Closing Bell

FanDuel CEO Amy Howe “has been ousted from that post” after five years at the company, with FanDuel President Christian Genetski set to “step in to lead the company,” according to sources cited by CNBC.com. Howe has “overseen FanDuel during a time of dramatic expansion in sports gambling and other online gambling in multiple states.” She is also “one of few women leaders in the gambling industry.” A veteran of Live Nation and McKinsey, Howe brought “experience guiding companies in transition and especially those under public scrutiny.” She has also “taken a leadership role in the industry on responsible gaming, refusing to advertise in college stadiums or do” NIL deals with college athletes (CNBC.com, 5/6).

In an appearance on the Sports Media Podcast in January, Genetski broke down for SBJ’s Austin Karp where the U.S. sports betting industry really stands today.

With big increases in media rights dollars and plenty of assignments at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, TKO Group Holdings on Wednesday plans to report first-quarter earnings that show the company’s business plan is continuing to come together.

The holding company of properties like UFC and WWE recorded $1.597B in revenue for the quarter ended March 31, beating analyst expectations of $1.584B. Adjusted EBITDA was $549.8M, also beating analyst forecasts of $542M. Earnings per share -- a metric more focused on the bottom line -- was $1.12, beating a consensus from analysts polled by FactSet of $1.11.

TKO guides its investors toward top-line metrics as how it should be judged at this early stage in the company’s history. Profit was $249.8M for the first quarter.

TKO started a new media rights deal with ESPN for WWE last fall that doubled its associated revenue for premium live events, while it commenced a pact with Paramount Skydance Corp. this year that likewise doubled the prior average annual value for TKO. For the IMG segment that includes On Location, revenue was up 38% to $655.4M for the quarter, largely driven by On Location’s work at the Olympics.

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Fubo on its latest earnings call played up ESPN ties and downplayed NBCU channels being dark on the service, while also mentioning opportunities around MLB local rights and the upcoming World Cup.

The Fubo Sports streaming service is expected to be available in ESPN’s e-commerce flow in the first half of 2027, the company noted in its Q2 earnings released on Wednesday. That comes through a previously announced reseller and marketing arrangement to expand the reach and distribution of the Fubo services. Fubo Sports includes ESPN Unlimited as well as Fox, CBS and other sports networks.

ESPN.com’s “Where to Watch” pages also will soon link directly to Fubo, offering one-click access for fans looking to stream live games. Fubo continues to personalize its sports-first streaming experience with the implementation of AI-driven product features. It is also developing an “AI Assistant” that will enable customers to search their DVR content for sports on the Fubo platform through casual conversation (rather than voice commands).

NBCU channels have been dark on Fubo since November, and Fubo CEO David Gandler said churn has been “minimal” without those channels, even during February when NBC carried the Olympics, Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game.

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Populous has acquired OJB Landscape Architecture, an award-winning landscape architecture and urban design firm. The acquisition (cost was undisclosed) bolsters Populous’ ability to design entire environments in-house, an increasing focus for the firm as its work expands beyond the stadiums and seating bowls it has long designed. In the same vein, Populous hired Cary Hirschstein in January to launch a mixed-use development advisory practice and his group’s work will likely mesh closely with OJB’s landscape design, urban design, and public realm focus. OJB will maintain its current six studios while working with Populous’ offices across the U.S. and internationally.

OJB and Populous collaborated on Baylor football’s McLane Stadium, which opened in 2014 and received recognition from the American Society of Landscape Architects. OJB was founded in 1989 in Houston and has produced other prominent work in Omaha (Omaha RiverFront), Cary, N.C. (Downtown Cary Park), and San Diego (Seaport Village). OJB is currently working with the Commanders, designing the public land around the team’s new stadium (designed by HKS) that will be built at the RFK site.

AEC Advisors served as OJB’s financial advisor in the transaction.

Since a Providence Equity Partners minority investment in late 2023, Populous invested in event planning software company OnePlan and acquired Fentress Architects (June 2025), which expanded its aviation and large public buildings capabilities.

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The Team is deepening its bet on creator‑led golf by acquiring boutique agency, Provisions Golf. As part of the deal, Provisions founders Joe Gilliland and Josh Morgan are joining The Team as SVPs of the Creators division, with Gilliland based in Dallas and Morgan in San Diego. They will report to Creators EVP Michael Jones. The Team, Gilliland and Morgan declined to share financial details behind the acquisition.

In their new roles, Gilliland and Morgan will look to bridge the gap between traditional professional golf, live events and the rapidly growing YouTube and social‑driven side of the sport. Provisions grew out of Gilliland’s early work with the Bryan Bros, whose YouTube trick shot videos helped pioneer golf content on the platform and later helped get Wesley Bryan to the PGA Tour. The business formally took shape and was founded in 2019 and has since expanded into an operation consisting of talent representation and channel management, brand agency and production services as well as business development in partnership with creators. Provision is bringing on each of its 26 clients including golf content creator Grant Horvat, the Bryan Bros and more onto The Team.

Beyond representation, Gilliland and Morgan have helped develop properties like the PGA Tour Creator Classic, LIV Duels, The Q at Myrtle Beach and the recently launched Your Golf Tour.

