SBJ Unpacks: World Cup attendance crosses 6 million

Tonight in Unpacks: As the FIFA World Cup heads into the quarterfinals, it’s drawn over 6 million fans, with especially strong numbers coming out of Mexico and N.Y/N.J., reports SBJ’s Ed Sutelan.

Also tonight:

• Kansas signs crypto jersey patch deal
• LIV Golf informs employees of potential layoffs
• AUSL’s magic with mic’d-up players
• Op-ed: Who owns the numbers when MLB’s next CBA arrives?

Listen to SBJ’s most popular podcast, Morning Buzzcast, where Abe Madkour discusses the changing tone for the World Cup in the wake of politics and the U.S. team’s loss, a big move for an NWSL club in NYC, the importance of relationships in the Big 12’s deal with Monster Energy and more.

Total World Cup attendance passed the 6 million mark during the Round of 16 as the tournament advances to the quarterfinals.

The World Cup’s Round of 32 and Round of 16 drew a combined 1,615,035 fans, bringing the total number of attendees to 6,260,031. The two knockout rounds also tallied 20 sellouts in 24 matches. Dallas, the only site to host three knockout matches, had the highest total attendance at 210,558. Mexico City Stadium had the highest average attendance at 80,824, followed behind closely by N.Y. N.J. Stadium at 80,663, both having hosted a pair of games.

The first two knockout rounds saw eight more host cities wrap up hosting duties, joining Guadalajara, which hosted its final match in the group stage. Of cities that have completed hosting matches, Mexico City and Vancouver were the only two to sell out each match, while Seattle, Philadelphia and Monterrey each finished one shy of selling out all their matches.

Among teams, Mexico tallied the largest attendance in the two knockout rounds at 161,648, due to playing both matches at Mexico City Stadium, which holds the largest capacity of any host venue. It was one of 12 teams to play in and sell out two knockout round matches, joining Brazil, Morocco, Argentina, USA, Portugal, France, Colombia, England, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain.

Mexico has drawn the largest total attendance at 368,818 after playing four of five matches at Mexico City Stadium. Brazil, Morocco, Argentina, USA and Portugal are the only teams to play and sell out five matches.

The Univ. of Kansas is dipping into uncharted territory -- at least by college sports sponsorship standards. The school is slated to announce a five-year deal with digital finance company Ripple that will feature the cryptocurrency XRP on jersey patches across all Kansas athletics uniforms, Sports Business Journal has learned. Those involved with the agreement declined to share specific financial terms, but sources suggest it’s among the most lucrative jersey patch-centric deals in college sports to date.

“We felt better about something that would encompass all of our programs, and then something that would transcend just a jersey patch,” Kansas AD Travis Goff told SBJ. “It’s one thing to put a logo on jerseys. It’s a whole other opportunity to bring to life the story of what that business, that company, that entity represents and what they do in the marketplace.”

The deal -- which was brokered by Learfield’s KU arm, Jayhawk Sports Properties -- came together functionally through Goff’s relationship with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, a Kansas grad and Topeka native. Garlinghouse, who served as KU’s student body president during his undergrad years, eventually passed the discussion onto his marketing team, where talks progressed with the school and its Learfield team.

“We’re at a stage where you have a pioneering industry in crypto and blockchain meeting a pioneering time and place around collegiate athletic programs,” Garlinghouse told SBJ. “That is an opportunity to jointly innovate and to jointly try new things.”

The deal will include branding across Kansas athletics venues, digital properties and event signage, along with the aforementioned jersey patch. Ripple will also fund financial and technology education programs for KU athletes and work to add Kansas graduates through job placement, internships and more across the technology industry.

“I’ll call this more ‘emerging’ than I would call it ‘controversial’ or ‘risk,’” Goff said when asked about the potential response to a deal promoting a cryptocurrency. “Is there a little bit of a leap of faith on both parties’ sides? I think it is. … At the end of the you’re working with a space and a category that is very innovative and can rapidly change. I think college athletics sounds that way, too -- pretty innovative and can rapidly change.”

“What college athletics is clearly showing is an openness to aggressive partnerships outside of traditional thinking,” said Learfield EVP Andrew Wheeler. “Ripple and XRP are outside traditional thinking, obviously, as a category. Travis and his leadership at Kansas embraced Brad and his company. They’re thrilled and proud to do it and we were proud to be a part of it.”

Kansas is the second Big 12 school to reveal a jersey patch deal following Oklahoma State’s agreement with the Osage Nation that was unveiled last month.

Learfield has been responsible for 13 jersey patch deals out of the 25 such agreements that have been announced nationwide, per SBJ’s College Jersey Patch Deal Directory.

The KU deal also comes just a day after the Big 12 announced its own sweeping jersey patch deal that will see Monster Energy’s logo incorporated into the league’s logo on jersey patches, on-court and on-field branding.

The Monster deal, which sources said is expected to pay Big 12 schools around $1M annually, was tailored to not preclude member institutions from selling their own jersey patches. It does, however, include some protections and exclusivity around the energy drink category.

