As 15 runners took one final stretch before embarking on a grueling 20-minute tread class inside Peloton‘s Hudson Yards studios on a rainy Thursday morning, superstar instructor Jess Sims shouted the mantra she gives to each of her classes, one that’s deeply meaningful to her.

“We all got stresses, worries, concerns, anxieties, judgments, expectations, pressures, comparisons, projections, grief, and miscellaneous toxicity,” she told the group, those tuning in live around the world, and many thousands more members who will eventually take this class from memory, “and through it all, I can take care of myself and put that to the side for the next 20 minutes.”

This particular day’s workout was part of a collaboration series with the NBA called “3rd Quarter” and featured special guest Brooklyn Net Mikal Bridges. The warmup mantra, the 35-year-old told Boardroom following the class, is for everyone’s mental state as well as their bodies. The mantra grew over time, with Sims adding grief following the loss of her beloved father in December. Since it’s inclusion, several members have reached out to her telling her they’ve experienced loss before and that they were happy she was talking about what she’s gone through. Sims’ willingness to unveil her own struggles and triumphs is what’s made her so popular among the global fitness community.

“As a Peloton member, I was really excited to have the opportunity to join the incredible Jess Sims once again for class at Peloton Studios New York,” Bridges said after running and chatting with Sims while a curated playlist featuring Kendrick Lamar, Gucci Mane, DJ Khaled, and Lil’ Wayne blared. “It was so cool to connect with her over our mutual love for basketball, music, and the power of a great workout.”

It’s this relatability and her upbeat, personable nature that’s helped the Massachusetts native as she’s pivoted from a school principal job to a celebrity instructor with a social following of more than 500,000 followers. But that’s only the beginning, in her off-hours, Sims has catapulted to become a prominent member of ESPN‘s legendary College GameDay college football show, a Good Morning America contributor, and the New York Liberty‘s in-arena host.

She caught up with Boardroom about how she gets it all done, what drives her, and how she’s manifested a life that she never knew to dream of.

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After two years leading fitness classes at boutique New York City studios, she joined Peloton in September 2018. It completely changed her life, she said, finding a place she felt she could call home for a long time while embracing a global team that helped her through the dark, lonely days of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Sims said, the instructors were all dying to get back into work because that’s where they most felt themselves.

“We felt energized and connected in a world that felt so isolating,” she added.

Sims lived near the studio at the time, and as she was walking her dogs on one dreary day, there was a couple working out in a nearby park. Noticing their phone was laid out, she walked in their direction “and all of a sudden I heard my voice!” she said. “So I had this crazy goosebumps moment of ‘here I am sad and feeling alone,’ but these two people are working out and taking care of themselves together to my workout. And that’s all Peloton. Look at the power of that.”

Sims described herself as a lifelong underdog, a behind-the-scenes type of person who was never the leading scorer on her basketball teams growing up, but a scrappy role player who would dive on the floor for loose balls, grabbing rebounds, and doing the dirty work to help her teams succeed. Starting at Peloton pushed her headlong into the spotlight, teaching classes to a global audience with cameras on her five day a week. While she struggled with this at first, Robin Arzón, Peloton’s head of fitness, said that Sims was standing in her spotlight to show others they can do the same and thrive as well.

“I always get butterflies. I always get nervous.” Sims said before teaching a big class or conducting a high profile interview. “And then I just always come back to knowing that people don’t come to me for perfection. They come to me because they see themselves in me. They see imperfections, and they can have this sense of relief. I don’t need to be perfect. They come for improvement and inspiration.”

When Sims looks back on her career as an educator, everything seemed so clear. She had ambitions to become a school superintendent and to help shape education law reform. But since she began pursuing her passion in fitness, Sims embarked on what she called a “no plan plan,” which consists of doing what feels good and right for her.

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With an openness to whatever came her way, all kinds of doors have opened for her.

In 2021, talking about basketball all the time during her classes caught the attention of the Liberty CEO and members of the organization, who believed she’d be a great host. Sims then signed on with a sports agency, which suggested she get in front of executives at ESPN to see if she’d be a fit there. Having found a stable home at Peloton, she felt no pressure as these opportunities materialized, believing that if there was a fit, it was meant to be.

The ESPN meeting came two days after the 2022 Boston Marathon, Sims’ first — and prbably the most meaningful Monday of her life. That day, Sims showed up for one of her fierce followers. The woman had nearly lost her legs while cheering at the finish line in the blasts of 2013. As part of her rehab, the woman took Sims’ class and reached out to ask Sims if she’d run the marathon in her honor.

Coming off this runner’s high, Sims felt on top of the world and decided she’d go into this meeting and just be herself. Authenticity has given her a lot of success, but doing so takes time and isn’t a quick fix. Six months later, Sims was a permanent member of the College GameDay crew. The move sparked a subsequent array of steps. She joined GMA last April and expanded her role on ESPN as a college basketball sideline reporter in December.

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In September 2022, Sims joined Jordan Brand as an ambassador, presenting herself as a professional athlete with no offseason who can amplify women in sports and educate the masses on the connection between mind and body.

While she compares her hustle to Serena Williams, Steph Curry, and Sydney Leroux, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are Sims’ two favorite players of all time. So Jordan Brand was always one of her dream partnerships, along with Dr. Martens and Jeep. Sims is hopeful that not only will the Jumpman come out with a running shoe one day, she’ll get her own signature shoe as well.

Asked what she’d say to people looking to follow in her footsteps, Sims provided two pieces of advice. First, be yourself. The people who stick with you over the long haul will do so because of how you’ve developed your own authenticity and forged your own path over time toward sustained success.

Secondly, don’t force things.

“We grow up and we’re constantly told to ‘try harder. Try this. Try that,” Sims said. “I’ve learned that if you have to try too hard, you’re probably forcing something. So ever since I turned 30, I say that from when you’re born to 30, you learn a bunch of stuff, and then from 30 until the day you die, you unlearn all of those things. One of those things that you need to unlearn is don’t try to force things. Try to get into a flow state, something that feels good for you and then feels good for the people around you. And go with that.”

Because of her “no plan plan,” Sims isn’t sure how she envisions her career going from here on out. As long as it makes sense and she sticks to her north stars of making people laugh, inspiring people, and making an impact, that will guide her path forward. Peloton, her dream job, has been the springboard of everything she’s accomplished over the last five-and-a-half years and will remain her home base for the foreseeable future.

Plus, Sims hates the word goals. She said, preferring to set targets for herself.

“If I stuck with my goals,” she continued, “I wouldn’t be here at Peloton. When I talk about or think about goals, it’s like you have blinders on and you just see that one goal. And when you do that, you tend to not veer off the beaten path. You don’t enjoy the process because you’re fixated on the outcome.”

Sims wants to continue taking care of herself so she can the best at what she’s doing that day, regardless of platform. She’s here to enjoy every single day, getting the most out of her second life inspiring others and basking and thriving in the spotlight.

“Sometimes,” Sims said, “the most beautiful things are off path.”

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The post The Rise and Run of Jess Sims appeared first on Boardroom.

If you ask Kelley Walton about her career trajectory, she’ll tell you she’s someone who has operated behind the scenes across the marketing industry for the past 20 years at some of the most notable global brands.

Today, Walton is the head of global brand, product, and integrated marketing at Amazon Music. She’s grown into an integrated marketing strategies maven as a byproduct of her work at top brands such as the NBA, Under Armour, LVMH, and others. Like most, Walton’s career path was not linear, but she’s strived not only to climb the corporate ranks but to make sure she’s laying the foundation for more diverse professionals to follow in her footsteps.

“What I have come to really sharpen and hone in on is what I do well and what I can deliver. I’m really good at helping deliver business results at this intersection of culture, community, and commerce. I pay really close attention to trends and patterns,” Walton told Boardroom in an exclusive interview. “Long before the industry and everyone had their wake-up call with the unfortunate incidents around George Floyd’s death, I realized and was able to show that authentically connecting with young and diverse consumers was good for business. And so that’s what I’ve been able to do.”

As part of Boardroom’s Black History Month coverage, take a look at Walton’s career and her work in DEI to find out why she’s become a playmaker to watch and learn from in the marketing industry.

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Setting the Goal

Believe it or not, Walton grew up wanting to be an obstetrician-gynecologist, which is why she studied biology at Morris Brown College. She got about halfway through her studies before realizing she couldn’t stand the sight of blood. Since Walton was studying at the HBCU on an academic scholarship, she decided to finish her degree program. After college, she landed a temp job at a fintech company, but this business environment still didn’t interest her enough.

Walton played basketball growing up in Akron, Ohio, so sports have always been a part of her life. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and it wasn’t until one of her sorority sisters was going away to study sports marketing in graduate school at St. Thomas University that she realized what she wanted to do. Walton went to visit her in Miami before embarking on her own graduate school journey, where she earned an MBA in sports marketing and management at St. Thomas.

“I was like, if there’s a way that I can combine my love of sports with this business environment, I think that will be amazing for me,” Walton said.

Walton dived into her new career with ease. Early on, one of her most memorable learning experiences was her time interning with one of the only Black nightlife club owners in South Beach, Onyx. There, she observed first-hand how intertwined the sports and nightlife worlds really were. Walton also spent some time interning in the athletic department at the University of Miami and worked with a Super Bowl host committee. Collectively, these experiences shaped her love and passion for marketing and ultimately helped her decide that it was a career for her.

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Paving the Way

Walton’s first full-time gig out of grad school was at an agency where Coca-Cola was her client. About two years into her role, Coca-Cola recruited her to join its team internally as an associate marketing manager. Philip Polk, a DEI executive and former chief DEI officer and VP of multicultural strategy at Hallmark Cards, was one of Walton’s mentors at the time who helped guide her through this transition. His insight and advice became integral to her growth.

“There have been people along my journey that have been great sounding boards for me and great mentors that helped me focus my thinking in a way that would be most helpful,” she said. “I try to offer the same for others now as well.”

Walton is a vocal advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Early on in her career, she was hyper-focused on networking and building relationships with like-minded individuals. One organization that had an impact on her early on was Women in Sports and Events (WISE), a leading resource for women working in the sports industry who want to connect and support one another. Walton joined WISE when she landed her first tole in the sports industry at ESPN as a manager of integrated marketing and sponsorships.

“It was great to connect with other women in the sports industry and get tips and tricks on navigating the industry and how to network,” Walton said. “What I love about my experience with WISE is that it did come back around later in my career when I was at Under Armour. I re-engaged with WISE after going out of the sports industry for a while.”

After ESPN, Walton spent four years as at Heineken. There, she parlayed her accomplishments and her connections to her next role at LVMH as the director of brand and integrated marketing for Hennessy. By the time Walton reached Under Armour, where she served as a VP and head of global brand experience, she began serving as a mentor for younger WISE members, and she even brought the organization into some of the work she was doing at the sportswear company. Walton was integral in helping set up a women’s employee resource group at Under Armour, and she brought WISE in to help consult on that with the company’s leadership team.

To this day, Walton keeps her executive coach by her side for guidance because she never wants to stop learning and elevating her expertise. The impact is undeniable. Walton has become an executive whose work speaks for her, even when she isn’t around. Through the years, she’s been offered positions by several notable brands. I jokingly told her she has mastered the art of avoiding the traditional interview process because her strong resume speaks for itself.

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Making Her Mark

Walton’s secret sauce is getting global brands to open up to the idea of authentically bringing diverse voices into their most visible campaigns. She said that she’s shown that having a wide range of perspectives in the room, including the teams doing the work, helps deliver a better product and a greater impact. As she looks back on her career thus far, she cites Hennessy’s rebrand and the NBA’s 75th Anniversary campaign as the two most memorable projects that have integrated that core philosophy.

“I’m not about being extractive or transactional when engaging with diverse audiences. I really believe there has to be a partnership and ability to co-create together,” she said. “I’d like to say I focus on culture because it always has been and continues to be a key element of delivering this impact for the brands I represent.”

Rebranding Hennessy

Walton brought this focus into the work she did on the Hennessy campaign launch in 2012, an expansive advertising and marketing campaign. Walton was charged with relaunching the renowned spirit’s brand to help regain its luxury and lifestyle credentials. To do this, she targeted young multicultural men, a group of consumers she felt would drive Hennessy’s campaigns at the time. And she was right since this rebrand led to key partnerships with the ESPYs, Coachella, the Grammys, and more. Walton also spearheaded Hennessy’s presence on Martha’s Vineyard, a perennial hot spot for the Black community.

“Music, sports, film, and art were key passion points for this audience,” she said. “Going all the way back to Hennessy Artistry and things like that, that was part of spinning up strategies to bring these passion points to life for our target customer and really bring them closer to the brand.”

Walton is also responsible for securing Hennessy’s partnership with Nas, and she led the charge on the brand’s support in the making of his 2014 documentary, Time Is Illmatic.

“I led the partnership of the launch of that with the Tribeca Film Fest, where Time Is Illmatic was the first music documentary to open that film festival, which was historic at the time, and then the national rollout of the film,” Walton said.

The NBA’s 75th Anniversary

Walton served as the NBA’s VP of global brand marketing and creative between 2020 and 2022, where she led the development and worked on the league’s 75th Anniversary campaign. Growing up in Akron meant even more to Walton to work on this project since All-Star Weekend was in Cleveland that year. Walton was at the center of everything, from coming up with the big strategic ideas to collaborating with all the players to developing NBA Lane.

During this time, Walton worked closely with Devin Booker, LeBron James, and Michael B Jordan. She recalls being on set to shoot one day for the opening sequence of the campaign video and wanting Russell Westbrook to tell his story about fashion. Her team was struggling to connect with him, but while on set, James took it upon himself to call Westbrook up to entice him to participate. Before the end of the day, Russell showed up, and Walton and her team quickly created a vignette that was authentic to him and his interests.

“I think what I’m most proud of is that when I first started at the NBA, we had to beg, borrow, and steal to get the players actually to be a part of marketing campaigns, and by the time I left, they were advocating for one another to participate,” Walton said.

Climbing and Thriving

Walton’s work as the head of global brand, product, and integrated marketing at Amazon Music is her first foray into working with a Big Tech brand. Consumer tech has always been an area she wanted to work in, but she wanted to make the pivot authentically. She joined when the company was looking to rebrand and relaunch Amazon Music. Walton felt like good synergy with the opportunity and said she would not have left the NBA without a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity such as this.

In this new chapter, Walton pulls from what she knows. As with her past stops, she is consistently asking herself how Amazon Music can strategically attract young and diverse audiences and, specifically, how they can do so as authentically as she did working in other industries.

“[At] Amazon, broadly, we are customer-obsessed. At Amazon Music, we’re fan-obsessed. We know that our fans crave a variety of tastes in music and experiences. People might say it’s pushing a lot of water uphill, but I’d say it’s actually not,” Walton said. “I usually get these calls when companies have real business opportunities by reaching young and diverse audiences and showing up authentically with them; it’s going to help move the needle on business results. I don’t find that I have to do a lot of convincing at Amazon Music around what we need to do in the space, whether it’s our year-long support of the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, or it is the work that we do with the Latin audience, the K-pop space, you name it.”

Walton said there’s always a willingness to bring different perspectives to the table at Amazon Music, and she said that’s mainly because there are other Black women sitting next to her making it happen.

“In many cases in my career, I’ve been the one and only in the room. And it is nice not to be the one and only and to have people,” she said.

Walton’s Future

In the next decade or so, Walton sees herself retired on a beach, doing a different type of work that fulfills her. She said she’ll continue mentoring, angel investing, and volunteering with the philanthropy-focused organization she’s passionate about.

Young Black professionals looking to climb the ranks at notable brands like Walton, she has one Golden Rule to share with you: treat others how you want to be treated. She said you never know who may open doors for you, and her career trajectory is a true testament to that.

Also, it is important to give yourself room to learn and grow at all points in your career, even if it feels uncomfortable.

“Always strive for excellence, but I think we need to kick this notion of not giving yourself permission to experiment because Black people don’t have the luxury to fail,” Walton said. “We have to be willing to experiment, and we have to find places and spaces that are safe for us to do that for our own growth. And as leaders, it’s important that we create that for the ones coming behind us as well.”

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The post Kelley Walton: Amazon Music’s Marketing Maven appeared first on Boardroom.

JJ Redick has found his stride as an NBA announcer, and now he’ll join one of the best teams in the game. The long-time journeyman has made a name for himself as an analyst following his retirement. As Doc Rivers stepped off the set and into his new role as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach, ESPN found itself scrambling for its upcoming playoff coverage. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports that sources confirm recent rumors that Redick will step into the role on the network’s first team, joining Doris Burke and Mike Breen in covering the NBA Finals. ESPN has not confirmed the news at this time.

Adam Sandler Teams up with Josh Safdie for Netflix Special

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After three seasons and countless imitators, ESPN and Omaha Productions’ ManningCast remains the gold standard for alternative sports telecasts. Peyton and Eli Manning‘s 10-episode run featured a blend of insightful and entertaining insight and analysis with celebrity guests from the worlds of sports and entertainment, averaging 1.24 million viewers on ESPN2 during the regular season.

How and why does the ManningCast still resonate across the sporting landscape, generating hysterical viral moments without the hot takes now ubiquitous in all media, sports or otherwise?

“At the end of the day, it comes down to Peyton and Eli,” Sam Pepper, the ManningCast’s Supervising Producer for Omaha Productions, told Boardroom. “You have two of the greatest football players to ever live that also happen to be two of the most engaging, smart, and funny people on television.

“They give off the vibe that both the viewer and whoever comes on the show are just watching football on the couch, a positive celebration of football in an age where there’s a lot of negativity on television out there. And it’s a celebration of family, too, with brothers just watching a game together.”

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The common denominator between the ManningCast, the NBA on TNT‘s studio show, or other generally beloved programs boils down to a good hang, said Pepper. Peyton and Eli achieved that by leaning into things that had already come naturally to them. Not calling the traditional play-by-play, the Mannings are able to talk about what they see on the field, become excited in the moment, and have fun with the guests watching with them.

While Pepper, ESPN, and Omaha felt like the element of fun was great over the first two seasons, they wanted to embrace more intelligent, analytical angles for Season 3. With the help of digital creative agency Girraphic, ManningCast integrated an augmented reality table where Peyton could uniquely display his savant-level analysis in an interactive way with viewers.

Another addition for the third season was the Perfect Prediction Panel, where guests would forecast whether a team would score from the red zone, and how, keeping a leaderboard throughout the season. It should come as no surprise that Week 10 guest Patrick Mahomes fared the best, perfectly calling a Denver Broncos three-play scoring drive to the Mannings’ delight.

During that guest appearance, Mahomes also admitted he’d worn the same pair of red underwear every game day since his rookie season for good luck, a disclosure that instantly went viral. Some of Pepper’s other favorite guests from the season included John McEnroe and Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1, Tiffany Haddish in Week 7, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his donkey Lulu in Week 9, and Mina Kimes and her dog Lenny in Week 15.

“It’s a thrill to be able to watch football with all the guests that we’ve had this season,” Peyton Manning said. “From current players to coaches to action stars and comedians, we’ve been able to have so many great friends with us, wanting to celebrate the game.”

That action star was Schwarzenegger, whose feeding of Lulu on air elicited reactions of shock and surprise from the Manning brothers.

“Who wouldn’t want to watch a game with Peyton and Eli? They know so much about the game, and they’re hilarious,” Schwarzenegger said. “When you go on the ManningCast, you know they just want to talk football as if you are in their living room with them. And more importantly, you know you’re going to have a fantastic time. Eli and Peyton are the best. I loved it.”

Later on in Week 10, after guest segments with Mahomes and Lindsey Vonn, NFL Network host and TV personality Kyle Brandt joined the Mannings for the remainder of what turned out to be a thrilling, bizarre Broncos-Bills game. He called it an appearance he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

Most of even the best-produced shows and podcasts grow formulaic, Brandt told Boardroom. A guest is welcomed, hosts throw an icebreaker in, they discuss various topics and headlines, bring up some offbeat personal story, the guest is asked to promote whatever they have going on, and the segment ends.

“The ManningCast is like jumping onto a moving skateboard while you’re blindfolded,” Brandt said. “I’ve done a lot of podcasts, radio shows, and TV talk shows. I’ve never had more adrenaline than I had on the ManningCast.”

To Brandt, it was the combination of talking football with Peyton and Eli live without knowing what would happen during the game. He compared it to being on stage with two incredible Broadway actors, going on a ScienceCast with Albert Einstein and Neil deGrasse Tyson, or being Christian Laettner on the 1992 Dream Team next to Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Brandt wasn’t exactly calling for the ball during his segment, but he wanted to contribute.

Peyton and Eli like to be pushed and asked questions, Brandt was told when he joined the show during a close game. So he called Peyton out after Manning said the game was over in the second quarter, which Brandt said Peyton loved. He then asked the brothers whether it felt better to win a big game in front of your home fans or take the air out of a stadium on the road.

“You could almost see them light up because it’s a question about football and something they can relate to. They both just ran with it,” Brandt said. “It’s not going on Peyton and Eli’s podcast, and it’s not sitting there watching a game. It’s both at the same time. I was really invigorated by it. I don’t think there’s anything like it.”

