Morning Buzz

Two Virginia residents have “filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the UFC fight President Donald Trump is holding at the White House.” The lawsuit was filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project and argues that the structure built on the White House grounds is “not authorized without congressional approval or environmental review.” It also argues that “the use of the White House grounds ‘to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access’ will financially benefit UFC President Dana White and Trump himself, citing a report in the spring that Trump bought $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company," TKO. The lawsuit “pushes back” on the administration’s assertion that the UFC match “falls under the authorization from Congress for events to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.” The lawsuit reads the event is a “celebration of the UFC’s brand and the 80th anniversary of Donald Trump’s birth” (CNN.com, 6/7).

A Trump official said that “the lawsuit is ‘obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory’ while comparing the upcoming UFC to previous events on the South Lawn.” However, attorneys say that damage to the White House grounds from the construction of the octagon and corporate branding “make the event different” (THE HILL, 6/7).

The Weather Channel’s Jennifer Gray said chances of thunderstorms raining on the UFC Freedom 250 event are “like a flip of a coin at this point.” She said that forecast will be “more accurate” by the middle of the week. Gray: “But as of right now, I couldn’t promise you clear skies and comfortable temperatures for Sunday.” She added “hopefully” the White House and UFC have a plan to get spectators to “shelter if need be, because we do know that these thunderstorms can turn dangerous very quickly” (USA TODAY, 6/7).

Limited tickets to Monday’s NBA Finals Game 3 between the Knicks and Spurs are “still available,” and in fact, prices for the cheapest tickets have “actually dropped more than 50% in 24 hours.” As of Sunday night, get-in prices start at $5,079, a noticeable drop from prices earlier in the weekend. The cheapest ticket in the 100 level sections start at $8,150. President Trump plans to attend Game 3, which will lead to security for the game being “ratcheted up” (USA TODAY, 6/7). Trump is “widely expected to be showered with boos” when he attends the game (WASHINGTON POST, 6/8).

Knicks G Josh Hart “lamented” the high prices of resale tickets. He said he feels a lot of people “who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building.” Hart: “I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are” (NEWSDAY, 6/8).

LPGA player Nelly Korda “triumphed at Riviera Country Club” and won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday. The win was the 27-year-old’s first USWO and marks her second straight major win after claiming the Chevron Championship in April and fourth major overall. Korda is the “youngest American player to win four major championships since Mickey Wright in 1960” (GLOBAL GOLF POST, 6/8). The win “further cemented” Korda’s place as the “definitive, transcendent alpha figure women’s professional sports have long craved” (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 6/7).

The win for Korda was the “biggest moment in women’s golf” since Michelle Wie West won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. USGA CEO and former LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said Korda is “the needle mover that makes people outside of golf pay attention.” Korda “became the first American woman to win the U.S. Women’s Open while ranked No. 1″ since the Rolex Rankings debuted in 2006 and the “first American to win the first two majors of the season since Pat Bradley in 1986″ (GOLFWEEK, 6/7). The biggest question is whether the LPGA can “capitalize on a moment that feels much bigger than Nelly’s run in 2024?” (GOLF.com, 6/7).

The 76ers have “promoted” Jameer Nelson from assistant GM to executive vice president of basketball operations. He will now be in the front office’s No. 2 position under president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. Gansey will be “formally introduced during a news conference” Monday morning at the Sixers’ facility in Camden. The previous No. 2 with the club Elton Brand “will not move forward” as the Sixers’ GM and will instead “transition to a new role and title.” Nelson has “risen up the front office ranks” following his playing career (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/7). Sources said that assistant GM Prosper Karangwa has “also agreed to a multiyear contract extension.” Karangwa “received interest from multiple rival teams” over the past month (ESPN.com, 6/7).

Project B, the touring international basketball league scheduled to launch in January 2027, has hired Host Broadcast Services to be its production partner as part of an ambitious plan to stream all games globally on YouTube and spawn market-specific coverage.

HBS, also host broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup, will essentially become the media backbone for the startup league. The Switzerland-based company is set to provide multi-camera operations, live player mics, technical services, arena infrastructure, delivery of worldwide feeds, replay, graphics, immersive camera systems and general expertise to all of Project B’s eventual streaming, social and digital media partners.

When the league begins next year with an expected seven mini-tournaments -- two already announced in Valencia, Spain and Tokyo -- the plan is to also have HBS support local rightsholders in each territory by producing game broadcasts, commentary and studio shows in multiple languages, adjacent to the YouTube feed and distribution. The multiyear agreement was handled in-house.

“It allows us to combine this world-class live event coverage with localized programming,” said Grady Burnett, Project B co-founder and chief operating officer. “That’s something that HBS has done at scale for everything from the World Cup to Premier League games to you name the global sporting event: rugby, etc.”

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La Liga club Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has “seen off the most serious challenge yet to his long reign,” defeating Spanish businessman Enrique Riquelme in the “first contested election” to lead the club in 20 years. Pérez secured 65% of the vote to Riquelme’s 35%. Pérez’s win “gives him a mandate to pursue a revolutionary plan to invite outside investors” to buy 5% of the club, which reported almost €1.2B (US$1.4B) of revenue in 2024-25. Real Madrid is owned by its 100,000 members (FINANCIAL TIMES, 6/7).

