Closing Bell

The A's today laid out "how the team plans to finance" their $1.5B Las Vegas Strip ballpark, with team owner John Fisher’s family "set to contribute up to" $1B. The A’s will present four letters to board at the Las Vegas Stadium Authority's scheduled Dec. 5 meeting that will "display that they have the needed financing in place to construct the 33,000-fan-capacity stadium." The first letter from Fisher’s family will note they are "prepared to commit an equity contribution" of up to $1B toward the project. Another will be a $300M "construction loan commitment" letter from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs. A separate letter from U.S. Bank will cite that as part of its due diligence for the loan commitment, it has "reviewed some of the financial holdings of the Fisher family and the review included SEC filings, independent third-party appraisals and financial statements." The fourth letter will be signed by the A's stating they are "in receipt of a loan and equity commitment for the ballpark financing" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/31).

HOF broadcaster Bob Costas is "retiring as a Major League Baseball play-by-play caller." Costas confirmed the news today, but said that he would "prefer to address the decision" and his career "at a later date." The decision to retire was "made by Costas prior to the season, which coincided with his contract ending." His last game broadcast on TBS was the Yankees' Game 4 victory in the ALDS. Costas "vaguely insinuated that it might be his final call toward the end of the broadcast." The 72-year-old will "continue with his emeritus work at MLB Network, where he contributes to several shows as a host and analyst, including on historical events, like the Hall of Fame announcement." He has been MLB Network's lead play-by-play voice since the network began in 2009, but he will "cede that role" (THE ATHLETIC, 10/31).

Caitlin Clark and Unrivaled have had “high level conversations" about her joining the emerging 3-on-3 basketball league, sources said today, with the offer believed to include significant equity in the business and a three-month salary of over $1M.

On a day that the league expanded its rosters from 30 to 36 players, those sources said Unrivaled has told Clark she can “take as long as she wants" to decide, mindful of the grind Clark has endured over the past year as a collegiate player and rookie in the WNBA. But Unrivaled has also strategically signed two of Clark’s closest friends — Fever teammate Lexie Hull and former Iowa teammate Kate Martin — to recent contracts, and, according to sources, speculation is Clark is leaning “60/40" to saying “yes."

Another of Clark’s Fever teammates, Aliyah Boston, officially joined Unrivaled Thursday, and a source said the possibility of placing Clark, Hull, Martin and Boston on the same team probably won’t happen before adding, “I am sure [it is] up for discussion.’’ The six-team league begins play in an 850-seat Miami production studio on Jan. 17.

“Comes down to mental health, stress or playing ball –which she loves," one source said of Clark. “She has not decided yet…there will be a spot for her if she wants it, but she will be paid for what she brings to the league, as much as a new league can afford… I think a few weeks we will know."

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Fanatics saw record sales in the first hour following the Dodgers World Series win last night, which surpassed any other championship clinch across all sports. In the first 12 hours since the Dodgers victory, sales are 20% above those for the team's 2020 title for the same period. Japan is the #2 selling country behind the U.S. The top selling players are Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw (Fanatics).

The Big 12 today determined that "none of its games were compromised by unencrypted frequencies used with coach-to-player in-game communications this season." Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt raised the issue during a call with Big 12 ADs on Tuesday after "learning that anyone with a scanner and knowledge of how to locate the frequencies had access to those in-game communications." All Big 12 helmet communication programs now have an "update from GSC that provides encryption," and schools "may use either CoachComm or GSC for coach-to-player communication at their discretion." Sources said that the revelation that college football teams have "not been using encrypted frequencies has frustrated several Big 12 athletic directors," who believed the Power 4 schools "had the same encrypted setup used in the NFL" (ESPN.com, 10/31).

Peloton named Ford exec Peter Stern its new CEO and "delivered improving profitability." Stern, currently the president of Ford Integrated Services and previously Apple VP, will "join Jan. 1." Peloton had been "mired in a deep sales slump over the past three years." Tech veteran Barry McCarthy had been hired in early 2022 to turn around the business but "stepped down earlier this year." Board chair Karen Boone and director Chris Bruzzo have served as interim co-CEOs while Peloton sought its new leader. As part of its earnings report, Peloton said revenue will be $640M to $660M in the second fiscal quarter, which runs through December. The midpoint of that range would be "down 13% from a year earlier and below" the $663.5M that analysts had projected (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/31).

TNT Sports’ 10th installment of "The Match" will take place on Nov. 21 and 22 as a two-night primetime event featuring Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey Jr. and Blake Griffin competing from Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach (TNT Sports).

X Games is partnering with Frequency on a new FAST channel which will include live events and its content library from over three decades (X Games).

The Magic have named the Caribe Royale Orlando resort an official hotel partner for the team. The collaboration will include various activations at Caribe Royale Orlando, the resort's Stadium Club and the Kia Center (Magic).

TEGNA reached a multiyear agreement with FuboTV, allowing Fubo subscribers to have access to live telecasts from KFAA in Dallas, with KONG in Seattle and KTVD in Denver expected to launch in the coming days (TEGNA).

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Liverpool has "shut down 100,000 fake ticketing accounts and issued 75 lifetime bans and 136 indefinite suspensions" last season as part of the club's "crackdown on ticket touting." The club claimed most of the bans and suspension were "related to 'unauthorised selling of season tickets, memberships or hospitality tickets'" (THE GUARDIAN, 10/31).

Paris St. Germain will have to "partially close a stand at their home stadium" when they host Toulouse on Nov. 22 after "being sanctioned over homophobic chanting during a match against Strasbourg earlier this month." French sports minister Gil Averous announced last week that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 might be suspended on halted completely "if there are further incidents of homophobic chants or violence" (REUTERS, 10/31).

The group representing supporters' bodies in the Irish game have "hit out at price rises announced in season tickets for the men's senior international team for next year." While the Irish Football Supporters Partnership are "unhappy at the price hike," they also "criticised a new system for season tickets where 50% of the cost has to be paid up front before the draw had been made" for next year's World Cup qualifiers, meaning "fans have no idea which teams Ireland will be playing and when" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 10/31).

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33%  -- Increase in the number of matches the Pro Volleyball Federation will play in its second year, with the league set for 112 matches this season (PVF).