The guest booking process is a collaboration between ESPN and Omaha, with the main criteria being that the person needs to love football. Nicole Solomowitz, Omaha’s Head of Talent, and Jen Aiello, the lead talent booker, factor in who the Mannings and ESPN set their sights on, prioritizing ties to the particular team playing that night, enthusiasm and passion for the game and the willingness to join the show remotely. If guests have a previous relationship with one of the Mannings, that certainly works in their favor.

When able, Omaha will conduct pre-interviews with guests to reinforce the show’s overall vibe and potential talking points, setting the tone for what the show will be about. Conversations with Vonn before the Week 10 show and Bruce Arians before the Wild Card Weekend broadcast were singled out as especially helpful.

“They got me ready as if I was going to have to speak for a 10-part documentary about myself,” Brandt said. “They’re asking me things about my high school football career. I’m not making this up. They probably would’ve made fun of the haircut I had at the time. They’re that deep and thorough.”

During the NFL season, Pepper speaks nearly daily with lead ESPN producers Drew Gallagher and Joshua Hoffman, discussing guests, talking points, research, and show elements to the point where it feels like they’re all working for the same company. Now, with numerous alternative broadcasts and podcasts in the Omaha stable, the company’s come a long way since Josh Pyatt and Jamie Horowitz pitched Peyton on the concept in 2020.

But still, it’s the ManningCast flagship that still resonates the most.

“Viewers have told us they like the mixture of authentic, off-the-cuff commentary from Peyton and Eli, the insightful, yet laid-back nature of the guests, and the spontaneity of the show,” Gallagher said. “The overall environment leads to unprompted moments, such as Tua playing his guitar or Arnold feeding his pet donkey, becoming signature segments viewers love.”

As of now, ManningCast will have the same number of shows for next season, Pepper said. Among dream guests he’d like to have in the future, he mentioned Larry David (Eli specifically singled out the Curb Your Enthusiasm star as someone he’d love to have on the show eventually), Adam Sandler, Denzel Washington, and Ryan Reynolds.

There are plenty of imitators in the alternative broadcast space. But as long as Peyton and Eli headline the ManningCast, Pepper believes there’s no replicating the chemistry the brothers bring to live TV. Like Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on ESPN, they have the chemistry of longtime friends who know how to play off one another, Brandt noted.

“They’re like sitcom characters in a way,” Brandt said. “One of them is the super erudite one, and then one of them is the sillier one who people at home sympathize with. Then you, as a guest, come in, and you’re the neighbor next door who peeks his head in and tries to contribute.”

In the world of alternative broadcasts, there are the Mannings, and then there’s everyone else. With Peyton, Eli, and their teams at ESPN and Omaha in place, they plan on keeping it that way for years to come.

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The post ManningCast: How Peyton & Eli Blazed a New Trail in Sports Media appeared first on Boardroom.

Tuesday marked a major moment for the future of sports streaming. Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, and Fox announced that they will combine their programming in a new streaming package option. Through the new offering, subscribers will unlock access to the ESPN universe of channels, TNT, TBS, and many more channels. Each of the three parent companies will own one-third of the new venture. Cumulatively, the three companies own a major portion of the sports broadcast rights for the NBA, MLB, and NHL. The new arrangement will also unlock non-exclusive broadcast opportunities for premium events on the cross-platform experience. Disney boss Bob Iger celebrated the moment, saying, “The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business.”

LeBron & the Lakers to Wear Kobe-designed Black Mamba Uniforms

The Los Angeles Lakers will suit up in the Black Mamba uniforms co-designed by the late Kobe Bryant against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. Before the game, there will be an official unveiling of a memorial statue of Bryant at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena. The jerseys will feature a snakeskin-like black design and drop shadows on the jersey numbers, a homage to the Lakers uniforms from Kobe‘s rookie season in 1996-97. The jerseys will also include “LA 24” on the belt and Nos. 8 and 24 under the flap of each side of the shorts. Bryant, who won five championships with the Lakers, will be the seventh in team history to be commemorated with a statue, joining Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Chick Hearn.

Knicks Duo Jalen Brunson & Josh Hart Launch New Podcast

New York Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are taking their bromance from the court to the microphone with a joint podcast. Titled The Roommates Show, new episodes are slated to drop every Thursday. The longtime friends won a national title at Villanova in 2016. After Hart graduated, Brunson picked up another two years later. The two reunited after Hart was traded to New York last season and subsequently signed a new deal with the Knicks ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Snapchat & NFL Team Up to Show Off New Tech at Super Bowl

The NFL and Snapchat are teaming up to integrate new technology at Super Bowl LVIII, the social media company revealed to Boardroom on Wednesday. As part of the new tech, stadium screens will project various custom lenses, such as Las Vegas-themed helmets on fans for both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The partnership will also feature top social media stars and creators like Jack Settleman and Brittney Elena on-site to help capture the fan experience. New Snapchat technology will also be integrated throughout the week leading up to SBLVIII, with an AR mirror at NFL House, the players’ official hospitality space inside Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas.

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has all the details on the new NFL x Snapchat partnership.

Usher Releases ‘Past Present Future’ Tour Dates

Usher is set to hit the road later this year. With his ninth studio album arriving Friday and a Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance two days later, the R&B legend’s “Past Present Future” tour kicks off on Aug. 20 in Washington, DC, and includes stops in Detroit, Oakland, and Miami, before wrapping up in Chicago on Oct. 29. The general on-sale begins Feb. 12, at 10 a.m. local time at livenation.com. There are also presales by Citi and Verizon, which begin Wednesday at 10 a.m. local time and run through Sunday at 10 p.m. Select VIP packages will also be available that include a meet and greet with Usher, a premium ticket, and other gifts.

League One Volleyball & Tonal Announce Partnership

League One Volleyball (LOVB), the largest organization in youth volleyball, announced a partnership on Wednesday with strength-training brand Tonal to bring volleyball-specific training programs to consumers. The LOVB and Tonal union hopes to “fill a gap that exists today in the smart gym space, providing volleyball-specific workouts and exercises branded by LOVB and available through Tonal.” In addition to setting up Tonal machines in workout rooms, the joint collab will also provide community-friendly programming available to all of LOVB’s participating club members.

The post Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney & Fox Combine for Momentous Sports Streaming Package appeared first on Boardroom.

If you’re a fan of closely contested NFL playoff games, you were largely disappointed over the long holiday weekend.

Aside from the Detroit Lions‘ thrilling 1-point win over the Los Angeles Rams in their first postseason game at home in 30 years, the Super Wild Card round wasn’t competitive. Houston blew out Cleveland, Kansas City froze out Miami, Green Bay destroyed Dallas on the road, Buffalo had little trouble with Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay cemented Philadelphia‘s nosedive.

Since the NFL expanded the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams in 2020, only nine of the 24 Super Wild Card games were decided by a touchdown or less, 37.5%. That’s nearly 10 percentage points less than the number of close games during the 2023 regular season, when 128 of the 272 games were decided by 7 points or less, a 47% clip.

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The bottom line is that, on the field, the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend has resulted in a Subpar Wild Card Weekend. Off the field, however, it’s no surprise that the two extra playoff games have been a financial boon for the league.

Having six games in the first round instead of four allows the NFL to placate its four linear TV partners — CBS, NBC, Fox, and ABC/ESPN. It also gives the league more room to experiment and innovate, taking $110 million from NBC to broadcast Saturday night’s Chiefs-Dolphins ice bowl on Peacock, the first exclusive streaming playoff game in NFL history.

The plan clearly worked.

Nielsen said that 23 million viewers tuned into the blowout, the most streamed live TV event in US history, though that number includes linear viewers in the two local markets and the NFL+ audience. That number was up 6% from last year’s NBC-only playoff game, with a likely jump in subscriber growth that will make every streamer salivating at the thought of getting in on the action.

It won’t be long before more playoff games are on Paramount+, ESPN+, and Amazon’s Prime Video, as it’s a win-win situation — the two extra games make it vastly easier for the NFL to say “yes” to its media partners, and the league keeps everyone happy.

Eyes Always on the NFL

History shows that people will tune in to the NFL, as the league dominates the list of most-watched US sporting events ever.

Check it out!

Having one more playoff team per conference gives more teams hope during the regular season and provides a greater incentive to gun for the top seed with just one bye total per conference. But the current postseason structure is coming at the expense of the Wild Card round.

While the seventh-seeded Packers were a great story that wouldn’t have had the opportunity in the previous playoff system, they were the only road team to win over the weekend. In the 14-team playoff era, home teams won 16 of the 24 Super Wild Card games. The numbers would suggest that, competitively, going back to 12 teams would make first-round games better.

Given how much more money the league makes now during the current format, reducing playoff teams will never happen. But if the playoffs remain the same as currently constructed, four years of data shows that you’re just not going to get great Wild Card round games.

Viewership remains sky-high. Dallas’ flop on Sunday got 40 million viewers on Fox, up 20% from its similar window last year. Streaming-only playoff games gives the NFL yet another nine-figure source of revenue while spreading the inventory among its media partners.

The games on the field may not be competitive compared to the regular season, but the NFL isn’t really incentivized to care. The Subpar Wild Card Weekend era is here to stay, and it doesn’t seem like the NFL’s tens of millions of fans really mind at all.

Business is booming, good games be damned.

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The post The NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend Problem appeared first on Boardroom.

There’s no shortage of key storylines as the NFL kicks off the playoffs with six games over three days as part of its holiday Wild Card Weekend.

We’ve got Tyreek Hill playing his former team in the playoffs as the Miami Dolphins visit the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Detroit Lions won a division title for the first time in 30 years, and their reward is a battle against longtime former Lions QB Matthew Stafford, now leading the Los Angeles Rams. Mike McCarthy won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and now has to face them as Dallas Cowboys head coach.

Weather will also play a major factor in a pair of AFC matchups. Temperatures are forecasted to be in the single digits Saturday night in Kansas City, with a wind chill well into the negatives. In Buffalo, a state of emergency is in effect with a snowstorm expected to hit the area and winds gusting to 50 miles per hour leading into Sunday’s Bills home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

From media to betting, mixed with a few important incentives, here’s everything you need to watch out for Wild Card Weekend in the NFL.

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NBC, Peacock Making History

For the first time in NFL history, a playoff game will be exclusively broadcast on a streaming service. NBC reportedly paid $110 million for Saturday night’s Chiefs–Dolphins Wild Card matchup to only be on its Peacock streaming service, except for the involved local markets. Like its December regular-season exclusive between the Bills and Chargers, the fourth quarter will be commercial-free (perhaps more time to pan the cameras Taylor Swift‘s way).

NBC clearly hopes the game will drive permanent subscribers, or perhaps at least people who sign up for a free trial and forget to cancel the subscription later on. Other networks will be closely watching how many tune in Saturday night, with ESPN‘s ESPN+, CBS‘ Paramount+, Fox‘s Tubi, and Amazon Prime Video likely itching to be the next streamer to get a postseason game.

And if this works in the NFL, where there are fewer playoff games, you can imagine that Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max and ESPN+ will angle for exclusively streamed NBA playoff games soon, perhaps with baseball and hockey not far behind. It seems hard to slam the streaming playoff door shut unless Saturday’s experiment yields disastrous results.

Top Betting Trends to Watch

Without going too far into the weeds, here are some betting splits and trends to watch courtesy of our friends at FanDuel SportsBook:

• An overwhelming 80% of the money is on the Cleveland Browns to cover 2.5 Saturday afternoon in Houston against the Texans. Bettors love a David Njoku anytime touchdown at +180.
• In frigid temperatures, 83% of the money is on the Chiefs -230 to beat the Dolphins. Isiah Pacheco over 64.5 rushing yards is one of FanDuel‘s most popular player props.
• With Buffalo favored by 10, the largest spread this weekend, a lot of money is on Pittsburgh at favorable odds. Steelers +400 moneyline is getting 41% of the money, and Pittsburgh +10 is at 44% as bettors see strong value.
• While a whopping 69% of bets are on Green Bay at +265 to upset Dallas, 64% of the money is on Dallas to hold serve at home at -335. A CeeDee Lamb anytime touchdown at -160 and Jordan Love over 22.5 pass completion are popular player props here.
• Monday night’s game of the free-falling Philadelphia Eagles visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has bettors split on the outcome. While 63% of the money is on Philly to cover the 3-point spread, 55% of the money is on Tampa to pull the home upset at +134.

3 Key Monetary Incentives

After a slew of players cashed in on contract incentives in Week 18, three quarterbacks have a little extra individual motivation to win this weekend, per Spotrac. Joe Flacco earns an extra $250,000 if the Browns win at the Texans, Love would receive $500,000 if Green Bay wins and he plays 65% of the offensive snaps, and Baker Mayfield gets $250,000 if Tampa beats Philadelphia and he plays 75% of the offensive snaps.

Enjoy this weekend’s games!

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The post NFL Wild Card Weekend: All Eyes on Peacock’s Exclusive Chiefs-Dolphins Stream appeared first on Boardroom.

Last offseason, NBA executives, media moguls, and prized prospects descended on Las Vegas in the heat of free agency.

As July temperatures topped 115°, players of All-Star status and admins with six-figure salaries sweated out pitch meetings, setting up contract conversations and icy negotiations inside air-conditioned hotel suites.

All the while, Adam Silver and his colleagues waited with bated breath as Victor Wembenyama took center stage at the NBA Summer League, televised on ESPN and streaming on the $24 billion network’s app.

For those sporting suits that Nevada night, the stakes were higher than 7-5. An impending NBA TV deal rumored to touch $75 billion was — and still is — on the table for Silver and execs at Amazon, Apple, ESPN, and any bidder willing to spend.

While the world watched Wemby take his first shots in a Spurs uniform, talent scouts in the broadcast business centered on another viral sensation. Standing shy of 6 feet and having no college experience, Chicago’s own Kenny Beecham became the belle of the ball behind the scenes in Vegas.

“This was our first time to be free agents,” Beecham told Boardroom when recalling his hot months on the open market.

For those wondering why a Summer League soiree would take place over a 26-year-old talent in street clothes, it’s time to get familiar.

Making a name for himself as a YouTube creator and building his brand in Enjoy Basketball, Beecham is a 10-year veteran in the content space. Across channels, he’s created over 2,000 videos and amassed a billion views.

Because of this, Beecham became the center of attention for notable networks looking to put their best foot forward when entering basketball’s big bidding war over TV and streaming rights. That summer in Vegas, big wigs across cable, audio, and all platforms met with Beecham’s team to strike a deal dead set on securing hoop content’s King of Gen Z.

“We spent a considerable amount of time speaking to different networks and production companies,” Enjoy Basketball co-founder Cody Hock told Boardroom. “Those conversations started months ago and culminated relatively recently with Omaha and ESPN.”

Agreeing to a partnership with Peyton Manning‘s production company and Walt Disney’s $24 billion sports network, Kenny Beecham and Enjoy Basketball’s Through the Wire podcast will be rebranded as Numbers on the Board. Bringing along his friends, Kenny’s camp will work directly with Omaha Productions — a content company oozing with momentum.

“They just came off the success of Quarterback on Netflix,” Enjoy Basketball co-founder Cole Hock told Boardroom. “The more we kept talking, the more it made sense.”

Additionally, the distribution deal puts them under an ESPN umbrella, rapidly expanding into alternative broadcasts, branded content, and other new media avenues.

“The opportunities are endless,” Cody said.

Speaking to the power players at Enjoy Basketball, Boardroom breaks down what the year of leveling up looks like for Kenny Beecham and his prized partners.

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Windy City Content Machine

Kenny Beecham was born on Oct. 4, 1996, in Chicago.

Completing his first sentences by the time the Bulls had won their last championship, basketball was long in the blood of the young creative.

“I’ve been making content for over a decade at this point,” Kenny said. “Originally, it was just for the fun of it. There was no YouTube partnership program; I just watched other people make content, and it was mostly around gaming.”

Now 27 years old, the man behind a billion video views is still the same kid creating content in his basement.

“Traditionally, you go to college for a journalism degree,” said Kenny. “You start in a film room, and you do that for 10 years before you even get a shot at linear or radio. I don’t have a college degree. I didn’t do any internship.”

Such a path to online fame is not unusual in today’s creator economy. Still, it’s one of organic growth that rarely bears meaningful fruit in the sports media landscape dominated mostly by major networks, player podcasts, and storied newspapers.

It’s a path particular to Kenny, and likely that of future creators to follow.

“I know for sure that there are people that come after me that are going to be ten times better than me,” Kenny said. “But I want people to know there are different ways to get into the space.”

No doubt, plenty of people know Kenny’s content and creative path. Over a million subscribers can count on new uploads from Kenny multiple times a week.

Just like the league he covers, the broadcast business has gotten younger and faster.

“Every single day, we’re doing something new,” said Kenny. “A new follower, a new DM, a new company. It’s going really, really fast.”

The pace of play is real for someone constantly feeding fans and tirelessly keeping up with 30 franchises partaking in an 82-game season. Every evening at 6 p.m. sharp, Kenny’s bunkered down in his office or basement, zeroed in on at least two live games. When the sun rises the following morning, he’s back at it, catching up on the other 12 outings.

When it all adds up, that’s 2,460 games in an NBA campaign, plus the playoffs. That’s not even accounting for all the time spent filming, editing, unboxing partner packages, and ensuring his skills on the sticks in 2K are sharp.

Despite his various creative endeavors, it’s still ball above all.

“I have an entire document of every single game I’ve watched this season,” said Kenny. “I take notes, put questions I might want to see answered, and I dive into a few games a night.”

All the hours of watching game tapes and doing research have paid off. In a YouTube economy that sees creators steadily sprinting up a treadmill on an incline, Kenny’s not huffing and puffing out of fatigue or for attention. His honest opinions and appreciation for the game’s intricacies have created a community that tunes into every video, even if they don’t align with each angle.

“It’s hard to have an NBA opinion or sports fan base that rocks with your content to a whole new level,” said Kenny. “I see so many times, ‘Kenny, I don’t agree with you. But I respect what you’re saying.’ I read through my comments all the time.”

Already a decade in the game, Kenny’s come to a point where he doesn’t harp on the negative noise, nor does he put it out.

“I try to be constructive but recognize all the cool things,” Kenny said. “I’ve found a viewer base that shares that same sentiment.”

A viewer base that includes thousands of Gen Z hoop fans, dozens of NBA All-Stars, and a handful of execs at ESPN.

Eyeballs in Bristol

When ESPN chairman Joe Pitaro thumbs through First Take ratings and streaming subscribers, viral video statistics that once seemed vapid suddenly hold more weight.

Amid a cord-cutting era, networks like ESPN rely on new platforms, alternate broadcasts, and personality-driven programming to remain relevant to fragmented audiences and potential partners. Adam Silver and Kenny Beecham are sitting on opposite ends of the same list of partners.

The NBA is nearing the end of a $24 billion deal with Walt Disney that grants broadcast rights to ESPN and ABC. Already, both networks are utilizing alternative broadcasting streams to make the most out of their 100 regular season games and their piece of the NBA Playoffs and Finals.

When it comes to linear ratings, the NBA is nowhere near the NFL in dominance as a live TV destination. However, the NBA excels in social media, streaming services, and a Gen Z audience.

“The NBA has a younger-skewing fan base that is more liable to be accessed via a streaming platform,” former NBA executive and sports media consultant Ed Desser recently told Bloomberg. “You’ve got to fish where the fish are.”

Swimming in the perfect pond is Kenny’s collective.

The Enjoy Basketball brand itself boasts over half a million fans, proving profitable through merchandise, YouTube revenue, and branded content. Additionally, it circulates a three-times-a-week newsletter that points to the potential of Kenny’s fans aging gracefully with his youthful content.

It’s a territory that even basketball’s highest-profile talking heads heading into 2024 weren’t building when they were in their 20s.

“Kenny owns that Gen Z demographic,” Cody said. “The rest of those guys? They have an audience that skews a little bit older. He’s done a great job of building a community and developing that deep parasocial relationship online.”

Since declaring the partnership with ESPN and Omaha, the announcement video has already amassed over one million views in less than 24 hours. These are figures not new to Kenny and Enjoy Basketball but instantly exciting for the bosses back in Bristol.

“Everyone we talked to believed in us as a show,” Kenny said. “When you create content, you get numbers, but you don’t always internalize that there are actual people behind the numbers, and some of those people might be higher-ups at companies.”

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“ESPN was a massive draw for Kenny and the guys,” said Cody. “It was something we always wanted to do. Surrounding Kenny with a brand was the natural move for his career.”

For Kenny and Enjoy Basketball, the ESPN backing brings in a wealth of licensed NBA highlights and access to a Rolodex of podcast guests.

“The resources go up,” said Kenny. “We have the opportunity to use more game footage. We’re still trying to figure out the levels to the new resources, but what we’ve seen so far? It’s pretty cool.”

For ESPN, Kenny offers an invaluable co-sign and perspective as they continue to grow their audience and content concerning the massive NBA media rights deal. So far, leaning left has already proved fruitful for football and ratings, as a whole.

“The McAfee signing has been a revelation for them,” Cody said. “The new wave of sports media is personality-driven, bringing alternative audiences into their mainstream audience.”

Industry Audible

In February 2022, Omaha Productions inked an agreement with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company.

Led by Peyton Manning — a talent who’s had tremendous success as a quarterback in the NFL and a host on SNL — the Hall of Famer’s ability to improvise on the fly found new form through the breakout success of Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli in 2021.

