Closing Bell

MLS announced which North American club competitions each of its 30 teams will compete in this season, most notably scaling back participation in Leagues Cup to just 18 MLS teams. The first two editions of Leagues Cup, a joint venture between MLS and Liga MX, featured every club from both leagues. The 2025 Leagues Cup will again feature all 18 Liga MX teams along with the top nine teams from each MLS conference based on the 2024 standings. Unlike past editions, for which both MLS and Liga MX paused their respective seasons, matches will be played on weekdays during the regular season.

Sixteen of MLS' U.S.-based teams would participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a competition owned by U.S. Soccer featuring teams from all levels of the American soccer pyramid. That’s up from just eight last season but is still down from prior years in which all U.S.-based MLS teams entered the competition. Nine of the participating teams qualified by virtue of not competing in either Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup. The remaining seven teams were selected based on the 2024 Supporters’ Shield standings.

All three Canadian MLS teams will continue to compete in the Canadian Championship. In addition to the North American competitions, Inter Miami and the Sounders will compete in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The same qualification criteria for Leagues Cup, the U.S Open Cup and the Canadian Championship will apply for the 2026 season. Concacaf determines the qualification criteria for its Champions Cup, which this year will include 10 MLS teams.  

The NCAA Tournament championship game’s tip-off time has been "moved up to 8:50 p.m. ET from its traditional start time of 9:20 p.m." It is a "welcome move for many" as the game has "pushed up against midnight in the Eastern time zone." The change in tip time comes as ratings for the Final Four have "dropped in recent seasons." In 2017, the title game between North Carolina and Gonzaga drew nearly 23 million viewers on CBS, but in 2023, UConn’s win over San Diego State averaged 14.7 million viewers on CBS. The move up also "follows what the College Football Playoff did in 2022," when the CFP "moved up the title game" from 8pm to a 7:30pm kickoff (YAHOO SPORTS, 1/28).

Haslam Sports Group and local developer DiGeronimo Companies announced the Browns' mixed-use development, "District 46," will be "anchored in part by a Marriott-branded" hotel. The five-story "Barker Hotel" will be "part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio collection that takes on different names at each location" and the 96,000-square-foot hotel "will include a bar, restaurant, fitness center and meeting spaces." Construction will begin "later this year" with completion planned for 2027 (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 1/28).

RELATED: Browns unveil development around practice facility

Matt Seidler on Monday filed his response in Texas state probate court to the lawsuit filed by Sheel Seidler, as the family battle for control of the San Diego Padres continues.

Matt’s response is seeking recovery of attorney fees and expenses. Additionally, it requests the court consider his response and, through a jury trial, deny all relief requested by Sheel.

Padres longtime chairman Peter Seidler, Sheel’s late husband and Matt’s brother, died in November 2023. Just over a year later, the team announced that Peter’s oldest brother, John, would become its next control person.

However, Sheel’s Jan. 6 lawsuit against Matt and his other brother Bob alleged breaches of their fiduciary duties and fraud. It also alleged that Sheel should be the next Padres control person as she is the sole beneficiary in the trust that owns the largest stake of the team. 

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With 97 million active users, Fox-owned streaming service Tubi returns to the Super Bowl with a new campaign.

Following the platform’s viral stunt in 2023 (a prank ad that had people questioning if they accidentally sat on their remote), Tubi teamed up again with agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address for a 60-second spot airing during the Big Game.

The company will also be streaming the Super Bowl live in 4K, marking the first time the game will be available for free on the ad-supported video platform. Fox had made the Super Bowl available for free on the Fox Sports app in 2023, but not this year.

While the 2023 campaign was about creating awareness for the brand, 2025 is about building on that momentum, said CMO Nicole Parlapiano. The 10-second teaser features a woman receiving an ultrasound, getting ready to give birth to the next main character of Tubi’s campaign.

