Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher The start of the new NFL season brings some big changes — perhaps most notably a new urgency for sportsbooks to attract new customers.NFL-related betting is projected to soar this season to unprecedented levels — creating both opportunity and concerns for the league — and leading sportsbooks are elevating their promotional efforts to win those incoming bettors.FanDuel has increased its signup bonus from last year’s $150 to $200 in return for a $5 NFL bet, and it’s also giving existing customers a $100 discount on an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription on YouTube. That new total matches the $200 bonus for a similar $5 bet on offer from DraftKings.But those market leaders, which hold a duopoly on

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher ESPN parent Disney has slashed the price of its flagship Disney+ streaming service — another strategic move from the company amid its bitter distribution fight with Charter Spectrum.As the blackout of 19 Disney channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU — on the nation’s second-largest cable carrier has led to piracy and proposed class-action lawsuits, Disney has temporarily cut the price of the ad-supported tier of Disney+ from $7.99 per month to $1.99. In what is being called a “Blockbuster September” promotion running until Sept. 20, the deal will offer three months of the streaming service at the reduced rate. The current offer doesn’t extend to Disney’s sports-centered streaming service, ESPN+. But the promotion does arrive in advance

Go to Source Author: Owen Poindexter Haason Reddick of the Philadelphia Eagles has established himself as one of the top edge-rushers in the NFL, but he’s more concerned with the players who line up next to him.“Inside linebacker is like the quarterback of the defense, so to see them finally getting paid in a respective way lets me know that the game is progressing into the right direction,” Reddick said on Front Office Sports Today.His interview begins at 10:11 and he gets into pay issues starting at 16:15:“Edge-rushers have always gotten paid a great amount,” Reddick noted. “But I have also been an inside linebacker and just knowing how difficult that is, to see some of these other guys getting their $19

Go to Source Author: A.J. Perez Chris Mortensen unexpectedly announced his retirement from ESPN, a decision the longtime NFL insider said he made months ago. “It’s time to reveal after my 33rd NFL draft in April, I made a decision to step away from ESPN and focus on my health, family and faith,” Mortensen wrote on social media Tuesday. “The gratitude and humility is overwhelming. It’s not a classic retirement. I’ll still be here talking ball. It’s just time. God Bless you all.”Mortensen, 71, has worked at ESPN since 1991 and was a staple on various NFL-centric programs for decades. Mortensen isn’t expected to appear on any of the network’s platforms this season, a source told Front Office Sports. Over the decades, the pioneering

Go to Source Author: Amanda Christovich One year ago, the ACC’s media deal with ESPN, which runs through 2036, looked like it would put the conference behind the rest of the Power 5. It was the only one without an opportunity to negotiate a new contract by 2025.But that length has become its greatest strength in the recent round of realignment, Octagon SVP William Mao, who worked with the ACC on its expansion deal, told Front Office Sports. The contract was a major reason the ACC was able to get enough votes to add Stanford, Cal, and SMU. It offers a decade-plus of security in the conference for all parties, with the promise of tangible revenue down the line.“I view [the ACC-ESPN deal]

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher Already facing a wide range of mounting internal and industry challenges, ESPN and parent company Disney are now dark on the country’s second-largest cable carrier due to a nasty distribution dispute with Charter Spectrum.Nineteen Disney channels — including ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU — went dark on Charter Spectrum late Thursday, removing those networks from 14.7 million subscribers across 41 states, including many in key media markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta, with sports standing as a central component in the battle.Perhaps most jarring, the channel removal happened Thursday evening in the midst of the U.S. Open — a key event for ESPN — as well as coverage of a Florida-Utah college football

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher There is seemingly no limit to tennis fans’ fever for what is already the sport’s most lucrative major.Less than one week into the main draw of the 2023 U.S. Open, the tournament has already set three single-day attendance records — and remains on track to surpass last year’s record-setting total draw of 776,120.Monday’s single-day attendance of 72,957 set a tournament record that lasted only 48 hours, as Wednesday’s total hit 73,007. That record fell, too, with Thursday’s 73,201.They Built It, They’re ComingThe impressive figures are no accident. The 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest tennis stadium in the world, now features a roof to allow for continuous play, as does its companion, the 14,000-seat Louis Armstrong Stadium. And

Go to Source Author: Amanda Christovich Friday produced the realignment aftershock following the decimation of the Pac-12.ACC university presidents have voted to invite Stanford, Cal, and SMU to the conference in 2024. On Thursday night, it was unclear whether the league would send invitations, as UNC said publicly that it was against expansion. The league needed 12 of 15 votes.The ACC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Stanford and Cal will be able to maintain their status as Power 5 schools, while SMU will jump from a Group of 5 to a Power 5 — the latest step in a path to regain the powerhouse football program it boasted back in the 1980s.For Power 5 status, however, the three schools

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher Hollywood remains effectively shut down with the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes, but Francois-Henri Pinault continues to proceed with a $7 billion effort to acquire a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency — which would be a landmark deal in both sports and entertainment.Nearly seven weeks after Pinault’s interest in the mega-agency first surfaced, the French billionaire is now reportedly approaching a definitive agreement to acquire majority control of CAA from Texas-based private equity firm TPG, with industry sources telling Front Office Sports the deal is “close.” Negotiations are now expected to conclude in the coming weeks.The $7 billion valuation represents a sizable increase on the prior $5.5 billion from last year, when CAA acquired rival

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher The Baltimore Orioles’ long-running lease negotiations are now focusing on a narrower deal structure — in contrast to the expansive development vision advocated by team managing partner John Angelos.As the Dec. 31 expiration of the current Camden Yards lease approaches, Angelos has pushed for an Atlanta Braves-type mixed-use complex with residential units, hotels, shops, and restaurants, as well as an elementary school in the B&O Warehouse next to the ballpark and a health and wellness clinic. Early this year, Angelos even advocated for a simple, two-year lease extension to provide more time to develop a more complex, long-term agreement. But the administration of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore reportedly remains focused on sealing a long-term lease deal this