Since then, the Super Bowl champ has continued to climb creatively. At ESPN, Omaha has helped ideate alternate broadcasts for UFC, college football, and even golf. Outside of Bristol, the production company caught fire through 2023’s Quarterback on Netflix.

When it came to courting basketball’s most creative content creator, game instantly recognized game.

“We clicked immediately,” Kenny said.

“They understand the power of creators today,” said Cody. “For them to add production value and a lens on distribution? It’s very mutually beneficial.”

On the outside, a 47-year-old football great from New Orleans and a 27-year-old YouTuber from Chicago might not seem to have much in common. Dig deeper, and a shared ethos of creativity, sense of humor, and sports smarts place each entity and their respective brands as two peas in a pod.

“Our whole mission at Enjoy Basketball is no hot takes,” said Cole. “Let’s focus on the game, uplifting the players, and positivity. Omaha stands for the same values, and they loved our mission.”

Even so, it was the former NFL MVP who had to pitch a content creator 20 years his junior.

“One of the things that made us make our decision was a text message from Peyton,” said Kenny. “He mentioned how big it was for him to bring people to his team that are about empowering the game. When you watch The Manningcast and a quarterback throws an interception? They don’t look at it just like this quarterback messed up, they figure out why it happened and praise the defensive scheme.”

This fall, the stars aligned.

Months after the free agency frenzy in Vegas, the Through the Wire cast and Omaha founder met in Colorado to produce their first project: the trailer for Numbers on the Board.

“We were in Denver for the ring ceremony for the Nuggets, and we got the opportunity to shoot with Peyton,” begins Kenny. “Me and all the guys were nervous because Peyton is one of the greatest of all time. He one-taked every single line.”

After the shoot in the Mile High City, Peyton chopped it up with Kenny and crew about hoops, football, and life. From there, the set was stamped, but the expectations also became real.

“Most people recognize that Omaha and ESPN are the cream of the crop,” said Kenny. “When you grow up, you turn on the TV for sports, and ESPN is the place you go to first. It was always a childhood dream to work for the network. You see Stuart Scott, Stephen A. Smith? Man, one day, it would be cool to be in that infrastructure, and we’re there now.”

Still Striving

Kenny Beecham is officially in the big leagues, but his ascent is far from solo.

Backed by the Hock brothers, who have managed him for four years, the Enjoy Basketball x ESPN x Omaha Productions podcast, Numbers on the Board, will still feature Pierre Andresen, Mike Heard, and Darrick Miller. Though NotB in both YouTube and audio forms is the foundation of this new partnership, the creation of additional digital shows, alternate broadcasts, and branded content is also on the table.

“We’re going to play our strengths first and foremost, and that’s YouTube,” Cody said. “There’s a lot of conversations about doing interesting things on linear for the show and Kenny.”

For those unfamiliar with showbiz lingo, linear means TV. In this case, TV means the ESPN network we all grew up on.

While branching out through Beecham and his Enjoy Basketball roster are all part of the Disney company’s grander plan to remain relevant to the youth through streaming services and online platforms, the head of the 44-year-old snake is still sizzling Stephen A. Smith moments on First Take and live broadcast of NBA, NFL, and NCAA action.

Ahead of the deal, Kenny has already appeared alongside Stephen A. on First Take after guesting on the industry vet’s podcast. The 12 minutes on TV still register as groundbreaking and surreal to Kenny, though his performance proved him right at home.

Like Smith, the team at Enjoy Basketball already views Kenny as a franchise player on any platform.

“We see him as a generational talent,” Cody said. “The distribution and eyeballs we’re going to attract going forward? The rest of the world that doesn’t know him already is going to be like, ‘This is my guy.’ The way he’s covering the game is really unique, he’s a special talent.”

In recent years, Kenny and his team at Enjoy Basketball have built a brand that not only hits homers on YouTube videos but has grown massively through newsletters and branded apparel. For the Hock brothers, the ultimate goal is to make Kenny the North Star of Enjoy Basketball and create a universe similar to The Ringer or Meadowlark Media.

“Most of them are personality-driven at the top,” said Cody. “We see similarities between Kenny sitting in that same position and building a network and distribution center around him. How do we put a brand around him similar to Pat McAfee, Bill Simmons, and Dan LeBetard? How do we build his career sitting atop as the talent but allow a platform for him to produce and direct?”

By working with ESPN and Omaha, Kenny will be front-facing on a bigger stage while still having the space to curate Enjoy Basketball content behind the scenes.

It’s the next chapter in elevating Enjoy Basketball as a business and Kenny Beecham as a thought leader.

“I’ve always strived for what seem like unattainable goals,” Kenny said. “Now, my goal is to be one of the top minds in the basketball world. I think that having these ties to Omaha and ESPN is the best way to make that a reality. There’s only so much I can do without a larger platform, and ESPN is the largest platform I can get.”

With the backing of ESPN, he has a chance to be recognized as one of roundball’s best philosophers in 2024. Perhaps “one of” isn’t ambitious enough.

“I want to be No. 1,” said Kenny. “It’s gonna be a journey, it’s gonna be extremely hard, and it’s gonna be extremely unlikely. But I feel like if I don’t have a goal that’s unlikely? Then I’m selling myself short.”

To be No. 1, he’ll have to continue to outwork and outpace the competition. To be recognized as No. 1 by industry peers and national media, he’ll have to increase his airtime on ESPN’s most prized live TV real estate.

The latter is perhaps the biggest challenge in a space dominated by journalists twice his age and athletes already known nationally for their court resumes. Kenny is cognizant of the challenge but not deterred.

“I didn’t go to school to be a journalist; I’m just an NBA fan that makes videos in my basement,” said Kenny. “I don’t know how much I’ll be respected in the linear world, considering I don’t have that background that most people fight for. But I’m going to try my damndest to get the respect of everybody just by being good at what I do.”

Just days into the new job, Kenny remains the same relatable hoops fan despite the elevated platform. The morning of our conversation, he’s still reviewing notes from a slate of 14 NBA games, headlined by an instant classic matchup between Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The generational battle brought out the best of both competitors, each elevating their intensity and debuting moves unseen thanks to the primetime platform blessed by brighter lights.

“I had a feeling it was going to be a great game,” said Kenny. “There’s something about national TV.”

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The post Kenny Beecham’s Next Big Move appeared first on Boardroom.

With the College Football Playoff championship game just days away, the NCAA reached an eight-year deal with ESPN worth $115 million per year — $920 million total — to broadcast 21 men’s and 19 women’s collegiate sports championships each season, college sports’ governing body announced Thursday.

The deal, beginning on Sept. 1, encompasses every NCAA championship domestically aside from Division I football and men’s basketball.

The wild success of Division 1 women’s basketball of late, led by superstars like Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and Angel Reese, sparked speculation that the NCAA would spin off the sport’s rights. Reports suggested that if the sport was sold as its own entity, college women’s basketball could garner roughly $80 million in Year 1 of a new sports media deal.

However, despite drawing 9.9 million viewers in last year’s women’s title game, ESPN and the NCAA decided to keep the annual women’s basketball tournament within this new package deal valued at $65 million per year. Keeping the burgeoning, emerging product is a significant win for ESPN, with the NCAA saying selling women’s hoops on its own this time around wasn’t feasible.

“We said from the beginning that we wanted the best deal that we could get for all of our championships,” Baker told The Athletic. “There was a lot of informal conversation that took place with many other potential participants in this negotiation, but the one who constantly engaged and the one I would argue was the most enthusiastic in a significant way throughout the course of this was ESPN. The way they handled the negotiations demonstrated that this was really important to them, that it continued to be part of their portfolio. They will be a terrific partner, I think, going forward here.”

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The current rights deal that ends this year brought in just $34 million annually. The next deal expires in 2032, the same year the D-I men’s basketball contract with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery runs out, which pays the NCAA $900 million annually.

“ESPN and the NCAA have enjoyed a strong and collaborative relationship for more than four decades, and we are thrilled that it will continue as part of this new, long-term agreement,” Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, said. “The ESPN networks and platforms will exclusively present a record number of championships, including all rounds of several marquee events that, together with the NCAA, we have grown over time.

“This unprecedented deal also further strengthens The Walt Disney Company’s industry-leading commitment to women’s sports and will help fuel our continued growth, including in the critical streaming space.”

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ESPN will broadcast all rounds of marquee events like women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, softball, baseball, volleyball, and FCS football. The deal reportedly guarantees the women’s basketball, women’s gymnastics, and women’s volleyball title games are broadcast on ABC each year. In addition, men’s and women’s team tennis and men’s gymnastics are added to this package for the first time.

There will be more than 800 hours of NCAA championship programming per year now on ESPN linear channels, with the worldwide leader also receiving international rights for all championships.

“The NCAA has worked in earnest over the past year to ensure that this new broadcast agreement provides the best possible outcome for all NCAA championships, and in particular women’s championships,” Charlie Baker, NCAA president, said.

“Over the past several years, ESPN has demonstrated increased investment in NCAA championship coverage, and the Association is pleased to continue to provide a platform for student-athletes to shine. Having one, multi-platform home to showcase our championships provides additional growth potential along with a greater experience for the viewer and our student-athletes.”

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The post NCAA, ESPN Reach Massive College Sports Media Rights Deal appeared first on Boardroom.

Monday’s Rose Bowl game between Michigan and Alabama proved to be a massive ratings success for ESPN. The Wolverines’ win over the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl clocked an average of 22.6 million viewers, peaking at 32.8 million, the network announced on Tuesday. It was the most-watched playoff semifinal since the CFP’s inaugural campaign and the biggest non-NFL sporting event audience since 2018. For the other semifinal showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Washington Huskies, ESPN reported roughly 18.4 million people tuned in, making it the fourth-highest Sugar Bowl audience in 20 years and the third-highest non-NFL sporting event in the past year. Michigan plays Washington in the College Football Playoff championship game Monday from NRG Stadium in Houston.

Portland Thorns Set NWSL Record-setting Figure with $63M Sale

Portland Thorns FC has been acquired by Bhathal family-owned RAJ Sports, the NWSL team confirmed Wednesday. Although financial terms were not disclosed in the official announcement, a person familiar with the deal tells The Athletic that the acquisition totaled $63 million, making it the largest in the league’s history. The Bhathal family plans to keep Thorns FC in Portland, where they will continue to play at Providence Park, the downtown stadium that also hosts the MLS’ Portland Timbers. The family will take over soccer operations, effective immediately.

Read more on the sale from Boardroom’s Vinciane Ngomsi. 

Amanda Seyfried, Will Ferrell, ‘Suits’ Stars Among Golden Globe Presenters

The 2024 Golden Globe Awards are just days away, and the first round of presenters has been revealed. The star-studded lineup includes Amanda Seyfried, Angela Bassett, Gabriel Macht,Patrick J. Adams, George Lopez, Julia Garner, Justin Hartley, Michelle Yeoh, and Will Ferrell. More will be announced in the coming days. Hosted by comedian Jo Koy, the 81st Golden Globes will air live on Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS and Paramount +.

Rory McIlroy ‘Can’t Judge’ Golfers Over LIV Golf, PGA Tour Decisions

One of LIV Golf‘s most ardent critics is softening his stance with the Saudi-backed golf league. On the “Stick to Football” podcast, Rory McIlroy said he was too quick to judge athletes who jumped to LIV Golf and now recognizes the tour as part of the sport. In the past, McIlroy said he’d rather retire than join LIV Golf. Still, he said in his recent appearance on the show that it was a misstep to air those grievances without understanding the context and that all players have unique financial circumstances. “We all turn professional to make a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realized over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision.” McIlroy returns to the PGA Tour next week at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational.

Future Announces What Lies Ahead with New Management Company

Expect to see more of Future, The Businessman, in 2024. The rapper is starting a management company, he announced on X, and while he didn’t elaborate on his “new venture,” Future welcomed the new year with a note of gratitude to his 7.7 million followers. “Very grateful for everyone who played some type of role in my career up to this point…more to come,” teased the Grammy winner.

New Samsung Phones to be Powered by AI

Samsung is launching its next line of mobile devices on Jan. 17, the company confirmed Tuesday. In what will be one of the first major smartphone launches of the new year, Samsung added that its devices are expected to include AI-powered capabilities in addition to standard software and camera upgrades. The unveiling will take place at the SAP Center in San Jose at 10 a.m. PT. Samsung is also offering a promotion for those who want to reserve new Galaxy models early: Now through Jan. 16, customers who reserve a device through Samsung’s website or app will get a $50 credit.

The post Michigan-Alabama Rose Bowl Draws Biggest Non-NFL Audience Since 2018 appeared first on Boardroom.

David Beckham tasted the documentary life this year with his Netflix multi-part series. Now, it appears he’s not done telling stories of soccer quite yet. The Inter Miami CF exec and his production company Studio 99 are uniting with Fulwell 73 to develop a project spotlighting the lasting legacy of Real Madrid and the Galácticos. The doc will highlight the superteam era in Madrid assembled by the club’s president, Florentino Pérez. Beckham‘s film will debut on ESPN.

Looking for some sports docs to keep you entertained this holiday season? Boardroom curated a list of some of our favorites for your consideration.

Maria Sánchez, Houston Dash Ink the Biggest Contract in NWSL History

The NWSL offseason is in full swing. While there are rumors of an NWSL super-team brewing in New York, Houston has landed the biggest contract to date. The Dash recently inked Maria Sánchez to a record-setting three-year contract — with an option for a fourth — valued at $1.5 million. The deal eclipsed the previous record between Trinity Rodman and the Washington Spirit at four years, $1.1 million. The Mexican national team star had four goals and six assists for the Dash in the 2023 season.

Ryan Gosling Releases 3 New Versions of ‘I’m Just Ken’

With awards season nearly upon us, the year’s biggest stars are making a belated push for consideration. Barbie is one of the year’s biggest films, but it turns out that the cast has more to give. Ryan Gosling released Ken The EP on Wednesday. The EP included three refreshed versions of the hit “I’m Just Ken,” including a holiday banger. The song is one of several breakout hits on the impressive soundtrack curated by Mark Ronson, which includes Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, and more.

MLS’s Quest to Spotlight Emerging Players Thwarted by US Soccer

Because of a growing and demanding schedule, MLS wanted to put their minor league teams in the US Open Cup, a long-standing traditional domestic tournament akin to the FA Cup in England. Fans hated the decision, and US Soccer pushed back. The federation announced on Wednesday that it officially rejected the proposal. “As we move forward, we will continue our review of the Open Cup to ensure it aligns with the U.S. Soccer strategic pillars,” the USSF said in a statement. “We remain committed to addressing the needs and concerns of all of our members, including MLS, and other stakeholders to enhance and improve the U.S. Open Cup.”

Prada Locks in Long-time NYC Home with $425M Purchase

Prada‘s NYC flagship is here to stay. The Milan-based, Hong Kong-traded fashion house has been renting its Fifth Avenue home since 1997, but made things official by purchasing the 12-floor property for $425 million. Justifying the purchase, execs stated, “The board believes that the property’s location offers high strategic value being characterized by increasing scarcity and long-term potential.” Prada posted a positive year of sales, although it experienced a slowdown in the third quarter.

Pro Volleyball Federation Lands Broadcast Deal with CBS

The NCAA women’s volleyball season came to a close earlier this week, as the University of Texas notched its second consecutive championship title, defeating Nebraska for the win. The match closed out a record-setting season that drew massive national attention to the sport. Now, the Pro Volleyball Federation — a new professional league — announced that it has signed a broadcast deal with CBS Sports. As part of the agreement, CBS Sports will show at least 10 matches in 2024, and the network has exclusive rights to domestic and international play. The league will kick off in January with seven teams and has already locked in an additional three cities for 2025.

The post David Beckham Signs on to Produce a Documentary on the Galácticos appeared first on Boardroom.

Jim Valvano’s ESPY Speech is right around 11 minutes long. That night in 1993, when his good friend Dick Vitale needed to help him onto the Madison Square Garden stage, Valvano could not have known the impact his words were about to have.

Well, he knew some of it. He knew he was announcing that night that ESPN was helping him launch the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. He did not realize that his comments that night would become so iconic that ESPN would air them repeatedly for one week every December three decades later.

Laugh, think, cry.

Where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be.

Family, religion, the Green Bay Packers.

That night, Valvano whipped out speech No. 84, and for a few minutes, you could not tell he had so much as a cold, let alone (as he put it) “tumors all over [his] body.” Valvano died just weeks after that speech, but the V Foundation has carried on his legacy. On Tuesday, the college basketball world celebrated him with the annual men’s Jimmy V Classic at MSG.

It was the 29th iteration of the event, with Illinois outlasting 2023 Final Four Cinderella Florida Atlantic in the first game and defending champion UConn winning a battle of bluebloods in the nightcap over North Carolina. Fans at home and in the arena saw that speech, but what they may not have seen is the numbers behind what that speech launched.

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The V Foundation’s Impact

As Valvano said that night, the goal was not to save his own life. It was to save someone else’s — to have “some cures and some breakthroughs.” And while the ultimate goal of eradicating cancer remains unmet, the foundation has done plenty of quantifiable good. Take a look at the numbers (via v.org):

• Total Money Raised for Research: $310 million in 1,186 total research grants
  • $66.7 million for pediatric cancer
  • $60.8 million for blood cancers
  • $30.9 million for breast cancer
  • $29.3 million for gastrointestinal cancer
  • $26 million for lung cancer
  • $14.2 million for female reproductive cancers
  • $11.2 million for prostate cancer
• Total raised in 2022: $27 million
  • $6.5 million designated for Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund
  • $1.5 million designated for Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund

And, of course, it won’t stop there. We don’t have total 2023 numbers just yet, but the V Foundation made a big announcement during Tuesday night’s men’s Jimmy V Classic. During a media timeout, the foundation honored members of the Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride. The ride, presented as a partnership between the V Foundation and Bristol Myers Squibb, raised over $1 million for cancer research. BMS added an additional $500,000 donation to bring the total raise above $1.5 million.

The Jimmy V Classic: A College Sports Mainstay

The men’s Classic itself has stayed with a consistent format over the years. Four high-profile teams come into Madison Square Garden in early December for a Tuesday night doubleheader. ESPN airs Jimmy V’s speech during the event, and it plays on the MSG video board as well. Here’s how it has evolved over the years:

• 1995: First men’s Jimmy V Classic, held in East Rutherford, NJ. Temple defeated Kansas, and UMass beat Georgia Tech.
• 2002: First women’s Jimmy V Classic, held in Raleigh, NC. Duke defeated Tennessee, and UConn beat NC State.
• 2003: Men’s Jimmy V Classic moves to Madison Square Garden, where it has been annually except for 2021.
• 2023: Women’s Jimmy V Classic moves to a triple-header format at campus sites. Duke, Texas, and Tennessee all post season-highs in attendance (so far).

Unfortunately, Valvano never got to see the impact his foundation and his classic have had. But he knew that would be the case. As he said when he closed his speech, he wanted his legacy to carry on long after his death. The V Foundation is living proof that he succeeded.

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The post The Numbers Behind Jim Valvano’s Lasting Legacy appeared first on Boardroom.

There’s no longer a question about whether women’s sports in the United States is on the rise. That was established long ago. If you’re still not convinced, look no further than the massive media rights deal that the NWSL announced on Thursday.

Beginning next season, the NWSL will take home a reported $240 million. The deal is worth 40 times the revenue earned under its current deal with 118 national windows across four networks. CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps Sports have collectively agreed to a four-year contract with the NWSL — a signficant commitment, but still a short-term agreement that positions the league to make even more in the near future.

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“These partnerships fundamentally change the game for our league and the players who take the pitch each week. On behalf of the NWSL, our owners and players, I want to commend CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps for investing in our league and affirmatively declaring to the marketplace that this league is exciting, valuable, and important,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said in a statement. “We have taken great care to ensure our games are discoverable by increasing our reach in order to expose new audiences to everything that makes our league special, without compromising the economic value of our product. This is the beginning of our future.”

The timing here is perfect for the NWSL. Bay FC and the Utah Royals will begin play next season. That will bring the league to 14 teams, with a 15th, based in Boston, to follow in 2026.

Get set for the NWSL Championship

Ali Krieger will face Megan Rapinoe for all the marbles on Saturday. Here’s what the two have been up to, on and off the pitch.

Check it out!

According to a press release, the 118 national matches will include:

• Friday night matches on Prime Video and a minimum of 27 regular season matches
• A Saturday night doubleheader on ION (owned by Scripps), totaling 50 games
• A minimum of 21 matches on CBS Sports, including the NWSL championship. Paramount+ will air accompanying streams.
• 20 matches across ESPN’s family of networks, including ABC, ESPN Deportes, and streaming on ESPN+ in English and Spanish

Remaining NWSL matches will be part of a domestic direct-to-consumer package that the league will produce and distribute.

ESPN, CBS, and Prime will share postseason broadcast duties, while Scripps will carry the 2024 NWSL Draft.

Before the new media deal kicks in, however, the NWSL must first finish its current season. Megan Rapinoe and the OL Reign will face Ali Krieger and NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in San Diego. The match will air on CBS.

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The post NWSL Announces Sweeping Media Rights Deal appeared first on Boardroom.