LIV Golf on Wednesday morning notified employees of a potential reduction in its corporate workforce as it continues efforts to secure investment for 2027 and beyond. LIV held an all-staff meeting in which it told employees of its possible workforce reduction.

Under the the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, companies with 100 or more employees must provide a 60 calendar-day advance notification of potential layoffs. LIV’s headquarters are split between N.Y. and London, and it has a global staff of more than 300.

LIV believes the potential right-sizing of its staff would prepare it to secure investment. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil has spoken at length in recent months about making the league more financially viable, referring to a “disciplined path to profitability.” The Saudi PIF announced its intention to exit as LIV’s main financial backer this spring.

RELATED: Scott O’Neil plans for LIV 2.0: A new competition format, player equity and team sales

LIV has not yet made any layoffs or changes to its org structure, and it’s not known how many of its staff would be impacted. No final decisions have been made by the league. It’s not believed that the notice on Wednesday changes LIV’s plans for securing investment. O’Neil recently told SBJ: “We’re up to the task, we’re energized by what we’re doing.”

All employees were expected to continue in their day-to-day roles as LIV heads toward its next tournament in two weeks’ time in the U.K. LIV has four events remaining on its 2026 schedule; one in the U.K. followed by three in the U.S. (N.Y., Indianapolis, Michigan).

A LIV spokesperson provided the following statement: “There are no changes to LIV Golf’s current workforce, operations, or schedule at this time. As our process to identify strategic investors moves forward in a positive direction, and as part of responsible planning for a range of possible outcomes, we have notified employees in the United States and United Kingdom of potential future actions related to the League’s corporate workforce. This step is being taken in accordance with legal obligations in each jurisdiction. We deeply appreciate our employees’ continued dedication as we work toward a strong and sustainable future for the League.”

Carolina infielder Alyssa Brito stopped amid explaining how her love of coffee led her to bring her espresso machine to the clubhouse, pausing so she could turn a double play.

Oklahoma City’s Sydney Romero and Chicago’s Morgan Zerkle made catches in the outfield amid conversations with the announcers.

And Portland’s Tori Vidales offered an analysis of her teammate’s home run in the top of the inning, explained how her glove was made and shared with both announcers and viewers the defensive shifts the Cascade were making as they made them.

If you want in-game access, AUSL has cracked the code. While Athletes Unlimited has been mic’ing up players since it launched in 2020, the feature has shined during the AUSL’s second season.

It’s truly one of the most compelling things in live sports. (Not for nothing, the AUSL’s viewership was up 181% on ESPN year-over -year for the first two weeks of the season. I’m not saying that’s solely why, but it can’t hurt.)

Here’s a look at how and why it works.

Opportunity to innovate

Building from the ground up gave AUSL the chance to do something novel with the freedom of not being bound by years of doing it the same way.

Still, Cheri Kempf, chief broadcast officer at Athletes Unlimited, didn’t get an immediate yes on mic’ing up players. Recalling chatting it through with one of the producers, Kempf said she asked for the players to be mic’d up, to which the producer thought it meant stopping the games.

“I go, ‘No, I want them to play. I want them to be playing,’” Kempf told me. “And he’s like, ‘There’s no way they can do that.’ And I said, ‘They can do it.’ And they have been aces.”

Kempf also came up with the league’s Golden Ticket series, and the social media buzz and interest it’s created has been nothing short of remarkable.

Those type of innovations have allowed for others, including chair chats during the games — something much more akin to a midgame interview that we see in other sports. The AUSL has also put iPhones on tripods in the dugouts, capturing everything from players dancing to them taking it to home plate to celebrate scoring plays.

Working through the tech

How easy is it to actually pull this off, you ask? Well, not as difficult as it might seem, but not without obstacles either.

Kempf said the earpieces that allow the players to hear the announcers and talk back have progressively gotten smaller. Before the game, players get mic’d with a transmitter, which they wear in a small fanny pack. They put their earpiece in when its their inning to be live.

Kempf said the AUSL has worked through transmission issues, with less interference now than five years ago (although Chicago’s home in Rosemont often faces issues because of its proximity to O’Hare). Because the league produces nearly all of its games, the segments air with all its broadcast partners — ESPN, CBS Sports, MLB Network and YES Network.

“The challenges we’ve had are with the technology, not the players that we’re asking to play,” she explained. “We’ve done it on every single position, and people are fascinated by catchers, and they’re also fascinated by the corners.”

Players sell the product

Really, all of it is fascinating. But part of what makes it compelling is getting to know the players and the game — something the athletes are heavily invested in.

Take Vidales, who also works as an analyst for the SEC Network. In a game in June, she talked about the monster home run her teammate, rookie Megan Grant, hit at her first at-bat. All before explaining her custom-made glove, which has two-tone leather that replicates a smoky-eye look inspired by her love of make-up.

“Not only do you get to talk about the strategy part of the game, but you also figure out who the players are, which is important,” Vidales told me. “It’s a testament to how great the players are in the league too and how dedicated we are to growing the game.

“All of us have a great understanding that the game doesn’t stop with us.”

