WNBA is "in discussions to begin charter travel for all 12 of its teams as soon as this regular season." The "explosion of interest in the league, business growth and anticipated future revenue from the next media deal" were all factors in the league's determination (X, 5/7). WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert confirmed the report at a league meeting today, saying the league will officially announce charter travel for games "as soon as we can get the planes in place" (X, 5/7). When asked about the charter flights, N.Y. Liberty F Breanna Stewart said, "It's the first I'm hearing of it. I think it's something we've been wanting and fighting for a long time. Let's hope we can" (X, 5/7).

Las Vegas Aces guard Chelsea Gray, when asked whether the changes finally are here because Caitlin Clark joined the league, said: "At the end of the day, this has been something that we've been working towards for years now. So now the timing just happens to fall now but I feel if we credit this to one person [Clark], that's disrespectful to the ones before, but they helped us continue to push this needle, continue to push this game and grow it. So it's just a matter of time. So I'm just happy that it's finally here and it's happening, because I know we were all tired of waiting for it.'' Added Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier: "It's something we've been asking for, for years. And I think it's something that can't be ignored anymore, especially [because] there's a lot of heat on the league [on the subject] so that's always how it goes: The more heat you put on, especially from the outside, the more things change quicker." (Tom Friend, SBJ)

Meanwhile, next Tuesday’s WNBA tip-off games, including Caitlin Clark’s regular season debut with the league, "will stream on Disney+." On May 14, Clark’s Indiana Fever will face off against the Connecticut Sun, and the Phoenix Mercury will face the Las Vegas Aces. Both games will stream on Disney+ and will also be available on ESPN+, and on ESPN2. The WNBA games "are a big deal," as until now, Disney+ has not been in the live sports business -- with the exception of some experimental animated simulcasts with the NFL and NHL. The WNBA games "will be the full, studio productions, not animated simulcasts" (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 5/7).

Coming into its second season with WNBA games on ION, Scripps Sports will broadcast weekly studio shows around its Friday Night Spotlight on ION, presented by State Farm.

The over-the-air network will have 43 regular-season games, the most of any broadcast partner, including eight Indiana Fever games with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. 

A 30-minute pre-game show will feature highlights from the week’s games, spotlight upcoming matchups on ION and include stories from around the league. The network will also have halftime shows, and wrap-up and preview shows in between games.

WNBA on ION studio shows will be broadcast from Atlanta, hosted by Larry Smith. Analysts include Autumn Johnson, an ESPN and Big Ten Network analyst, and Meghan McKeown, a basketball analyst for the Sun, NBC/Peacock, Big Ten Network, ESPN and Fox. Nicole Denne, Sr Dir of Content for Scripps Sports, will be executive producer of the studio shows.

The regular season tips off May 14, with the first studio shows and games on ION on Friday, May 17. The studio show will begin most weeks at 7pm ET, followed by WNBA doubleheaders. 

While not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, F1 beat NASCAR in weekend viewership for what is thought to be one of the first times in history with the third edition of the Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. ABC got 3.1 million viewers for the race portion of Sunday’s broadcast window, according to ESPN, helped by a lead-in from Game 7 of the Cavaliers-Magic NBA first-round playoff series, which got 4.32 million viewers. NASCAR’s race aired on the FS1 cable channel and was delayed for around three hours by weather. FS1 averaged 2.3 million viewers for the NASCAR Cup Series race, the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Despite the caveats, the viewership still underscores how F1 has elevated itself as a property in America since the pandemic. It could not be independently confirmed by presstime whether this was the first time that F1 has beat NASCAR on a given race weekend.

