Closing Bell

The NWSL officially announced a series of four-year domestic media rights agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon and Scripps Sports. Sources pinned the combined value of the deals at $60M a year, which includes rights fees, the cost of production and marketing commitments. That’s forty times the $1.5M the women’s soccer league earned under its previous domestic rights agreement with incumbent CBS Sports, under which the league also covered production costs. The amount paid by each of the four media partners was not immediately available. Endeavor’s IMG and WME Sports advised the NWSL and negotiated on the NWSL’s behalf, with Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin leading those efforts.

"Throughout the process over this last 12-18 months, it became clear that the best way for us to maximize reach, revenue and relevance was to have multiple partners,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Bermantold SBJ. “These partners emerged as the ones who were prepared to make the appropriate investments, not just from valuation and rights fee perspective, but also to provide marketing on their institutional platforms and their willingness to cross-promote to each other." 

The four rights packages include a combined 118 regular-season and postseason matches per season: 

• CBS will carry a minimum of 21 games per season across the CBS broadcast network and CBS Sports Network cable channel, including two playoff matches and the NWSL Championship on the flagship network. All matches on the CBS broadcast network will also be available on Paramount+. 

• ESPN will deliver 20 games per season across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes, including three playoff matches. All matches will also be available to stream on ESPN+. 

• Amazon's Prime Video platform will stream 27 matches per season, including a season-opening kickoff match, 25 Friday night regular-season matches and a quarterfinal playoff game.  

• The Scripps-owned ION broadcast network will air 50 regular-season matches in a series of Saturday night doubleheaders. It will also air the 2024 NWSL Draft in January. 

Berman said that NWSL clubs will also be allowed to broker their own local rights deals with broadcast stations or regional sports networks in their markets for regular-season games not included in the four national packages. Those matches will also be available nationally via a direct-to-consumer streaming service the league plans to launch. Berman said the league has yet to decide whether that service will be available free of charge or for a fee. 

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NBPA Exec Dir Tamika Tremaglio is stepping down from the position she has held since Jan. 2022 to pursue other opportunities. Recently retired NBAer Andre Iguodala will replace Tremaglio on an interim basis as acting Exec Dir while the union begins a formal search to find her successor. Iguodala was a longtime member of the NBPA Exec Committee during his playing career (SBJ). The NBA's new seven-year CBA was finalized in April, and Tremaglio "soon thereafter began to discuss a possible departure with union leadership." Sources said that a "formal search is expected to commence eventually," though it "remains to be seen whether Iguodala ... will become a candidate to become a permanent executive director" (ESPN.com, 11/9). 

Tremaglio’s departure "certainly comes as a surprise." While CBA talks "took a little longer than expected," the new deal "did notch several wins for the players." Meanwhile, Iguodala seems to be the "most logical fit for her replacement" at least temporarily. He worked closely with former Exec Dir Michele Roberts before she stepped down, and he "already has a positive working relationship" with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Iguodala and Silver "worked hand in hand" on the bubble concept that was used to complete the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic (THE ATHLETIC, 11/9).

San Diego FC hosted a groundbreaking ceremony today for its "first-of-its-kind, $150M" training facility located on a 28-acre site in the "northeast portion of the Sycuan Reservation of El Cajon." MLS Commissioner Don Garber was in attendance for the ceremony as the franchise "formally ushers in the next chapter as an entity that must, without delay, focus its attention on building something of tangible significance." The club is currently made up of "40 people who work out of a newly-leased Little Italy office building," but it is expecting "to grow its headcount to 200 people, not including players" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 11/9).

Philadelphia Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker today gave an "indication that she is likely to end up backing" the 76ers’ proposal to build a new arena in Center City after she "spoke positively throughout her mayoral campaign about" it. The Sixers’ arena proposal is one of the "first major issues that will come across Parker’s desk when she takes office in January." Parker said that she will "wait for the release of impact studies that were commissioned by the city, and paid for by the Sixers, before taking a stance." But she also "made a comment that implied she will not be swayed solely by the vocal opposition to the proposal" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/9).

The Tigers have signed Jason Benetti to a multiyear contract as their "new television play-by-play announcer on the Bally Sports Detroit broadcast, beginning in the 2024 season." Benetti, who replaces Matt Shepard, has spent the past eight seasons with the White Sox. He will be "employed by the Tigers, not Bally Sports Detroit," and will broadcast a "minimum of 127 games per season." Benetti still has "national broadcast obligations," and in the case of scheduling conflicts, radio play-by-play announcer Dan Dickerson will "move to the TV booth when Benetti isn't calling games" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/9).

Benetti had "one year remaining on a contract he signed before last season" with the White Sox. That last contract negotiation was "filled with acrimony because of Benetti’s national obligations with Fox," and the relationship "soured enough that the Sox let him out of his contract early" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/9).

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc. has partnered with the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 racing team to showcase the Japanese video game developer’s Gundam franchise during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a strategic move that will see anime fans across the world take notice of F1 racing. As part of the deal, AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda will have Gundam decals of the RX-78-2 GUNDAM and XVX-016 GUNDAM Aerial next to the drivers’ helmets on the headrests of the team’s cars.

Along with the in-car decals, the two are planning to erect seven-foot tall Gundam statues around the venue as well as creating a unique custom-designed Perfect-Grade Unleashed model of the Mobile Suit RX-78-2 GUNDAM with exclusive Scuderia AlphaTauri decals and colors for display. During the race weekend from Nov. 16-18, two Gundam Base pop-up stores will be opened around the Las Vegas Strip.

