The merger of UFC and WWEunder Endeavor's ownership is now complete commercially as the unified TKO Group is in the market with a combined sales pitch that will see the scripted WWE Events combine with assets of the legit unscripted competition offered by the UFC. Endeavor acquired controlling interest in UFC for $4B in 2016, combining the two properties after acquiring WWE last April, in a deal which valued WWE at $9.3B.   

Former UFC sponsorship chief Grant Norris-Jones has been named EVP/Head of Global Partnerships for the new combined sales unit, which will have around 75 people, including a dozen new hires. Norris-Jones will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who is also taking on an expanded role as TKO’s EVP/Global Partnerships. The company will have twin HQs in Las Vegas, where the UFC was headquartered, and the former WWE HQ in Stamford, Conn. Norris-Jones said he expects TKO to compete against even the largest sports properties. 

"We will be able to go up against any sports league in the world," Norris-Jones said. "It's year-round and against that young, male demographic that's famously difficult to reach. So, we're going after NFL partners domestically and NBA and FIFA partners globally. We believe we've created a superpower."  

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The PBR this morning will announce a multiyear agreement naming Michelob Ultra the league’s official and exclusive beer, and making Anheuser-Busch one of the sport’s largest partners with a deal that spans its premier Unleash The Beast tour, Camping World Team Series, Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour and PBR Challenger Series.

PBR competitors age 21+ will have the potential to earn additional prize money in Unleash The Beast events and PBR Teams league through the new Michelob Ultra Bonus.

The league did not have a beer sponsor last season, but A-B was the sport’s first and biggest national partner with the Bud Light Cup Series, 1993-2002, guaranteeing the funds to keep the new league afloat.

“If it weren’t for A-B, we wouldn’t be here today making another significant announcement that will add to the PBR fan experience while putting more money in the pockets of bull riders,” said PBR CEO & Commissioner Sean Gleason. 

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Callaway Golf will sponsor an hour of commercial-free coverage on Golf Channel and Peacock on Sunday during the final round of the PGA Tour's season-opening event, The Sentry. This marks the second consecutive year that Callaway will have presenting sponsorship starting around 7pm ET from Hawaii. 

Callaway this week is debuting its new Chrome Tour golf ball and will promote it around the broadcast. The brand will have on-screen graphics during the hour, as well as a welcome message from Warriors G Stephen Curry, a Callaway ambassador.

In addition to last year at Kapalua, NBC/Golf Channel have had commercial-free segments during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, the Solheim Cup, U.S. Open and Tour Championship.

The PWHL's inaugural season continued on last night, as Minnesota posted a 3-2 opening-night victory over Boston at the Tsongas Center "in front of the crowd of 4,012." From the "introduction of the entire team, to members of the East Coast Wizards youth program standing with the teams during the national anthem, to Bruins great Patrice Bergeron dropping the ceremonial puck, it conveyed the support needed from and integration into the hockey community that the PWHL is hoping will make this the women’s league that sticks" (BOSTON GLOBE, 1/3). Despite Bergeron's appearance and artist Michelle Brooks-Thompson handling the Star Spangled Banner, Boston played to "quite a few empty seats" at the 6,500-seat arena (MASSLIVE, 1/4).

The "entire Tsongas Center crowd gave a standing ovation" after Boston’s first-ever goal, and both times Boston put the puck in the back of the net, "the 'Let's go Boston' chant drowned out the public address announcement of the goal scorer." The crowd -- with "hundreds of young girls in attendance" -- also "gave a rousing ovation" when the lineups were announced before the game and when Bergeron dropped the puck. Boston F Hilary Knight said of the night, "It feels magical, surreal at the same time." Knight: "Understanding how important visibility is, just the growth of the game and the speed and how it’s evolved. It’s a fantastic time to have a professional league, and to be a part of the first few shifts, you can’t really put it into words" (MASSLIVE, 1/3).

AEG has added four NWSL teams to the roster for its third annual Coachella Valley Invitational, a three-week preseason training camp and exhibition event in February at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif. The four women’s teams include Southern California locals Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC, as well as the recently sold Portland Thorns and expansion club Bay FC. The NWSL teams will take part in preseason matches and training sessions alongside 12 men’s clubs, including 11 from MLS and Phoenix Rising from the USL Championship. AEG has extended the term of the Coachella Valley Invitational a week to accommodate the women’s teams, with the event now running from Feb. 4-24. There will be seven ticketed match days throughout the event.

The Hurricanes have "taken a big step toward realizing the vision of creating an entertainment district around the PNC Arena," as the parent company of the Hurricanes -- Gale Force Sports & Entertainment -- has "acquired the Backyard Bistro restaurant" near the arena. Plans "call for the restaurant to continue operating," but Hurricanes officials have previously said they also "plan to use the space to host a sportsbook while enhancements and renovations to the arena are underway." Gale Force paid $2.3M "for two lots on Hurricane Alley Way that hold the restaurant and parking space" (TRIANGLE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/3).

The minor league Oakland B’s planned to take over the A’s venue at the Coliseum "for a night of nostalgia" in late June -- but the big league club "blocked their agreement as exclusive rights holder to the building for professional baseball." B's co-founder Paul Freedman "went back and forth by email some 70 times in an effort to secure one special game." Freedman said he and co-founder Bryan Carmel "had a signed contract in place and deposit paid" through communication with ASM Global, which operates the building for the Coliseum Authority. But the A’s have exclusive rights to play professional baseball at the Coliseum, and the team "declined to grant consent" for the B's to play there "based on their license agreement with the Coliseum Authority" (AP, 1/3).

Liberty Media has officially closed its acquisition of QuintEvents, which it purchased in September. Quint is attributed to Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock, though F1 and QuintEvents will continue to be operated as separate companies (Liberty Media).

Barcelona MF Fermín López is Under Armour's "latest soccer signing," as he "will wear Under Armour's Shadow Elite 2 soccer cleats under the new deal and will wear other Under Armour athletic and sportstyle items off the field" (BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1/3).

The Hawks, State Farm Arena and WestRock have reached a new multiyear sustainability-focused partnership that will see the organizations work together on a variety of initiatives intended to reduce waste, preserve biodiversity and support the well-being of local Atlanta communities (Hawks).

The Colombian city of Barranquilla yesterday was stripped of its "rights to host the next edition of the Pan American Games in 2027." Panam Sports, which organizes the event, in a statement said that it "made the decision after the city failed once more to comply with its contractual obligations" (AP, 1/3).

AD AGE speaks to Kellanova CMO Julie Bowerman about "the Pop-Tarts mascot and what's next following viral bowl game." Kellanova marketers were "pretty confident" that its Pop-Tarts Bowl game activation would do well, but "even they could not predict that it would become the biggest earned campaign in the brand’s history." The marketing stunt "set a new standard for bowl game marketing," while "drawing the brand widespread attention on social media that it is still enjoying almost a week after the Dec. 28 game." Kellanova execs "did not comment on the strategy" in the days following the game, but Bowerman discussed "how the brand rode the wave of virality for its first sponsored bowl game."

Also:

• Pop-Tarts' devoured mascot may live to be eaten again.

• Pop-Tarts Bowl showed bowl games can still be fun.

• Maize and blue merchandise is red hot ahead of Wolverines' title tilt.

• What would it take to make a world juniors for women happen?

• Ten years after taking the world by storm, Mo’ne Davis wants to bring pro women’s sports to her hometown.

"With murder, shadows, a nosy reporter and Peter Lorre, 1940’s 'Stranger on the Third Floor' is the first example of this, some say."

"What is film noir?"