Daily Issue

04.01.2021

Featured

Leagues

We're Talkin' Baseball

The '21 MLB season starts today with fans returning to the ballpark and new faces starring in new places.

Franchises

Mets make statement with Lindor deal

Marketing

Bauer makes presence known on social

MLB Season Preview

MLB's Manfred hopeful on full capacity by midseason

Giants fans need negative test or proof of vaccination to attend games

Dr. Fauci breaks down MLB attendance dynamics ahead of season

MLB, union mulling whether to remove All-Star Game from Georgia

MLB highlights Tatis, other young stars to drive league engagement

Bauer, Tatis most active players on social since last season

Mets' Cohen makes statement move by signing Lindor to record extension

Mookie Betts hitting leadoff among MLB's most-popular player jerseys

Circa Resort signs partnership deal with Padres for '21 season

Red Sox ready to welcome fans back to Fenway Park with new restrictions

ProHitter batting tool sees "massive adoption" in MLB with little marketing

Indians ban fans from wearing headdresses, Native American face paint

MLB Franchise Notes: Crypto broker buys A's suite for one Bitcoin

Got Heeeem! Stephen Nelson describes taking a seat on "Intentional Talk"

MLB Media Notes: Marquee Sports Net gets deal with fuboTV

MLB Spons-O-Meter: League opens '21 season with 38 sponsors

Marketing and Sponsorship

Sabrina Ionescu to headline first shoe in Nike's Greater Than franchise

PGA Tour's Napa stop finds firm footing as Fortinet signs on as title sponsor

SeatGeek developing NFT products with goal of digital collectible marketplace

SBJ Unpacks: Barry Klarberg digs into implications, impacts of NFTs

Leagues and Governing Bodies

NFL to loosen safety protocols for vaccinated teams, players

Franchises

Lions President Wood on return of fans, NFL Draft in Detroit

Patriots' Robert Kraft anticipates quick turnaround after missing playoffs

NFL Giants' Mara: recent seasons were "brutal," but team improving

Facilities

Heat debuting vaccine-only sections, but others reluctant to follow

Colleges

NCAA gets criticism from all sides of SCOTUS in first Alston hearing

Top women's college basketball coaches criticize NCAA, Mark Emmert's efforts around sport

Events and Attractions

NFL to host around 3,000 vaccinated fans near main stage of draft in Cleveland

Finance

Endeavor to buy out remaining stake of UFC in IPO play

RedBird Capital Partners eyes more team investments after Fenway deal

Sports in Society

Team, league leaders stress creating diverse staff from top to bottom

Longtime marketing exec Antonio Lucio talks diverse hiring, inclusion

People and Pop Culture

49ers hire Christina Jefferson to new DEI position

David Nugent leaving iX.co after 13 years with company

Executive Transactions

Names in the News

SBJ seeks two positions in marketing

Technology

Technology Bridges the Gap Between What Athletes Feel and What Actually Happens

Professional Fighters League Launches Socios Fan Token

STATSports Updates Sonra Athlete Tracking System

Study Finds Fewer Than Half of Americans Would Attend Sporting Event

TheScore Becomes First PGA Tour Betting Partner in Canada

Sponsored content

Quote of the Day

I see this season as a huge opportunity for baseball. We’re an outdoor sport. I think it’s safe or safer to go to outdoor activities. Everybody seems to agree on that. And I think that there’s pent-up demand for entertainment products, and we’re going to do everything we possibly can to take the best opportunity to take advantage of that.
-- MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, on the start of the '21 season.

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