Xander Schauffele’s "long-awaited major made a satisfying conclusion to a truly bizarre PGA Championship" that’ll always be well-remembered for several reasons. There was, obviously, Friday morning’s chaos of Scottie Scheffler’s arrest and the tragic death of tournament employee John Mills. It’ll be remembered, too, for all the low scores and records, which helped make Sunday's final round "exciting and fun" as "basically a dozen or more golfers showing up with a legitimate chance to shoot low enough to win." With the win, "everything changes" for Schauffele -- who until now held the "best-player-to-never-win-a-major" tag (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 5/19).

The play "rose to the occasion of one of golf's majors and so did the support in Louisville." Valhalla Golf Club co-owner Jimmy Kirchdorfer said, "This was the all-time, most-attended and highest-revenue PGA (Championship) in their history." He said they not only set records in general admission and hospitality tickets, but the 700,000 square feet of hospitality tents spread out over the course "was record-breaking as well." Kirchdorfer added he had "no doubt" Valhalla would "continue to bring major golf events to the city." The PGA Championship has already selected its future sites through 2031, but "the wait from the last time it was here was 10 years" from Rory McIlroy’s win in 2014 (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/20). 

The PGA Tour announced last night, just a couple hours after the conclusion of the 2024 PGA Championship, that Mark Flaherty has resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board. The resignation of Flaherty, who served on the Policy Board for the past 4 1/2 years, comes just six days after Jimmy Dunne resigned from a similar role (GOLFWEEK, 5/19). Flaherty’s resignation from the board "leaves just three independent directors" -- Chair Ed Herlihy, Joe Gorder and Mary Meeker -- along with six player directors -- Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati and Webb Simpson -- and liaison director Joe Ogilvie (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 5/19).

The NBA released its Finals promotion on Sunday, entitled "The Toast," to coincide with the league’s pair of Game 7 conference semifinal games. The campaign, which was directed by Dave Laden of Hungry Man Productions in collaboration with the creative agency Translation, features Basketball HOFer Dwyane Wade toasting the arrival of the NBA Finals at a Gatsby-like party. 

Actor Ken Jeong, rapper-actress Queen Latifah and late night host Jimmy Kimmel all make cameos, as well as Basketball HOFers Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Ray Allen and current WNBAers Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso of the Chicago Sky. The spot will also be extended through complementary creative in out-of-home, digital, audio and print assets including a pop-up activation at the Governor’s Ball Music Festival in N.Y. June 7 through 9.

Last year’s campaign, "We Are All In the Finals" -- also created by Translation -- is a finalist for a Sports Emmy Tuesday night in N.Y. and also featured Johnson and Kimmel, along with appearances from Basketball HOFer Larry Bird and the Manning brothers. This year’s surprise contributor is ESPN’s Mike Breen, who uses his signature phrase, "Bang" to emphasize the gravity of the Finals.

The NHL released its latest ad campaign highlighting the lead-up to this year’s Stanley Cup Final. “Final Moments” features a montage of the final seconds in some of the most memorable Stanley Cup Finals in recent history, while capturing the anticipation in the moments leading up to the final horn. The ad focuses on the some of the sport’s most prominent faces, including Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin and Penguins C Sidney Crosby, as they realize that their “dream is no longer a dream.” 
 
“Final Moments’ is the latest in the NHL’s tradition of campaign spots that capture the intense emotional journey of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final.
 
The 30-second ad created by Chicago-based creative agency Highdive -- which has also created the league’s currently running playoff spots -- will make its primetime debut during tonight’s Game 7 matchup between the Oilers and Canucks on ESPN. The spot will continue to run throughout both the Easter and Western Conference Finals on the networks of ESPN, ABC, TNT and truTV.  

Excel Sports Management has hired former LA28 VP/Insights & Analytics Mike Bernstein as SVP/Data & Analytics, effective today. The position is a new one for the company and will see Bernstein oversee Excel’s Brand Marketing division’s analytics team, which works with both brands and sports properties to evaluate and contextualize the value of their partnership assets using proprietary algorithms.

