that the Sheffield Wednesday deal looks as if being finalised. I’m sure all Owls fans will be delighted that you won’t be appearing every week on @POF_POD
Wilson's Networking Makes Him Fit—If He Quits Playing
Good scoop by Marchand. Wilson has always been a great networker with league officials and media rightsholders. I think he’d be good in this role if he truly is committed to not playing again.
Invest $250K in Toronto Tempo, Expect $1M Return
If they were opening up shares for people, I would legit throw $250,000 into the Toronto Tempo and check back in 5-7 years. Because I’d bet it will be worth close to 1M or more.
NFL Network Clashes with Comcast over Carriage After Disney Takeover
NFL Network is in a carriage dispute with Comcast, the first one since it went under the Disney/ESPN umbrella https://t.co/q0XPV8A9hS
Big 12 Deal Could Redefine Athlete‑NCAA Legal Landscape
The Big 12’s multimillion dollar private equity deal with RedBird and Weatherford isn’t just new money—it could rewrite the legal relationship between athletes, schools, conferences, the NCAA & investors. I break down the stakes + risks for @Sportico.👇 https://t.co/uPrjJNUHFz.
Eleven Division I Schools Now Have Jersey Sponsorships
By my count, this is the 11th jersey sponsorship deal announced in D1: Arkansas, LA-Monroe, LSU, Memphis, NMSU, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Neb-Omaha, UNLV and USF. Did I miss any?
Seattle Storm's $1M Purchase Grew to $425M
The Seattle Storm owners bought the team for $1 million in 2008. It's now estimated to be worth $425 million. https://t.co/U7lGmzIvj7
Tampa Sports Authority Nets $875K From NHL Stadium Series
My colleague @Bretjust1T reports the Tampa Sports Authority took in $1.76M and netted $875K by hosting the @NHL Stadium Series game between the Lightning and Bruins at Raymond James Stadium in February. This includes: 🏒$500,000 venue rental fee 🏒$5 facility fee on...
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Look Who's Chining In on @WNBA Valuations (See what I did there?!) Here's @chiney with the man himself, @kbadenhausen https://t.co/fs0PuXoatO
Rushed Billionaire Stadium Deals Risk Taxpayer Cost Overruns
When billions of dollars in tax money are at stake, rushing to get a sports stadium or arena deal approved just because the local billionaire is impatient is a great way to end up with unexpected costs. https://t.co/hpBA8l2cZC
WNBA Team Values Surge 59%, Valkyries Top Rankings
It was a momentous offseason for the @WNBA. Everyone has been asking what the new labor contract will mean for team valuations. Well, here they are 🏀 WNBA Team Values 2026: Valkyries Lead, Average Jumps 59% 1️⃣ @valkyries 2️⃣ @nyliberty See...
Taxpayers Foot $900M, Not Haslams' Two‑thirds.
Ugh, this framing: the Haslams are "providing nearly two-thirds of he funding"? How about reporting taxpayers covering nearly $1 billion of the cost, which is the relevant figure ($900 million and the team is seeking more). Don't do this. https://t.co/S4kwp85tJp
New Blazers Owner Can’t Afford Tiago Splitter’s Contract
So this is why the new blazers owner couldn’t pay Tiago Splitter? lol. Cc: @SheaSerrano @SpursReporter
Tech Is Transforming Global Fan Engagement in F1
Great meeting Stefano Pallard, Head of Fan Development at Scuderia Ferrari, here in Miami. We talked about how fan engagement is evolving—and how technology is reshaping the connection between teams and a global audience. #F1 #MiamiGP @IBM @ScuderiaFerrari @F1 @f1miami https://t.co/KHNKIcx7wZ
Compensation Range Shapes College NIL Deal Values
Still one of the biggest mysteries in college sports & NIL... What is the range of compensation (RoC), and how does it affect NIL deals? This is covered in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Now 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL https://t.co/8Y4yDjhLsn
Real‑time Delivery Is the New Competitive Edge
I’ve seen how quickly content loses value if it doesn’t move in real time. In live sports, the moment isn’t just captured—it has to be delivered instantly. If the network can’t keep up, the story’s already gone. That’s where performance becomes a competitive...
Amazon's Super Bowl Streaming Falls Far Short of TV Reach
Re: @BrendanCarrFCC and the NFL, Amazon and Super Bowl. It is irrelevant, as Amazon couldn't deliver it to 55M+ households in the U.S. Peak streaming viewership, measured in AMA, was 15.5M in 2025. Even years from now, streaming will still...
Rebundling Is Key to Recovering Pay‑TV Losses
Consolidation and rebundling are the only way I gain some fraction of what lost via the attrition of Pay TV over the past 15 years…Big questions is just how much can be stabilized and regained? Just getting started...
MLS Faces Critical Search for Next Commissioner
With Don Garber’s quarter-century-plus tenure ending next year, MLS has executive headhunters embarked on a sprawling replacement search. A few well-known names have emerged as early targets. With big-growth ambitions, they’d better get it right. https://t.co/5EQuSrXqKz
NHL/NBA Lag Far Behind MLB's Streaming Revenue
Those numbers are lower than what MLB teams are getting right now with PayTV and DTC streaming. I’m confused why the NHL and NBA wouldn’t just copy what MLB has done…Also, no one, and I mean no one, is doing...
