Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ Today:
- Rangers, real estate developer Vela launch sports-adjacent mixed-use firm RVX Ventures
- Comcast Spectacor unveils location of new Sixers/Flyers arena in South Philly
- LIV CEO Scott O’Neil: ‘Our season continues’
- Plus: Insights from Fox Sports’ Eric Shanks and TKO’s Nick Khan the CAA World Congress of Sports, the NFL begins onboarding potential replacement refs and more
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Austin Karp: Rachel Axon, Chris Smith, Joe Lemire and Karp share the highlights of the first day of the CAA World Congress and preview Thursday’s conference lineup. Also: The future of LIV Golf and what’s next for Live Nation after a jury finds that it acted as an illegal monopoly. Listen >>
THE BIG STORY
Texas Rangers and real estate firm Vela launch mixed-use developer RVX Ventures
Roughly six months after Taylor Gray and Nick Benjamin were part of the group awarded the development rights to Tennessee’s Neyland Entertainment District, they reached out to executives from a Texas Rangers subsidiary (REV Entertainment), to learn how to put together Texas Live, the mixed-used entertainment district surrounding the club’s ballpark, Globe Life Field.
What emerged was a bigger idea: RVX Ventures, a new joint venture between Gray and Benjamin’s company, Vela Ventures, and the Rangers’ REV subsidiary. RVX Ventures is diving into a sector of the sports industry experiencing a building boom — sports-anchored mixed-use entertainment districts, such as those in Atlanta (The Battery) and St. Louis (Ballpark Village), reports SBJ’s Bret McCormick in Thursday’s SBJ Facilities newsletter.
The Neyland project is RVX Ventures’ first mixed-use development as it seeks to build a business for such endeavors for pro and college teams and venues across the Sun Belt.
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. Comcast Spectacor unveils location of new Sixers/Flyers arena in South Philly: Comcast Spectacor and the 76ers have selected a site in the South Philadelphia sports complex for their new arena, which will also host the Flyers and their upcoming WNBA team.
2. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil: ‘Our season continues’: LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil on Wednesday dismissed the notion that the league would be shut down this week in Mexico City, telling staff that “our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”
3. Fox’s Eric Shanks goes deep on World Cup: In a conversation with Colin Cowherd at Wednesday’s CAA World Congress of Sports in L.A., Fox Sports CEO and Executive Producer Eric Shanks said this summer’s FIFA Men’s World Cup will be the biggest sports event in his network’s history.
4. Nick Khan peels back curtain on TKO’s drive to elevate properties, grow business: TKO Group Holdings is hard at work trying to grow its mature properties like WWE and establish its new ones such as Zuffa Boxing, board member and WWE President Nick Khan said at Wednesday’s CAA World Congress of Sports.
5. NFL begins onboarding process for replacement officials: The NFL is bringing on potential replacement officials as the May 31 expiration date of its CBA with the NFL Referees Association approaches.
ON THE MOVE
- The PGA of America named Phil Anderson as COO. Anderson joins the association after serving as GM and COO at Hazeltine National Golf Club since 2022 (PGA of America).
- The MLBPA fired two execs with cause — MLBPA COO Xavier James and Chief Human Resources Officer Michael O’Neil — following an international investigation amid a federal probe into the union. Former MLBer Chris Capuano will replace James as interim COO, with Ian Penny moving into the interim CHRO role (Mike Mazzeo, SBJ).
- Legends Global named Pawel Brzezinski as EVP/premium hospitality experience. Brzezinski joins from Jean-Georges Management, where he served as COO (Legends Global).
- AMB Sports and Entertainment named Kiana Miree as VP/retail and merchandising. Miree most recently served as Chief Merchandising Officer at Spanx (AMBSE).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- Former college football player Luther Davis and his partner, CJ Evins, plan to plead guilty to a scheme to defraud lenders of nearly $20 million by impersonating NFL players such as Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr., Packers S Xavier McKinney and free agent TE David Njoku (London GUARDIAN, 4/15).
- Rutgers added YES Network co-founder and former Nets President Finn Wentworth, longtime Nike exec Michael Flaherty and longtime NBC broadcaster Kathryn Tappen to the board of Scarlet Knight Enterprises, its latest NIL initiative, with longtime sports exec Oliver Luck serving as its chair. (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/15).
- T’Wolves C Rudy Gobert made an undisclosed investment in health food and smoothie cafe Parcelle Organics (MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE, 4/15).
- The IRS filed a tax lien over $7 million against boxer Floyd Mayweather, according to a public filing that shows a history of lawsuits he’s faced over alleged unpaid bills (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 4/15).
HOT READS
The N.Y. TIMES went with the header, “The Phillies Owner’s Other Superstars.” Phillies owner John Middleton has long been an anonymous art collector along with his wife, Leigh, and they have “assembled what is regarded as one of the finest collections of American art in private hands.”
Also:
- Mascherano exit highlights Miami’s delicate, Messi-centric balancing act.
- More than a jersey: Kits are putting soccer’s underdogs on the map.
- The NWSL has built an audience that fills NFL stadiums. Is it time to dream big on the venue for the championship game?