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ESPN Reportedly in Lead to Sign Pat McAfee Away From FanDuel

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May 10, 2023 | May 10, 2023 | SPORTS Essential sports industry news & intel to start your day. By Mark J. Burns | Twitter  Email   Top Stories The New Normal With the country’s national emergencies for addressing COVID-19 set to expire on Thursday, Morning Consult takes a close look at where consumer comfort stands today. As of the latest Return to Normal survey, 72% of self-identified sports fans said they feel comfortable attending a game, compared with 60% of all U.S. adults who said the same. For the latest look at how comfortable Americans feel about a wide range of entertainment activities, including going to the movies and attending a concert, read more here: Americans Just Want to Have Fun at Restaurants, Concerts and the Movies Again. ESPN has reportedly emerged as the leading destination for Pat McAfee’s daily YouTube show, which is currently part of a broader four-year, $120 million endorsement deal with FanDuel Group that the former NFL punter is considering ending early. While the amount of money that McAfee would earn in a potential ESPN deal is not yet known, it’s expected to be in the range of eight figures per year for the popular 36-year-old media personality, who has also worked as a panelist for ESPN’s “College GameDay.” (New York Post) Concessionaire company Aramark Corp. said it reached a deal to sell approximately half of its stake in the San Antonio Spurs to an unknown buyer for about $100 million. Aramark, which has owned a stake in the NBA franchise since at least 2001, likely went from owning around 10% of the Spurs to about 5%, according to Sportico’s valuation of the team. (Sportico) Fox Corp. reported its third-quarter advertising revenue was up 43% year over year to $1.86 billion due in large part to its broadcast of Super Bowl LVII. The February game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles drew an average of 115.1 million viewers, making it the most watched U.S.-based telecast ever, per Nielsen. (Reuters) The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets are reportedly scheduled to play a two-game regular-season series in London next year as part of the MLB’s continued push to grow the game globally. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are also said to have expressed interest to play in Paris in 2025, but it’s unlikely the league would schedule a series between the two rivals following their two-game series in London in 2019, according to a source familiar with the plan. (Sports Illustrated)   Chart Review Americans Just Want to Have Fun at Restaurants, Concerts and the Movies Again Morning Consult Tracking Consumer Comfort Across the Pandemic Years The share of U.S. adults who said they feel comfortable doing the following activities: Going to a sporting event Going to the movies Going to a concert Going out to eat at a restaurant Flying domestically Flying internationally 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Sep 20 Jan21 May '21 Sep 21 Jan22 May '22 Sep 22 Jan23 May '23 V. MORNING CONSULT Surveys conducted between May 2020 and May 2023, among a representative sample of approximately 2,200 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of -2 percentage points. A MESSAGE FROM MORNING CONSULT VvV MORNING CONSULT H1 2023 The State of Travel Hospitality A look at the major factors influencing consumers travel behaviors and expectations DOWNLOAD NOW The State of Travel & Hospitality H1 2023 Morning Consult’s semiannual report, The State of Travel & Hospitality, tracks evolving travel trends in the travel & hospitality sector and what they mean for the future of the industry. Download today.   What Else You Need To Know MEDIA MEDIA Jomboy Media Lays Off Roughly 10% of Workers in Staffing Reversal Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico Jomboy Media has laid off roughly 10% of its 60-plus person staff, according to multiple people familiar with the changes who requested anonymity because the discussions are private. The company is dealing with the economic headwinds facing the entire media industry but still expects to increase revenue in 2023 versus last year. Buzzer to Shut Down App, License Tech to Other Streamers Jacob Feldman, Sportico Mobile sports streaming company Buzzer plans to stop supporting its consumer app platform as it transitions into a tech provider for teams, leagues, and networks broadcasting directly to fans themselves. Barstool Sports, PGA Tour partner to stream Korn Ferry Tour event Sports Business Journal Barstool Sports and the PGA Tour hope their partnership to air an upcoming Korn Ferry Tour event will boost visibility for the feeder tour’s players as well as bring new, younger eyeballs to the game, reports SBJ’s Josh Carpenter. 2023 Miami Grand Prix Is Second-Most Watched F1 Race in U.S. History Andrew Cohen, Front Office Sports ABC’s Miami Grand Prix broadcast on Sunday drew 1.96 million average viewers, the second-largest live audience for an F1 race in U.S. television history.  ESPN’s NBA studio show will not travel to conference finals John Ourand, Sports Business Journal  For the first time in at least a decade, ESPN’s NBA studio shows will not travel to the league’s conference finals. Instead, ESPN will continue to produce its pre-, half- and post-game shows for the Western Conference finals from its New York studios. ESPN’s Anderson apologizes for mocking Whitecloud’s name Mark Anderson, The Associated Press ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor John Anderson apologized to Zach Whitecloud, a First Nation member in Canada, on Tuesday after comparing the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman’s last name to toilet paper the previous night. NFL Josh Harris’ bid for Commanders still faces hurdles as NFL owners meet to review Daniel Kaplan, The Athletic Unique circumstances involved in the proposed $6.05 billion sale could cause some issues. NBA NBA CMO Tammy Henault on marketing plans for the Finals, digital