Minnesota Leads Bid for 2028 NFL Draft Hosting
Sources tell @SBJ that Minnesota is favored to win hosting rights to the 2028 NFL Draft https://t.co/q46HHX11yG
John Wall Named Howard’s Basketball Ops President, Elevating Athlete Influence
Interesting to see how these are becoming more than #nil for responsible athletes looking to make a difference. #Howard taps John Wall to be new president of basketball operations https://t.co/haYGukq460 via @usatoday
Seeking Peacock Game Stats to Recalculate Averages
If you have the numbers for the Peacock exclusive games please let me know. I would like to know how those affect these “averages”
Colts Decline Richardson's $22.5M Option, Free Agency Looms
The #Colts have officially declined a $22.5M 5th-year option for QB Anthony Richardson. The 23-year-old is due a fully guaranteed $5.3M this season, with free agency now available next March.
UEFA Club Media Rights Revenue Tops $5 Billion
Media-rights revenue for men’s UEFA club competitions set to surge past $5bn https://t.co/2kXf1Awt2b via @NYTimes
Kentucky Derby Broadcast Sees 5x Growth in Four Hours
A 5x build-up over 4 hours for the #KentuckyDerby on #NBC ... slightly higher than my mint julep intake on race day 🙃 Holla @andrewelkadi for the #mediarights work cc: @Octagon
LIV Golf Drama Could Shape Next Full Swing Season
This LIV golf news is wild. I wonder if it will make the next season of Full Swing.
Big Ten Hires Strategy Deputy Amid Conference Chaos
Starting tomorrow, the Big Ten will have a deputy commissioner for strategy: former Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh. Seems like a move every conference should consider given the industry's current chaos and future uncertainty -->
Championship Clubs Overspend: Wages Outpace Revenue, Costing Billions
Championship total revenues ⬇️ by 2% in 2024/25, but wages ⬆️by 2%, so overall wages 97% of revenue, which doesn't leave much to turn the floodlights on. Since 2010 Championship revenue ⬆️ by 142%, but wages ⬆️by 182%, which highlights...
Saudi-Backed Boxing Booming with Fury‑Joshua, Benn, Canelo Fights
There's been a lot of speculation that Saudi-funded boxing could be in trouble in light of what's happening with LIV Golf. However, in the last few weeks: - Turki Alalshikh announced Fury-Joshua megafight - Dana White announced five-fight deal for Conor Benn...
Jets Split Options While Others Lock in Key Talent
Recent 5th-Year Option Decisions #Panthers exercised QB Bryce Young ($25.9M) #Titans exercised OL Peter Skoronski ($19.072M) #Jets exercised ED Will McDonald ($14.475M) #Bengals declined ED Myles Murphy ($14.475M) #Packers exercised ED Lukas Van Ness ($13.75M) #Jets declined DL Mazi Smith ($13.9M)
Wealthy Heir's Group Bids to Move Whitecaps to Vegas
Here's more, via @Sportico, about the group that says it "submitted a bid" to @MLS to relocate the @WhitecapsFC to Las Vegas. It's led by the son of one of the wealthiest women in the U.S., and he has very...
Prediction Markets Favor Horse Racing over Other Sports
The prediction markets are all pulling horse racing in a way they have refused to do with other sports
Decade of NBA Jersey Sales Reveals Surprising Player Trends
Top 10 best-selling NBA jerseys in every season since 2004 What surprises you here? ⬇️ https://t.co/L6hbe9ofaw
Thanksgiving Eve Becomes Sports' Biggest Night Across Platforms
The hottest day on the sports calendar is Thanksgiving Eve: - NBA scheduled a triple-header for the first time on ESPN in 2025 - Duke will play UConn on Amazon Prime this year - The NFL is considering scheduling a Thanksgiving Eve game,...
Group Pushes Whitecaps FC Relocation to Las Vegas
From me and @JustBirny: This is the group behind the leading effort to bring the @WhitecapsFC to Las Vegas. Gustavson has met with both @MLS and the team's owners, @Sportico has been told. More to come.
Investors Flee Expensive Leagues, Driving NWSL Valuations Up
Today's CNBC Sport newsletter kickoff story is now online -- NWSL team valuations are soaring. It's a nice story for the NWSL, but something else is going on that's leading to these soaring values -- a substitution effect causing bidding...
Amazon Eyes Ohio State Football, Faces Rights Hurdles
Easy to see Amazon wanting a football version with Ohio State, for example, but vastly more difficult to execute/media partner agreement But in the next rights cycle …
Taylor Swift's Trademark Playbook Shields Athletes From AI Deepfakes
AI is exploiting athletes’ identities, it will only get worse as AI gets better and NIL protections aren't enough. Enter Taylor Swift’s trademark strategy to protect her NIL. It offers a potential roadmap for athletes battling deepfakes and AI misuse: https://t.co/4TdMv2PYiY.
Saudi Sports Push Accelerates Asset Sales, Targets More Clubs
From two weeks ago... Saudi Arabia doubles down on its sport ecosystem development as asset disposals commence Al Hilal has been sold, LIV Golf could be next, will Newcastle United follow? https://t.co/D7nWjAQ9l9 @Fire_and_Skill #Geosport https://t.co/WiuBZ36nqT
Zuckerberg and Cook Not Directly Bidding Seahawks, Fund Involved
Mark Zuckerberg isn't considering a bid for the Seahawks. ... He may be invested in a fund that's putting forward a bid... but that's a very different thing ... I assume same true for Tim Cook.