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Start your morning with Buzzcast with Austin Karp: MLB Opening Day is here!; The Caps and Wizards are staying in D.C.; NCAA tourney viewership is trending in the right direction headed into the Sweet 16; Liberty Media looks to acquire MotoGP; and The CW might be adding more sports rights

MLB season to start as Rangers, Orioles set the stage

The MLB season starts in full today, and the Rangers "will raise the banner celebrating their first World Series championship" ahead of tonight's game against the Cubs. The Rangers will "celebrate the opening of the season free of politics or celebrity," as the ceremonial first pitch "will be thrown by a long-suffering fan" in Bill Carter -- a season-ticket holder since 1979. The "highlight of pregame activities" will be raising the 2023 World Series Championship banner -- which "measures 20 feet in height and 30 feet in width and will be located adjacent to the Globe Life Field right field video board." The banner "won’t be so much as raised, as it will be dropped, from the roof support from which it will hang." That part of the ceremony "should take place around 20-25 minutes before" the 6:35pm CT scheduled first pitch (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 3/25).

Meanwhile, the Orioles will begin the David Rubenstein era with a "full slate of pregame festivities" for today's 3:05pm ET game against the Angels. Fourth-grader Aubree Singletary, the daughter of a Baltimore City postal worker, will throw out the first pitch "in a nod" to Rubenstein -- his father worked for the post office. Baseball HOFer Cal Ripken Jr. will catch the pitch in recognition of him rejoining the organization as a minority owner. Rubenstein will be joined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on stage before "ushering in a new chapter of Orioles baseball" by yelling, "Play ball" before the game. Meanwhile, the club "plans to hold a moment of silence to honor" the victims of Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and "recognize the first responders who reported to the scene" (BALTIMORE SUN, 3/27).

Weather across U.S. to impact MLB Opening Day

MLB's Opening Day is today, and while it "mostly will be played in good weather or indoors," the forecast for rain has "already prompted a postponement" of two East Coast games -- Brewers at Mets and Braves at Phillies. Each game will be played instead tomorrow afternoon. It's the second year in a row rain has postponed the Mets home opener. One East Coast game that's still on for today is in Baltimore, where the Orioles host the Angels. This is "a challenging forecast" because there will be "a sharp western edge between rain and no rain" today. Most of the other games "will either be played in generally dry weather or in stadiums with a permanent roof or retractable roof" (WEATHER.com, 3/27).

MLB launching new HR Derby VR on Meta Quest

By Joe Lemire

MLB Home Run Derby VR

MLB is launching an upgraded version of MLB Home Run Derby VR on the Meta Quest Store, complete with detailed renderings of all 30 ballparks. 

The compatibility with Meta -- on the Quest 3, Quest 2 and Quest Pro devices -- gives the game greater market reach. The updated title includes multiplayer competitions, a progression of skill levels, customization options and more behind-the-scenes gameplay, such as experiences in the clubhouse and trophy room. 

“It's really about a social experience, as well as the competition, as well as obviously fandom and team avidity,” MLB SVP/Gaming & VR Jamie Leece told SBJ during a demo at league headquarters earlier this week, emphasizing the value of faithful ballpark recreations. “It's incredibly powerful, that one-to-one experience for fans, to feel like they get to step in that place that they can't even imagine they ever would.” 

An early access version of MLB Home Run Derby VR -- essentially, a beta product -- has been available in the Meta App Lab. Those who played that version will received an automatic upgrade to the expanded game, which retails for $29.99. Leece said the plan is not to annualize the game for new sales each year but rather to build upgrades into the same app. 

The VR version of the Home Run Derby began as activations at All-Star Games, festivals and ballpark concourses and was first released commercially in 2018 on PlayStation VR and HTC Vive. At the time, it limited gamers to choosing only one of three ballparks -- Miami, Washington and Cleveland, which were the All-Star Game hosts in 2017, ’18 and ’19. There wasn’t the same pathway toward unlocking new achievement, either. 

