Morning Buzz

It is now exactly “one month until the first game” of this summer’s FIFA World Cup. From “diplomatic tensions to ticket pricing and travel costs,” the tournament has been “creating headlines before a ball has even been kicked.” Perhaps the biggest controversy so far is the “cost associated with attending it” as ticket prices have “soared to new heights.” Another major storyline in the tournament’s buildup has been “the situation in Iran, and how it might impact the nation’s participation” (CNN.com, 5/11).

In N.Y., there is “barely a pulse” about the World Cup. Aside from the countdown clock inside The Shops of Columbus Circle, there are few “meaningful signs that the World Cup is a month away.” There is “no visible takeover of the city” and “no real atmosphere.” For a city that will host the World Cup final, it feels “strangely quiet” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/11).

President Trump on Sunday indicated that he is “not a fan of the NFL airing games on streaming services,” saying the league needs to be “careful” about how many games it puts on streamers. Trump, in an appearance on “Full Measure” with Sharyl Attkisson, said, “They have to be careful because, you know, others have tried this. And all of a sudden you don’t have a sport anymore.” Trump’s comments came amid reports last week that Fox/News Corp. Chair Emeritus Rupert Murdoch warned Trump in February that more NFL games on streamers would badly hurt broadcast networks. Trump also referenced U.S. Sen. Mike Lee‘s (R-Utah) assertion that consumers would have had to spend almost $1,000 on both cable and streaming subscriptions in order to watch every NFL game this past season, but he “seemed to incorrectly interpret this as $1,000 per game.” Trump: “You have people that live for Sunday ... they can’t think about anything else, and then all of a sudden, they’re gonna have to pay $1,000 a game. It’s crazy.” But while Trump made it “clear that he doesn’t like the shift” to streaming, he also said that he does not “know if the government will ultimately intervene” (SI, 5/10).

The bulk of upfront season gets underway in Manhattan on Monday with advertising presentations from NBC, Fox and Amazon. The presentations, which will run through Wednesday, will once again show how upfronts week has morphed significantly over the last five years. The week used to be focused mostly on entertainment programming, with only a side of sports. But that’s now flipped, with sports taking the lead, with traditional entertainment TV seeing a decline in ad dollars allocated there for the past three upfronts. Given this growth of sports vs. traditional entertainment shows at upfront presentations, that’s also meant an increase in the scatter market as some brands wait to see how certain sports programming shakes out.

A growing segment that’s catching advertisers and media buyers’ eyes is the culture around sports, including products like biopics, docuseries and more. The “athlete creator” also is a segment to watch, as some players’ brands have grown larger than the teams they play on. And, of course, AI and tech, which continue improving telecasts and providing viewers ways to engage like never before.

NBC gets things going Monday morning at Radio City Music Hall. The company doesn’t have its “Legendary February” to pitch to brands this year, but still has a healthy slate of sports programming to present, including “Sunday Night Football,” MLB, the NBA, Notre Dame football, Big Ten football (although it will be selling the Big Ten Championship to Fox), the PGA Tour, Premier League, two-thirds of the Triple Crown, NASCAR, the WNBA and smaller properties.

Later on Monday, Fox will have its upfront at New York City Center, where there is sure to be a late push for next month’s FIFA World Cup. The company has not publicly said how ad sales are doing for the event, which has expanded to 48 teams playing over 39 days for the first time. Other sports likely to be highlighted by Fox are the NFL, college football and basketball, MLB, NASCAR and IndyCar.

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Sports investment firm Bruin Capital has “bought into” sports promotion and broadcasting company Matchroom Holdings. Sources said that the deal gives Bruin a 15% stake in Matchroom and values the business at over $1.4B. Barry and Eddie Hearn “retain majority control.” The investment “hands a windfall” to Barry Hearn. He said Matchroom wants to make a “massive push into America.” He added that Bruin, led by founder George Pyne, would “bring knowhow and influence to help Matchroom navigate the complex market for broadcasting and streaming” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/11). Simpson Thacher represented Bruin Capital on its investment in Matchroom Sport (Simpson Thacher).

76ers G Tyrese Maxey was “not happy” that Knicks fans took over the 76ers’ home arena in the playoffs, capped off by a sweep on Sunday. The Knicks won Game 4 144-114 “in front of a pro-Knicks crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena.” Maxey said, “It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest.” He added, “It felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden. We got to put a stop to it as a team. Winning these games, that’s gonna make our fans louder than theirs or whatever. I don’t know how to keep them out” (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 5/10). The Knicks presence in Philadelphia was “so overwhelming the arena cranked up both the music and the public-address announcer in a futile attempt to drown out” Knicks fans (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/10).

Knicks fans “made a habit of scooping up tickets by the thousands at the Sixers’ arena for playoffs games over the years” and Game 4 was the fan base’s “loudest statement yet.” Fans “raised brooms outside the arena and waved ‘Always Knicks’ towels once inside, all while noisily neutering the few Sixers fans that didn’t make a few extra bucks on the secondary market and stuck around.” The 76ers’ franchise “failed to stop Knicks fans in their effort to buy tickets” (AP, 5/10).

Luck “finally found” the Wizards during an NBA draft lottery as Washington secured the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. The Wizards have been “desperate to draft a face-of-the-franchise player, and despite their regular presence at the bottom of the NBA standings, the top pick had eluded them.” GM Will Dawkins said that he is “happy for the Wizards fans who have suffered through a string of losing seasons and near-misses in draft lotteries.” The Wizards, who finished last season at 17-65, worst in the NBA, had a 14% chance to secure the top pick (WASHINGTON POST, 5/10).

Privately, Wizards officials are not “ruling out a deal” in what is “widely regarded as a top-heavy draft, with no consensus No. 1.” If Dawkins zeroes in one player, Washington “will draft him.” But if there is a player who could slip, sources said that there is the “potential” to move the pick (SI, 5/10).

The Pacers lost 63 games for a chance at a “franchise-changing lottery pick” in Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery, but on Sunday, they “lost that chance, too.” The Pacers were tied with the Wizards and Nets for the best odds of earning the No. 1 pick and a top-four pick, but they fell to No. 5, outside the top four protections attached to a midseason trade. That meant the Pacers’ pick now belongs to the Clippers. Pacers President Kevin Pritchard took to social media “and apologized” to fans for taking the risk. Pritchard wrote, “I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck” (USA TODAY, 5/10).

Pritchard acknowledged that he was “crushed in the moment, particularly for the fan base that hung in there through a season that included the two longest losing streaks in franchise history.” He said his heart “hurts” for owner Herb Simon, adding Simon “wants it for Indiana like we all want it. In a way I feel like I’ve let the organization down” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 5/11).

What’s on Steve O’Donnell’s mind? NASCAR’s CEO shares why their media relationships are playing a vital role in their strategy.

In this week’s issue:

• Take a closer look at nominees for the Sports Business Awards and SBA: Tech and learn more about the 10 Most Innovative Sports Technology Companies. It’s a look at the industry’s best during the final countdown to the start of festivities in New York City.

“The first power plant using this type of energy was built in Italy, at a site thought to have inspired Dante.”