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Start your morning with Buzzcast with Abe Madkour: Storylines around MLB's season; Cavs aim to revamp downtown Cleveland and NFL schedule dates take shape

MLB owners to vote on Rubenstein's O's deal today

MLB owners are scheduled to take a formal vote today to "approve the agreement" that incoming Orioles owner David Rubenstein struck with John Angelos in January to initially buy a nearly 40% stake in the organization, with more to be purchased later. Once the vote, which will be conducted over a Zoom call, is passed, Rubenstein "will immediately take over" as the Orioles' owner. Speaking in a forum last night, Rubenstein shared his top priorities for the ballclub -- "resolving the lengthy Mid-Atlantic Sports Network dispute," supporting EVP & GM Mike Elias' "vision for achieving success" and bringing franchise icon Cal Ripken Jr. back into the fold. Rubenstein "expressed optimism" in reaching an agreement on the MASN ordeal after the sale is finalized. Rubenstein "plans to attend" the Orioles' Opening Day game against the Angels on tomorrow, with "plans for Ripken to throw out the first pitch" (BALTIMORE SUN, 3/26).

Harris, Blitzer launch Unrivaled Sports for youths

By Chris Smith

Ripken BaseballUnrivaled Sports

Prolific sports investors Josh Harris and David Blitzer and have been joined by strategic investor The Chernin Group in launching Unrivaled Sports, a new youth sports holding and operating company. Unrivaled will operate companies in Harris and Blitzer's existing youth sports portfolio, including Ripken Baseball, Cooperstown All Star Village, We Are Camp and the ForeverLawn Sports Complex, which will host this year’s NFL FLAG Championships. The holding company will be led by board chair Andy Campion, who joins after 17 years at Nike, the last four as its chief operating officer.

“It’s a huge opportunity. There’s extraordinary demand for youth sports experiences,” Campion said. “We’ve got this group of people who are passionate about it, connected to it and have the capacity and desire to invest in it and make the pipeline more broadly accessible and inclusive to the next generation of young athletes on a broad scale. It’s all about inspiring them, educating them, uplifting them and giving them those lifelong memory-making experiences.”

Campion said Unrivaled will debut with three sports-specific verticals covering baseball, action sports and football. Baseball will be led by former Bouldering Project CEO and POWDR co-President Wade Martin, while action sports will be helmed by We Are Camp CEO Kevin English. While Unrivaled’s football division doesn’t have singular leadership, Campion said the sport will be a key focus of the company’s near-term investments. He added that early conversations about potential expansion into additional sports have thus far highlighted opportunities in basketball, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball. 

Unrivaled has plans to grow through both expansions of its current holdings as well as further acquisitions of operators and facilities throughout youth sports. Future investments will be funded by both cash on Unrivaled’s balance sheet as well as incremental capital from the company’s investors. Debt financing for the newly formed company was provided by funds affiliated with BDT & MSD Partners. 

Unrivaled’s 12 current youth sports facilities welcome some 550,000 athletes and 1.1 million attendees each year. Campion said Unrivaled is in the process of expanding its staff, which will include elevating some members of the Ripken Baseball executive team to positions overseeing Unrivaled’s broader portfolio. Campion leads a three-member board, with seats controlled by Harris, Blitzer and Chernin, whose involvement with Unrivaled has been spearheaded by Chernin partner Greg Bettinelli

Campion, who is based out of L.A., said he was first approached by Blitzer late last year (Campion is also a minority investor in Blitzer and Ryan Smith’s ownership group for Real Salt Lake). Prior to Nike, Campion, a member of the SBJ Forty Under 40 Class of 2011, spent over a decade with Disney. Looking ahead, he sees an opportunity to not just expand Unrivaled’s current holdings and acquire new assets in the U.S., but to also begin deploying capital beyond the nation’s borders.

“We have a huge opportunity internationally,” Campion said. “[Blitzer and Harris] have already invested at the professional level internationally. ... And as you start to think about emerging growth opportunities internationally, there are a range of different sports with varying levels of popularity, whether it’s rugby or cricket or other sports. Across the country, across sports and internationally, there’s a huge opportunity to expand access to these types of experiences.”

For further discussion of the business of youth sports, Unrivaled EVP/Business Development & Brand Strategy Amanda Shank will be a guest on SBJ Live on April 10.

Fanatics to run retail operations at Nationals Park

By Bret McCormick

The Nationals previously operated their own in-venue retail businessGetty Images

The Nationals, whose MLB campaign begins tomorrow afternoon against the Reds, have partnered with Fanatics on a long-term deal that sees Fanatics take over retail operations in and around Nationals Park. The Nationals previously operated their own in-venue retail business; they become the sixth MLB team for which Fanatics handles both in-venue and e-commerce retail.  The deal does not entail a partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook, as the Nationals already have a deal with BetMGM, which included the first retail sportsbook attached to an MLB ballpark.

