Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher Oakland A’s owner John Fisher has a blunt message for Bay Area fans frustrated with the club’s current state and forthcoming relocation to Las Vegas: You’re wrong.Normally one of U.S. pro sports’ most reclusive owners, Fisher granted a rare interview to the Las Vegas Review-Journal in which he attacked and denied a series of allegations and stated objections from A’s fans. Among the bigger revelations: He’s not selling the A’s, he’s not intentionally tanking the team’s on-field performance, and he insists the club’s league-low payroll is strictly a function of club revenue.“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Fisher said of the tanking claims. “The A’s this year will lose $40 million with a $60 million payroll.

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey Now in the second season of an 11-year, $11 billion deal with the NFL, Amazon is setting its sights on more live sports.The tech giant’s confidence stems from brisk ad sales for its exclusive streaming of “Thursday Night Football.”“We’re above our expectations at this point in the ad cycle,” Amazon global head of sports Jay Marine said recently on a “TNF” preview call. Marine also pointed to a noticeable shift of advertising funds toward live sports, particularly the NFL: “We’re acquiring more than our fair share of this increased ad revenue. We’re charting a successful course.”Amazon is gearing up to stream the Miami Dolphins-New York Jets game live for free on Black Friday — when it could

Go to Source Author: Eric Fisher The Cleveland Cavaliers are running into an increasingly common dilemma: They’re planning $24.4 million in upgrades to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, but the public entity responsible for funding the work can’t pay for it.The Gateway Economic Development Corp. of Greater Cleveland — which owns both Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and neighboring Progressive Field — has approved the renovation work to upgrade the arena’s broadcast systems, elevators, and escalators, in keeping with lease terms requiring it to fund major capital improvements in excess of $500,000.But that same body has acknowledged it doesn’t currently have the money, as cigarette and alcohol taxes that had helped to back prior construction and renovation expenses haven’t kept up with the facility’s needs. In the

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey As the Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain nears, FIFA president Gianni Infantino touted the tournament’s success and a bright future for the women’s game.Confirming FIFA broke even on the Women’s World Cup as it had projected, Infantino reported the tournament generated more than $570 million in revenue. “We didn’t lose any money,” he said. “And we generated the second-highest income of any sport besides, of course, the men’s World Cup, at the global stage.”Disparity in prize money between this tournament ($110 million) and the men’s World Cup in Qatar ($440 million) dominated headlines ahead of the event, and Infantino once again addressed the issue of equal pay, something he previously said he hopes

Go to Source Author: Daniel Myrick The Kansas City Royals are looking for a new home to replace Kaufman Stadium. We get the latest on the sites they have in mind, how much it will cost, and what will be there other than a stadium. Plus, we hear from MLB legend Tino Martinez on his work with the PBX pickleball league and his thoughts on MLB today and the state of the New York teams. Related StoriesRoyals Will Pick New Ballpark Site This Summer Royals Narrow List of Potential Sites For New $2B Stadium Royals to Welcome Public Feedback on Proposed New StadiumFor more on how sports impacts business and culture, subscribe to the Front Office Sports Today podcast. The post Kansas City Royals Plan New $2B

Go to Source Author: Michael McCarthy The NBA released its full schedule for the 2023-2024 season. The coming regular season will tip off on October 24 and end on April 14. The NBA Playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 20, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals slated for June 6.This will be a pivotal campaign for the Association and its two national TV partners: Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ TNT and the Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN/ABC.Their media rights expire after the 2024-2025 season. But the league will begin negotiations later this year to score $50 billion to $75 billion for its next long-term cycle of rights fees. Suppose the two incumbents can’t close the deal during an exclusive negotiating window. In that case,

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey Conference realignment in college sports is at an impasse, as schools with the most at stake have very different visions for the future.Oregon State appears intent on keeping the remaining four Pac-12 schools together. Rebuilding the conference is something the Beavers’ athletic director Scott Barnes says he wants to start happening within “days.”But key to that scenario is commitments from California and Stanford — both of which could have potentially already bolted for the ACC if not for opposition from the conference’s top schools.A Stanford move has even reportedly gotten backing from former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a longtime university professor and key supporter. Rice has reached out to the ACC to vie for

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey Lionel Messi continues to pay off big for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup, scoring nine goals in his first six games and leading the club to the final — and in the process, opening doors that were locked shut before his arrival by the team’s league-worst MLS record. Beyond the potential $2 million prize for winning the Leagues Cup — a new competition featuring MLS and Liga MX squads — Inter Miami’s performance has already secured the club a slot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup. That competition will provide a crucial opportunity to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup — which is expanding to 32 teams and will be held in the U.S.Inter

Go to Source Author: David Rumsey The Women’s World Cup host nations are so enthused by the success of the 2023 tournament that they’re setting their sights on an even more lucrative gig: a men’s World Cup.Amid record-breaking attendance and the Australian women’s national team’s run to the semifinals, this Women’s World Cup is projected to bring in $300 million from sponsorship revenue, $100 million from media rights, and nearly $50 million from ticket sales.FIFA says the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar generated more than $6 billion in revenue, including nearly $1 billion in ticket sales alone. Host country Qatar reportedly reaped $1.56 billion.It’s easy to see why Women’s World Cup countries would be interested in further FIFA hosting duties. The heads

Go to Source Author: Andrew Cohen The Big Ten has discussed hosting its championship football game in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Raiders.Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Steve Hill said the talks are in “early stages,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Big Ten’s championship football game has been played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis since 2011, and the conference’s hosting contract with the Indianapolis Colts expires after the 2024 championship.“The Big 10 has asked us to submit proposals,” Hill told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m sure they have asked a number of cities. We are certainly interested, will put our best foot forward, and know there is no better place for