Closing Bell

The area around Madison Square Garden “will be locked down” starting 4pm Monday to “thwart any threats” as President Trump watches the Knicks play the NBA Finals Game 3 against the Spurs -- creating the “possibility of massive gridlock and disruptions for New Yorkers.” Authorities said that a “frozen zone will be enforced from W. 30 to W. 35th Sts. between Sixth and Eighth Aves. in Midtown Manhattan starting just as rush hour begins.” There will be “no vehicular traffic on Seventh and Eighth Aves. and only those who have a ticket to the game, a commuter train ticket or credentials for local businesses will be allowed through the security perimeter.” Only those “entering Penn Station will be allowed into the frozen zone with bags.” A transit source said that subways “would operate as usual, including making stops at Penn Station.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that the lockdown “will be in place for the entire game, even if Trump leaves early, and that it mirrors how the NYPD secures Times Square on New Year’s Eve” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/8).

Fans are “urged to arrive at least two hours before” the 8:40PM tipoff. There will be no official watch party Monday night outside of MSG, due to “enhanced security with the U.S. Secret Service for Trump’s visit.” The Knicks “plan to resume the watch parties for Game 4” (NEWSDAY, 6/8).

The ruling by a local Texas judge to grant Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby an injunction to play this season has prompted several schools to wonder, “Should we play the Red Raiders?” Kansas State AD Gene Taylor said they have had “some serious conversation” about whether to play Texas Tech, though he noted they are not scheduled to face them in 2026. Georgia AD Josh Brooks said, “There needs to be serious conversations about not playing Texas Tech in any sports.” Brooks, a member of the NCAA Football Oversight Committee, added, “We cannot in good conscience put our student-athletes on a field where the competitive integrity of the contest is compromised and overridden by the courts.” One anonymous Big 12 AD called it the “lowest point in my time in college sports.” Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly called the ruling “devastating” for the integrity of American sports and the NCAA (YAHOO SPORTS, 6/8).

Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark in a statement said, “The ramifications of today’s ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I’ve been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled meetings with our Conference ADs and Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with [NCAA President] Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours” (X, 6/8).

Sportradar has a new multiyear deal with Kalshi to provide the prediction market platform with official sports data/live odds; fan engagement and customer acquisition solutions; and integrity services for its markets around several prominent leagues. The deal also extends those services to Kalshi brokers and market makers. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal will include content and services encompassing MLB, MLS, UFC and the NHL, each of which have data rights agreements with Sportradar and have recently struck marketing deals with prediction markets (MLB, MLS and UFC with Polymarket; NHL with both Polymarket and Kalshi). One notable omission is the NBA, which, according to Commissioner Adam Silver, is still monitoring the prediction market space. Sportradar declined to comment on talks with its league partners and why some are or are not included in the Kalshi deal.

The outline of the Kalshi deal mirrors Sportradar’s work with online sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel, which relies on the data and oddsmaking/integrity monitoring services of data companies like Sportradar and Genius Sports to operate in jurisdictions they are licensed to do so. This is Sportradar’s first such agreement with a prediction market, but Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl said in prepared remarks: “We look forward to working with key prediction market participants as the landscape matures, establishing the trusted, compliant framework for sports innovation just as we have successfully delivered in online sports betting.”

As of this writing, Sportradar’s stock had jumped 8.8% on Monday in the wake of the news.

A House Judiciary subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 on Wednesday, and the subcommittee has released a 27-page preliminary report that deals “solely with the NFL.” The report devotes “extensive attention to the Sunday Ticket class action, which nearly two years ago resulted in a verdict that, if converted to a final judgment, would have exceeded $14 billion.” That ruling was later overturned by a judge and is being appealed by the plaintiffs. Based on that case, the report asks whether the NFL “misrepresented to Congress the motivation of fans to purchase the Sunday Ticket package, which is deliberately overpriced to encourage fans to watch ‘free’ games in their local markets on CBS and Fox” (NBCSPORTS.com, 6/8).

Last month at the league meetings, NFL EVP/Media Distribution Hans Schroeder said, “The NFL’s media distribution polices continue to be the most fan-friendly in all of sports with 100% of all games available for free in, at the very least, the competing teams’ home market and 87% of all games primarily distributed on broadcast television” (SBJ).

The United Premier Soccer League has announced four senior executive hires with Steve Tello being named CEO. Tello most recently served as EVP/FanDuel Sports Network’s Florida channels and previously spent over 20 years at Fox Sports Net as SVP & GM, overseeing regional sports networks across L.A., Pittsburgh, Houston and South and Central Florida. He is joined by Nick Webster as EVP -- a former Fox Soccer senior producer, director, on-air personality and, most recently, the president of Cal South. Rounding out the leadership group, David Oxfeld, a 2017 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree, joins as head of sponsorship through his firm Nexus Agency, the agency he founded after a seven-year run as CRO of the Marlins. Lindsay Amstutz, a 2018 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree, also joins the executive ranks as founder and president of L.A. Sports Advisors, LLC, bringing experience as former president of media & partnerships at Playfly Sports and a decade-plus at Fox Sports, where she served as SVP & GM of Fox Sports West, Prime Ticket and Fox Sports San Diego (UPSL).

NACDA CEO Pat Manak joined SBJ’s Ben Portnoy to reflect on the notably upbeat tone surrounding this year’s NACDA convention, a marked shift after a difficult stretch for the industry. Manak emphasized how the gathering has served as a critical touchpoint, bringing together leaders and practitioners at a time when connection, collaboration and shared perspective are more valuable than ever.

Outkick, the digital sports and culture brand founded by Clay Travis, is “being integrated into Fox News Digital, with Travis exiting the site,” where he ran day-to-day operations and worked as talent. He will remain with Fox, however, “having inked a new deal as a Fox News contributor.” He will also continue to host “OutKick the Show with Clay Travis” on FS1. Fox “is betting” that making Outkick a vertical within the larger Fox News Digital ecosystem “will bolster its audience and reach.” The company claims that May 2026 “was its largest month ever in terms of unique devices and pageviews” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 6/8).