Twice a year, two of the world’s most popular teams in the world’s most popular sport do battle in front of hundreds of millions of fans across the globe, dwarfing the Super Bowl’s annual audience. The FC Barcelona–Real Madrid matchup dating back to 1902, known as El Clásico, transcends sports, with political undertones in a battle between Madrid’s Spanish nationalism and Barcelona’s Catalan independence and local autonomy.

With a combined Forbes valuation of more than $11 billion and 19 Champions League titles between them, the Spanish giants are two of soccer’s three most valuable clubs, with storied franchises and hundreds of millions of global fans obsessed with their favorite teams and even more obsessed with their teams beating their bitter arch-nemesis.

Quite simply, El Clásico is the greatest athletic rivalry on earth.

While the two clubs have yet to fully recover financially from the pandemic, Real Madrid and Barcelona ranked second and seventh, respectively, in this year’s Deloitte Football Money League rankings. Madrid increased revenues by 11% in 2022 to  €713.8 million, while Barca’s revenue spiked 10% to  €638.2 million. While both are well shy of their 2019 peaks, new commercial opportunities, broadcast revenue, and matchday sales are bringing both teams back.

And El Clásico is at the heart of it all, forming the backbone for the iconic clubs’ on and off-pitch success.

During the last weekend of October, Boardroom joined La Liga on a group trip to Barcelona to witness El Clásico in person and speak with team, league, and ESPN executives to get a firsthand look at the incredible rivalry and the business behind its phenomenal success.

The Numbers Behind El Clásico

From record-setting transfers to all-time trophies and beyond, take a closer look at the historic tale of the tape for one of sports’ most iconic showdowns.

Check it out!

Since 2018, La Liga has operated in the United States and Canada in a 50-50 joint venture with Relevent Sports to negotiate media rights, sponsorship, licensing, merchandising, and anything commercial the league wants to pursue. In May 2021, La Liga signed an eight-year, $1.4 billion deal with ESPN for its US rights. A month later, La Liga and Relevent extended their partnership to Mexico and Central America and inked a $600 million Mexican rights deal through 2031, helping the North American subsidiary quickly turn a profit. Those two media contracts represent La Liga’s largest outside of Spain.

La Liga’s overarching international strategy launched in 2016 and is now in 44 different countries. But the US and China were La Liga’s obvious priority foreign markets and strategic focal points to help bring additional revenue and awareness to the league’s 20 clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid. El Clásico is a major reason why La Liga has shown success both domestically and abroad, according to Boris Gartner, La Liga North America’s CEO.

“El Clásico has really become almost a brand of its own,” Gartner told Boardroom. “People recognize El Clásico similar to how they recognize the Super Bowl. You might not be following the NFL year-round, but you know what the Super Bowl means and how important it is. With El Clásico, you may not be a huge soccer fan or follow the league day in and day out, but you know that’s the game to watch.”

While February’s Super Bowl drew 115 million viewers in the US and 56 million internationally, El Clásico is watched in more than 185 countries with a potential audience of 650 million viewers, per La Liga figures. The league leans on the Real-Barca matchup to market the overall competition, with 20 teams and 380 matches per season featuring popular clubs like Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, and Villarreal. They’re equally interested in promoting those teams, Gartner said, but La Liga isn’t shying away from anchoring its business with its two largest clubs and two of the world’s most ubiquitous sporting brands.

La Liga schedules its two annual Clásicos around its two biggest international markets. One matchup is scheduled for late night in China, and another is scheduled for the afternoon in the US. The matchup in late October in Barcelona was scheduled for 4:15 p.m. local time, 11:15 p.m. in China, and 10:15 a.m. in the eastern US. The April game in Madrid will be at about 9 p.m. local time or 3 p.m. in the States.

“From a marketing perspective, this is our Super Bowl moment,” Gartner said.

Since this Clásico was early in America, La Liga focused its marketing efforts on the east coast, with official watch parties in Miami, New York, Boston, Washington, DC, and Chicago. More than 1,200 people attended the collective morning events, including 500 in Miami alone. A larger league initiative called El Partidazo takes one big match per month and runs different events across the US and Mexico as a branded experience with watch parties featuring ambassador and legend experiences.

“If we create a brand around those events that people start recognizing and become familiar with,” Gartner explained, “and we go back to the same cities multiple times a year instead of going with just one game and disappear for a year, you create this habit and this closeness to the league that will be better in the long run.”

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After flying in from New York on Thursday, the soccer trip to Barcelona truly began Friday morning with a visit to the official FC Barcelona museum. This Clásico would be different from any of the previous 254 meetings because Barca’s historic Camp Nou stadium was undergoing renovations so extensive that no matches are taking place there this season.

October’s game took place at the picturesque, 55,000-seat Estadi Olímpic inside Barcelona’s mountainous Parque Montjuïc, the main stadium for the 1992 Summer Olympics. Normally located inside the stadium, FCB spent €10 million on a temporary museum that would only stand for two years.

Barcelona’s team museum is big business. In a normal year, the team generates €42 million per year in ticket sales, €44 million at its attached team shop, and €6 million alone on an estimated 300,000 photos snapped during museum visits, according to Jordi Penas, Barca’s museum director. During stadium renovations, museum-related revenues are down by about half, he said.

“Economically, it is a disaster,” Penas told the tour group.

At the end of the museum tour, Penas took the group to a normally closed rooftop looking out at the ongoing Camp Nou renovation. Barcelona was still in the demolition phase of the renovation, with the upper bowl completely gone as part of a €1.5 billion revitalization project for the entire surrounding area. An outdoor structure that will contain a parking garage was further along in construction than the stadium itself.

The new Camp Nou will eventually seat 105,000, and the team expects to return to its historic home in November 2024 at half capacity, with a completed renovation expected in 2026. The project also includes a replacement for its 52-year-old Palau Blaugrana, a 7,500-seat indoor arena for its basketball, handball, and roller hockey teams. The 15,000-seat venue’s expected completion date is also 2026, with a greater ability to host concerts and other events. The larger project will also contain a hotel and officer towers.

“It’s going to be like a mini city,” Penas said. “It’s an investment in the future.”

This enormous investment wouldn’t be possible without tentpole marquee matchups like the Champions League or El Clásico. The same goes for Real Madrid’s €1 billion recently completed renovation of its Santiago Bernabéu stadium that took three years, increases the seating capacity to 85,000, and features a fully retractable pitch.

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Though Real Madrid and Barcelona are the most bitter of rivals, and while Penas made it clear that he wanted nothing more than to destroy Madrid on the pitch, he also knows that the two teams need each other to succeed.

“Having big teams play against us gives us air and money,” Penas said. “It’s very clear that one plus one equals three, not two.”

The next step on the tour was to a hotel in the Port Vell marina, where ESPN set up its broadcast operations for the weekend. ESPN sent more than 30 employees to Spain on one of the rare occasions the network travels for on-site La Liga coverage. Its broadcast talent entered a second-floor conference room flanked by Rodolfo Martinez, its senior vice president of international and ESPN Deportes production. He’s responsible, according to his company bio, for live events, studio shows, news, and information for all ESPN networks outside the US.

Martinez believes it’s crucial to show viewers that El Clásico is a special event, even bringing staff to Barcelona in August 2021 during the pandemic. While the $170 million per year media rights deal is for all 380 matches per year in La Liga, ESPN surely knows El Clásico is where its bread is buttered.

“We do other matches in Spain,” Martinez told Boardroom, “but we come to El Clásico because, without a doubt, that’s our highest-rated match. There is no other. This is the third year of our new contract, and I can tell you that it’s El Clásico, El Clásico, and then everything else.”

Saturday morning before the match, the group arrived at a parking lot outside Estadi Olímpic to witness the game’s production setup at several large trailers. We were greeted by La Liga Head of TV production Antonio del Castillo and Oscar Lago, Mediapro’s TV sports match director, who described how they elevate El Clásico into a sensory spectacle. Lago oversaw the world feed containing 38 different cameras situated around and above the pitch. That’s 15 more than the average La Liga telecast and as many as the Champions League final.

“The Clásicos are a tier of their own,” Gartner said. “The amount of promotion that ESPN puts behind the two Clásicos is exponentially higher than what they put behind promoting the rest of the games.”

Friday at ESPN’s mobile compound, much of the pregame hype centered around how 20-year-old British superstar Jude Bellingham would fare in his first ever Clásico after a €103 million transfer over the summer from Borussia Dortmund. 

“He started his career at Real Madrid very well, hasn’t he?” Steve McManaman, ESPN analyst and former Real Madrid winger, wondered. “If anything, he’s probably started too well. People are talking, is he the greatest player England’s ever had? And I think people should just leave him be and let him develop. I just hope he continues with a big game tomorrow.”

Bellingham has the chance to be one of La Liga’s most impactful business transactions since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left the Clásico rivalry.

Off the pitch, Spotify’s three-year deal with Barcelona for naming rights to Camp Nou and jersey sponsorship rights is worth more than $300 million per season, helping the club rebound from financial difficulties that necessitated Messi’s 2021 departure to Paris Saint-Germain. The Spotify deal saw The Rolling Stones’ ubiquitous logo on the front of Barcelona’s jersey against Real Madrid, following previous one-offs with Drake’s OVO and Latin superstar Rosalía.

And in December 2021, CVC Capital Partners invested nearly €2 billion for an 8.2% stake in La Liga. It’s a move that Gartner said allows the league to focus on long-term projects without worrying about short-term cash or immediate financial expenditures.

On Saturday afternoon, game day, the walk to the stadium from the Plaça d’Espanya with tens of thousands of fans up a series of escalators was magnificent and unlike any the 121-year rivalry had experienced before. Then, the match itself more than lived up to the hype.

A sixth-minute Barcelona goal gave the home side the lead, but Bellingham tied the game on a 68th-minute rocket and won it on a rebound in the second minute of extra time. It gave Real Madrid a statement 2-1 win and delivered Bellingham’s transcendent, megastar-making moment that fans around the world won’t soon forget.

With Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. dominating for Madrid and youngsters like Gavi and Pedri emerging at Barcelona, the average age of both squads is now in the low 20s, perhaps signaling a new era and a bright future for El Clásico.

“The Clásico is in itself an institution, and institutions are way larger than the players that play in it,” Fernando Palomo, who called El Clásico for ESPN in Spanish, said. “The players go by, but the institution remains.”

Every club goes through cycles, Gartner said, but to La Liga, the El Clásico rivalry is rather simple. Real Madrid and Barcelona will always attract world-class talent, and the game will always attract nine-figure audiences.

Twice a year, two of the most valuable and popular sports clubs on earth do battle with the whole world watching. El Clásico is sports, and the magic of the game and the full weekend in October only further proved why it’s a bucket list experience and a matchup you can’t afford to miss.

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The post The Business Behind El Clásico: Barcelona & Real Madrid Need Each Other appeared first on Boardroom.

Game 4 of the WNBA Finals was literally decided at the last second. Behind Finals MVP A’ja Wilson’s 24 points and 16 rebounds, the Las Vegas Aces beat the New York Liberty 70-69 on Wednesday, becoming the first team to win back-to-back WNBA titles in 21 years. On Thursday, ESPN announced that Wednesday’s Game 4 was the most-watched in WNBA Finals history, with viewership up 124% compared to last year’s Game 4 audience. The broadcast peaked at 1.3 million viewers — during the fourth quarter of the series-clinching showdown — while holding an average of 889,000 viewers throughout.

Andre Iguodala Announces NBA Retirement, Takes Over Mosaic

Andre Iguodala officially calls it a career, announcing his retirement on Friday. The 19-year veteran was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and spent the first half of his career there before finding a new home with the Golden State Warriors. Iguodala leaves the NBA with four titles (2016, 2017, 2018, 2022) and one Finals MVP honor (2015) — all in Golden State. “Time started to get limited for me, and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat,” Iguodala said. “I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time anymore. Especially with on the court, off the court with family. A lot.” As for what’s next, Iggy will oversee Mosaic, a $200 million venture capital fund that he raised with longtime business partner Rudy Cline-Thomas.

FaZe Clan Sells 55% of its Stock to GameSquare Holdings

FaZe Clan, the gaming collective that gained popularity during the pandemic, announced Friday that it reached a deal to sell 55% of its stock to GameSquare Holdings, a Texas-based esports company backed by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. FaZe’s founders will keep their C-suite roles, with Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengston serving as CEO, Thomas “FaZe Temperrr” Oliveira as President, and Yousef “FaZe Apex” Abdelfattah as COO. “I’m confident that with Tommy, Apex, and me back in charge of the brand, FaZe Clan will get back to where it was in its peak years,” Bengston said. “We grew up on the internet and understand this brand better than anyone ever could. We are grateful to have found a partner in GameSquare who sees that value in us and can help execute our vision. We’re going to produce first, talk later.”

Boardroom’s Shlomo Sprung has more details on the FaZe Clan x GameSquare deal.

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Becomes Equity Investor in Slate Milk

Maxx Crosby is one of the NFL’s best edge rushers for the Las Vegas Raiders. Known throughout the league for his powerful rush and shrewd sensibilities, Crosby has expanded his skillset beyond the gridiron. Over the last few years, he’s tackled a number of different challenges, from media ventures to entrepreneurial endeavors. Now, he’s expanding his resume, signing on as an equity investor with Slate Milk, Crosby told Boardroom. “I loved the product right away and thought it would be something that would blow up,” he said.

Be sure to read the entire exclusive conversation between Boardroom’s Bernadette Doykos and Crosby.

Bad Bunny Included as Playable Character in Special Edition of WWE 2K23

Wrestling enthusiasts can now hit the ring as an international superstar thanks to a new WWE 2K23 playable character — Bad Bunny. The playable character will be decked out head to toe in the music star’s Adidas ensemble he wore at this year’s Backlash event in Puerto Rico. The WWE 2K23 Bad Bunny Edition is available for $139.99 and includes the WWE 2K23 Icon Edition with the Bad Bunny Superstar Pack, which features loads of exclusive content. Those who already own the game can buy the Bad Bunny Superstar Pack as a stand-alone purchase for $9.99. The news comes after Bad Bunny just announced a 47-show run across North America for his Most Wanted Tour.

TGL Partnering with Fanatics Ahead of Inaugural 2024 Season

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy‘s new golf league, TGL, has signed a multiyear partnership with Fanatics. The agreement gives the e-commerce company the rights to design and manufacture league-wide and team-specific gear for TGL as the official licensee. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Fanatics shared it will open a new online store that will allow supporters to showcase their passion for the new league and teams. So far, five of the six ownership groups have been announced, and the inaugural TGL season is scheduled to tee off in January 2024.

The post Aces, Liberty Make WNBA Finals History with Most-watched Game 4 Ever appeared first on Boardroom.

Deion Sanders has had success just about everywhere he’s been.

Whether that’s back in his playing days as a two-sport athlete, bouncing around from the gridiron to the ballpark to great effect, or the early returns from his coaching career in which he won 30 of his first 36 games, Prime Time has always risen to the occasion. In doing so, he’s also routinely lifted those around him. This goes beyond athletes and fans, too, extending directly to brand partners he’s worked with and even the actual communities he’s lived in.

That’s what’s happening right now in Boulder, as everything the Colorado Buffaloes head coach touches is increasingly turning to gold, whether it’s Black and Gold merch, Blenders’ signature Prime sunglasses, or the explosive television ratings and public fanfare around every game.

So, how much of an actual impact has Deion Sanders had on, well, just about everything? From Boardroom breaks down the Coach Prime Economy.

Coach Prime is Cashing in

The Buffs boss filed a flurry of trademarks to capitalize on the hype in Boulder — find out what’s coming next from Deion Sanders the entrepreneur.

Prime Time!

Buffaloes

Starting with the obvious, the Colorado football program hasn’t had this kind of buzz surrounding it … maybe ever? That much is obvious based on just how hard Folsom Field was rocking for the Buffaloes’ thrilling double-overtime win over in-state rival Colorado State on Sept. 16. The bar was admittedly pretty low for Sanders and Co., with the program having just won a single game in 2022, but surpassing that in the first two matchups of the season has to feel pretty good for the athletic department.

But the buzz has been palpable since before Week 1. Before the season’s start, the school sold a record number of tickets, selling nearly 22,500 season tickets, selling out in April for the first time in 27 years. That doesn’t include the 11,600 student sports packages that were sold and populate the student section every week.

Not only that, but the hype has every chance to sustain itself throughout the campaign. The Colorado program announced earlier this week that it had already sold out the final home game of the season against Arizona, marking the first time the Buffs have ever sold out their full home slate for an entire season. When history is being made on the field, it turns out the fans want to watch it unfold, making history of their own in the stands.

And it’s not only the fans, as the media attention garnered since Sanders’ arrival has grown to a level the program has never seen before. CU Boulder spokesperson Steve Hurlbert told the Daily Camera the recent national exposure has been “invaluable.” Consider the following:

• A University report estimates the equivalent ad value of the earned media coverage since the season started is $90.55 million.
• The program issued a record 848 media credentials for Week 2 vs. Nebraska (likely to be broken for USC next week).
• The game against CSU garnered 9.3 million viewers on ESPN, the company’s fifth most-watched college football game on record and the most-watched late-window game ever.
• The Nebraska game was the most-watched Pac-12 regular season game in Fox history and the 10th most-watched regular season college football game ever broadcast on Fox.

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Whether you’re a fan, a media member, or just genuinely curious, the numbers don’t lie — all eyes are on Mr. Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Of course, this doesn’t even mention team merchandise sales. Keep scrolling!

Boulder

Visit Boulder — the Convention and Visitors Bureau for the town — conducted an economic impact study for the weekend of Colorado’s game against Nebraska on Sept. 9, projecting the game brought in an estimated total of $17 million in “combined direct and indirect impacts to the area.”

“What many news reporters miss in their reporting is that the economic calculator estimates both the direct and indirect impacts,” Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman told Boardroom. “The direct economic impact is comprised of direct spending/business sales with visitors, organizer, and media/sponsors for lodging, transportation, F&B, retail, and recreation. The indirect/induced impact is the additional spending by local businesses and by employees of local businesses through generated income. It also includes the spending that leaks outside of the local economy due to the purchase of goods, services, and raw materials by locals and event organizers.”

Of the total projected $17 million, $11 million was in direct impacts, while the remaining $6 million came via indirect spending. These calculations are generated through an industry tool developed by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company, which factors visitor spending behaviors by event type and includes a competitive set of destinations with similar populations and economic environments. More than 300 other cities use this tool, and it has calculated estimates for 500,000+ events nationwide.

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And to be clear, this isn’t simply just within Boulder borders, as this impact study takes into account the entire region as well. Simply put, Boulder alone doesn’t have the hotel room capacity to lodge all the visitors that have been rolling through town for Sanders and Colorado Football.

“Our report shows the estimated room demand is 13,825 hotel rooms based on 26,550 attendees,” Hoffman said.

A full revenue report for the month of September is expected to be released by Visit Boulder in the coming weeks, but for now, the calculations only produced numbers from the game against Nebraska. By using the same method, Hoffman says the game against Colorado State last weekend should be up 70% compared to the program’s home game against Air Force during the same weekend slot in 2022.

Let’s not be surprised when numbers like this are released for every Colorado home game this season.

Blenders

One of the biggest beneficiaries of Sanders’ arrival in Boulder? Blenders, whose signature Prime sunglasses are the product of an official partnership with the Colorado head coach.

It’s no secret that no matter what kind of outfit Sanders decides to rock at any given practice or game, it’s likely he’s also sporting a pair of his trademark mirror-lensed sunglasses. They’ve become so popular that his sunglasses — and hat collection — became a topic of discussion ahead of the Buffaloes’ rivalry win over Colorado State, and Blenders reaped the rewards.

Seeing where the wind was blowing, Blenders decided to make a proper line of Coach Prime sunglasses that don’t officially go on sale until Oct. 12. That hasn’t stopped roughly 70,000 pairs being sold on a pre-order basis — Blenders Founder and CEO Chase Fisher told Front Office Sports they originally only planned on selling 16,000.

@boardroom_ A prime example of Coach Prime’s ability to seize a prime opportunity. #deionsanders #gobuffs #collegefootball #coachprime ♬ original sound – Boardroom

Priced at $67 a pair, quick math suggests that these Prime sunglasses will generate roughly $4.5 million in revenue from the jump, and while the company hasn’t confirmed that estimated figure, Sanders claimed previously that sales had passed $1.5 million. Fisher later confirmed to FOS that the real number is “much more significant.

Zooming out further, Sanders is impacting more than just Blenders sales. The school said September has been the biggest month ever for the athletics department online team store, with nearly a week and a half to spare. The second-best month? December 2022 — the month Sanders was hired. In fact, the 10 best days in terms of the highest sales in the history of the online team store have taken place since Deion joined up.

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Additional stats to help illustrate the Prime Effect:

• Sales at Colorado athletics’ official online store increased by 505% in December after Coach Prime was hired last year.
• In 2023, the team store revenue is pacing 892% ahead of 2022 and 153% ahead of 2021.
• Sales are up 2,544% in the month of September, to date, compared to last year at this time.

Many assumed it was a whole lot of shtick; plenty surely still do. There are differing opinions on whether what Deion Sanders has done in Boulder is good or bad for college football in the long term, and that won’t be settled with one game, or even one season. For now, however, one thing is certain: Thanks to Deion’s Midas touch, the Prime Effect has evolved into a full-blown Prime Economy.