Pérez’s win will also “pave the way for him to bring back” coach José Mourinho for a second stint at Madrid. Mourinho, who coached Real Madrid from 2010-13, was “featured in promotional material for Pérez during the campaign” (AP, 6/7).

Climate activists caused a “bizarre and unprecedented conclusion” to the KLM Open in the Netherlands on Sunday, with DP World Tour staff and volunteers “forming a human shield” around the 18th green to allow the tournament to end without delay. Protesters, reportedly from Extinction Rebellion, entered the lake to the side of the putting surface and “began to set off flares and scream slogans as the last groups approached the definitive stage.” The demonstration “failed in its bid to at least hold up proceedings” as organizers arranged protection for the golfers. It is clear that the DP World Tour was “prepared for such dissent.” Extinction Rebellion targeted the same tournament two years ago and has also staged protests against KLM -- the Dutch national airline -- at multiple intervals since then. Eugenio Chacarra claimed his second Tour victory (London TELEGRAPH, 6/7).

Bulls broadcaster Stacey King died Sunday at the age of 59. King, a three-time NBA champion during the first half of the Bulls 1990s dynasty as a player, was a “beloved member of the Bulls organization” who provided color commentary for the team’s broadcast affiliate for the past two decades. King was “known for catchphrases and nicknames that stuck to players for their entire careers.” He approached broadcasting with the “same animated, enthusiastic presence that defined him on the court” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 6/7).

King moved to the broadcast booth in 2006 as a studio analyst for Bulls pregame and postgame shows, then started filling in as a third broadcast in games late in 2006 before moving permanently to the role in 2007. The Bulls “plan to honor King throughout next season and will make announcements about that in the near future.” No cause was given to his death. He is “slated to undergo a head autopsy” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/7).

Joe Browne, the longest-tenured employee in NFL history, reflected on the merger between the NFL and AFL 60 years ago Monday in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Browne wrote that day at the Warwick Hotel in N.Y. might be the “most significant day in American sports history.” On that day in 1966, he was a college intern at the NFL’s office at One Rockefeller Center. Browne recalled being handed a manila envelope that “contained the news release the sports world was anticipating” and was told to take it to United Press International Sports. At the time, no formal agreement “had been signed, so the release had great import.” Since the announcement of the merger, pro football has “become America’s favorite sport by a wide margin.” Browne: “It’s been a heckuva 60 years” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 6/7).

What’s on Haley Durmer’s mind? The Chief Business Officer of the Rapids discusses the growing momentum as the World Cup returns to the U.S. and how MLS and the Rapids can capitalize.

In this week’s issue:

• Steve Greenberg’s career has included work as a player agent, league executive, media entrepreneur and now as an investment banker with Allen & Company. SBJ’s Chris Smith chronicles how during Greenberg’s five decades in sports business, he built strong ties across the industry and advised on some of its most important deals.
• Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing has burst on the scene as a major disruption to the sport. SBJ’s Adam Stern reports on why insiders are questioning whether it will transform the business of boxing or destroy it.
• NYU professor David Hollander believes that basketball is life. SBJ basketball writer Tom Friend’s profile describes how Hollander’s humanities class, “How Basketball Can Save the World,” provides the blueprint. 
• MLB teams are increasingly beginning weekday games before 7 p.m., turning start time into a business decision tied to attendance, fan experience and family-friendly scheduling. SBJ baseball writer Mike Mazzeo explores how the trend reflects the ways clubs are balancing changing fan habits.
• Sportsbooks are ready to capitalize on the hype around the World Cup and see the in North American tournament as a recipe to boost U.S. betting on soccer. SBJ’s Bill King details how a deep run in the tournament by the U.S. team could surpass those expectations.
• Excitement about a World Cup on home soil has been a major driver of business momentum for U.S. Soccer. SBJ soccer writer Alex Silverman tells how the federation positioned itself to seize the moment by overhauling its commercial and fundraising functions over the past several years.

Elevate is looking for a VP/Property Performance Marketing. The remote-based position is responsible for generating integrated revenue driven and customer acquisition focused campaigns, ensuring that all marketing activations and consumer touchpoints align with that vision (Elevate).

Columbus NWSL 2028 is looking for a Dir/Fan Engagement. The Columbus-based position is responsible for developing and leading comprehensive fan engagement strategy focused on growing awareness, interest and fandom for the NWSL expansion club (Columbus NWSL 2028).

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is looking for a Customer Insights & Lifestyle Marketing Analyst. The Indianapolis-based position is responsible for building and executing email marketing campaigns, developing audience segmentation strategies, supporting content recommendations and reporting measures campaign performance, engagement and ROI (Indianapolis Motor Speedway).

Fenway Sports Management is looking for a Senior Dir/Brand Solutions. The Boston-based position is responsible for leading the development of customized, creative marketing programs for clients and developing new pitches, ideating, conceptualizing new activation ideas for new and/or existing clients (Fenway Sports Management).

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“At the U.S. Naval Academy, a 19th c. memorial inscribed ‘Commerce laments their fall’ honors heroes of this conflict.”