Closing Bell

Fox' Darrell Waltrip  will retire from the broadcast booth at the "end of Fox Sports' NASCAR race coverage this season," which ends June 23. Waltrip, who admitted he first considered retiring in '17, said, "It's been hanging over my head. I just wanted to clear the air, let people know what my plans are and then other people can make plans accordingly." He "insists he was not pressured into retirement" ( TENNESSEAN.com, 4/4 ).  THE DAILY first reported last week that Waltrip was considering retirement after this season .

ISC revealed a so-so start to '19 with its Q1 earnings, showing some signs of strength but also slight erosion in the key admissions revenue category. Events for the quarter were mainly comprised of races at Daytona Int’l Speedway, including the IMSA Rolex 24 Hours and NASCAR’s Speedweeks highlighted by the Daytona 500. ISC saw total revenue rise as usual on the back of NASCAR’s media-rights deal, with $150.6M in Q1, up 1% from $148.9M last year. But admissions revenue was off 4%, from $30.6M last year to $29.3M this year. ISC Senior VP, CFO & Treasurer Greg Motto attributed the admissions downtick to drops at other Speedweeks events and lower prices for certain Daytona 500 tickets.

Expenses for Q1 were up 7% from $116.4M to $125M, and ISC also revealed that it spent $2.8M in Q1 on matters related to NASCAR’s proposed acquisition of the track operator. ISC’s profit for the quarter was $21.6M; ISC made $169.3M in Q1 last year, an 87% disparity that is largely explained by ISC realizing benefits from the '17 U.S. tax cuts.

Hulu is launching a new 30-second spot featuring Bucks F  Giannis Antetokounmpo  that will debut nationally tonight during Bucks-76ers on TNT. The ad is part of the “Hulu Sellouts” that also includes ads starring 76ers C Joel Embiid and Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard . Future commercials will include Suns G Devin Booker . The overall effort promotes Hulu’s live TV service and celebrates the platform’s sports offerings ( Hulu ).

Also during tonight's TNT doubleheader, the NBA is rolling out a new ad promoting this year's playoffs, titled "Heroes Wanted." The superhero-themed spot includes voice work by actor Michael B . Jordan ( NBA ).

High-tech fan experience firm MVP Interactive is rolling out a new gaming wall at Coors Field. The 98-foot video wall features a virtual home run derby game and will debut tomorrow for the Rockies' home opener against the Dodgers. MVP Interactive has also done tech-focused fan experiences for the Cubs, Dodgers, Mets and NHL Rangers. MVP CEO James Giglio said the experiences help engage fans and encourage casual fans to come back to venues.

Adidas today announced a new partnership with Beyonce , the brand's latest attempt at "distinguishing itself from Nike." CNBC's Sara Eisen noted Nike "has most of the big athletes" as endorsers, while Adidas is "all about getting the biggest influencers on social media." CNBC’s Carl Quintanilla : “Is it as plain as Nike goes after athletes and Adidas is going after celebrities?” Eisen: “That appears to be what’s happening. Adidas also would say it goes after athletes and that is what is in the blood. ... If you hit the right celebrity with the right creative vision, it can be very successful” ( “Squawk on the Street,” CNBC, 4/4 ).

The now-folded AAF today announced that effective immediately, all of its players are "authorized to sign with NFL clubs" ( TWITTER.com, 4/4 ).

The AFL has "ditched Under Armour as a uniform sponsor" and reached a deal with Phenom Elite Brand instead. New uniforms for all teams will "debut on Monday" ( TWITTER.com, 4/4 ).

Gander RV and Dover Int'l Speedway reached a deal for title sponsorship of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 5. As part of a larger deal with the track, Gander and sister company Camping World can host RC shows at Dover facilities in '19 ( Dover Motorsports ).

Sports Water has reached a five-year exclusive deal with the MLB Cardinals to produce and market team-branded water at Busch Stadium, at retail and online ( Sports Water ).

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“It’s just so encouraging seeing the WWE, a company that had been previously criticized for degrading women, now completely and entirely changing around their business model. ... There’s actually more profit in celebrating the women” -- WWE’s Ronda Rousey , on WrestleMania 35 featuring a female match as the main event for the first time ( “Today,” NBC, 4/4 ).

“We’ve got a group that works hard, communicates well. It was a very difficult decision for me, but I made it knowing that we’re in good hands” – NHL Rangers President Glen Sather , who is retiring after this season ( NYPOST.com, 4/4 ).

CBS Sports Network's "March Madness Breakdown" and "March Madness 360" studio shows have developed a tradition of their own around the NCAA tournament: analysts competing in games of the arcade basketball game Pop-a-Shot.

UFC fighter Paige VanZant will make her color commentating debut on UFC Fight Pass' coverage of Russia-based MMA promotion M-1 Global.

Mike Tyson will appear on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at 11:35 pm ET.

$15,000  -- Amount of the bonus to be handed out by MLB to the "highest vote-getter in both leagues in the first round" of the new All-Star fan voting system ( AP, 4/4 ).