“It’s not just getting to a number, getting to a value [of a partnership],” Bernstein told SBJ of his responsibilities. “Can you bring that to life in a way that’s going to make sense, that’s going to be telling for potential partners, and ultimately reveal some truths and help people make decisions.”

Bernstein will be based in Excel’s L.A. office and report to the company’s head of brand marketing Tuck Burch, who said Bernstein’s experience on both the brand and property side of corporate partnerships made him a fit for the role. 

Across a nearly five-year tenure with LA28, Bernstein led efforts to provide consumer insights, commercial partnership support and analytics for the LA28 Organizing Committee and USOPC. Before that, he spent five-and-a-half years with Wasserman -- first as Senior Dir/Research & Insights before being promoted to VP/Global Insights -- and three years with Boston Consulting Group.

“Data, analytics and the implications of data and analytics in our business is part of the conversation every single day with clients and prospective clients,” Burch said. “We want to continue, as a result of that, to invest in that business.”

The Packers are unveiling Packers Travel, a one-stop shop for Packers fans’ travel and hospitality needs created by BookSeats. The platform will help Packers and football fans build and book ticket inclusive travel packages with exclusive discounted rates. Options are fully customizable to each purchaser, adjustable for preferences and budget and when Packers fans choose to bundle two or more services they can save up to 30% on trips and experiences. BookSeats debuted a similar white-labeled platform for the Golden Knights earlier this year. 

Premier League club Aston Villa has "confirmed adidas as the club's new kit supplier" -- the start of a new multiyear partnership which begins ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. It has not exactly been a secret that Adidas would become the sportswear brand of the club, as reports linking the two sides surfaced in January. However with the 2023-24 campaign now at an end, the agreement has just been announced. The news of Aston Villa's new kit sponsor comes after the club and former kit manufacturer Castore agreed to an early termination of their contract amid the furor over the club's shirts that have prompted complaints from men’s and women’s players. Villa’s co-owner Nassef Sawiris owns a stake in Adidas (BIRMINGHAM MAIL, 5/20).

Sports Revenue Advisors is announcing a partnership with USL Championship club Detroit City FC, which just acquired land in southwest Detroit and unveiled plans for a new stadium. Sports Revenue Advisors will help the 12-year-old club acquire marketing partnerships, with a focus on securing prime assets like stadium naming rights and jersey sponsorships. 

The news follows last week's announcement that Sports Revenue Advisors is working with USL Super League side Dallas Trinity FC on similar efforts, excluding naming rights. The first-year women’s pro soccer club will play at the Cotton Bowl. 

The boutique firm was launched by Clark Beacom, former Chief Revenue Officer for Austin FC and SVP/Sales and Marketing for Columbus Crew, in late 2023. Beacom also has career stops with the Rays, Saints and Lightning during more than 20 years in the sports industry.

In this week's SBJ, we dive into how teams throughout the WNBA, not just the Indiana Fever, are making the most of Caitlin Clark's magical moment as the WNBA season kicks into full gear. Also, take a trip to Boston’s burgeoning Seaport district to see the U.S.'s first F1 Arcade, which opened in late April and aims to create a social entertainment experience that appeals to F1 die-hards, casual viewers and general bar-hoppers alike. In addition, ESPN and Penn Entertainment see sweet odds for maximized growth for ESPN Bet when full connectivity launches for football season.

Women's Super League club Arsenal will face NWSL side Washington Spirit and Chelsea will play NJ/NY Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in N.J this August -- "the first time two WSL sides face off against NWSL teams." The two WSL sides are "also poised for a friendly" on Aug. 19 in D.C., sources added (ESPN.com, 5/18).

The PGA Tour has signed a new official marketing partner, with Blackstone Products agreeing to be the official griddle of both the tour and PGA Tour Champions. The deal runs through 2028 (Josh Carpenter, SBJ).

Former soccer star and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham will act as a "global brand ambassador" for the Ninja brand as part of a multiyear partnership. Brandon Hart, a spokesperson for SharkNinja, "declined to share the partnership's financials details" ahead of the announcement (BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/19).

MONDAY

• The NFL will host its annual Spring League Meeting and Coach Accelerator in Nashville. The accelerator serves as a platform for clubs and owners to engage with qualified coaching candidates from diverse backgrounds. Candidates can build relationships with club owners and executives and further develop and hone their leadership skills (2 days).