“That's a very cool experience, but that's a two-minute rollercoaster ride,” Leece said. “For you to feel like you've got a 10-, 20-, 40-, 60-hour experience, you need to build something a lot more profound and a lot more scaled up for fans to want to play at home.”

The multiplayer and tournament modes are a big selling point, he noted, and users will be able to accessorize their avatars by earning points in the game instead of through microtransactions. There are social areas in the game where friends can hang out, and they’ll be able to appear as their custom avatars from other Meta experiences.  

And when competing against someone, an animation will show the opponent’s progress via ball traces. 

“So you feel presence,” Leece said, “and you also feel the pressure.” 

Snickers taps Braves' Acuña for new ad campaign

By Erik Bacharach

Snickers is marking the start of the MLB season by releasing a new 15-second spot featuring Braves OF Ronald Acuña Jr. The creative campaign, which will run throughout the upcoming season, was developed in partnership with the Home Team Sports division of Playfly Sports, which represents every RSN within the U.S. The ad, which was filmed on March 7 in St. Petersburg, Fla., debuts today. Playfly also worked with Snickers and Acuña Jr. heading into each of the previous two seasons.

“Brands have continued to come our way because we’re sort of that one constant amid a (local TV) landscape that is shifting,” said Lindsay Amstutz, Playfly Sports President of Media. “Brands recognize the power of local fans, and we give them this turnkey way to reach them.”

Playfly is also working with PNC Bank, which is the presenting sponsor of MLB’s opening week on all U.S.-based RSNs. The partnership includes digital in-game integrations that will air during opening week, in addition to custom commercials that will air throughout the season.

MLB unveils TV plans for Rockies, Padres, D-backs

MLB has unveiled the 2024 TV plans for the three teams it controls the media rights for -- the Rockies, Padres and D-backs. The Rockies will see "a handful of cable providers and streaming platforms" televise all the games this season -- Comcast/Xfinity, FuboTV, Spectrum and DirecTV. Rockies.TV will also have "a 15-minute pregame show for all home games as well as a postgame show for both home and road games" (DENVER POST, 3/27). 

The Padres' broadcast schedule will "include Padres TV on AT&T U-verse, COX, Spectrum and DirecTV." Games produced by Padres TV "will also be available to be streamed on Padres.TV apps." Today's home opener broadcast "will include a one-hour pre-game show produced by Padres TV, as well as a half-hour postgame show." The pre- and postgame shows "will revert to 15-minute productions" tomorrow, with postgame lengths "varying game-to-game" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 3/27). 

The D-backs' broadcasts will be available on Cox and DirecTV, "among other outlets." The broadcasts also will be available on Spectrum and Xfinity/Comcast and via a streaming option through MLB.TV. The arrangement with the providers "amounts to the same setup the team had last year after MLB took over production of games" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/27).

Wizards, Caps staying in D.C. following arena deal

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder & CEO Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and Capitals, signed a deal yesterday that -- if approved by the D.C. Council -- would "keep the teams in downtown D.C." until 2050, "abruptly ending the owner’s planned move to Virginia." The agreement "marks a sharp change in plans" for Leonsis, who three months ago joined Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to announce a handshake agreement to build a new arena in the Potomac Yard area of Alexandria as part of a $2.2B mixed-use development. Leonsis said he "told the Virginia governor earlier Wednesday about his plans to stay in D.C." He "declined to go into detail about what went wrong" with his aborted effort to build a Virginia arena but said: "My experience was that I had a better experience on the business side in D.C. than I just did in Virginia which was really, really surprising and eye-opening" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/27).

Leonsis "sounded relieved" last night. Virginia "became a punchline" at yesterday's joint press conference, as Leonsis and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson "drew several laughs from the crowd when alluding to the failed Potomac Yard arena" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/27).