In a sport that’s struggled to sustain a viable pro league in the past, they’re invested in helping AUSL succeed. Kempf said nearly all players have said yes to wearing mics, seeing the value in building their brands alongside the AUSL’s.

With their buy-in, the league is continuing to include the segments for most games. And it’s still looking to innovate, with Kempf expecting to mic up umpires later this season.

“The perspective that it adds to a fan is unprecedented, and it’s invaluable,” Kempf said. “We’re not doing anything just for the bells and whistles of it. We’re doing it so that we’re a more entertaining product so that more people watch and overall it becomes valuable to everyone.”

Gerrit Cole may not know it, but every fastball he throws is now a financial transaction.

The instant the ball leaves his hand, Hawk-Eye and Statcast capture thousands of data points — release point, spin rate, velocity, movement, and extension. That information streams in real time to broadcasters, sportsbooks, fantasy platforms, and front offices. MLB packages, licenses and sells it. Under the collective-bargaining agreement, the players whose performances generate that data receive none of the revenue.

That arrangement made sense when player-performance data was a niche scouting tool. Now that legal U.S. sports betting generated roughly $160 billion in handle in 2025, the question is no longer academic. Ahead of the Dec. 1 expiration of the CBA, the union is expected to argue that data revenue is the next frontier of player compensation. It is a serious argument. On close examination, it is also a weak one.

A familiar question in a new form

Every round of baseball labor negotiations has asked a version of the same question: What value belongs to the players, and what belongs to the enterprise that finances the game?

The reserve clause was about mobility. Free agency was about market rates. Group licensing addressed names, images and likenesses. The union will frame data rights as the next entry in that lineage — and the framing has intuitive force. The question worth asking is whether data actually belongs in that lineage or only resembles it.

The union’s case, stated fairly

The MLBPA’s argument is not frivolous: Without the players, there is no data. Cole’s spin rate has value because Cole threw the pitch; Soto’s exit velocity moves betting markets because Soto hit the ball. The players are not sharing in a revenue category that barely existed when the current economic structure was built. The union can also point to direction of travel — the NIL movement and expanded likeness monetization reflect a broader shift toward recognizing the commercial value athletes generate. Any honest analysis has to concede the equitable pull of that position. The harder question is whether the law and the underlying economics support it.

What the law actually says

The foundational case is National Basketball Ass’n v. Motorola, Inc., 105 F.3d 841 (2d Cir. 1997), which held that real-time game facts — scores, statistics, play-by-play — are not copyrightable. Facts belong to no one. That principle is usually cited against the league — but it applies with equal force to the players. If the observation that a pitch traveled 99 miles per hour belongs to no one, the player who threw it has no more proprietary claim to the raw datum than the league does.

The narrow “hot news” misappropriation doctrine that survived Motorola was constrained further by Barclays Capital Inc. v. TheFlyOnTheWall.com, Inc., 650 F.3d 876 (2d Cir. 2011), and courts have shown little appetite for manufacturing new quasi-property rights in factual data for anyone. Baseball’s antitrust exemption and the Curt Flood Act add complexity without resolving the core point: Neither side owns the facts.

If the dispute is not about who owns the facts — because no one does — then it is about who owns what actually carries commercial value: the certified, low-latency infrastructure that turns raw observation into a saleable product. On that question, the record is far less ambiguous.

Why sportsbooks pay

Sportsbooks do not pay for the existence of a 99-mph fastball. They pay for the instantaneous, accurate, certified delivery of that information at scale. For betting markets, a 400-foot home run and a ball dribbled back to the pitcher carry the same economic value — one that derives from near-instantaneous knowledge, not quality of play.

The commercial value operators purchase is created at the point of capture, validation, and delivery: the links in the chain the league financed and controls. The performance is the occasion for the data. The infrastructure is the source of its market value.

What ownership built

The league spent two decades and substantial capital building Statcast, Hawk-Eye integration, the validation systems and the distribution partnerships that turned raw observation into a certified product. The premium that “official” data commands flows directly from that investment in reliability, standardization and regulatory acceptance.

A framework that redistributes data revenue to a party that bore none of the development cost introduces uncertainty into long-term media and betting deals and weakens the incentive to fund the next generation of capture technology. The party that builds an asset and bears the attendant risk has the strongest claim to its returns — a principle that holds well beyond baseball.

The players are asserting a claim to the returns on capital they did not provide, layered atop compensation systems that already pay them, very well, for the performances that occasion the data.

What December should produce

The players have an equitable argument and a real grievance about being left out of a growing revenue category. But the league has the better legal position, the investment record and the stronger claim to the part of the chain where value is actually created.

If labor peace requires some accommodation, it should be a bounded, negotiated concession — a modest, capped participation tied to the union’s acknowledgement that the infrastructure and its output remain league property — not recognition of a player ownership right the law does not support.

Baseball has spent half a century deciding how to divide the value created on the field. The next agreement will decide how to divide the value created by the infrastructure built above it. Those are different questions — and conflating them is the union’s strongest rhetorical move and its weakest analytical one.

Mark Salah Morgan is a litigation partner at Day Pitney LLP’s New York/New Jersey law office, and also serves on the firm’s executive board committee.

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