The deal includes what Fanatics termed a significant capital investment in a multiyear improvement project to create a best-in-class retail experience for fans. The Home Plate Store and 300-level retail locations will be refurbished in 2024, followed by a larger scale renovation to, and expansion of, the main team store and Center Field Plaza in 2025.  

The Nationals partnership deepens Fanatics’ presence in the DMV region, joining the Commanders, Wizards, Capitals, D.C. United and Orioles -- all served by a distribution center in nearby Aberdeen, Md. 

Former Illinois Gov. eyeing stadium referendum

Former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn "plans to push for a proposed ordinance" that would direct the City Council to put an advisory referendum on the November ballot asking Chicago voters a question similar to what he asked 448 voters in the statewide poll -- "Do you support or oppose the Chicago Bears or Chicago White Sox receiving state or local taxpayer subsidies in order to build a new stadium or real estate development?" The poll was conducted March 13-15 by Blueprint Polling, a Democratic public opinion research firm. Nearly 66% of those surveyed "oppose taxpayers subsidies," with nearly half of those people calling themselves "strongly opposed." The advisory referendum would have to pass the city council's Rules Committee and then the full council to be placed on the November ballot (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 3/26).

RELATED: Kevin Warren calls Chicago lakefront ‘ideal location’ for new Bears stadium

Cosm teams with ESPN to air sports in shared reality

By Rob Schaefer

Cosm has signed a multiyear partnership with ESPN to produce and air NBA, NHL, U.S. Open tennis, college football, men’s/women’s college basketball, college baseball/softball and select UFC fights in its forthcoming shared reality venues.

This is the latest in a series of deals Cosm has secured in the past 13 months, beginning with a direct partnership with the NBA as well as pacts with the UFCTNT Sports and NBC that comprise a rather extensive rights portfolio.

Cosm President/CEO Jeb Terry and ESPN VP/Business Development/Innovation Kevin Lopes, who negotiated the deal, declined to comment on the agreement’s finances or structure.

Lopes, however, noted that he has been in contact with Cosm for two years and demoed the company’s immersive viewing technology at its Salt Lake City experience center. ESPN has a strong existing relationship with C360, the immersive video company Cosm acquired last January, and shares league partners in the NBA and UFC.

Cosm

Johnson's LIV team taps Chris Rosaasen as new GM

By Josh Carpenter

As with all but two LIV Golf teams, Dustin Johnson as the captain has an equity stake in the franchise, while the league owns the rest of the teamGetty Images

Dustin Johnson’s LIV Golf team, the 4Aces, has made a front office change and added former TravisMathew CEO Chris Rosaasen as its new GM on a multiyear contract. Rosaasen fills the role vacated by sports attorney David Cornwell, who will remain working for Johnson in that capacity.

Johnson and Rosaasen have a previous connection, as the former’s current clothing brand, Extracurricular, signed an apparel deal with the 4Aces last year. When the role came open, Rosaasen was one of Johnson’s first calls.

“At first I laughed at him and said I don’t have time to do that,” said Rosaasen, who began in the role last month. “But the opportunity was too good to turn down if this is going to turn out what we think it’s going to be.”

Rosaasen reports directly to the team’s board, which includes himself, Johnson and three spots held by LIV executives. As with all but two LIV teams, Johnson as the captain has an equity stake in the franchise, while the league owns the rest of the team.

In addition to Rosaasen, the 4Aces have a manager (Collin Yost), two people in charge of social media/video and a physio that travels to every LIV event. The team is also in the process of interviewing for a chief commercial officer role, Rosaasen said.

Under LIV’s setup, the team pays Rosaasen’s salary. LIV teams are monetized through sponsorship revenue, apparel and merchandise sales, and team on-course prize winnings. Rosaasen said he expects the 4Aces to be operating at a profit next year.

As for sponsorships, Rosaasen said he is “at the finish line” with a pair of companies on three-year deals worth in the mid seven figures annually, one of which he described as a global technology company. Rosaasen to this point has been negotiating sponsorships on his own but said has brought in some agency executives -- specifically mentioning CAA and WME -- to consult.

Rosaasen will remain based in New York but expects to find a place in the West Palm Beach area, where LIV is headquartered and where the 4Aces also recently opened their own team HQ. Yost and the team’s social media employees will work out of the 5,000 square feet of office space, Rosaasen said.