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The post Buffaloes, Boulder & Blenders: How Deion Sanders’ Midas Touch Created the Coach Prime Economy appeared first on Boardroom.

The WNBA is coming off of a successful regular season, recording a 27% increase in viewers from last year and a 16% increase in attendance. As the playoffs begin, under the new league CBA, players participating in the postseason are due to receive a bonus. For teams eliminated in the first round, athletes will receive $1,616. For clubs exiting in the second round, players will pocket $3,123. The championship runner-up roster will take home $7,746, and the eventual WNBA champions will earn $20,825. The WNBA playoffs tip off on Wednesday night, with the Connecticut Sun hosting the Minnesota Lynx at 8 p.m. ET and the Aces facing the Chicago Sky at 10 p.m.

Boardroom’s Russell Steinberg has more details on the WNBA’s incentive structure.

Religion of Sports Teams Up with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi in New ESPN Series

There’s a new series debuting on ESPN, and it chronicles ongoing racial stereotypes in the sports world and reveals how common racism is in sports. Co-produced by ESPN+ Originals and Andscape — in association with Religion of Sports — Skin in the Game with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi features analysis from Dr. Kendi himself alongside athlete profiles and roundtable discussions with players, academics, and journalists. Each installment explores histories, statistics, and storytelling that challenges social standards. All five episodes of Skin in the Game will be available on ESPN+ on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

Major League Pickleball, PPA Tour Announce Merger

Major League Pickleball (MLP) and the PPA Tour announced a merger under a new pickleball holding company backed by a $50 million investment. A goal of the merger is to streamline schedules for players, fans, and sponsors in addition to providing more funding for the leagues. Per the Wednesday announcement, both MLP and the PPA Tour will continue to operate as separate entities within the new organization. The merger will also promote and negotiate sponsorships for both leagues, leading to increased opportunities for player competition, broadcasting rights, and sponsorship throughout the professional pickleball season.

New York Liberty Partners with NYX Ahead of WNBA Playoffs

Ahead of their first playoff game against the Washington Mystics on Friday, the New York Liberty announced Thursday their first partnership with cosmetics company NYX Professional Makeup. Regarding the alliance, an exec for Nyx said: “We are proud to partner with the New York Liberty, a marquee franchise of the WNBA, to bring greater visibility to women’s sports. Our shared commitment to our communities, self-expression, and fostering a culture of self-expression will allow NYX Professional Makeup and the NY Liberty to engage fans on and off the court. With the NY Liberty entering the playoffs, on their quest for their first-ever WNBA Championship, we celebrate this moment for our entire NYX community to cheer on this amazing team.”

French Montana Announces Morocco Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund

As Morocco continues recovery efforts following a fatal 6.8 magnitude earthquake earlier this month, French Montana announced the creation of an emergency fund for survivors of the natural disaster. The native Moroccan shared the news during the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Tuesday night, adding that he has teamed up with Global Citizen and CARE to provide emergency relief to those affected. The rapper will be donating $100,000 to the cause. As of Wednesday night, the death toll from the quake has risen to 2,946, wounding nearly double that at 5,674, according to Moroccan state television.

Colbert, Fallon & Kimmel to Put on Live Show to Benefit Staff Impacted by Strike

Usually, around this time of year, our favorite shows are returning from the summer hiatus. However, due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, that is not the case this year. To help out-of-work writers who aren’t collecting regular checks, three late-night hosts are planning a Las Vegas extravaganza. According to Deadline, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel have teamed up for a live show scheduled to air on Saturday, Sept. 23 from Dolby Live at Park MGM. This show will be the first time that the trio will perform on stage together. Over the last several weeks, the aforementioned comedians have all participated in a podcast alongside John Oliver and Seth Meyers. Oliver and Meyers will not be in Vegas as they have previous engagements doing individual stand-up shows. Profits from the event will go to out-of-work staff from the late-night shows. Tickets go on sale on Friday, Sept. 15.

The post WNBA Players Playing in the Postseason to Receive Bonuses appeared first on Boardroom.

Continuing the celebrations of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the MTV Video Music Awards announced Monday that the program will end with a tribute to the genre. Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Doug E. Fresh, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and LL Cool J will take the stage at the VMAs with Lil Wayne and show emcee Nicki Minaj for the finale. McDaniels — a member of the trailblazing rap group Run-DMC —is performing at the VMAs for the first time since the group teamed up with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry and Steven Tyler in 1987.

Ahead of MTV’s big night, Boardroom’s D’Shonda Brown breaks down everything you need to know about the Video Vanguard Award.

Disney, Charter Reach Agreement Hours Before MNF Opener on ESPN & ABC

Good news for the nearly 15 million subscribers who have accounts with Charter Communications. On Monday, Disney and Charter, which operates the Spectrum cable service, announced the two companies struck a “transformative agreement” to end a closely watched carriage dispute. This decision will restore access to channels like ESPN and ABC to the nation’s second-largest cable television provider, just hours before the Bills and Jets kick off on Monday Night Football. As part of the deal, Disney will provide the advertiser-supported offering of Disney+ to select Charter television packages. Disney-affiliated channels had been blacked out since the evening of Aug. 31, when the channels were pulled during a US Open tennis match and college football game.

Documentary for Bills’ Damar Hamlin in the Works

The remarkable story of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin‘s road to recovery following his on-field cardiac arrest in January is the subject of a new documentary. Did We Win began production when Hamlin underwent immediate treatment in the hospital, per Deadline, and continued as the 25-year-old adjusted to life after the scary incident. The feature is expected to highlight both his return to professional football and Hamlin‘s expanding charity efforts, which included a White House visit to speak with President Joe Biden and his non-profit Chasing M’s Foundation teaming up with the American Heart Association, American Red Cross and several other groups for The Smart Heart Sports Coalition. Skydance Sports and NFL Films are expected to help produce.

NBA Competition Committee Considering Fines for Resting Players in Nationally Televised Games

If the NBA Competition Committee has its way, your favorite team could soon be penalized for resting star players during nationally televised contests. The league’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on that ruling Wednesday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. If the policy is approved, franchises would reportedly face a $100,000 fine for a first violation. That figure would jump to $250,000 for the second violation and would then increase by $1 million for each subsequent violation, Wojnarowski explained on X. Shams Charania of The Athletic added that teams will only be disciplined for resting “star players,” which will reportedly be defined as any player who made the All-Star team or was named to the All-Pro team in the past three seasons.

Uber Adding Task-based Software to List of Services

You can already get a ride, food delivered, and rent a car via the Uber app. Now, the platform may soon add another program: the ability to complete tasks. According to Bloomberg, the engineers at Uber are developing a new software called “Chore.” First discovered by Steve Moser within the Uber app for iOS, the latest version explains that Chore will allow users to employ “taskers” for certain jobs, similar to how TaskRabbit functions. After requesting help, customers then clarify the task they need to complete, including when taskers should arrive and how long it’s expected to take. The app will then calculate a fee for the task before allowing the user to complete the booking.

‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Highlights Women’s Squad in Second Season

Wrexham is returning to Hulu. The docuseries, which spotlights the world’s third oldest professional soccer club recently acquired by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, kicks off its second season on Tuesday. This year, the show will expand the aperture to include the women’s club, and early reviews signal that forward Rosie Hughes is positioned to shine bright as a superstar, both on and off the pitch. The premiere comes just days before the 2023-24 season starts on Sept. 17, following the club’s promotion last season.

The post MTV VMAs Planning Star-studded Finale for 50th Anniversary of Hip-hop appeared first on Boardroom.

Linda Cohn has been a SportsCenter regular for decades, making her first appearance hosting the ESPN staple in 1992 and hosting more episodes than any other anchor in company history. And while the show has evolved over the years, at this point, the veteran sportscaster could run through a show with her eyes closed.

Figuring out which football games she and her co-host are hitting after a long Saturday? Preparing a special feature for the hockey segment of the night’s show? Interviewing an MMA athlete ahead of a big bout? That’s the easy part.

Things get exciting — for Cohn, the production team, and the viewer — when the show nears the end of the hour and the SportsCenter Top 10 plays hit the screen.

“You never know what highlights are gonna be in the Top 10,” Cohn told Boardroom. “Just having that unexpected part of it has kept it fresh over the years. It just doesn’t get old.”

Wait, even the anchors don’t know what the plays will be in real-time? That can’t be true, right?

“You gotta be quick on your feet,” SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett added. “To add to the entertainment value of it. You have to kind of read and react. It helps to have some wit on your side. … I think a part of the fun of it is experiencing these plays together with the viewer for the first time.”

So, that begs the question: How does ESPN compile the SportsCenter Top 10 every night? We know the anchors aren’t (solely) behind the selection of the plays, so what is the process of compiling the list and finalizing the order? Let’s dive in.

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It’s a simple concept, but every night, ESPN’s production room is tasked with scouring the sporting world to compile what they believe, as a collective unit, are the best 10 plays throughout that day.

Back in the days before social media, this mostly involved professional sports, as those were the only ones with the necessary reach to get back to the SportsCenter offices. Just ask Johann Castillio, the Vice President of Studio Shows for ESPN who has over 20 years of experience producing flagship shows such as NFL Countdown, SportsCenter, SC on the Road, and NBA studio shows.

“I even date myself to like, when we were working on tape, right? And it wasn’t a server, you know — you’re rolling on feeds in the old screening room, which was just tape decks all over the place,” he said. “And then the PAs would just yell, ‘I got a top 10, I got a top play!’ A supervisor would run over there, we’d look at it.

“It’s much more intimate. Everybody at night, whatever comes in, let’s just all communicate amongst each other in that room. And then the process is similar in that you’re still getting other people’s opinions back in the day. … You really just rely on what’s being brought in and there isn’t much influence from the outside.”

But now, with the presence of Twitter (errr…X) and other social media platforms, the production room is able to keep tabs on, well, everything. Of course, the major sports still consume the bulk of the Top 10 spots, but now, high schools, colleges, and even intramural leagues are able to tag SportsCenter or use certain hashtags to garner consideration for a Top 10 nod.

Kelly Millin is currently a producer for SC@Night at ESPN. Having held a number of positions since joining as a production assistant in 2013, she plays a major role in facilitating the discovery, ranking, and production of the SportsCenter Top 10 plays.

“In the nine to 10 years that I’ve been [at ESPN], social media has grown and grown and grown,” Millin said. “The more people have started really going to Twitter and going to different social channels to talk about the shows and give us [potential top plays], that has definitely helped.

“I would say I don’t really know what it’s like without Twitter. The more it’s become the go-to place, that’s made it a lot easier for us to be able to have access to a lot.”

As with any industry, some times of year are slower than others. For instance, in the fall when MLB is in the middle of its playoff season, the NFL is a few weeks old, and the NBA is set to tip-off, all mixed in with the various submissions and tagging mentioned above, there are options aplenty for the top 10.

But what about in the summer? Say, during a year in which there are no World Cups or Olympics. High schools are on break, as are most colleges. The NFL and the NBA are in their offseasons, leaving mostly baseball and the WNBA to choose from when it comes to making the top 10.

“I always say the 10 best plays are the 10 best plays, but we also try to get a variety in,” Millin said. “I would say with the summer, we definitely would rely on the hashtag and hopefully you get some fun, I don’t know, ultimate Frisbee and disc golf and some of those high school plays or something.”

Discovery is half the battle in this production process. But now comes the fun part — the actual ranking of the plays.

First off, let’s get this out of the way: It’s all subjective. The PAs, producers, and higher-ups all know this. (The only ones that might not realize it’s subjective are some of the viewers out there…)

So naturally, there are going to be moments of disagreement within the production team. Not in a bad way by any means, but rather, such instances create “healthy, constructive conversation,” says Deryk Cumagun, Coordinator Producer at ESPN overseeing the screening/highlight process.

The 22-year ESPN vet added: “On any given night, it’s such a subjective thing that, who knows what plays are there. … We all have to come through to a conclusion in a healthy way. … I don’t want to speak for you. This is your vision, you know? Or else, then, why do we have you?”

“Top 10 kind of brings the room together.”

Those last couple of lines from Cumagun really speak to the collaborative process of creating the SportsCenter Top 10 plays from start to finish. Castillo agrees.

“There’s a lot of collaboration, especially when it comes to No. 1 and No. 2 … I would never just be like, ‘That absolutely has to be No. 1. You’re wrong,'” Castillo said. “There’s a lot of talk among the circle and just the other PAs and a lot of it is really just reaction … and we just take the consensus as a whole.”

And once they got one ranking out there for the first SC of the night, their job isn’t over. What about those late-night West Coast baseball games? Or Pac-12 After Dark? (RIP) Sometimes, these are the contests that produce the biggest plays, making it harder to fill the 10 slots for the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter.

Of course, adding more plays to the mix in real-time can add more “constructive conversation” when having to adjust what was already produced. But that’s when the subjective fun starts, Millin says.

“Sometimes I like spurring those healthy debates,” she continued. “I think you can spark some fun conversations of, ‘I would’ve done this’ or ‘How come you didn’t do that?'”

Castillo, Cumagun, and Millin all play significant roles, but they are hardly the only ones involved. As Cumagun has learned over his 20-plus years at ESPN, building a trust and rapport with everyone helps produce the best product possible.

And this includes the on-air anchors, who rely on the producers to feed them accurate information. It’s a job those in the production room do not take lightly.

“That confidence with the anchor, if the anchor knows that you cut it or that I’m in the room, or that the co-producer is the one overseeing it, that comes out of their mouth,” Cumagun said. “So when he says, you know, my last name incorrectly, that goes to [the anchor], not me who cut it. So that’s a really important thing, too. While you’re making an impact on that high school kid, it’s only so great until you say his or her name wrong. And then it’s just like, ‘I’m so embarrassed.’

“I think that’s a big, real stressful thing there that I think a lot of us go through, whether you’re cutting it or overseeing it.”

But as Cumagun mentioned, when everything is done right — which is the case most of the time — it can make a great impact on that high school kid from North Dakota or that small-school college athlete who went viral for making a highlight catch.

Simply put: The people love it.

“But that’s the one thing [Top 10 plays] that, universally across the board, most people might stop and just watch the rest of it,” Cumagun said. “Because they know it’s daily and it’s quick. … I go to my 13-year-old’s practice and someone makes a diving cash, you hear that ‘Da Da Da, Da Da Da,’ that’s top 10.”

SportsCenter is a daily challenge for everyone involved — vice presidents, producers, coordinators — but especially for anchors, as it’s the most familiar uncertainty of their job. They may not know which plays are coming until the moment, but the process and production — with slight tweaking — of creating the SportsCenter Top 10 have been in place for years, as have many of the folks who put it all together.

And why the SportsCenter Top 10 remains one of the most popular of its kind all these years later is simple: It works.

“The concept is so simple but yet so effective that it really doesn’t need adjusting,” Stan said. “It’s one of those things that I think people have come to expect and have come to really enjoy about SportsCenter over the years. … The concept never gets stale because the plays that make up the Top 10 are new and fresh every night. It’s comforting in its sameness, but then it’s also exciting and it’s different every night.”

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The post The Collaborative, Imperfect Process Behind the SportsCenter Top 10 appeared first on Boardroom.

Aljamain Sterling couldn’t resist.

Riding a nine-fight winning streak longer than the division had ever seen, the UFC bantamweight champion was already ahead with one round in the books against ascendant 28-year-old challenger “Suga” Sean O’Malley, he of the pink braids and brash soundbites, in Saturday’s UFC 292 main event at Boston’s TD Garden. But known primarily for his jiu-jitsu game on the ground, Aljo was probing for a moment to shoot for the first takedown of the match.

A speculative O’Malley front-kick attempt was enough for the veteran to respond with an aggressive left hand that took him uncharacteristically off-balance. Then, the Suga Show went to 11:

It was a stunning end not just to Sterling’s championship reign in the 135-pound division — he closed as a -270 betting favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook and hadn’t lost since 2017 — but the era in which the unmistakable Sean O’Malley could be considered anything other than one of the foremost, ultra-marketable stars in all the UFC.

And if you were to take a closer look at how the UFC and parent company Endeavor have done business over the last few years, the Suga Show getting over and going mainstream with such demonstrable thunder feels as natural as can be.

In a different respect, meanwhile, it’s an example of the world’s biggest MMA promotion breaking a few of its own rules in search of a new and lucrative path forward.

Perhaps UFC President Dana White put it best: “O’Malley isn’t gonna be a star. He is a star.” 

Folks, let’s strap on the four-ounce gloves and discuss what this Sean O’Malley masterstroke means (and doesn’t mean!) for the business of the fight game, and why it’s happening now.

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Explaining Sean O’Malley and the Business of the UFC

The Suga Show does big numbers. Even more impressively, he’s doing it in a small weight class.

In the buzzing afterglow of Saturday’s main event, White was indeed effusive in his praise. In his first headlining bout as a UFC fighter, O’Malley’s championship moment came on a night in which the TD Garden generated just under $7.25 million in gate revenue, which White claimed was a record-breaking figure for the home of the NBA’s Celtics and NHL’s Bruins.

Sure, Uncle Dana is not exactly immune to the kind of fabulism that borders on carnival barking, but that number at the gate is noticeably higher than most such events held outside of Las Vegas — and when taken alongside the pay-per-view buzz, it’s clear that O’Malley managed to deliver a bump.

“This is also the biggest bantamweight championship fight ever on pay-per-view, globally. It broke the record,” White said in his post-UFC 292 press conference.

Don’t discount that part of the equation. Especially in America, whether it’s mixed martial arts or boxing, we love ourselves some heavyweights. Larger-than-life comic book superheroes. That’s what makes a 135-pound Gervonta Davis penetrating the zeitgeist and delivering explosive boxing highlights (and viewership numbers to match) so impressive. Now, MMA has its own authentically marketable power-hitter in the lower weight divisions — arguably for the first time ever.

(Naturally, O’Malley also called out Tank Davis for a boxing match. Vaya con dios!)

The UFC doesn’t need stars in order to make billions. They happily anointed O’Malley anyway.

John S. Nash of Bloody Elbow previously reported that in 2022, the UFC generated $1.14 billion in profits. Not revenue; profits. As noted by several outlets, that number is greater than the profits of every other global combat sports promotion combined.

So, how many times did Conor McGregor, the biggest star in the sport to the point that no one else is even close, fight in 2022 in order to deliver such a financial coup?

Zero times.

How is this possible? Look no further than a UFC business model that:

1. Reaps a head-turning windfall from its ongoing media rights deal with ESPN
2. Pays out less than 20% of revenues to fighters. Nash noted that the latter figure decreased to just 13.5% in 2022; leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB typically enjoy an approximate 50-50 split.

In other words, to maximize their bottom line, the UFC and parent company Endeavor do not need to build up new stars who would then inevitably demand bigger paydays. In context, the fact that they now choose to push Sean O’Malley after passing on the opportunity to do so with countless current and former champions with cachet, including former heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, is intriguing.

A sneakily telling detail therein: The UFC considers it a matter of policy not to make highlight videos from pay-per-view events freely available immediately after they occur. In the case of the decisive second round that saw Suga Sean stop Sterling, they made a rare exception:

Let’s talk about why that might be.

Spoiler alert: the timing is anything but an accident.

The UFC and its business model are approaching a crossroads.

Here are several things that are true:

• That blockbuster ESPN deal expires after 2025, at which point O’Malley — currently the only UFC champion under 30 — would still be just 31 years old.
• Since the ESPN partnership began in 2019, Endeavor also purchased WWE, which has its own media rights negotiation coming up. The wrestling giant’s current pact with NBCUniversal streamer Peacock ends in 2026.
• It has been reported that Endeavor could consider packaging UFC and WWE media rights together
• Let’s also appreciate that we’re squarely in the direct-to-consumer streaming era. If the UFC did choose to divest from the Disney/ESPN apparatus and all the casual visibility it brings, it would do well to pivot back towards being in the star-making business — and Sean O’Malley has the most long-term bankability there.

Endeavor will have zero interest in the profit train slowing down, so it’s conceivable that the path toward having the greatest number of good options going forward regarding its television and streaming future includes swinging the pendulum back toward boasting an elite stable of marketable stars to serve as its faces. Whether the Mystic Mac fanboys like it or not, Conor McGregor may never fight in an MMA cage again; plans for the future of the UFC brand need to be laid now and not left up to chance.

Oh, and we also need to mention the lawsuit!

An antitrust lawsuit against the UFC fundamentally threatens the way the promotion does business.

Yep, the media rights front isn’t the only one that could be transformative regarding how money flows through MMA in the years to come. Behold, the single most under-discussed topic in global combat sports: An antitrust lawsuit by several current and former MMA fighters against the UFC received class action certification earlier this month, a landmark moment whose implications could easily be worth billions, either through a settlement or a formal ruling that would force the UFC to reboot itself.

Here’s the short version: plaintiffs allege that the UFC constitutes an illegal monopoly or monopsony due to business practices — especially the structure of its athlete contracts — that effectively prevent free agency for the vast majority of fighters.

And it sure sounds like the judge who granted the class action status, Richard Boulware of the US District Court for Nevada, is amenable to the plaintiffs’ concerns on anti-competitive grounds.