growth Jon Springer, Ad Age Playoff ratings soar amid a ‘huge platform and engagement viewership shift’. MLB Robo umps reach Triple-A, but MLB rollout still uncertain Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press Much like the pitch clock that had purists panicking, only to quickly and quietly blend into the flow of the game, automatic balls and strikes could soon be coming to the major leagues. And much like the players themselves, the robo-umps are working their way up through the minors on their way to the show. A’s pivot to new site for Vegas baseball stadium, lowering public funding request Howard Stutz, The Nevada Independent The Oakland A’s and Bally’s Corp. have an agreement in place for the team to build a $1.5 billion stadium on a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas site, a move expected to reduce the amount of public financing sought for the project to $395 million. As Minor Leaguers Unionized, One Went to Law School Scott Miller, The New York Times Chris Rowley was the first West Point graduate to make it to the majors. Now he’s getting a law degree on a union scholarship. NHL Blackhawks ticket sales up after Connor Bedard lottery win Emily Kaplan, ESPN The Blackhawks told ESPN on Tuesday morning that they have made $5.2 million in ticketing revenue in less than a day after the team won the 2023 NHL draft lottery. COLLEGE SPORTS NCAA President Charlie Baker Continues to Push for NIL Legislation With Lawmakers Ross Dellenger, Sports Illustrated There is growing bipartisan support around a federal bill to help provide more oversight around name, image and likeness. Gambling’s place in campus culture portends scandals to come Eric Olson, The Associated Press East Carolina assistant professor Michelle L. Malkin, who researches ties between gambling and criminality, said placing sports bets has become a part of college culture, more so since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 cleared the way for states to legalize sports wagering. Head of Gaming Commission Says No Evidence That Iowa, Iowa State Games Were Compromised Avery Yang and Darren Rovell, Action Network  The head of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission said in an interview with the Action Network on Monday night that there’s zero evidence of suspicious wagering activity or match fixing involving any Iowa or Iowa State sporting event. The comment comes after at least 41 current student-athletes across the two universities were reported for potentially illicit betting activity. Georgia’s championship team declines White House invitation The Associated Press According to a statement released by the Georgia athletic association on Tuesday, the Bulldogs will not be able to attend a June 12 event with other college teams at the White House. SOCCER Lionel Messi returns to PSG, father denies report of Saudi deal Cindy Boren, The Washington Post Lionel Messi was expected to resume training with his Paris Saint-Germain teammates Tuesday, and his father denied a report that a “done deal” was in place for the Argentine soccer star to play in Saudi Arabia once his contract with the elite French club expires next month. The NWSL will add two more teams in 2026, commissioner Jessica Berman says Jonathan Tannenwald, The Philadelphia Inquirer  Berman told the Washington Post that the league's next round of expansion talks will start later this year. She gave no hints as to which cities the league wants. GOLF AND TENNIS The Same Work but a Lot Less Pay for Women. Welcome to Tennis in 2023. Matthew Futterman, The New York Times At the Italian Open, women will compete for less than half as much money as the men. Organizers say they intend to fix that, but not for two years. GENERAL Aaron Rodgers’ Fund Backed by Josh Allen, Christina Aguilera Gillian Tan, Bloomberg RX3, the venture firm co-founded by football star Aaron Rodgers, Nate Raabe and Byron Roth, has raised $150 million from athletes and celebrities for its second consumer-focused growth equity fund. Shaq Rejects FTX Fraud Suit, Saying Summons Papers Were Thrown at His Car Joel Rosenblatt, Bloomberg Shaquille O’Neal is calling foul on the lawyers who chased him for months to serve a lawsuit accusing the basketball legend of duping investors in FTX crypto exchange. Under Armour sends potential warning sign about retailers’ profits Melissa Repko, CNBC It said it expects margins to improve as the year goes on. Under Armour's results could spell trouble for retailers that report quarterly results in the coming weeks. Jake Paul, Joey Levy’s Betr Acquires Chameleon Betting Platform Doug Greenberg, Front Office Sports Betr has acquired the Chameleon platform from Canadian sports technology company FansUnite for $7.45 million. Sixty percent of the transaction was completed in cash, with the other 40% coming in stock. World’s Fastest Men Will Face Off Again—Finally—in Italy Rachel Bachman, The Wall Street Journal Italian Lamont Marcell Jacobs and American Fred Kerley haven’t raced each other since Jacobs’s surprise 100-meter win at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Forte, Once the Derby Favorite, Failed a Drug Test in September Joe Drape, The New York Times The colt went on to become America’s 2-year-old champion and was favored to win the Kentucky Derby until he was scratched from the race with an injury. The doping case still hasn’t been adjudicated. For Many Big Cities, It’s Their First Rodeo. ‘You Don’t Do That In Cowboy World’ Charles Passy, The Wall Street Journal Bull riding is becoming more popular in metro areas, and that poses hurdles—trucking dirt through traffic to the arena and teaching manners; no booing. OPINIONS, PERSPECTIVES AND RESEARCH How ‘Inside The NBA’ Creates Space To Make The Best Studio Show In Sports Robby Kalland, UPROXX We talked with the people that make 'Inside' work, to find out how they create space for the crew to entertain every night. NING C NG CONSIL This email was sent to: [email protected] by: Morning Consult 1025 F Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004
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