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The Earnhardts remained a force in NASCAR merchandising in 2024, with Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both remaining in the top 10 of driver sales. The father-son duo represent the most storied family of drivers in a sport filled with multi-generational stories, and they’ve remained among NASCAR’s most popular athletes even after Dale Sr.’s death in 2001 and Dale Jr.’s retirement in 2017. When factoring in merchandise sales online and at track, and including both current and former drivers along with the NASCAR brand, Dale Sr. came in at No. 9 in 2024 while Dale Jr. came in at No. 11, according to data provided to SBJ by NASCAR. The NASCAR brand came in at No. 2 on the list, so excluding that, both Earnhardts would be in the top 10.

In 2023, both Earnhardts made the list but Dale Jr. was higher at No. 10 while Dale Sr. came in at No. 12. Dale Sr. was a seven-time champion in NASCAR’s Cup Series, tied for the most ever, while Dale Jr. won the Daytona 500 twice. The 2025 NASCAR season starts this weekend with the Cook Out Clash exhibition at Bowman Gray Stadium in North Carolina. NASCAR’s e-commerce shop is run by Fanatics, while the Daytona Beach-based sanctioning body works with Legends Global Merchandise on site at tracks and special events.

Elsewhere on the 2024 list, NASCAR’s most popular driver Chase Elliott came in at No. 1, while Kyle Larson, Elliott’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, came in at No. 3, following the NASCAR brand. Larson appears to be the driver who has the best chance of up-ending Elliott’s seven-year streak of being the most popular driver, following Larson’s foray into the Indy 500 last year among other things that have raised his star power. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, who is aligned with Anheuser-Busch, came in at No. 4, while 2024 champion Joey Logano came in at No. 7. 23XI Racing’s two drivers, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, came in at Nos 14 and 15 respectively, while 23XI team co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was No. 12. When excluding former drivers including the Earnhardts and only including current drivers, HMS’ Alex Bowman and RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski snuck into the Top 15, at Nos. 14 and 15 respectively.

Amazon Prime Video is "poaching" ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth to be the streamer's No. 1 sideline reporter when it starts NBA coverage next season. Hubbarth will join Amazon's top crew featuring play-by-play voice Ian Eagle, and an analyst to be determined. TNT's Stan Van Gundy and ESPN's Richard Jefferson are "among its top choices." Amazon has "also had talks" with Dwyane Wade about a "hybrid role that would comprise studio and games" (THE ATHLETIC, 1/28).

McLaren Racing named identity and access management company Okta an Official Partner of the McLaren F1 Team for the 2025 season and beyond. The multiyear partnership will see Okta branding featured on the cars and driver overalls of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri (McLaren).

USMNT MF Tyler Adams has joined the ownership group of USL League One club Westchester SC. Adams is expected to be involved with all aspects of club business when it begins play this March (Westchester SC).

Top high school baseball prospect Ethan Holliday has joined Adidas as its first ever NIL baseball athlete. Holliday will be one of several Adidas-signed athletes to debut the new Adizero Edge+ cleat (Adidas).

Diamond Baseball Holdings and OVG Hospitality have expanded their partnership to include the concession stand selections and catering experiences at the ballparks of 10 additional MiLB clubs on DBH’s roster. Through the expansion of this partnership, OVG Hospitality is now the official food and beverage provider for 25 clubs and ballparks (OVG).

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Manchester United's plan for a new, 100,000-seat stadium has "now received the backing of the local authority as well as the government." The executive at Trafford Council has "given its unanimous support, with officials revealing plans to 'appoint a top-class consultant team' to collaborate" with ManU and other relevant parties (London TIMES, 1/28).

The 2018 helicopter crash that resulted in the death of five people, including Leicestery City soccer club owner Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, has been ruled "accidental" by an inquest jury that concluded today (REUTERS, 1/28).

Madrid's mayor insisted that the work to host an F1 race in the city is "progressing 'as planned'" ahead of its 2026 debut (RACER, 1/28).

Sprite launched its latest ad featuring NBA HOFer Kevin Garnett and Timberwolves G Anthony Edwards, with the two sharing the screen in a new social spot.

80,000 -- Expected sellout crowd at Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday, when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami play a preseason game against Universitario (MIAMI HERALD, 1/27).