At Extracurricular, Rosaasen will keep his founder title and remain involved in marketing and branding, but has brought on a president to run the day to day.

Guenther Steiner takes new role with Miami GP

By Adam Stern

Guenther Steiner has a new role with the race to bolster activities around the May event weekendF1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix

The F1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix has named former Haas F1 Team principal Guenther Steiner to a new role with the race to bolster activities around its May event weekend. Steiner has become one of the most-well known and popular personalities in F1 through Netflix’ “Drive to Survive” docuseries, but he was fired this past offseason after a disagreement on the vision of Haas F1 Team with its eponymous owner, American machine parts titan Gene Haas.

Now, the Miami race -- which is controlled by a group affiliated with the Dolphins -- is bringing Steiner to its race as a partner and ambassador for this year’s event, which will take place May 3-5 at the Miami International Autodrome around Hard Rock Stadium. Steiner will make appearances before and during the race weekend, though exact details were not yet clear. This will be the third year of the F1 Miami race, and this year will have a sprint race on the Saturday of the weekend for the first time. It also will host an F1 Academy race.

Grocery chain Hy-Vee inks deal with NASCAR

By Adam Stern

NASCAR

Midwest-focused grocery store chain Hy-Vee is becoming a partner of NASCAR Holdings as part of the racing property’s first premier series weekend at Iowa Speedway this summer. The agreement, to be announced later this morning, will name Hy-Vee as the official grocer of Iowa Speedway and NASCAR’s sister track Kansas Speedway. The chain, which also has sponsorship deals with the Chiefs and Iowa G Caitlin Clark, will focus on advertising its Perks loyalty program with the Iowa deal, as it will get to name the Xfinity Series race as part of the agreement. That will be called the Hy-Vee Perks 250. Hy-Vee has more than 550 units across eight Midwestern states with more than $13B in sales annually, according to the company. It has become a well-known name in racing in recent years through its sponsorship of Iowa’s IndyCar race, as it promoted the event heavily in its stores and caught the attention of the industry. 

NASCAR is making its first premier series stop in Iowa this year despite having built the track itself when it opened in 2006. The race weekend will be June 14-16, and the Xfinity Series race and Cup Series race are already sold out. The Cup Series race will be named the Iowa Corn 350 powered by Ethanol as part of a deal with the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

PWHL New York to host games at Prudential Center

PWHL New York has teamed with the Devils to host two home games at N.J.'s Prudential Center. New York will play host to Boston on April 20, then welcome Ottawa on April 30. The Prudential Center will become the seventh NHL venue to host a PWHL game this season (SPORTSNET.ca, 3/26).

Meanwhile, PWHL New York "will not play their final game" at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. this season, instead moving the game to UBS Arena. Bridgeport has "struggled to show support" for professional women's hockey compared to every other market, including neutral site locations this season. New York’s home game against Toronto on April 24 at Total Mortgage Arena has been rescheduled to April 27 at 3pm ET and moved to UBS Arena. The team will also return to UBS Arena on May 4, at 1pm when they host Minnesota (THE HOCKEY NEWS, 3/26).

Yahoo launches soccer vertical with OneFootball

By Joe Lemire
Yahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports is partnering with international soccer platform OneFootball to launch a new hub for coverage of the sport. The co-branded vertical, which will become available to US and Canada users on Yahoo’s website and app later this year, will host news and video for global leagues and international competitions. It will include MLS and NWSL along with European and Latin American leagues and will seek to commercialize content as North America hosts Copa América, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics all within the next four years. 

“We want to build a very robust experience there that is as good, if not better, than the other sports that we service,” Yahoo Sports President Ryan Spoon said. “With OneFootball, that hub immediately has real depth and breadth on the content side thanks to what OneFootball is so great at. That allows us to then build out personalized experiences and curated experiences.” 

Berlin-based OneFootball counts more than 200 clubs, leagues, federations, athletes and broadcasters as partners, including LaLiga, the German Football Federation, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus. 

“We are sitting on the richest content portfolio in, our word, ‘football’ -- soccer -- but our growth opportunity is within the US,” OneFootball CEO Patrick Fischer said. “We're not super strong in the U.S. whereas there's a lot of sports appetite with Yahoo in the U.S. But they are lacking content. We’re lacking traffic.” 

OneFootball, which raised a $300M Series D in 2022, acquired social community Gloria later that same year to bolster its coverage of women’s soccer, and the joint content hub intends to cover both the men’s and women’s leagues. Spoon likened the plan to how Yahoo is currently covering March Madness, with both the men’s and women’s brackets represented. The vertical will feature original Yahoo stories and videos to complement what OneFootball produces. 