TUESDAY

• SBJ and Leaders in Sport will host 4se at Chelsea Industrial in N.Y., which will explore how collaborations across sports, music, fashion and entertainment are quickly becoming the most lucrative way to reach beyond core markets and achieve business growth. Speakers include NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer, Mitchell & Ness CEO Eli Kumekpor, former WNBAer Sue Bird, NASCAR Chief Digital Officer Tim Clark, Under Armour GM (Curry Brand) Ryan Drew, SMAC Entertainment COO April Guidone, WNBA Creative Dir Roman King, Crystal Palace Creative Dir Kenny Annan-Jonathan and many more (2 days). View the agenda here.
• Amer Sports Inc. will release its quarterly earnings report.

WEDNESDAY

• SBJ will host the 2024 Sports Business Awards at the Marriott Marquis New York Times Square, where honorees across 18 categories will be recognized for their work over the past year. Categories include Sports Executive of the Year, AD of the Year, Sports Team of the Year, Deal of the Year, Best in Sports Media, Best in Sports Betting and many more. In addition, Arthur M. Blank will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. View the full list of nominees here. 

   

Have an event we should feature? Send an email to malongi@sportsbusinessjournal.com.

CNN goes with the header, "Under Armour was a real threat to Nike. Now it’s fighting to stay relevant." It was once "hyped as a worthy rival to Nike," but at present, Under Armour is "struggling to 'just do it.'" The brand is "struggling -- badly -- to find its footing in an increasingly competitive and crowded sportwear marketplace" for regular folks, where younger shoppers "are more googly-eyed over newer entrants" like Hoka and On running shoes. Under Armour’s annual sales have been "sluggish at best" for the past several years, while its stock has plunged 88% from its all-time high in 2015. Industry experts said the company is "mired in an unpleasant mix of problems," which include "an identity crisis, several management controversies, ignoring evolving market trends to its detriment, and a rotating carousel of CEOs in quick succession."

Also:

• Under Armour is collapsing -- And Kevin Plank has to take the blame.
• Amid cheers for Harrison Butker and Scottie Scheffler, old principles change.
• Eamon Lynch: Scottie Scheffler’s scandal shows why the PGA Tour has to look elsewhere for much-needed spice.
• Gregg Doyel: The NCAA is weak, the Power 5 is greedy, and the smaller conferences are paying the price.
• New book details Sports Phone’s impact on launching some of broadcasting’s biggest names.

Figured this was next shoe to drop after Dunne resigned last week, w/ both Herlihy and Flaherty also in that Seminole/Augusta/pro-Monahan bloc of the board.

Reading between the lines, it seems that a) the PIF deal is dead and b) Monahan might finally be at the end of his rope. https://t.co/ueyzKHDZrO

— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) May 20, 2024

This is the angle.
My Lord.

- Stenhouse’s old man DEFINITELY wanted to smash Kyle Busch’s face.

- I can’t get over Busch’s big hoss pit crew guy just eliminating everyone he sees, literally throwing them through the air.

pic.twitter.com/uRVHGoE3Ud

— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) May 20, 2024

What an exciting PGA Championship at Valhalla. Congrats to Xander who was solid all day and delivered when he needed it most. Bryson continues to be fascinating and exciting to watch while Hovland shows he too is on the verge of greatness. A great weekend for golf.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 20, 2024

Goodnight from the Champ 🏆@harryhiggs1991 pic.twitter.com/PK7YWWeth0

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 20, 2024

Absolute peak Rovell. https://t.co/oEbWUgZQHY

— Joey Knish (@JoeyKnish22) May 19, 2024

imagine explaining to 2020 Swifties that a 6’5 football player wearing an oversized white tee with caricature of himself on it reading “Kelce Jam” with a matching denim bucket hat would be Taylor Swift’s most publicly supportive and uplifting boyfriendpic.twitter.com/Fjx30Baw0H

— T (@teewatterss) May 19, 2024

"The title of this 2001 book, also a 2003 film, forms a partial border between Boston, Chelsea, Medford and Everett."

"What is 'Mystic River'?"