All told, the UFC has done handsomely well for itself over these last few years by staying out of the star-making business, which has prevented several fighters from maximizing their own earning potential. By additionally minimizing access to free agency, they have been able to opt out of a competitive landscape for talent through which rival promotions could stand a reasonable chance of picking off athletes with competitive offers outside of truly unusual circumstances.

Now, even if they face no true comeuppance for their approach to doing business, they do see writing on the wall. So, as they advance towards a potentially explosive future, they’re making a point to pump up the volume on the Suga Show today knowing that the golden vein they’ve mined so successfully for the last several years is suddenly at a heightened risk of running dry.

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The post Suga Showstopper: What the Sean O’Malley Era Really Means for the UFC’s Bottom Line appeared first on Boardroom.

Disney was only one of several Hollywood studios to release a fiscal snapshot this week. The news comes as writers and actors continue to strike amidst ongoing negotiations with production companies — the Writers Guild of America’s strike hit 100 days on Aug. 9 as SAG-AFTRA continues to stand in solidarity, and production companies are beginning to feel the effects.

With that in mind, let’s break down some of the high-level takeaways laid out in earnings reports from Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Sony.

Hollywood Studio Earnings Overview

Disney

Bob Iger’s second dance at Disney is proving to be a little more complicated than he may have realized upon resuming his role as the company’s CEO. The House of Mouse released its Q3 earnings report on Wednesday, which continued struggles. However, always the optimist, Iger pointed to signs that the struggles were about to turn to success.

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Key takeaways from Disney’s recent earnings report:

• Total revenue netted out at $22.3 billion (+4% from the previous quarter), coming up just short of a $22.5 billion projection.
• The TV line of business experienced a sharp decrease for the second straight quarter. ESPN continues to be impacted by league-owned efforts to capitalize on large-scale profits. 
• Streaming losses were down to $512 million as the House of Mouse continues to keep pace in the war for audience attention. In response, the company announced subscription price increases coming in October, which will raise the Disney+ platform’s ad-free tier from $12 to $15 a month. Additionally, Disney-owned Hulu bumps up from $15 to $18. Iger is interested in buying out Hulu minority partner Comcast and owning the platform outright.
• The company posted $2.65 billion in one-time payments throughout the quarter after it stripped several offerings from its streaming services.
• A bright spot came via Disney’s parks, experiences, and products division, which enjoyed a 13% increase from the previous quarter.
• The company’s stock increased 4% overnight in response to the report.

Lionsgate

The Hollywood giant’s fiscal Q1 earnings report highlighted some struggles related to the prolonged nature of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Previously, Lionsgate announced that it was spinning off premium cable network Starz as a separate entity; however, the plans are now up in the air due to the compounding issues confronting all of Hollywood.

Key takeaways from Lionsgate’s recent earnings report:

• Lionsgate is prioritizing moving forward with its acquisition of entertainment company eOne. Hasbro, eOne’s parent company, agreed to terms with Lionsgate on Aug. 3 to offload its television and movie assets for a reported $500 million.
• In order to accelerate the eOne deal, Lionsgate will momentarily pause its decision-making on Starz. Instead, it will look to expand the network’s reach in the US and Mexico while slowing efforts elsewhere in Latin America.
• Shares dropped $0.31 throughout the quarter, which was up as compared to the $0.53 decline last year at this time.
• Lionsgate is bullish on upcoming releases, which included The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Saw X.

Paramount

The legacy studio made a major move this week, announcing that it was selling publishing house Simon & Schuster to private equity firm KKR. Additionally, in an effort to close production gaps, it will move reruns of its hugely popular Yellowstone to CBS starting this fall.

As Paramount CEO Bob Bakish reflected on the Q2 outcomes, “We maintained our focus on scaling our streaming platforms, maximizing our traditional business, and building a sustainable business model that will return the company to significant earnings growth in 2024.”

Key takeaways from Paramount’s recent earnings report:

• Paramount+ logged 61 million users
• KKR will acquire Paramount Global-owned Simon & Schuster for a reported $1.6 billion. Employees will be offered an equity stake in the transaction, a model KKR has utilized for past acquisitions to smooth transitions.
• Analysts raised their projections for the stock price in the coming quarter while acknowledging that Paramount has a number of challenges ahead.
• The company’s stock price increased upon the report, which demonstrated better-than-expected earnings overall.

Sony Pictures

It was a mixed earnings moment for Sony. On the music side, performance surged on the back of continued success from recent drops from artists like SZA and Harry Styles. Similarly, the games projections steadily rose after a 28% bump in sales for its PlayStation video game consoles. However, despite the success of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which drew $591 million globally, the company saw a significant decrease in year-over-year sales and operating income in fiscal Q1.

Key takeaways from Sony Pictures’ recent earnings report:

• It saw a 71% year-over-year decrease in operating income, coming in at $115 million.
• Sales decreased from $2.64 billion to $2.33 billion year-over-year, largely due to a comparative decline in the number of television series and film distribution opportunities.
• Theatrical sales were up comparatively.
• Despite a difficult quarter, annual profit projections remained the same at $838.1 million for its fiscal year, which ends on March 30, 2024.
• Sony’s stock dropped 5% after the release of the report.

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The post Hollywood Earnings Roundup: Bob Iger Bullish on Disney’s Future Amid Strike Uncertainty appeared first on Boardroom.

ESPN made an enormous leap into sports betting Tuesday when it announced a partnership with Penn Entertainment to rebrand its current Penn Entertainment sportsbook offerings in 16 legalized states to ESPN Bet starting this fall. Penn will pay ESPN $1.5 billion over an initial 10-year term which could be extended an additional 10 year upon mutual agreement.

ESPN Bet will take over for DraftKings as the company’s official sportsbook, and Penn Entertainment will receive attribution for odds, promotional services, and other product and content integration across the network’s numerous platforms.

“Our primary focus is always to serve sports fans and we know they want both betting content and the ability to place bets with less friction from within our products,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in an official release. “The strategy here is simple: to give fans what they’ve been requesting and expecting from ESPN. Penn Entertainment is the perfect partner to build an unmatched user experience for sports betting with ESPN Bet.”

As part of the deal, ESPN will also get the right to purchase an additional 31.8 million Penn shares for $500 million of warrants, and if market share thresholds are met, the warrants to purchase 6.4 million additional Penn Shares. The long-term strategic partnership will also include existing Penn betting brands, including Barstool Sportsbook, rebranding as ESPN Bet. Penn Entertainment will sell off 100% of Barstool Sports as part of the transaction.

On the heels of the news, the Worldwide Leader said it would continue its high standard of journalistic integrity when covering the sports betting space while developing a committee for responsible gaming to review compliance and policies across its business, including working with industry experts on best practices.

“This agreement with ESPN and collaboration on ESPN Bet allows us to take another step forward as an industry leader,” Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said. “Together, we can utilize each other’s strengths to create the type of experience that existing and new bettors will expect from both companies, and we can’t wait to get started.”

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ESPN has long been rumored to directly enter the sports betting business in some way. Now, it has done so without — and specifically without partnering with American market share leaders like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Caesars.

All told, it’s a win for Penn Entertainment’s long-term future and an intriguing move for ESPN as Disney considers selling off the iconic cable network or bringing in a sports league as an equity partner. Penn estimates an additional potential $500 million to $1 billion annual added EBIDTA earnings as part of the deal. How getting involved in sports betting in 16 states — and likely more over time as it tries to earn approval elsewhere in the US — will impact ESPN’s own long-term future will be an increasingly intriguing subplot to monitor in the coming months.

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The post ESPN Bet is Here: Worldwide Leader Leaps into the Sportsbook Game with Penn Entertainment appeared first on Boardroom.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, and Boardroom, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s premier media brand covering the business of sports, music, and entertainment, have teamed up to produce CNBC X Boardroom Game Plan, an all-new, high-powered event on July 25 in Los Angeles focused on what drives today’s teams, leagues, and fans in a rapidly evolving world.

Keep it locked on this space for all the latest updates on the ground from this special event sponsored by Eventpipe and Jeep Wagoneer — and be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #GamePlan23.

Kevin Durant: “I like my time.”

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PANEL: The Ownership Game: Teams & Leagues Take Center Stage

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Jessica Berman: NWSL is focused on the future fan

PANEL: The Business of Live Sports

Jimmy Pitaro: ESPN will consider sports leagues as strategic partners

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PANEL: The Business of Live Sports

Boardroom x CNBC Game Plan Panels & Speakers

The Business of Live Sports

• Moderator: Julia Boorstin, Senior Media & Tech Correspondent, CNBC
• Jessica Berman, Commissioner, National Women’s Soccer League
• Aryeh Bourkoff, Chairman & CEO, LionTree,
• Jay Marine, Vice President, Prime Video / Global Head of Sport, Amazon
• Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, ESPN

 The Ownership Game: Teams & Leagues Take Center Stage

• Moderator: Scott Wapner, Host of Fast Money Halftime Report and Closing Bell, CNBC
• David Blitzer, Co-managing Partner, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment / Global Head, Tactical Opportunities, Blackstone Inc.
• Lexie Brown, WNBA player, Los Angeles Sparks / Executive Committee, Athletes Unlimited
• Paul Rabil, Co-founder and President, Premier Lacrosse League
• Clara Wu Tsai, Vice Chair, BSE Global / Governor, New York Liberty

Shifting Dynamics: Sports Leadership and the Future

• Moderator: Julia Boorstin, Senior Media & Tech Correspondent, CNBC
• Linda Alvarado, Co-owner, Colorado Rockies
• Ashlyn Harris, Global Creative Advisor, NJ/NY Gotham FC
• Jessica Holtz, Co-head of Basketball, CAA Sports
• Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director, National Basketball Players Association

The Future of Tennis & Athlete Brand-Building

• Moderator: Rich Kleiman, Co-founder and CEO, Boardroom and 35V
• Stuart Duguid, Co-founder, EVOLVE Agency
• Nick Kyrgios, Professional tennis player

Pickleball: The Next Level

• Interviewer: Vinciane Ngomsi, Staff Writer, Boardroom
• Steve Kuhn, Founder, Major League Pickleball

Winning: One-on-one with Stanley Kroenke

• Interviewer: Scott Wapner, Host of Fast Money Halftime Report and Closing Bell, CNBC
• Stan Kroenke, CEO, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Arsenal FC, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids)

The Intersection of Sports x Entertainment: The Crossover  

• Moderator: Andrew Ross Sorkin, CNBC “Squawk Box” Co-Anchor
• Paolo Banchero, 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year, Orlando Magic 
• Larry Jackson, Co-Founder & CEO, Gamma
• Will Welch, Global Editorial Director, GQ

Keynote with KD

• Interviewer: Andrew Ross Sorkin, CNBC “Squawk Box” Co-Anchor
• Kevin Durant, Co-founder, Boardroom / Two-time NBA champion

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For more than four years, the NBA looked to improve upon and globalize its fan festival concept NBA Crossover, which debuted at the 2017 All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Led by Joey Graziano, the NBA’s senior vice president of business operations and strategy, the league looked at its own events and other industry conventions like Comic-Con to bring fans closer to the game in one-of-one ways they were never going to experience anywhere else.

The first-ever NBA Con finally came to life last weekend inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, where 25,000 fans over three days saw everything from the unveiling of the new NBA in-season tournament, appearances from more than 125 players, including seven from the 75th-anniversary team like Jerry West and Ray Allen, musical performances from artists like 2 Chainz and Toosi, and unique installments and activations from league partners both new and established.

The goal is to make NBA Con an international franchise with multiple fan-centric conventions a year all over the world, including at tentpole events like All-Star Weekend, the NBA Draft, preseason games in cities like Abu Dhabi, and regular-season games in cities such as Paris and London.

For Graziano, his main objective was for fans to leave the event and say they couldn’t have experienced anything like this without showing up in person.

“You’re asking them to get off the couch and to come here. So you have to raise the bar and deliver them more,” Graziano told Boardroom. “Whether that’s a piece of merchandise they want to acquire, something they want to collect, a photo that they couldn’t have gotten or they want to meet another fan or they want to see a conversation, I want our fans to leave and say, ‘that was worth it.'”

The NBA partnered with Emerald — which runs more than 50 trade shows, from Advertising Week and The Pizza Show to Surf Expo and cannabis conference MJBizCon — to plan and scale the event to hundreds of thousands of square feet. For Ron Walden, Emerald’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships, his job is to bring his expertise to help the NBA reach consumers and create immersive environments via non-endemic partners not directly related to basketball.

The league ended up bringing 46 exhibitors and global partners, including AT&T, ESPN, Amazon, Michelob Ultra, Pepsi, New Era, Mitchell & Ness, iHeart, and CrunchyRoll. But Emerald’s trade shows are largely B2B, connecting manufacturers with retailers. Here, the NBA was trying to connect the culture of basketball to the fans themselves.

“Basketball is one of the few sports that really translates well and transitions off-court into a lifestyle,” Walden told Boardroom. “For trade shows, we try to imagine conceptually of what the experience would be.”

In these types of convention spaces, Emerald starts with a giant physical square and then divides those spaces into different neighborhoods. Each of these incorporated elements of the NBA culture, focusing on fashion, art, music, and technology, to name a few.

The Park included a court where NBA teams held practices, courts for kids and adults to play, a store powered by Amazon Music, a pickleball court, and an autograph stage. The Drip offered exclusive drops and opportunities to buy streetwear and merch from brands like Cross Colours and Wararie Boswell. The Collection gave fans the chance to take a photo with an NBA championship ring and buy game-worn jerseys and card drops from Panini.

AT&T also had space at The Drip, expanding the company’s Fit Cam from All-Star Weekend celebrities in Salt Lake City to fans who wanted a taste of the red-carpet treatment. For Andrea Wilson, AT&T’s director of sponsorships and experiential marketing, she felt like the company had to be there.

“We want to make sure that we are finding ways to elevate the experience for these fans that are here,” she told Boardroom. “These are the most passionate NBA fans, the ones that live the culture day in, day out. We wanted to find a way to complement their experience that they’re going to have here in a way that’s giving them something like social ready video for them to post online when they get their new merch.”

To bring the NBA Con concept to life after years of iteration and ideation, Graziano and his team looked to not just the league’s own events, but industry sensations like Comic-Con for exclusive collaborations and moments fans couldn’t possibly get elsewhere. For Comic-Con, he said, it’s the way in which they bring people together and provide not just products but conversations. For the NBA, it was a mix of live podcasts, panels, and special conversations between unprecedented combinations, like when Victor Wembanyama chatted with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“They had to be not just about the right time and place, but also the right moment,” Graziano said. “Things that only really make sense at this bespoke moment. That’s the type of thing we learn when you look at what Comic-Con has done so well. People show up for those types of moments and conversations because they know if they miss this one, it won’t happen ever again.”

For Graziano, Walden, and Wilson, putting on this event was complicated by the short runway everyone involved had in order to pull NBA Con off. Circumstances dictated that the league, Walden, and partners only had 90 days to set up this inaugural event.

“This is unprecedented in event business, to put on an activation and event of this size and scale in less than a year,” Walden said.

For partners like Wilson, the window was even smaller. She said she found out about full details 60 days out, but AT&T is in the live event business all the time and was able to produce a fun fan experience under a tight deadline.

Graziano acknowledged asking everyone to make sacrifices to come to Las Vegas under tight timelines, one of the challenges the NBA faced in launching this new business, but he told partners that NBA Con was a franchise and platform with sticking power.

“So if you miss the first one, we’ll see you at the next one,” he said. “For some of the brands that couldn’t come out for this first NBA Con, we know they’re going to have a brand new identity for the next one and we hope to see them there.”

Graziano believes there’s a desire to make NBA Con a commercial, profit-driving entity, and its partnership with Emerald is crucial in that regard. What Walden and Emerald were telling prospective exhibitors, sponsors, artists, and celebrities was “Look at what we’ve been able to do in 90 days.”

And while it’s hard to bring live games around the world, it’s a lot more feasible to bring something like NBA Con to audiences in far-flung continents. Now, it’s up to Graziano and the league to ensure each edition of the event has its own distinct vision where fans and partners can experience and curate a bespoke environment that’ll never be seen again.

Walden said Emerald’s intent is to be back again for the next NBA Con in December, likely in a US city that doesn’t have an NBA team. And whether it’s a net promoter score or a fan poll, this first event will be judged by whether promoters and attendees are happy with how things turned out.

“We want to know if the fans had a good time and found value in the propositions,” he said. “I don’t know any place else in this city or any other city where you get to meet with players, get to watch players play, have most of those conversations with players and other influencers, while also having full-blown concerts.

“Ultimately, the fan will tell us if it was done right.”

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The post Building NBA Con, a Unique Fan Experience with a Global View appeared first on Boardroom.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, and Boardroom, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s premier media brand covering the business of sports, music, and entertainment, are teaming up to produce Game Plan, an all-new, high-powered event taking place on July 25 in Los Angeles focused on what drives today’s teams, leagues, and fans in a rapidly evolving world.

So, who are the innovators and thought leaders shaping this special engagement?

Check out the full list of confirmed CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan participants below.

Click here to learn more about Boardroom and CNBC’s Game Plan and find out how you can apply to attend or live stream the event.

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Who’s Headed to the CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan Event?

The post All Confirmed Speakers and Panelists for CNBC x Boardroom’s Game Plan Event appeared first on Boardroom.

Bill Walton is in outer space.

No, he did not join Michael Strahan and Jeff Bezos on a long-distance flight from Blue Origin. Rather, he’s on a Zoom call with Pat McAfee and AJ Hawk, explaining why Nicola Jokić is able to dominate the NBA Playoffs all from the custom comforts of a background that mirrors Magic the Gathering or a trip scene from a Harold and Kumar film.

“He enjoys passing,” Walton says. “His passes are timely and accurate. And when you have that? It allows the offense to flow seamlessly pretty much like the Arkansas River coming off the eastern spoke off the continental divide.”

Glowing atop the fantasy screensaver, it’s tough to tell whether the light is coming from his laptop or within. Just the same, it’s tough to tell whether the retired Hall of Famer is talking about the Nuggets All-Star or himself.

For 70 years, it’s been tough to tell what Bill Walton is talking about.

Born with a speech impediment and now an acclaimed announcer both loved and loathed for his stream-of-consciousness tangents, the NBA All 75 Team member has lived a life of being misunderstood and made a living off his counterculture intricacies.

Forty-four years ago, Walton signed what was then the biggest basketball contract in NBA history, inking an $800K annual salary with the San Diego Clippers. It came on the heels of sitting out a season in Portland due to a public protest of their medical staff with his new deal in Southern California including comped concert tickets.

These days, Walton works on-air as a color commentator, calling Pac-12 games on live television in Grateful Dead gear while occasionally gracing the NBA App as a host for his Throw it Down telecast.

On Tuesday, Walton’s weird world of alternative programming seamlessly flows like that of the Arkansas River as his biographical docuseries debuted in the days between NBA Finals games.

Calling in acclaimed director Steve James, ESPN reached out to the mind behind Hoop Dreams to dive into the galaxy that is Bill Walton. The original brief was to create a documentary focused on Walton and his famed 1977 season in Portland, in which he led the NBA in both blocks and rebounds, leading the Trail Blazers to their first and only NBA championship.

It was perfect fodder to run on an off-day in which ABC had the 2023 NBA Finals. However, James saw something bigger.

“I was approached by ESPN about doing this project,” James told Boardroom. “I knew a bit about his story, but I hadn’t read his memoir. I read it and I said, ‘I’d love to do it.'”

Having chronicled the triumphs and trials of Steve Prefontaine and Allen Iverson, James saw a story in Walton that was bigger than one title run.

Rather, he saw a chance to unpack a life that spans sports, politics, social unrest, an unlikely entertainment ascent, and an incredibly bittersweet bill of health.

“I wanted to get my arms around his entire career,” James said. “They totally were agreeable with that.”

Chatting with Boardroom, James shines a light on The Luckiest Guy in the World, his new docuseries about the life and times of Bill Walton.

It’s an illuminating look at a star who’s always floated in his own orbit, transcending basketball, politics, and even business in a way you have to see to believe.

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Appointment Viewing

Three accessories defined Bill Walton’s wild ride in Portland.

A headband, a bicycle, and crutches.

After exiting UCLA with three National College Player of the Year awards and two NCAA championships, Walton went first overall to the Trail Blazers — a franchise only in its fourth year of existence. His four seasons in Oregon were a medley of injuries, polarizing public behavior, and self-discovery.

“He’s a very unique person in American sports,” James said. “The various transformations he’s made over the years from a very quiet, withdrawn athlete in his early years — who was hugely successful — to in his early years being vilified for being hurt a lot to his political views.”

From only playing 35 games as a rookie to winning a title and Finals MVP in Year 3, Walton’s run in Portland was surrounded by controversy — and cameras.

Unbeknownst to most, a documentary shot around the 1977 championship team was unearthed and obtained by ESPN to add archival film to the new 30 for 30.

“You see practice footage, game footage,” James said. “Footage most people have not seen.”

Debuting on June 6 — a night in which the Nuggets vs. Heat series is on rest — fans will get an inside look at the man most known now from his sideline commentary. While Jokic and Kevin Love will be off that evening, video clips dating back to the ’70s reveal an amazing post-passer who was not just ahead of his time but ahead of his coaches.