Sunday’s mark was up nearly 60% from last year’s viewership of 1.96 million for the second edition of the Miami race. The inaugural race drew 2.6 million, which stood as the most-viewed live F1 race in the U.S. before Sunday. The prior record for any race, live or taped, was the tape-delayed 2002 Monaco Grand Prix, which got 2.8 million. Miami also hosted its first sprint race on Saturday, and that got 946,000 viewers on ESPN, the largest audience for a sprint race since F1 introduced the concept in 2021. F1 Miami peaked at 3.6 million viewers. Sunday’s race marked the first time that a driver other than Max Verstappen won a race in the U.S. since before the pandemic, as McLaren’s Lando Norris took the checkered flag.

Tom Garfinkel, managing partner of the Miami Grand Prix, said he was thrilled by Sunday's viewership numbers. "It’s a credit to a competitive race and great win by Lando Norris, but even more importantly it underscores what we have always believed – F1 in America is here to stay.”

The location of where the A's Las Vegas ballpark will sit within the 36-acre Tropicana site will be "determined by where Bally’s planned future resort best fits around the stadium." Renderings depict the $1.5B, 33,000-seat stadium in the "southeast corner" of the site. Bally’s Corp. Chair Soo Kim said that that location is "still on the board, but it’s not the only area being considered." The ballpark will encompass 9 acres of the site, with a 3-acre public plaza leading up to the stadium from the Las Vegas Strip. Bally’s wants to "build a new resort on the remaining acreage." To get the resort constructed in a timely manner, Kim said that he would be "open to bringing another resort operator on board" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/7).

Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel is in the "middle of a two-week suspension handed down by the Star’s owners, Gannett, and by the Star itself," according to sources. Doyel was "roundly criticized for his actions" during Fever G Caitlin Clark’s introductory press conference April 17 including an "uncomfortable and unfortunate give-and-take with Clark." Doyel’s most recent column, a Colts-related piece, was published April 29, and he has "not written a word since then." Sources said that he is "expected to return this Monday." He will "not attend any Fever games this summer" but will "continue to write columns off the team by watching TV from his home" (BOBKRAVITZ.com, 5/7).

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has been told by minority shareholders to "abandon his takeover 'farce' with 777 Partners" as the U.S. investment firm "descends into legal turmoil." The Everton Shareholders' Association said the "powers-that-be are being disrespectful" and "must pull the plug" on the proposed deal. The representative body "also turned on the Premier League for failing to conclude" its owners and directors checks after eight months. They added that they believe 777 is "not at this time fit-and-proper prospective owners of Everton." The association owns less than 5% of the club, but it "still carries some club influence as a 'watchdog' with fan supervision of transactions and sales of shares." Sources said there has been "no immediate change of mind" from Moshiri around the proposed takeover. But "frustration is mounting internally," with the situation "still unresolved after a fraught fortnight of legal complaints" against 777 (London TELEGRAPH, 5/7).

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has given the Lawn Tennis Association its "highest surplus payment ever" -- $61M -- after posting "record financial figures" for Wimbledon last year. The club’s annual accounts have confirmed that Wimbledon remains "one of Britain’s most lucrative sporting events," as income in 2023 totaled $475.9M -- up $42.1M from the previous year. The club’s operating profit came in at $67.3M, an increase of $8.4M from 2023. This has resulted in "a significant boost for the coffers" of the LTA through a longstanding agreement, under which the governing body of British tennis receives about 90% of the annual profits at Wimbledon. The present contract, which runs until 2053, was agreed to in 2008 with the condition that, in return, the LTA sold its 50% share of the All England Lawn Tennis Ground -- the separate company that owns the site and facilities in southwest London -- to the club for $68.8M (London TIMES, 5/7).

Dragon Seats has partnered with Kinematic Company to debut a new sideline shading system called the Dragon ShadER. The adjustable overhead shady system can provide weather protection for all elements and is designed to attach to Dragon Seats’ climate-controlled benches. Kinematic is the provider of SidelinER medical privacy tents that are used for diagnosing midgame head injuries to football players. 

The two companies’ new combined product was recently showcased during the Univ. of Alabama’s spring football game. And Dragon Seats has already secured commitments from over a dozen NCAA and NFL programs to implement Dragon ShadER for their spring and summer training sessions, as well as the 2024 football season.

