Closing Bell

Penner Sports Group, the family entity that holds Greg and Carrie Walton Penner’s stake in the Broncos, has “joined the Rockies ownership group” in a move that will “have a major impact” on Colorado’s MLB franchise. Rockies Chair & CEO Dick Monfort and owner/General Partner Charlie Monfort announced the move on Friday. Sources said that the Penners “are purchasing a 40% share” of the team. Penner Sports Group now becomes the largest minority partner of the Rockies” after the investment was “formally approved by MLB.” Greg Penner “will remain CEO of the Broncos,” while Carrie Walton Penner “will continue on in her various roles with the team.” A source noted the Penners “will have no day-to-day involvement running the Rockies.” The team said that the Penners’ investment “allows the franchise to retire all outstanding debt and provides additional capital for the team” (DENVER POST, 4/10).

ESPN NBA and college football play-by-play announcer Mark Jones is “leaving the network after more than three decades,” according to sources cited by THE ATHLETIC. Jones, 64, “was once the network’s No. 2 NBA play-by-player” and called two Finals games when Mike Breen tested positive for COVID in 2022. But Jones “has moved down the NBA depth chart over the past few years” behind Breen, Dave Pasch and Ryan Ruocco. Jones “is not expected to retire, though his next steps are unclear.” Besides his NBA work, Jones was a “consistent presence” on ESPN’s college football presentation, including on the Pac-12 late-night action when the network carried those games. The Toronto native has also worked games for the Sacramento Kings as a local play-by-player, but the “bulk of his career” has been at ESPN/ABC. Jones’ final game on ESPN will be Sunday evening when the Celtics face the Magic at 6pm ET (THE ATHLETIC, 4/10).

Joe Buck’s current ESPN contract concludes at the end of this coming NFL season, but he’s very clear on where he wants to ply his trade for the rest of his career.

“If you reached through my computer screen right now and handed me a contract to continue my time at ESPN, I would sign it without even looking at it,” Buck said. “I’ve loved every second of it and I am hopeful that I’m at ESPN for the rest of my career. That’s as plain as I can say it and as honest as I can say it and maybe it’s stupid of me to say. If something gets thrown at me and I have to shift, I’ll shift. But I would be hopeful to stay right where I am until I’m finished.”

Buck said there have been no formal talks -- he is represented by CAA’s Tom Young -- but the broadcaster, who signed a five-year deal with ESPN in 2022, said he believes both sides are happy and no one has “given anybody any pause in continuing our relationship.” He spoke on this, among many subjects, as part of a 40-minute conversation that will be published Saturday on the “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” podcast.

It’s obviously a big year for Buck and “Monday Night Football” partner Troy Aikman -- and the whole ESPN NFL group, really -- as ESPN declared in February that this year would be “The Year of the Super Bowl,” a 12-month, multi-platform celebration leading toward ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl production in February 2027. Buck, Aikman, Laura Rutledge and Lisa Salters will be on that call.

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UFC is starting to dole out sponsorship assets for the Freedom 250 event at the White House this summer, with a new partner announced on Friday in insurance agency Supersure getting commercial time during the unprecedented showcase. TKO Group’s MMA property earlier on Friday announced that the startup will become the official small and medium business insurance partner of UFC, Zuffa Boxing and UFC BJJ, in what TKO said is a new category for itself.

Among the assets that UFC says Supersure will receive is advertising inventory during the June 14 Freedom 250, which will air on Paramount Skydance Corp.’s Paramount+ service. The fighting property confirmed to SBJ that this is the first brand to publicly be revealed as one of the sponsors for the event.

Supersure, which calls itself a technology-focused brand in the U.S. insurance industry, will also get signage and branding at certain UFC numbered events and Fight Nights in the Octagon as well as on Paramount’s broadcasts and UFC’s digital presence. This will also extend to TKO’s new boxing property, Zuffa, and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu property that UFC started last year.

The sponsorship begins with Saturday’s UFC 327 at Kaseya Center in Miami, where the event is headlined by Jiri Prochazka versus Carlos Ulberg for the light heavyweight championship.

TD Garden on Saturday night will host its first PWHL game when the Boston Fleet host the Montreal Victoire, and the Fleet are “pulling out all the stops to make it an unforgettable experience for fans.” The game has been “sold out since February,” and team execs “plan to use all the bells and whistles that TD Garden offers to create a party-like atmosphere.” Glen Thornborough, Bruins COO and TD Garden President, indicated that selling out the 17,850-seat venue “is proof … that there should be more Fleet games at TD Garden down the line.” However, he “declined to say whether the venue could be a primary venue for the Fleet” instead of the Tsongas Center in Lowell, which seats just under 6,500 (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/10).

The Big 12 and its TV partners ESPN and Fox on Friday unveiled a slate of nine football games to be played on Fridays and select weekdays during the 2026 season. The slate includes eight Friday games and a Thanksgiving matchup, though specific network designations and kickoff times will be announced at a later date. The weekday picks begin with the Border Showdown rivalry game between Kansas and Missouri on Friday, Sept. 11. Meanwhile, TCU and Texas Tech are set to play on Thanksgiving (Big 12).

The Tech-Houston date change “was expected and prompted a testy exchange" last week between Texas Tech BOR Chair Cody Campbell, who “objected,” and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. Campbell and Tech coach Joey McGuire objected to the Tech-Houston date change “on the grounds that Texas college teams should yield the Friday night spotlight to Texas high-school football” (LUBBOCK AVALANCHE-JOURNAL, 4/10).

Google Pixel has renewed its deals with the WNBPA, NWSLPA and USWNTPA, deepening its role as the official mobile phone partner of the players. The deal was facilitated by OneTeam, the commercial partner to all three unions. At the center of the deals is the continued development of Players Lab, an initiative that brings athletes into the product development process. Early work has focused on athlete insights across health, performance and lifestyle. Google Pixel has collaborated with more than 25 athletes through its Players Lab. Google Pixel will also support a series of player-led moments across each association, including activations during WNBA All-Star Week, NWSL Championship Weekend and the USWNTPA Players’ Ball (Google Pixel).

U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have joined U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) in introducing the Home Team Act, bicameral legislation to require owners of professional sports teams to give local communities the chance to buy teams before relocating them (Sen. Chris Murphy). The move for the two Connecticut senators to join in sponsoring the Home Team Act comes in the wake of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun being purchased for $300M by Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and the team’s subsequent planned relocation to Houston. Blumenthal also recently called for an investigation into the sale (SBJ).

Skyward Group has signed a multiyear deal with USA Rugby to serve as the “exclusive insurance partner and official front-of-jersey sponsor for all national teams.” The agreement includes women’s and men’s Eagles (XV), the women’s and men’s Eagles Sevens and both developmental teams. The Skyward logo will debut on the jersey when the women’s national team plays during the Pacific Four Series, with matches on April 11 (Sacramento), April 17 (K.C.) and April 24 (Chicago) (INSURANCE BUSINESS, 4/9).

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast, Athletes First’s Gideon Cohen breaks down MLB’s recent success -- and why the league’s momentum still matters in an increasingly crowded sports media landscape. Cohen discusses how MLB has benefited from rule changes, faster pace of play, and a new generation of marketable stars, helping the sport reassert itself with fans, broadcasters, and brands. He also explains why baseball’s blend of tradition and innovation has made it attractive across multiple platforms, from national TV windows to streaming and digital storytelling.