Gilliland and Morgan had been fielding interest from multiple agencies for more than a year before opting for The Team. Provisions gains scale, operational support and expanded brand access for its creators, Gilliland said.

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A show centered on NFL insider Peter Schrager “is the likely winner” for ESPN’s 2pm ET hour, while “SportsCenter” has the “inside track to continue” in the 5pm slot formerly held by “Around The Horn,” according to sources cited by THE ATHLETIC. ESPN execs have “started thinking about how to create a new hour-long program” at 2pm that “would follow ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’” which airs from noon to 2pm. Execs previously “flirted with moving” Scott Van Pelt from hosting the late night “SportsCenter” to a daily show at 5pm, but “ultimately all involved decided it was better to keep Van Pelt in his same role.” Since “nothing is official, Schrager’s cohorts are still to be determined.” ESPN is currently airing an hour-long “SportsCenter” at 2pm (THE ATHLETIC, 5/6).

RELATED: ESPN studio shows pop 21% in April

Premier League club Manchester United is “close to agreeing a deal with online bookmaker Betway that would see them sponsor the club’s training kit for the 2026/27 season.” Talks with the company are “understood to be advanced and a deal is expected to be concluded that would see Betway sponsor the training kit for several seasons.” ManU has been without a training kit sponsor this season after their three-year deal with blockchain firm Tezos expired last summer. That agreement was worth $32M a season and left the club with a “sizeable hole in their budget.” With Premier League clubs voting to introduce a “voluntary ban on gambling sponsorship for matchday kits," that could mean “more firms look to strike deals for training kits” (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 5/6).

Sources estimate the Betway partnership could be worth in excess of $24M and would then be “among the highest of its kind in football, in terms of a single partner.” Betway has experience with Premier League clubs having previously sponsored West Ham United’s matchday shirts. The company has also struck partnerships with Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion. ManU is working with marketing agency Two Circles to “assist on finding the best deal for a shirt sleeve sponsor.” The club is “in talks with a handful of brands on this commercial partnership, and there is traction on striking a deal for next season” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/6).

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast, T’Wolves and Lynx CEO Matt Caldwell breaks down the NBA’s fragmented streaming landscape (Prime Video, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, League Pass) and why discoverability is becoming a massive issue for fans.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs seeing record viewership after standout regular-season numbers is a result of “how exciting and entertaining the games are,” along with increased international exposure for the sport over the past two seasons. Bettman, appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” said the 4 Nations Face-Off and hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics “had an impact in bringing people to the game.” He also said HBO’s series, “Heated Rivalry” has “introduced a whole new group of people to the game.” Bettman noted that “how good the game is,” however, is “more important than anything else,” and he highlighted close matchups in the first round -- six of eight series reaching at least six games -- as “extraordinary.” Bettman also praised the accessibility of games and the league’s relationships with media partners as helping make the games “easy to find” so viewers are “not searching; we’re generally in one of two places” (“The Pat McAfee Show,” 5/6).

Peacock on Wednesday unveiled its streaming experience for Telemundo’s exclusive Spanish‑language coverage of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, including the debut of an all-new Spanish‑language World Cup Hub. The hub will be modeled after the platform’s Olympics experience and will serve as a one‑stop destination for live matches, replays, schedules, country and group-specific news, entertainment content and more. The streaming service is also introducing new World Cup features to complement Telemundo’s Spanish‑language coverage, including:

• Visión de Campo [also known as Pitchside Live]: A multi‑angle viewing experience optimized for mobile that builds on Peacock’s Courtside Live for the NBA and Rinkside Live for the Winter Olympics. It will also be available via Multiview on TV and web.
• Live picks and trivia: Interactive games let fans predict outcomes, test their World Cup knowledge and share results, all directly in the Peacock mobile app.
• Traditional Multiview: For days with overlapping matches, fans can watch multiple matches at once via Multiview.
• Highlights: Vertical, tap‑to‑watch clips in Spanish, with the ability to instantly navigate into live matches on mobile devices.
• Tournament brackets: Available for the first time on Peacock, fans will be able to set their own brackets starting with the quarterfinals (NBCUniversal).

F1 and Sky Sports signed a multiyear extension to their long-standing partnership, giving viewers in the U.K., Ireland and Italy access to every F1 race weekend into the next decade. In the U.K. and Ireland, viewers will get access for a further five seasons in both markets, taking the partnership through the 2034 season. Fans in Italy will be able to watch all the action on Sky Italia through the 2032 season. The partnership also includes coverage of F2, F3, F1 Academy and the Porsche Supercup (F1).

The extension is “one of the most lucrative TV rights deals in history” -- worth almost $1.3B. Despite having an existing contract until 2029, both parties “were keen to secure a longer-term arrangement rather than follow the US model of streaming via Apple.” The almost $272M-a-year deal, running from 2030 to 2034, is an increase on the $175M-a-year contract worth about $1.2B that was signed covering 2023 to 2029 (DAILY MAIL, 5/6). The extension means F1 will “remain with Sky rather than moving to a streaming platform.” Netflix will show the Canadian Grand Prix later this month (London TIMES, 5/6).