Bowser and Leonsis have "finally made nice." Once the signed deal receives the expected approval of the D.C. Council, it "officially ends Leonsis’s courtship with Virginia," a plan that "began behind closed doors but spectacularly failed." But the deal "isn’t the love fest that Bowser, the D.C. Council and Monumental might want it to be." No magic wand "can abracadabra away these past three months of secret deals, public disses, false claims and hurt feelings." Too much has "already been said, too many propaganda pieces have already been produced to make us forget that Leonsis had a wandering eye and lustful heart for another city -- and that he really, really wanted to leave D.C." (WASHINGTON POST, 3/27). 

Thorns make Smith highest-paid player in NWSL

Sophia Smith re-signing in Portland is "another boost to the NWSL's claim as the best league in the world" Soobum Im/USA TODAY NETWORK

Portland Thorns F Sophia Smith has signed a new contract with the team that "ties her to Portland through the 2025 season, with an option to extend the contract through 2026," making her the "highest-paid player annually" in the NWSL. Smith signed a "shorter-term deal but will be paid higher annually," the Thorns said, although Thorns GM Karina LeBlanc "declined to share specific numbers." LeBlanc said re-signing Smith was "one of the first things [she] talked about" with the Bhathals, who purchased the Thorns for a then-record $63M in January. Smith "would have had plenty of options both domestically and abroad" if she had let her previous contract expire. Smith re-signing in Portland is "another boost to the NWSL's claim as the best league in the world" (ESPN.com, 3/27).

Plan to ban prop bets hurts DraftKings stock

DraftKings shares "tumbled" yesterday after NCAA President Charlie Baker announced he is pushing to ban college prop betting. The company’s stock closed down 6.8% after slumping as much as 8.8%, "leading mobile sports betting peers" including FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment and MGM Resorts International lower. A ban on prop betting in collegiate sports "isn’t expected to have a material impact" on DraftKings' financial performance, according to Needham & Co analyst Bernie McTernan, who says that such wagers represented about 1.4% of the total amount of money put up in 2023. DraftKings shares are still up about 29% year-to-date and closed Tuesday at a 52-week high (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 3/27).

Merged pickleball leagues unveil new name, logo

By Rob Schaefer

The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) have a name and logo for the parent company the two sides formed with their official merger last month: United Pickleball Association. The rebrand was handled in-house.

The PPA, which plays a tour-style schedule, and MLP, which is comprised of 24 teams and has a regular season/playoffs format, closed merger negotiations in late February following a months-long saga that included a bidding war for top players that threatened the leagues’ financial viability and multiple key leaders departing MLP (such as founder Steve Kuhn and Commissioner Brooks Wiley).

Eventually, PPA founder/CEO Connor Pardoe, PPA majority owner Tom Dundon and MLP team owners unanimously approved a merger of equals, creating the UPA holding company and infusing $75M of new investment into the entity.

Pardoe leads the PPA, while former Bills CRO and Pegula Sports & Entertainment COO Bruce Popko is CEO of MLP. The leagues will maintain distinct brands and operations under the UPA umbrella. Upon closing the merger, the two sides announced a five-member board that will govern the UPA -- SC Holdings managing partner Jason Stein, D.C. Pickleball Team owner Al Tylis, Dundon Capital Partners CFO Matt Turney, Florida Smash owner/former MLP CEO Julio DePietro, and former MLP interim CEO Brian Levine -- but its operational leadership has yet to be announced.

The PPA had been playing events as negotiations played out, while MLP delayed the start of its 2024 season. The drafts for MLP’s 12-team Premier and Challenger levels are slated for April 2 and April 3, respectively, with an 11-event calendar for the year to begin in May.

Md. lawmakers advance bill to take over Pimlico

The plan for Maryland’s state government to take over ownership of Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course "cleared its first hurdle" in Annapolis yesterday, as a House of Delegates committee "voted to advance the plan to the full House" for a vote. Lawmakers must approve legislation for the complex racetrack deal to move forward. Those on the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee "expressed reservations" when the bill was presented to them last week. Some "worried whether the new nonprofit track operators could turn a profit when a private company could not." The bill moves to the full House of Delegates, and then "the entire process would be repeated" in the state Senate. The bill "must move quickly," because lawmakers adjourn their annual 90-day session at midnight on April 8 (BALTIMORE BANNER, 3/27).