“Bill’s instincts for outlet passing even predated Wooden,” said James. “You could see it in his high school footage, his coach talks about Bill whipping an outlet pass before he even hit the ground. People have talked about Jokic being the greatest passing big man since Bill Walton. If you do a deep dive on his footage you see the offense ran through him.”

As exemplified, Walton’s unique lens on the game got him paid more than most basketball players of his era. Just the same, his unique lens on life made him maligned by the media in his playing days yet an appealing broadcaster in his retirement. It’s a balance that’s made him more enigmatic than just about any of his player peers.

A walking contradiction, Walton the center was both a coach’s dream and an organization’s nightmare. As a player, he was as team-oriented as a superstar talent ever was, placing passing, defense, and rebounding above scoring or any individual accolade. Still, his tragic injury issues made him miss more games and receive more flack than even today’s purveyors of load management could imagine.

That was just the highs and lows of Walton between the lines. As an alternative thinker, his ability to question authority — the US government at that — was inspiring to an audience of hippies while painful for PR personnel. In the ’70s, his rebellious rhetoric was viewed as even too much for progressive Portland.

Wearing his hair past his shoulders and heart on his sleeve, the No. 1 draft pick and eventual MVP challenged social constructs, war, and politics in a manner seldom seen in an athlete of his size, stature, or background.

“Bill is arguably one of the most outspoken White athletes in American sports that we’ve seen,” James said. “There’s a history of great Black athletes who have spoken out and been heard incredibly, Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell immediately come to mind. Bill was outspoken, and he was outspoken at a time when he was a pretty shy guy in general. He was very outspoken about his views of the US government and the FBI.”

Keep in mind, Walton’s will to speak out came with the weight of a speech impediment in an era where athletes couldn’t type their thoughts, instantly appearing online. All his outspoken moments aligned with not just the height of his fame but the lows of his injuries.

In Portland, it all culminated in a revolt against the franchise’s treatment of the injuries of his peers and his own. The public protest saw Walton sit out an entire season, signing with his hometown San Diego Clippers after an aggravating year off the court.

Changing uniforms, some saw the jersey swap as not just a money move but a rebrand. Moreso, it was taking the weight off a highly scrutinized NBA arrival that positioned him as a public target.

“When he got to San Diego, I think he decided that he didn’t want to be this counterculture icon that he’d become in Portland,” said James. “I think the suit that he wore to the press conference isn’t representative of who he was either. It wasn’t like he suddenly became a corporate brand, I think he just wanted to make a clean break with Portland.”

Still Bill, he encountered countless surgeries while in California, butting heads with team owner, Donald Sterling. While his contract allowed access to concerts, his body was begging for a change in career path.

After attending law school at Stanford while trying to stay on the court for the Clippers, Walton signed with the Boston Celtics, where he’d moved to a different bench.

In Boston, Bill won the 1986 NBA Sixth Man of the Year and another title, defying a body that had often denied him. Once retired, the next mountain to climb was his staggering stutter, a steep summit that meant continued work and purpose on television.

As expected, James and his docuseries jumped into Walton’s second professional path with the same showmanship.

Colorful Commentator

Bill Walton — the basketball player — was prophetic, sensing a shot block before it happened while parlaying it into a fast break.

Bill Walton — the TV analyst — is polarizing.

“People either love him as an announcer or they really, really don’t like him,” James said. “But he is unique, and he knows that. He knows he has his defenders and his detractors but he’s going to do it his way.”

In the 30 for 30 docuseries, James dives into Walton’s transition from the 7-foot center barely able to walk to the TV announcer who once couldn’t talk.

Blessed by the divine intervention of running into Clippers play-by-play man Ralph Lawler while on a 7-11 beer run, Walton’s work on his speech has made him one of basketball’s best journeymen in the television business.

Over the course of over 30 years, he’s taken titles at CBS, NBC, ABC, and ESPN. Walton’s worked on basketball’s biggest occasions and even won an Emmy for his off-kilter excellence.

More impressively, he’s carved out a niche lane today that allows him to be his true and full self, calling Pac-12 games and having his alternate telecast.

This West Coast time slot and app audience allow for tangents that the bigwigs in major markets or East Coast cable companies wouldn’t allow.

“They’d say, ‘You can be Bill, but you can’t give history lessons about Lewis and Clark during the broadcast,'” James said. “He has a lot freer hand to be who he is where he is now. He’s able to channel his freak flag if you will, and that’s okay for that venue.”

It also allows for a more colorful wardrobe.

“Some years ago he made a decision that he was never going to wear a suit again,” said James. “When he was first announcing the NBA games he was wearing a suit every time because it was a requirement and I think he wanted to fit in. He has since decided that he’s going to wear his Grateful Dead t-shirts and do the games his way. It’s one reason why he’s not doing the Finals.”

Bill Walton, a man who’s played in three NBA Finals and won two of them, need not take a check from ABC or direction. Just like his alternate telecasts attain an audience all their own, Walton’s found the time to tell his own story while basketball’s best are on rest.

With this week’s debut of The Luckiest Guy Alive, the well-renowned Dead Head is resurrecting one of ESPN’s most storied series in parallel to that of the Nuggets vs. Heat series.

It all aligns for a timely tale that’s continuing to build one of entertainment’s best brands within a brand.

30 Plus

When Bill Simmons and Connor Schell created 30 for 30 as ESPN employees back in 2007, the concept was both simple and daunting: tell 30 dramatic sports stories in film form that capture the network’s then-three decades of existence.

Somewhat surprising? They absolutely stuck the landing from diving deep into Michael Jordan’s baseball sabbatical to explaining the intersection of crime and soccer in Colombia. Even more impressive, they were able to pull in top talent directorially such as Ron Shelton and Barbara Kopple. Levi’s and Cadillac served as the headlining sponsor, helping fund the projects and allowing for fewer advertisement breaks.

30 for 30 was a critical and commercial success. Thus, it was no longer intended to stop at 30.

In the time since the series’ Oct. 6, 2009, debut, 30 for 30 has expanded to numerous seasons, stories, and platforms. From the days of DVD box sets to the podcast phenomenon, 30 for 30 is among the strongest brands built within ESPN, now creating leverage for the company’s streaming service, ESPN+.

There since the start was Steve James, famous for directing No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson, back in Season 1.

Perhaps more powerful, his 1994 masterpiece, Hoop Dreams, may have sparked the fervor for sports documentaries in a modern sense.

In a world where The Last Dance united a divided country at a standstill and content consumption exists at an all-time high, fans will have the chance to take in Walton’s rich story in an intimate fashion more modern than his memoir.

James, a lifelong basketball fan who grew up watching Walton at UCLA and even played a season of college ball himself, had the privilege of spending time talking to the living legend about his high highs and low lows. It was all captured on tape with much of it making it to the final cut.

“There was a bit of a dance until he fully gave himself over to it,” James said. “One of the reasons I include the exchanges back and forth between me and Bill — which I do more in this film than in any other film I’ve done — is because I felt those exchanges were revealing.”

Parseling practice footage from the ’70s and ’80s as well as new interviews with the likes of Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and many more, the project lives in rarified air in which the director saw an opportunity to tell a bigger story rather than a network asking for extra episodes.

The reasons for the four episodes are both bigger than basketball and more meaningful than just waxing poetic about the past.

“Athletes are, in general, more vocal these days about what goes on in the world,” James said. “He wasn’t a person that was seeking media attention, but he had strong political beliefs.”

From speaking on social issues with both a stutter and a place of privilege to taking on organizations like his employer and the FBI, Bill Walton’s story is one of triumph and tragedy, scored by major moments of misunderstanding.

As sports documentaries tie tangential themes and alternate telecasts allow off-topic thoughts and bizarre conversations to flourish, perhaps no one is better than Bill Walton to open up a new space of sports media where athletes and culture collide.

“I don’t think anyone has experienced more super highs and super lows than Bill Walton over the course of his life and career in the world of sports,” James said.

It’s a universe only Walton truly understands, but one James has been kind enough to let the world into.

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The post Bill Walton & the Ascent of Alternate Programming appeared first on Boardroom.

One of the most talented and polarizing athletes of the last 30 years will finally get the sports documentary treatment. HBO and Words + Pictures are in production on a Barry Bonds documentary that will include the legendary and controversial slugger’s firsthand experiences.

Keith McQuirter, who won the 2021 NAACP Image Award for directing “By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem,” will direct the project. Ezra Edelman, who won an Academy Award in 2017 for producing “O.J.: Made In America” will serve as an executive producer alongside McQuirter and the duo of Connor Schell and Libby Geist, who helped create ESPN‘s “30 For 30” documentary series and executive produced “The Last Dance.”

A diverse cast of influential figures in Bonds’ life and baseball career will participate and give Bonds a chance to clear the air himself in this currently untitled film.

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“Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s, Barry Bonds was the ultimate superstar. You couldn’t escape his name or his game, his story, or his personality,” McQuirter said. “Every time he stepped up to the plate, the energy was electric because he wasn’t just competing with his contemporaries, he was competing with history.”

The single-season and career MLB home run champion was dogged by allegations of performance enhancing drug use throughout the latter part of his storied tenure with the San Francisco Giants. The documentary goes back to his early days as the son of All-Star outfielder Bobby Bonds and the godson of all-time great Willie Mays, running up to the 1990s and 2000s when he dominated that game like few in history with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Giants. You can’t tell the story of baseball and sports as a whole at the turn of the millennium without Bonds being prominently featured, which this film will attempt to spotlight.

“Bonds was undoubtedly controversial, but no matter how you felt about him, his pursuit of becoming the greatest player of all time was mesmerizing,” McQuirter said. “Through a series of interviews, we will illuminate the untold story of Bonds, providing an intimate look behind the scenes. It will all add up to a complex journey that was one of the most enduring and consequential tales in American sports history, a tale I can’t wait to tell.”

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The post HBO Producing Barry Bonds Documentary appeared first on Boardroom.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, and Boardroom, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s premier media brand covering the business of sports, music, and entertainment, are teaming up to produce CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan, an all-new, high-powered event taking place on July 25 in Los Angeles. Today, we’re highlighting featured speaker Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN. Click here to view the full list of CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan speakers.

Jimmy Pitaro isn’t running out of ideas anytime soon. Officially named Chairman of ESPN earlier this year — his 14th at the Walt Disney Company — the timing of this former attorney’s leadership at the Worldwide Leader in Sports coincides with periods of impressive creative innovation.

On his watch, ESPN has not just been a key player in acquiring and extending US media rights across numerous sports and leagues, but has developed all-new platforms for engaging with fans, from the ESPN+ streaming service to Peyton and Eli Manning’s Monday Night Football “ManningCast to content crossovers with other Disney properties like Marvel and Star Wars.

Learn more about Jimmy Pitaro’s Game Plan below.

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Jimmy Pitaro’s Game Plan

Background & Career

• Native of Westchester County, New York
• Graduate of Cornell University and St. John’s Law School
• 2023-present: Chairman, ESPN
• 2020-23: Chairman, ESPN and Sports Content
• 2018-20: ESPN President and co-chair of Disney Media Networks
• 2016-18: Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
• First joined Walt Disney Company in 2010 as Co-President of Disney Interactive
• Former Head of Media at Yahoo
• Board member at the College Football Hall of Fame, Paley Center for Media, The V Foundation, and the National Football Foundation

Accomplishments & Milestones

• Sports Business Journal’s Sports Executive of the Year (2020)
• Multichannel News Sports Executive of the Year (2018)
• Sports Business Journal “40 Under 40” honoree (2009)
• Has successfully overseen negotiations of media rights deals with the NFL, MLB, NHL, MLB, SEC, XFL, PGA Tour, and La Liga

Click here to learn more about Boardroom and CNBC’s Game Plan event and find out how you can sign up today.

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In the wake of 10-part 2021 streaming documentary series Man in the Arena capturing Tom Brady‘s Super Bowl history and GOAT-level career taking home last year’s Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary Series, an upcoming In the Arena sequel is in the works. On Tuesday, ESPN and Religion of Sports announced that Serena Williams will be the focus of its next iteration.

Serena’s journey from teenage phenom to an icon with 23 Grand Slam singles titles will play out in a multi-part series co-produced by ESPN, Religion of Sports, Brady’s 199 Productions, and Williams’ and Caroline Currier’s Nine Two Six Productions. RoS co-founder Gotham Chopra will direct the series just as he did for the Brady doc.

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In The Arena will feature exclusive interviews with Williams and key figures throughout her life in chronicling her greatest tennis triumphs and personal challenges, her biggest matches, her lowest moments, and her transition from life on the court to becoming a mother and entrepreneur.

Other details on the ESPN+ streaming series will be forthcoming. In the meantime, it’s worth considering how much of the Man in the Arena playbook this Serena sequel replicates. Over the course of the 10 Brady-centric episodes, additional shoulder content included Inside the Arena, a postgame show of sorts after each new airing hosted by ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates and former New England Patriots teammate Teddy Bruschi. There was also After the Arena, an ESPN social media show starring Shae Cornette, Jason Fitz, and Skubie Mageza, and a Man in the Arena-inspired podcast series hosted by Chopra himself presented from his own point of view with guests like Tottenham superstar (and known Pats fan) Harry Kane.

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The post Serena in the Arena: ESPN Serves Up Documentary Series on Tennis Legend appeared first on Boardroom.

Stephen A. Smith will continue his run of alternative broadcasts during the NBA playoffs, beginning Wednesday on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. eastern with two elimination contests in the play-in tournament as the Chicago Bulls take on the Toronto Raptors and the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the New Orleans Pelicans.

A joint production of ESPN, Smith’s Mr. SAS Productions, and Peyton Manning‘s Omaha Productions, NBA in Stephen A’s World brings the ubiquitous First Take co-host and NBA Countdown analyst’s opinions, stylings, and musings five times this postseason, including Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 1. Telecasts will be shown on ESPN2 and the ESPN app, with most appearing on ESPN+.

• April 12, 7 p.m. ET: Play-in Tournament
• April 15, 1 pm. ET: First Round, Game 1
• May 5, 10 p.m. ET: Second Round, Game 3
• May 16, 9 p.m. ET: Western Conference Finals Game 1
• June 1, 9 p.m. ET: NBA Finals Game 1

“NBA in Stephen A’s World has proven to be must-see TV, like always when it involves Stephen,” David Roberts, ESPN’s Head of NBA and Studio Production, said of the news. “When you watch Stephen take in an NBA game in a living room-like setting, his deep passion for the sport is evident. We’re looking forward to a fun, five-episode run during what is expected to be an exciting, unpredictable NBA Playoffs.”

NBA in Stephen A’s World launched this season on Oct. 26 with coverage from the premiere of the Marvel Studios blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There were several other episodes throughout the season, including the New York Knicks–Philadelphia 76ers game on Christmas Day which featured a star-studded guest list including Spike Lee, Morris Chestnut, Fat Joe, Roy Wood Jr., Lil Rel Howery, Boban Marjanovic, and Kendrick Perkins as “Santa Perk.”

The playoff editions of Smith’s show promise a rotating cast of ESPN NBA analysts, live polls, social media interaction, and viewer participation.

If the playoffs are as exciting and endlessly energetic as Stephen A. himself always is, we’re in for a tremendous postseason.

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The post ‘NBA in Stephen A’s World’ Alternate Broadcasts Return for 5 Playoff Games appeared first on Boardroom.

The world of music and sports are forever intertwined with one another. There are athletes who thought they could have made a career in music and artists who think they could have gone on to play professional sports. This often results in artists name-dropping athletes, and even lifelong friendships.

ESPN is leaning into the parallelisms between music and sports. In October, the “worldwide leader in sports” announced a partnership with Atlantic Records for the record label’s artists to create exclusive music that would serve as the soundtrack for the NBA season. Early in the season, Ty Dolla $ign and Mustard released a remix to their song “My Friends” so it could be outfitted for the NBA season.

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Relationship Between ESPN & Atlantic

In previous years, ESPN’s music strategy has varied. The game plan in recent years was catered to quarterly releases from artists. In 2017, Kendrick Lamar‘s album DAMN. curated much of the year’s playoff. Hits like “Humble” and “DNA” were used to tease matchups between teams. The same can be said for Lamar’s former labelmate, Schoolboy Q, who released his album CrasH Talk in April 2019, nearly two weeks after the playoffs began. Two songs from his album “Floating” featuring 21 Savage and “Water” featuring Lil Baby were used during commercials and in the lead-up to the postseason. ESPN’s vice president of sports marketing, Emeka Ofodile, has been leading things on the ESPN side.

“We felt like we could help story tell the season through the lens of music,” Ofodile said. “We wanted to do it in a way that would connect people to basketball and its players. We created this custom music strategy because we have to live into the ethos of what the NBA is and what the athletes are — it is creating culture. So everything we do has to custom and it has to be new to advance the culture conversation.”

Originally, ESPN had conversations with a wide variety of music labels, but Atlantic understood what the sports media giant was trying to do right away. This made them a fitting partner.

Ofodile doesn’t view Atlantic’s artist curating as a shift in strategy from what ESPN used to do but more so an expansion of what they can do in the future.

“If the timeline makes sense, we are still open to doing things with artists who release albums during the Spring,” he said. “What this gave us an opportunity to do was create another level of storytelling to create original lyrics to make it topical and relevant to what is happening in the NBA at that specific moment. At the end of the day we wanted to expand the aperture of what music could do with the NBA platform.”

Other artists who have been a part of the ESPN programming through Atlantic include Janelle Monae — who was featured in this year’s Celebrity Game during All-Star Weekend — and Bankrol Hayden.

“Atlantic does a great job of working with their artist, seeing which artist would work well for the opportunity and which artists are passionate about it,” Ofodile said. “They will come to us and it becomes a collaborative discussion about what makes the most sense.”

With the Play-in Tournament just around the corner, Bay Area rapper Symba was enlisted to create a song for it that will resonate with fans. He and Rayven Tyler, the artist featured on the record, created a hit titled “Outrageous.” The uptempo track roars into the ears of listeners as the duo rap/sing about overcoming obstacles and striving for greatness. The song was officially released last week.

But how does one create a song specifically for a tournament that is looked forward to all season long? Boardroom was there to take you behind the scenes.

Symba Locked in the Studio

If someone were to walk into the studio and see Symba’s recording process, they might be confused.

Symba is murmuring words as he walks around saying the names of NBA teams and players. There is no paper or pen in sight. Then, before you know it he has a line:

“I am nothing but net like Mikal Bridges / Steph Curry with the left hand / Trae Young how I handle business.”

For the people in the studio who have never seen his recording process, watching him find rhymes out of thin air is puzzling. Different questions arise in all of our minds.

“Did you write any of this before you got here?”

Symba’s response: “No pens, no paper,” he says laughing, but he is absolutely serious. “Everything comes from up here,” he said pointing to his head. “It saves me time.”

Not an easy process, to say the least.

ESPN marketing coordinator Mohammed “Mo” Ahmed is sitting on a couch with a sheet of paper that has team names and players that Symba must have a line about. Ahmed is the main person leading the session for ESPN. In previous years, the number of teams Symba would have to rap would have been easier because standings were not as fluid as they are today. Currently, seven different teams can potentially qualify for the Play-in Tournament in the Western Conference.

The way an artist records music can vary. Some artists prefer that the number of people in the studio is to a minimum while others may not mind a crowded environment as long as they can focus. Symba prefers the former, and he definitely does not want anyone telling him what to do with his music. But when your label has a partnership with ESPN, everything has to be to the liking of the sports media giant.

One would think this could cause tension if Mo did not think Symba’s lyrics matched the vibe that ESPN was looking for. But Symba is a natural. Once he gets done with a line about a team or player, he asks Mo who is next and he steps into the booth and has a line about them in a matter of minutes.

“With this [song] it is very intentional and attention to detail is important because it is the widest audience you’re probably going to get on TV. You don’t want to say anything that doesn’t make sense. One thing I’ve learned about being an artist is that sometimes we live in our world so much we forget other people exist in their own. So what I may like may not be fitting for the company is going for,” Symba said during an interview in his new apartment.

He goes on to tell Boardroom how the process was fairly easy. He sent ESPN the first draft of the record and ESPN sent back notes.

“When I first saw the notes, I thought they was trippin’ but it made a lot more sense once we corrected the first thing and started tweaking everything. It was a lot of fun to see it all unfold,” Symba, who spends about five hours in the studio knocking out the necessary tasks before retiring for the day, said.

Day 2 is all about shooting the spot that will air to tease the play-in matchups. Symba is sporting a sleek white jacket that features all 30 NBA teams’ logos. He is accompanied by Tyler, who sings the chorus of the single and is dressed in an all-black patent leather outfit with futuristic shades covering her eyes.

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Tyler is first up in the booth. She does a number of different takes mixing up her performance styles as she sings the lyrics. In the background of Tyler performing is one of her friends hyping her up saying things like “YAS,” “OUTRAGEOUS,” and “TALK TO ‘EM.” Rayven was clearly feeding off that energy because as she continued to rap the words, you could see her confidence growing. When she was satisfied with her takes, she stops and heads back to her dressing room.

Symba then takes the booth and he is already feeling good.

“Let’s go, I’m ready. What we waiting on?” he says as he awaits the music to be played.