"Philosophically, we aim to deliver balance and to deliver against a mixture,” Spoon said. “We think a lot about this: When you go to the top of our site every day, our job is to tell you what matters most and then to personalize -- it's not the other way around.” 

Many European clubs already have offices in the U.S. and bring their clubs to the States on summer tours. Fischer touted this partnership as a further gateway to commercial inroads in North America. 

“We deliver, as OneFootball, billions of billions organic video views to our shareholding clubs, and now we add the US market to it, which is an amplifier itself,” he said. 

Fischer described the U.S. and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) as OneFootball’s “two blindspots.” He hinted that a separate partnership was in the works to address that region. 

Sports Media Pod: MLB is back with John Smoltz

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is Fox MLB lead analyst John Smoltz. The Baseball HOFer gets us set for the full start of the MLB season with our host, SBJ’s Austin Karp. Later, SBJ baseball writer Erik Bacharach dives into the latest with RSNs. Also on the show, SBJ golf writer Josh Carpenter dives into the latest as the PGA Tour battles declining TV numbers. 

 

Getting set for the MLB season with SBJ Live

What are the hottest topics in baseball as those first pitches go off across the country tomorrow? Join veteran SBJ reporters Erik Bacharach and Joe Lemire for a dynamic roundtable experience where we will preview the most important storylines ahead of MLB Opening Day, including the business of Shohei Ohtani and the interpreter gambling scandal, Year Two of the pitch clock and its impact on baseball for both attendance and engagement and the evolving RSN landscape, among several other topics. You can join us at 12:30pm ET by clicking here.

Introducing the revamped SBJ iOS app

We are excited to announce the release of Sports Business Journal’s enhanced iOS app, designed to give SBJ subscribers easier access to the stories that help you stay informed. The app is free to download but requires a subscription to login and access content.

With the app, you’ll have access to SBJ’s expert and extensive industry reporting at your fingertips. In addition, the app makes it easier for subscribers to:

  • Access SBJ’s Daily issue as well as the Morning Buzz, Closing Bell and Weekend Rap editions.
  • Dive into the digital version of SBJ’s Weekly issue
  • Customize your news feeds with the topics and reporters that are most relevant to you
  • Browse SBJ’s subscriber newsletters to get the inside scoop on Marketing, Media, Tech, Football, College, Betting and Esports.

If you already have the app, you'll want to ensure that you have the latest version installed. If you do not have it downloaded to your device, you can do so from the Apple app store.

If you’re not yet a SBJ subscriber, you can purchase a subscription here.

Speed Reads....

Coach has tapped Celtics F Jayson Tatum as its latest global ambassador. The brand's global campaign launching today highlights Tatum in its spring 2024 watches and sunglasses collections (WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, 3/27).

Wasserman will rebrand Phoenix Management Group as Wasserman Cricket. As part of the rebrand, Phoenix founder and Managing Dir Neil Fairbrother will continue to lead the division as EVP & Managing Exec/Wasserman Cricket (Wasserman).

Pro Volleyball Federation has announced that its first championship will take place in Omaha, as the semifinals on May 15 and championship match on May 18 will take place at the CHI Health Center and be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network (Pro Volleyball Federation).

Premier League club Fulham has today unveiled a first look at the new matchday experiences inside its redeveloped Riverside Stand, including Sky Deck (rooftop level with views across the River Thames and London’s skyline), The Gourmet (fine dining inspired by Michelin Star chefs with a four course, a la carte menu), The Brasserie (second Michelin Star dining experience with an open-air riverside terrace as well as luxury seats on the halfway line) and The Dugout (intimate seating directly behind the coaching staff) (Fulham FC).

Morning Hot Reads: Who is Shohei Ohtani?

The L.A. TIMES goes with the header, "Gambling and theft allegations raise one big question: Who is Shohei Ohtani?" The Dodgers P/DH on Monday "offered a step-by-step account" of how he discovered his former interpreter had allegedly stolen from him to cover gambling losses. Ohtani said he never bet on sports, never authorized payments to an illegal bookmaker and was a victim of theft. His side of the story was told, but "some pertinent questions remained unanswered." Ohtani has "kept a distance" not only from the journalists who chronicle him, but also the players with whom he’s shared the field. Almost nothing is known about his private life. And there’s "a downside to this approach" -- "outside of fanatics who have abandoned any sense of reason, how can anyone believe what Ohtani says with any level of certainty when they have absolutely no idea who he is?"

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Social Scoop....

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   Miami Herald   Chicago Tribune Seattle Times Toronto Star