Messi to be face of new unnamed beverage company

Inter Miami F Lionel Messi "will be a part owner of a new hydration beverage" coming this summer from Mark Anthony Brands, the maker of White Claw Hard Seltzer and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. The "famously secretive company" did not reveal the name of the beverage, pictures or many details -- only a 50-word press release. Messi starred in a Super Bowl ad for Michelob Ultra this year as part of a partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev that "was said to be only beginning." Messi has also partnered with PepsiCo for years (AD AGE, 3/27).

Scott's Cactus Jack, Fanatics team on college apparel

By Ben Portnoy

Cactus Jack

Cactus Jack, rapper Travis Scott's official brand, is set to unveil a collegiate-inspired apparel line dubbed the "Jack Goes Back to College" collection in partnership with Lids and Mitchell & Ness (both of which are owned by Fanatics). An official announcement is expected this morning.

The collection, which was designed and produced by Cactus Jack, will feature 28 schools, including Michigan, Georgia, USC, Texas, Florida State and Alabama. HBCU's Grambling State, North Carolina A&T and Southern will also be among the schools participating.

Each university's gear will include Mitchell & Ness snapback hats, T-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, shorts, sweatpants and backpacks. Retail prices are expected to range from $68 to $160.

The collection will be available starting on April 4 via shop.travisscott.com, select Lids locations, campus bookstores operated by Barnes & Noble College at the participating universities and Fanatics.com.

Speed Reads....

The anticipated visit of Lionel Messi to Gillette Stadium next month is "set to break" the Revolution's long-standing single-game attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already sold for the matchup. The club's previous attendance record of 61,316 set for the 2002 MLS Cup, when the Revs hosted the Galaxy (ESPN.com, 3/27).

The Galaxy today announced a first-of-its-kind content collaboration between a MLS team and music video network Vevo. Through this partnership, 12 Galaxy players will curate a hour-long block of music video programming, personally introducing each of their chosen favorite music videos (Galaxy).

Audi of America, MLS and The Players' Tribune today announced that the Celebrating Impact content series will return during the 2024 MLS season. Celebrating Impact spotlights MLS players demonstrating excellence in their communities and will debut across The Players' Tribune channels today at 10am ET (MLS).

Quick Hits....

"At the last game, I guess I didn't get enough rebounds or something. I thought I played pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs, and I got, like, over 100 messages from people telling me I sucked and stuff like that because I didn't get enough rebounds" -- Univ. of North Carolina F Armando Bacot, revealing that he's gotten messages from angry bettors mad at his performance in games (USA TODAY, 3/27).

Morning Hot Reads: Staying on Top

As MLB gets set to start another season today, the N.Y. POST dives into "the secrets behind Brian Cashman's Yankees longevity." The "most powerful person within the most powerful baseball team on earth" is a "thin, bald, bespectacled, 5-foot-7 man" who grew up on a horse farm in Kentucky. In an era in which the faces of baseball teams' operations departments are "Ivy League-educated, formal and highly skilled at saying little," Cashman played baseball at Catholic Univ., graduated and "essentially earned his masters at George Steinbrenner University." If you "can make it there, you can make it anywhere." There are "a few who arguably could come close," but Cashman "does not have a peer" in the game. He is the longest-tenured lead decision-maker in MLB by about a decade and the longest in Yankees history. 

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Off the presses....

The Morning Buzz offers today's back pages and sports covers from some of North America's major metropolitan newspapers:

N.Y. Post N.Y. Daily News Newsday Boston Herald Chicago Sun-Times Philadelphia Daily News L.A. Times   Dallas Morning News   Chicago Tribune Seattle Times San Francisco Chronicle Minneapolis Star-Tribune