Closing Bell

John Lasker, one of the architects of ESPN’s direct-to-consumer strategy, will be retiring from the company after 27 years. Lasker, who serves as SVP/ESPN DTC, will remain at ESPN through the end of September. The decision to retire was his own. ESPN VP/Sports Products & Strategy Brian Marshall will oversee the DTC team on an interim basis once Lasker departs.

Lasker played a big role in the launch of ESPN DTC last August, and talked about the launch with SBJ last summer. He described the effort as a “long, slow build” dating back to the launch of ESPN Broadband in 2001. Rosalyn Durant, ESPN’s EVP/Programming & Acquisitions, wrote in a memo to staff on Wednesday that Lasker was “at the forefront of nearly every major iteration and evolution of our streaming business.” That included development from ESPN360 to ESPN3 to WatchESPN to ESPN+ to the current iteration.

Lasker has been public about medical issues related to blot clots and his diagnosis of Factor V Leiden, a genetic blood clotting disorder.

The NCAA has “sent a letter of inquiry” to the Univ. of Cincinnati related to former QB Brendan Sorsby‘s time at the school, according to sources cited by YAHOO SPORTS. Sorsby played the last two seasons at Cincinnati, “during which he has acknowledged betting on sports.” School officials “expect to soon respond to the inquiry, presumably with documentation and details that the NCAA requested.” An inquiry letter is “not uncommon and doesn’t necessarily signal wrongdoing,” but it is “often the start of an investigative process over possible rules violations, one that often is a collaborative effort with the school itself.” A Cincinnati spokesperson declined to comment specific to the letter of inquiry, but provided a general statement on the monthslong situation involving Sorsby: “We have had continuous conversations with the NCAA since the initial reports related to impermissible sports wagering began. As we have stated before, we do not believe any athletics official or staff member was aware of any impermissible sports wagering” (YAHOO SPORTS, 7/8).

The WNBA will “become the first professional sports league to host major events at the Obama Presidential Center” as part of the 2026 WNBA All-Star festivities later this month. The events will take place at the center on July 24, and it “will serve as a featured venue throughout All-Star Weekend.” The center will “host the third annual WNBA Changemaker Day, where several of the league’s sponsorship partners will be collaborating with” the Sky, Chicago Public Schools and the Girls Opportunity Alliance. An event called Jr. WNBA Day “will also be hosted at the center, featuring basketball clinics, leadership panels, STEM activities, vision-board workshops and other programming.” The majority of the activities “will take place inside Home Court, the center’s 60,000-square-foot athletic facility, featuring regulation-sized basketball courts and multipurpose rooms” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/8).

UEFA is “prepared to block the return of Russian teams” to international soccer after the IOC provisionally lifted the country’s suspension from global competition. FIFA has indicated that it will “review its position after imposing a ban on Russian teams in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.” It said on Tuesday it would “analyse the decision before deciding on next steps.” UEFA’s stance sets up “another potential clash” with FIFA. Sources said that there is “no realistic prospect of Russian sides being welcomed back into European football, and by extension the World Cup, because, although that is a FIFA tournament, European qualifying is run by UEFA” (London GUARDIAN, 7/8).

Marketing tech platform SportsBiz has elevated longtime sports sponsorship exec Michael Robichaud to president. Robichaud originally joined the company in late 2024 as chief strategy officer.

Robichaud’s career features stints handling Mastercard’s global sponsorship strategy and navigating Nextel/Sprint’s naming rights deal for the NASCAR Cup Series. In his new role with SportsBiz, he will oversee the company’s growth and innovation. Robichaud was named to SBJ’s Forty Under 40 list in both 2005 and 2006.

SportsBiz is currently raising a $5 million late-seed round, which will bolster its growth and product development. The firm utilizes AI to streamline sponsorship deal management and navigation through its DeepSport Solutions offering, which can find ideal brand matches for potential athlete spokespeople and evaluate deal ROI. Next week, SportsBiz will officially launch ApprovalLAB.AI, another product that simplifies workflow and creative review.

SportsBiz clientele includes AWS, financial firm HSBC, and Wells Fargo.

Leaders from across sports, business, media and beyond have continued to arrive at this year’s Allen & Co. annual leadership retreat in Sun Valley, Idaho, which began on Tuesday. Some of those spotted on property over the past two days include Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch, Comcast co-CEO & Chair Brian Roberts, Comcast co-CEO Mike Cavanaugh, former Disney CEO Bob Iger and current CEO Josh D’Amaro, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, Kraft Group Chair & CEO Robert Kraft, Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry, Jazz and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, Seahawks Vice Chair Bert Kolde, Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO Ted Leonsis, Apple SVP/Services & Health Eddy Cue and many more (SBJ).

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N.Y. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has partnered with NWSL club Gotham FC “to offer a limited supply of $15 tickets for next week’s Queens Classic” against the Spirit at Citi Field. There will be “up to 4,000 tickets available at the discounted price,” with tickets distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The July 15 match is “on track to break the attendance record for a women’s sporting event” in N.Y. -- a high mark set in 2023 when 28,143 fans witnessed WTA No. 7 Coco Gauff’s first major title win at the U.S. Open final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Gotham FC has already sold more than 30,000 tickets for the match. This is the second time Mamdani has partnered with Gotham on affordable ticketing. In April, they released 1,000 $5 tickets for the club’s May 9 match against Boston Legacy at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Those tickets “sold out in less than an hour.” The new offer comes just one day after Gotham FC announced it would be moving its home games to NYCFC’s new Etihad Park in Queens when it opens next year (THE ATHLETIC, 7/8).

EFL Championship club Wrexham AFC signed a multiyear agreement with Firefox, making it the club’s front-of-kit sponsor for the 2026-27 season and the club’s official web browsing sponsor. Firefox will be featured on the front of both men’s and women’s first-team kits for the upcoming seasons, with the logo set to appear on the home, away and third shirts. Firefox replaces United Airlines as the front-of-shirt sponsor (Wrexham AFC).

No financial value has been “put on the Firefox partnership by either party,” but the agreement is Wrexham’s latest “lucrative” deal with a global brand. This is a “continuation of the approach that has been integral to the club’s rise” (THE ATHLETIC, 7/8).

Fanatics and Complex have “announced a new collection from the league in collaboration with KAWS,” a Brooklyn-based artist named Brian Donnelly. The collection is a “limited-edition one,” with the Dodgers and Yankees “getting the honors of having their respective franchises represented across jerseys, tees, and more.” The new collection will debut at Fanatics Fest NYC from July 16-19, and at Yankees and Dodgers team stores (COMPLEX, 7/8).

The collection is being released before the Dodgers visit the Yankees for a three-game series July 17-19. The collection also will “include baseballs, bats and a limited run of Topps trading cards that promise to feature KAWS’ interpretation of Dodgers and Yankees iconography” (L.A. TIMES, 7/8).