Gundam is a Japanese military science fiction media franchise that started in 1979 with the anime television series “Mobile Suit Gundam.” The series followed characters -- which piloted various large, bipedal, humanoid vehicles, known as Gundams -- as they battled in plots of fighting evil or injustice. With television spin-offs, graphic, novels and merchandise, the series is of the most lucrative media franchises in the world, having generated over $26.46B in total revenue -- $976M in 2022 alone.

The Univ. of Wisconsin is "planning to rework the Kohl Center rink from 97 feet wide to the NHL standard of 85 feet" in an upcoming offseason, but "whether it happens in 2024 or 2025 hasn't been determined." It will be the first change to the ice size since 1994, "when the move went the other way" -- 85 feet to 97 at the Dane County Coliseum -- to "match what then was a popular trend in NCAA hockey." Wisconsin is "launching a fundraising campaign to help pay for some of the expected" $2.5M cost of the change. The Univ. of Minnesota debuted similar renovations to its 3M Arena earlier this year (WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL, 11/9).

Major League Rugby today announced a three-year partnership with Globant that will make the digital consultancy and software provider -- which works with LaLiga, FIFA and the Clippers -- MLR’s official tech solutions partner. As part of the partnership, Globant will use data provided by MLR to inform technological initiatives, including building a new version of MLR’s owned and operated OTT platform, The Rugby Network, a project which was completed earlier this year. The platform includes a free account option or TRN+ subscription package offering live and on-demand access to all MLR and Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches at price points of $6.99 per month or $59.99 per year. 

MLR wrapped up its sixth season in July with some promising trends in engagement -- including an 18% increase in attendance and 70% increase in Rugby Network subscribers (to 170,000 total). The U.S. will host the Rugby World Cup in 2031, further spotlighting the efforts of the 13-team league to grow the sport in North America. Globant is eyeing expansion into that market as well.

The agreement was formally announced at an event hosted at One World Observatory in N.Y., where executives from MLR and Globant commented on the partnership. “[This is] pretty much our biggest ever partnership in terms of innovations, in terms of technology, in terms of sponsorship,” said Harry Hardy, MLR’s chief commercial officer. “This is a truly fully integrated, comprehensive partnership.” 

Roku and UFC have unveiled plans to bring a three-part Roku Original docuseries titled "Fight Inc: Inside the UFC" to The Roku Channel. The docuseries will celebrate three decades of UFC and give viewers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at pivotal moments during the organization's 30th anniversary year (UFC).

The Florida Freedom will begin competing in the Professional Bull Riders Camping World Team Series next season at Amerant Bank Arena after "relocating from Oklahoma City." The Freedom are owned by Tribune Publishing chair Heath Freeman, who "bought the team last December" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/9).

Premier League shareholders "will vote on a temporary ban involving incoming loan signings between clubs with the same owners" later this month, meaning Newcastle "would not be able to arrange deals for players in Saudi Arabia." It will need "14 of the 20 top-flight members to agree to pass the fast-tracked proposal on November 21," and "this is expected to happen" (London DAILY MAIL, 11/9).

The total prize money for the Women's FA Cup "will double to almost" US$7.35M this season but "concerns have been raised about the distribution model for the extra funding." The near US$3.67M uplift "will benefit only clubs competing from December's third round onwards" (London GUARDIAN, 11/9).

A French gay rights group yesterday said that it "had launched legal action against Amazon Prime" for offering on streaming replay a football match on Sept. 24 between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille "in which homophobic chants were audible" (LE MONDE, 11/9).

More: 

• Emma Hayes' replacement has huge shoes to fill but her departure spices up the WSL.

• Clubs relegated from Premier League 'will get new financial edge.'

• F1 boss urges teams to improve and close gap after Max Verstappen and Red Bull dominance.

• Why's cricket at the Olympics? There are three hundred million reasons.

“It’s all the roles that a president would have, but mostly just delegating and ensuring that I listen to the players and they get what they need” -- WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike, on her role at the WNBPA ( “Today,” NBC, 11/9).

“They do extensive research. I had one of my elementary school teachers call me during the draft process and say, ‘Hey, the Bucs just came and talked to me about (you)’” -- Former Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy, on the Texans doing their due diligence into QB C.J. Stroud’s past before drafting him No. 2 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft and the Bucs doing the same thing when looking to draft him in the 2010 NFL Draft ( “Good Morning Football,” NFL Network, 11/9).

“I still think the chances of ESPN going full-on standalone app, completely independent of cable systems and being as successful as it had been, are very slim and that’s the black cloud over the story” -- CNBC contributor Josh Brown, on Disney’s earnings being positive but hesitant on ESPN going DTC ( “Fast Money Halftime Report,” CNBC, 11/9).

With NASCAR's 2023 season now at an end, NASCAR President Steve Phelps thanked fans for all their support over the course of the year.

160  -- Number of college programs that the National Bobblehead HOF has licensing deals with after a new pact with Texas Tech signed this season -- a partnership that will now lead to the production of a limited-edition bobblehead featuring a possum who went viral after running on the football field during the Red Raiders’ 35-28 victory over rival TCU last Thursday (David Broughton, SBJ).