Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher Until recently a staunch opponent of gambling, the NFL is now deepening its involvement with the burgeoning space.NFL licensee Aristocrat Gaming will introduce an NFL-themed slot machine at casinos around the country beginning this fall. The machines will feature both league and team branding, building on the NFL’s first casino licensing deal first struck in 2021.The league’s SVP of consumer products Joe Ruggiero said the machines “represent an opportunity to bring the league closer to our fans in a new area.”The effort also builds upon a series of high-level deals the NFL already holds with sportsbooks such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars — agreements made after the influential 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing individual states

Go to Source Author: Andrew Cohen Fanatics, the sports merchandising giant valued at $31 billion, has launched a new “live shopping” app called Fanatics Live with Major League Baseball among its initial partners.Officially debuting at this week’s National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago, Fanatics Live is an app that live streams trading card “breaks”—an industry term among collectors who record themselves opening packages of cards. It will also feature other merchandise and collectibles. NBA legend Allen Iverson will participate in a card break with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin today at the Chicago convention. Fans who join the app can set their preferences to see content from collectors sharing the cards and merchandise they desire. On-location streams will feature athletes and celebrities, with MLB

Go to Source Author: A.J. Perez INDIANAPOLIS — Some of University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck’s defense of the program at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday irked one of his former starters. “The fact he is saying he has never used workouts as punishment is such bull,” said the player. The former player wasn’t among the six former players interviewed by Front Office Sports — who, along with former staffers — detailed allegations of a toxic environment under Fleck. The player first reached out hours after the publication of Wednesday’s story and was granted anonymity over fears of career repercussions for speaking out. Fleck called the report “baseless,” although he confirmed the existence of the Fleck Bank, which FOS reported as a

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey After expressing frustration and confusion in the wake of the PGA Tour’s bombshell framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, professional golfers appear intent on grabbing more control of their future.On Wednesday night, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan sent a memo to players attempting to answer several hot-button questions after a Player Advisory Council call and Policy Board meeting. The two biggest developments concern the respective compensation and discipline for loyal Tour players and LIV Golf defectors, plus the selection of a new board member. A player benefits program is being put together with input from loyal Tour members, while a task force evaluates how LIV players should be able to apply for reinstatement. Monahan said

Go to Source Author: A.J. Perez MINNEAPOLIS – P.J. Fleck’s arrival at the University of Minnesota drew national media attention to Golden Gophers football, fueled by the young head coach’s seemingly boundless energy, love of mantras, and success at Western Michigan. “We have a certain culture, and people want to know about that culture just like any successful business out there — people want to know, how did you do that? What’s your story?” Fleck said in the first episode of a four-part ESPNU series chronicling his first season at Minnesota in 2017.Over the last month, Front Office Sports interviewed several former players and staff members about Fleck’s six seasons as the Gophers’ head coach. They described an environment fraught with intimidation and

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey The ACC is taking a measured approach to financially compete with the Big Ten and SEC.At the conference’s football media days in Charlotte on Tuesday, ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said that rather than expect an immediate fix, trying to narrow the per-school revenue gap to $10 million to $15 million is the “right approach.” With new media deals kicking in for the Big Ten this year ($1.15 billion annually) and the SEC next year ($710 million annually), the ACC’s long-term $240 million annual deal with ESPN puts the conference a distant third through 2036. The Big 12 is brining in $200 million a year from Fox and ESPN through 2025.“Third is certainly a good position,” Phillips said.

Go to Source Author: Andrew Cohen TitletownTech, the venture capital firm formed by the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft, has secured $70 million in new funds to bring its total capital to $95 million. The fund’s priority is investing in startups that benefit Wisconsin and Midwest industries.The NFL team and Microsoft invested in TitetownTech’s new $70 million Fund II alongside 27 other investors. When TitletownTech launched its first fund in 2019, notable investors included former New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and Boston Bruins alternative governor Jeremy Jacobs Jr. Both are returning investors for this second fund. Among the over 30 startups backed by TitletownTech include Overtime, the sports media company whose basketball league is churning out top NBA Draft picks,

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher Disney’s search for potential equity partners in ESPN has reportedly involved three of the biggest entities in all of sports.A CNBC report says that Disney officials, including CEO Bob Iger and ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, have held initial talks with the NFL, NBA, and MLB as part of a larger concept: bringing pro sports leagues in as minority partners in the iconic sports network.The move closely follows Iger’s disclosure that Disney is open to selling part of ESPN to a strategic partner, as the company is, in his words, “dealing head-on with some of our biggest challenges.” Among those challenges is the ongoing cord-cutting that has slashed ESPN’s linear reach from more than 100 million homes

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher The New York Times’ shuttering of its sports desk has now led — as expected — to a formal labor grievance.The NewsGuild of New York has accused the newspaper of violating its recently completed union contract, specifically by replacing sports coverage from union-member sports department staffers with personnel from The Athletic, which isn’t unionized (and has had its own struggles).“The company is claiming it has the right to subcontract to itself and have non-union workers do union work without the same job protections, wages, and other benefits we have fought so hard to preserve,” the union said. “These claims are preposterous on their face and a brazen attempt at union-busting.”The Times has 20 days to respond

Go to Source Author: Andrew Cohen After being selected 13th overall by the Toronto Raptors in last month’s NBA Draft, former Kansas sharp-shooter Gradey Dick got a DM reading “welcome home” from Drake, the rap icon and world’s most famous Raptors fan.“He’s on tour right now, so I haven’t got to place a face, but when [Drake’s] back, we might meet up and just talk for the first time,” Dick, who was recently in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League, told Front Office Sports. “I’m excited to meet him and pick [his] brain. He has a background with all this financial stuff.” Drake — who, per Forbes, earned an estimated $49 million in 2020 alone — became a global ambassador for the