Tennis player Kylie McKenzie was awarded $9M in damages by a jury in federal court in Florida after accusing the U.S. Tennis Association of "failing to protect her" from a coach she said sexually abused her at one of its training centers when she was a teenager (AP, 5/7).

The PGA of America and Penn Entertainment have reached a multiyear sports betting partnership that will see ESPN Bet become the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the PGA Championship through 2026. The deal makes the PGA Championship the first men’s golf major to establish an official sports betting sponsor (PGA of America).

Providence College has already announced a 99% renewal rate in men’s basketball season tickets for 2024-25. The Friars have created a waitlist "that could expand on" the 11,113 fans they welcomed on average through 19 home dates last season (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 5/7).

Telemundo will bring on anchor Jessica Carrillo as a cohost for the Paris Games this summer alongside sports anchor Miguel Gurwitz (NBCUniversal).

ASM Global Hospitality Division SAVOR has appointed Jason Dowd SVP/Culinary & Innovation named Craig Condra Regional VP/Food & Beverage (ASM Global).

U.S. Sailing has signed Sextant Wines as the official wine partner of U.S. Sailing and of the U.S. Sailing Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. This is US Sailing’s 13th new partner since 2023. Sextant will also be the presenting sponsor of U.S. Sailing’s biennial Stakeholders Summit, which begins Thursday (U.S. Sailing).

U.S. Performance Academy has signed a deal to become the Official Online Academic Partner of USA Volleyball. The deal establishes an academic and athletic pathway to enable junior volleyball players to train, travel and compete while receiving a high-quality online education (USPA).

Late soccer icon Diego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy (Ballon d'Or), which he won for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup, is "expected to be sold for millions" when it goes to auction in France on June 6. The trophy is the "first of its kind to be auctioned" (London TIMES, 5/7).

More: 

• Paris Olympics are prime target for cybercriminals.

"I was raised there and I will be buried in Baltimore, and I thought I hadn’t really done enough to give back to Baltimore for the good fortunate I had to grow up there. So this is a way to kind of help Baltimore in some ways, and I hope I can energize the business community and do other things to help the Orioles" -- Orioles owner David Rubenstein, speaking at the Milken Global Institute Conference today on his reasons for buying the team (Chris Smith, SBJ).

I smell a 2024 SCHEDULE coming out soon… 🏈

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) May 7, 2024

We may be watching the final days of "Inside the NBA" as the league nears a new TV deal 😳 pic.twitter.com/DifZUac0rU

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 7, 2024

New Rolex Rankings. With Alison Lee dropping out of the top 15 this week, no country has the max of 4 for the Olympics. The period to qualify ends after @KPMGWomensPGA June 23.

In the 2 Games, only Korea (twice) and the US (2020) have sent 4. Still a chance both could this year. pic.twitter.com/wXCQegpXey

— Grant Boone (@grantboone) May 7, 2024

A’s closer Mason Miller isn’t expecting a special walkout anytime soon at Oakland Coliseum 😅

(via @FoulTerritoryTV) pic.twitter.com/J4eEJoNejR

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 7, 2024

IT’S DRAFT DAY ⏰📈

The Greatest Draft
7PM ET on ESPNU & ESPN+
Presented by @QCollarOfficial pic.twitter.com/scmBKieljd

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) May 7, 2024

#OTD in 2016: The impossible happened. pic.twitter.com/BE1avG1BQL

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 7, 2024

In celebration of Spurs C Victor Wembanyama being named NBA Rookie of the Year, Fanatics debuted The Exhibit: Wemby’s ROY Surprise -- a documentary short features several NBA legends and former ROY winners surprising Wembanyama and welcoming him to the group.

$1.9M -- Former NFLer Rob Gronkowski is paying $1.9M to settle claims over how he promoted crypto brokerage company Voyager (PUCK, 5/7).