Symba raps with the same confidence Russell Westbrook plays with. When he’s in the booth, he speaks like he is invincible.

“You got to have confidence, Symba said. “Truthfully, I’m just excited for this record to be on ESPN. I already got a tease of what it’s gon’ look like, so I gotta bring the energy when I’m in here.”

The last portion of the day is when Symba and Tyler take the booth together and rap the entire song. It is fun to watch the two artists feed off of each other. Though the space in the area they are performing in is small, they never bump into one another as they vibe out to the music. When they’re done, the team comes together for a group picture before parting ways.

After the Play-in Tournament is over, ESPN and Atlantic will go back to the drawing board to decide who will be the artist featured for the NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals.

“At the end of the day, for this thing to work, it’s got to be authentic to everyone on every level. Because if it isn’t, the fans are going to see right through it,” Ofodile said.

“We’re just getting started and what we’ve seen is the artist gravitate to this partnership. We want more and more artists to play a part in this. And we want to begin thinking about the ways the music can extend, whether that be a live performance or the making of the song. Bringing all these things together for fans to connect with this is the goal.”

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The post How the Partnership Between ESPN & Atlantic Records Led to a Symba Hit appeared first on Boardroom.

Shakur Stevenson simply would not talk trash.

Look, I know you’re not supposed to ask leading questions because it ain’t exactly journalism, but do you know what also isn’t exactly journalism? Boxing journalism. Fight media is every bit as chaotic, fractured, and dizzying as the fight game itself — you have to be just as dogged and perhaps insane to choose to get involved in it in the first place — so I willfully decided to set editorial sobriety aside and give it a go when the two-division world champion sat down with Boardroom ahead of his April 8 scrap with Shuichiro Yoshino in the 135-pound lightweight division.

Gervonta Davis. Ryan Garcia. Devin Haney. Vasiliy Lomachenko. I threw out name after name to the pride of Newark, New Jersey as if hucking bloody bits from a chum bucket, but this undefeated shark just wasn’t hungry.

In fact, the 25-year-old boxing phenom went out of his way to compliment each one of these potential future lightweight championship opponents.

Such is the condition of Brick City’s finest as he returns to his hometown for a primetime Top Rank main event on ESPN.

Check out my conversation with the refreshingly earnest Shakur Stevenson below as we spoke about respect in the sport, his prediction for Tank Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, the dynamics of fighting at home in front of a partisan crowd, how he prefers to spend his money, his dream brand endorsement, and much more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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SAM DUNN: What do we need to know about your opponent Saturday night, Shuichiro Yoshino?

SHAKUR STEVENSON: I think fans need to know he’s tough, strong, and he’s undefeated. I mean, you got an undefeated fighter, they never lost, so he’s gonna come in there definitely trying to win.

SD: He’s knocked out his opponents 75% of the time. Do you have to pay any special kind of respect to his power in terms of how you operate in there?

SS: That’s overthinking it, because I gotta respect every fighter. You never know what a fighter could do on their best night, so you gotta come in there fully prepared. I respect everybody that gets in the ring — plus, I don’t never want to sleep on nobody and then they come way better than I expect them to.

I’m preparing for the best opponent available right now. I wanna see how he’s gonna come to the ring and react to a style like mine; I think I’m a style he never saw before, so when I get in the ring, I want him to realize that he’s never seen nothing like this and let him know how different tonight it’s gonna be.

SD: Let’s say you take care of business out there. What’s the next step for Shakur Stevenson as a lightweight world championship contender?

SS: I’m one of them fighters that I gotta, like, maintain focus in the moment, focus on what’s ahead of me rather than what’s further down the line. I can’t really think too far past this dude because, at the of the day, I gotta handle business with this dude. If I don’t handle business with him, there won’t be no “down the line.” I mean, people won’t even be talking about me no more. They’ll say I lost to somebody.

So right now, I gotta just stay focused and and come out best and on top of my game when I fight Yoshino.

SD: You’re fighting in your hometown of Newark, which you’ve done several times now as a pro. Does that come with extra pressure, or do you actually find yourself more at ease with all those fans going nuts for you?

SS: The main difference is there’s a lot of people supporting me and you wanna put on the best show that you can give them, but at the end of the day, it’s the same thing as if I’m fighting anywhere else or fighting anywhere in the world.

It’s pressure regardless. You’re coming in the stadium with a lot of people right there with eyes on you. That don’t bother me. I done got past a lot of pressure situations and I know how I’m built, so mentally, I’m definitely way ahead of the pressure. It don’t even get to me. I’m way past that right now.

SD: There’s another huge fight coming up later this month with implications on the 135-pound division that I’m sure you’ve got your eyes on: Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia. What do you think of those guys as fighters?

SS: Great fighters. I think that Tank [Davis] beats Ryan. I think Tank is on a higher level than Ryan.

SD: Are there specific things you think Garcia could do to get the upper hand?

SS: Yeah. I mean, Ryan, he’s tall. He can use his reach, he has a lot of experience. He’s been boxing a long time, so he’s going to do some trick things, but I think that later on in the fight, I think Tank’s going to overwhelm him and get him.

SD: Do you see Tank’s opponents making some of the same mistakes over and over?

SS: I think y’all underestimate his skills and his technical ability. I think that he’s a great fighter — I pay attention closely to a lot of things and I’m a student of the game. I watch fighters and he’s the type of fighter [that’s] reading you while he’s fighting you.

Like, in the first couple rounds, he’s reading the little things that you’re doing and he’s looking for that one mistake or he’s waiting until he smells blood in any type of way and he’s going to attack. I think he’s a great fighter and I feel like y’all definitely underestimate his skills.

SD: For argument’s sake, let’s say you’re No. 1 in the lightweight division. Is Tank Davis No. 2?

SS: Yeah. As far as I see, it’s him. It’s him for sure. I think he’s the other person that I look at and be like, okay, he’s a smart fighter.

SD: Another guy in the division known for his fight IQ is Vasiliy Lomachenko. You ran into him recently in the Top Rank gym — what do you make of him as a fighter at this later stage of his career, and what did you say to one another?

SS: I ain’t really say too much. I mean, we talked — it is mutual respect. I ain’t got nothing bad to say about Lomachenko. We sparred each other to get him ready for his fight with [Guillermo] Rigondeaux, but it’s a mutual respect. I ain’t got nothing bad to say.

I think that right now in his career, he’s getting a little bit older now, so he’s not gonna be able to beat, like, Devin Haney, me, the younger guys in the division, but I think back in the day he would’ve been probably a little bit more competitive.

SD: You don’t think he has a chance against Devin Haney on May 20 for all the belts?

SS: Nah, I think he’s too small, and he done had about 350 amateur fights — I think he just wasted a lot of time doing that, and now I think he’s declining.

SD: Over on Haney’s side of things, he’s obviously the undisputed champ in the 135-pound division right now. How do you evaluate his game?

SS: Devin is a great fighter. I think he got a great jab and I think that he comes in tremendous shape. Over a 12-round fight, you can tell he’s not breathing hard and he’s not tired.

SD: I’m noting a refreshing lack of desire on your part to talk even the tiniest bit of trash. On that note, who are some of your favorite fighters in the sport right now?

SS: Right now in the sport I like Bud [Crawford], I like Keyshawn [Davis], Jared Anderson, Jaron Ennis, Richardson Hitchins, there’s a couple fighters. I like Ray-Ray, Raymond Ford.

SD: Now that you’ve started to make some bread in the sport, I want to know how you carry all of that. Are you someone who went and made a major purchase once you got that first big check? Are you a car guy? A jewelry guy?

SS: When I was amateur and like in the Olympics, I had like sponsorships for a boatload of money, so I was already like buying things and doing stuff with my checks, but the first big purchase I felt like I made was a house for my mother.

As I’m getting older, I’m understanding that the jewelry and stuff is cool — ’cause I do got jewelry and, you know, I got nice cars, but all that stuff is cool — but I think property is, like, the most important thing. So, just maturing and understanding that kind of stuff is helping me elevate myself.

SD: So, if I asked you to describe who Shakur Stevenson the investor is, property is item No. 1?

SS: Yeah, for sure, just buying property. Somebody wise that told me that they’re not gonna make no more land — so, that being said, I’m moreso a property guy. I wanna go buy houses and buy a bunch of stuff in different places, in different states.

SD: You mentioned your endorsements back in your amateur days — is there a dream endorsement deal you’ve got in your mind that you’d love to make happen one day?

SS: Nike. I wanna have a Nike deal.

I think Nike take care of their people, and I like what they’re doing with LeBron James and [their] athletes. I feel like they taking care of them for, like, the rest of their life, so I would love to be with Nike.

SD: Last one: When the bell rings on April 8 in Newark, what happens between you and Shuichiro Yoshino?

SS: I don’t wanna make any predictions. I think sometimes, you know, I get caught up in the fans and have knockout [gameplan] and I make it hard on myself to get the knockout. So, I’m not going in there looking for nothing like that. I’m going in there to have fun and put on an amazing performance.

Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino goes down Saturday night, April 8 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Top Rank main card begins at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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The post Hitting the Bricks With Shakur Stevenson appeared first on Boardroom.

All eyes were on Caitlin Clark.

The Iowa net-burner locked in Sunday night at March Madness, putting up a 42-point triple-double (!) against Louisville to put Iowa into the Final Four. The intense action set the tone for an exciting Elite Eight that boosted its fair share of storylines into the national spotlight.

If you want to judge all this through NCAA women’s basketball ratings, viewers ultimately tuned in to watch the matchup on ESPN in greater numbers than any NBA game the network has aired throughout the 2022-23 season to date.

2.7 million at its peak, to be exact.

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The figure reflects a 43% bump over last year’s Elite Eight viewership and continues the steady rise in fanfare that the women’s NCAA Tournament has experienced on the Worldwide Leader in recent years.

While women’s sports still represent only 5% of all sports media coverage overall according to a 2021 study from the University of Southern California, its popular ascension is difficult to ignore.

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This year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament has already set new viewership markers as we head into its final weekend. Overall, the 56 games in the books brought in an average of 660,000 viewers, 42% more than last year’s event. As the action gets deeper, fans are locked in. ESPN reports that the Sweet Sixteen netted an average of 1.2 million viewers and over 3.5 billion minutes, a 73% year-over-year boost. UConn-Ohio State set the standard in that round, yielding 2.4 million viewers.

Women’s basketball attendance is experiencing a similar uptick. The four regional finals of the tournament brought in a total of 82,275 fans, eclipsing the 20-year-old record of 73,954 from 2003.

And, reflecting a basic principle of economics — remember those??? — as the demand increases, so too does the price. Tickets heading into this weekend’s women’s Final Four matchups are running three times higher ($323) than those for the men’s games ($99), according to Ticketmaster.

Major companies are keen to cash in on the profit potential of the priority product, too. ESPN announced in the weeks leading into the Final Four that it had fully sold out its television ad inventory. Earlier this year, brands like Ally Bank unveiled a multi-year, multi-million-dollar pledge to boost equal opportunity within women’s sports and its position as the first-ever title sponsor for the ACC women’s tournament, and Under Armour invested in the opportunity to take up its own space and capitalize on the popularity of the women’s tournament.

The growth of the women’s game is not isolated to traditional media, either. Stars like Miami’s Haley and Hanna Cavinder and LSU’s Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson boast some of the biggest social media followings (and the NIL earning potential that comes with it) across all of college athletics regardless of sport.

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As we head into the final weekend of the competition, all eyes are on South Carolina, Iowa, LSU, and Virginia Tech.

Will Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks be able to sustain their perfect season? Will the Hokies convert their first shot at the title?

Off the court, still-more questions percolate, including when top beauty brands give the players who serve as their best unofficial spokeswomen their proper due, or when the women’s tournament’s TV rights will finally be spun out as a standalone product rather than lumped in with several other NCAA championships.

The former will take longer to answer than the latter, but I’ll be among the millions locked in to find out.

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The hooper and ESPN personality Monica McNutt talks breaking into sports media, building equity and dignity for women in the industry, and the base of support that powers her forward.

Few media personalities have the ability in such short order to have audiences wondering, ‘hey, where has this breath of fresh air been hiding?’ And if Monica McNutt still isn’t a household name to you, Boardroom is here to introduce you to the dynamic and whip-smart ESPN analyst.

An all-around basketball lifer, McNutt got her start on local television in the Washington, DC area, where she additionally played college hoops at Georgetown. The Maryland native’s compelling commentary — coupled with her stunning ensembles, it must be said! — has earned her frequent appearances across SportsCenter, Around the Horn, Debatable, and NBA Today, as well as a WNBA studio host role.

Her eventual ascent into the top tier of sports media was perhaps always expected, but she’s more than just your favorite athlete’s favorite journalist — for Boardroom’s ongoing Women’s History Month series, McNutt opened up about her unorthodox gap year before entering into the industry, the importance of aligning oneself with other successful women and the most teachable moment in her career thus far.

VINCIANE NGOMSI: How did you make the transition from college basketball star at Georgetown to on-air analyst at ESPN, and what’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned along the way?

MONICA MCNUTT: I would say that step one is just advocating for yourself and letting people know what you want to do and what you believe you’re capable of accomplishing. That’s super pie-in-the-sky, but I definitely think that’s step one. And then with that, I ran into people that had my back and were willing to help me navigate this path.

After I left Georgetown, I took a year off. I was a kindergarten aide, then I went to grad school at the University of Maryland, networked with my professors, and then started working from there. I had stints at Prince George’s community television, WJLA, the ABC affiliate in DC, then onto a sports network that no longer exists, then back to DC learning how to freelance, working for CBS Sports, Fox Sports. ‘Have checked, will work’ was the mindset, really. I was just kind of grinding it out year after year until ESPN decided to swipe me up, so to speak.

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VN: I want to talk about your time as a kindergarten aide. There is something to be said about just constantly grinding and hoping for your big break — while serving in that role, was there a moment in which you thought you might be stuck there, or did it just motivate you to get where you are now?

MM: You know, that’s a great question. I remember very vividly because it was my first job out of school. By comparison, it wasn’t great money, but it was steady money. I still lived at home. It was easy and I was saving, but I remember it was the week before spring break and there was a professional development seminar, and the principal was bringing in a woman. I can’t even remember what she was going to lead the professional development day on, but she was big in teaching. She had taught for years and had this whole curriculum that other teachers and school districts subscribed to. And something clicked for me as we were preparing and I remember telling my principal at the time, ‘You know, I appreciate this opportunity so much, but this professional development day has reminded me that if you’re going to be something in your field, you have to start.’ Instead of operating on this borrowed time because it’s convenient, I want to go and put my all efforts into moving into my field so that maybe one day, I would be leading my own professional development seminar in media.

She was sad to see me go, but she kind of understood where I was coming from. So, I did not finish out that school year; I got heavy into freelancing after spring break and decided to really work my way back into media in an earnest way.

VN: What does earnestness mean to you?

MM: A full-time focus. I knew I was trying to go to grad school, but I also could have been using the time to get real-life experience in journalism. As cool as degrees are in journalism, it’s one of those fields that if you’ve done it, that equates just as much. The ease of my 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. days and helping coach varsity girls basketball, all those things served a purpose in my life. It was a very valuable career detour, but as opposed to getting comfortable collecting those checks and kicking it with the kids, I could also have been pouring myself into journalism or whatever that looked like in terms of my future career. So, in a way, I got the best of both worlds being able to do that for almost a full school year.

VN: Let’s pivot to the present. ESPN’s healthy presence of female reporters is impressive and refreshing — how do you differentiate the sort of focus through which you discuss the game, especially as a former athlete?

MM: I try to remember that as a commentator, there are some details that you get to peel the curtain back for our audiences, but I think there are also some details that you need to be respectful of and mindful [of] having been there as a collegiate athlete. Like, you talk about these guys and the hours they pour into their craft and the sacrifices that not only they make, that their families make, and so for me, it’s very important that I have conversations that are respectful. I always say, you got to have a healthy relationship with no — that is, to use it and to receive it. So, I would like to believe that for the most part, these guys and women have thick enough skin to know they are in a career that is gonna be discussed by the masses.

But at the same time, even when I disagree with a decision, a play, or even some stuff that happens off the court, I always try to handle it respectfully, because we are all humans. We’re all on this journey. Nobody nails it 100% of the time. I’ll also add: ESPN has been really cool because I’ve been given these opportunities and I’m sort of building out a digital thing. We’re calling “Run It Back,” where we just have a chance to talk to some of these role players. Everybody wants to get interviews or one-on-one with all the all-stars, but there are so many people in the NBA and WNBA that are important to winning but aren’t necessarily in the spotlight, so having the opportunity to have some conversations with them, work through tape with them, see what they see from their roles has been really cool.

VN: Sometimes, it can be difficult to feel seen or taken seriously as women. Is there a particular time that stands out for you in which you weren’t taken seriously, and how did you channel it into a teachable moment?

MM: I used to do a podcast with Clinton Portis. Clinton is great. He’s still a friend to this day, but football is not my primary sport. It wasn’t asking me to get into Xs and O’s. And so I remember — I usually don’t do this — but I remember going back to the comments on one episode on YouTube and somebody was like, ‘Please get somebody that knows football.’ In that moment, I didn’t feel taken seriously, but I also felt challenged: I don’t know football the way I know basketball because I didn’t play it.

I think for me, the way to overcome that has been my preparation and my rapport with the people that I have the opportunity to work with on a regular basis. Somebody always wants to have something to say, but I am living my dream. You don’t knock it out all the time, but I’m always thinking, ‘How can I learn and move forward so I really try hard not to get stuck?’

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VN: What is the best part about working with some of sports’ most intelligent women, both on-camera and behind the scenes?

MM: How unselfish they are, particularly for so many of the women behind the scenes, at least in my experience. And I am not going to be naive and act as if my experience is singular, but when I look at how many women behind the scenes are stars in their roles and may or may not get the credit that they deserve, you want to go out there and support them, make sure they know that you see them and their efforts are not in vain. There are truly so many people that make this sports media thing turn that I think folks may never know about.

VN: You’ve got a personal team of women helping your career soar, too. Talk to me about the thought process that went into aligning yourself with them.

MM: It’s important for me to work with like-minded people. And that is not always gender specific, it just happens to be those two business relationships between my agent, Kristin Bredes LaFemina, and publicist, LaTonya Story, that are very important. I appreciate the relationship with my agent because I know she’s working for herself, but I also know she’s working hard for me, and also there’s that symmetry in terms of being go-getters and hustlers. Kristin knows I had a gazillion jobs before I whittled down to just ESPN and MSG Networks. Kristen has that same kind of energy and is well-respected.

LaTonya was recommended to me by a friend. And that has been a relationship that has exceeded past business, because again, this is a woman who lives her life on purpose and passion. She works hard and she’s well-respected, and again, I think your healthy relationship with ‘no’ is so important. Everybody’s experience of you may not be the same. We’re not all going to get along, and that’s okay, but as far as I’m concerned, these women have added to my life and I hoped that I’ve added to their lives. They understand that I’m not one that’s greedy. Now, do I want to work? Absolutely. But if it doesn’t work out for me, what other women can we help put on? Like, how can we continue to move this thing forward? Because I truly am a woman that believes that there’s room for all the girls — period.

VN: Which strides do you think we still need to make within media to ensure that women’s voices are not only heard, but at the forefront of conversations that involve us?

MM: I’m actually working with some students at the University of Maryland on this kind of project around March Madness and marketing women’s sports. I think I
sometimes have to take a step back because I am a woman, I support women, and cover women’s sports. Like, it’s easy to find my bubble of people that do that, that get that they want to hear from more women, they respect women, but I think we have to look at the big, big picture and we still have a ways to go.

I think equality is a surface thing when it comes to women’s voices being heard. Like, okay, we got five men writers, we need five women writers. That’s the very surface of it, but I think society, employers, media, corporations, marketers, all that need to dig a little bit deeper and really understand what equity actually looks like in terms of supporting those women. Whether it be if they want to become moms and however that journey might look like, giving them the resources to help them find equal footing, etc. That takes us all being a little bit more introspective in terms of the privileges of the male species. When I think of how we can move media forward and give women more voices, it starts with the opportunities. And then second, I think it would be the support.

VN: Final question, and I try to ask this to everyone I interview: What’s one important thing most fans probably don’t know about you?

MM: I think people might be a little bit surprised that I’m a little bit of a homebody. I don’t know if I give that [impression] on television. I am very diligent on cultivating a space of peace. I very much believe in the butterfly effect when it comes to being outside — like, y’all will see me, we’re taking a couple pictures, do a little dance, then I’m out.

But I’m grateful. Knicks fans in New York have embraced me. Fans of ESPN have embraced me. It’s been incredible. But as of late, more and more I find myself enjoying the off switch.

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The post The Undeniable Ascent of ESPN’s Monica McNutt appeared first on Boardroom.

Financial services firm Ally and The Walt Disney Company have announced a joint pledge to continue being one of the premier sponsors of women’s sports. Announced Monday, the multi-year, multi-million-dollar pledge will boost equal opportunity within women’s sports.

“For too long, women’s sports programming has been treated as an afterthought in the media buying process, perpetually giving women athletes the short end in terms of media exposure and income opportunity while limiting investment opportunities for brands. This cycle needs to change,” Andrea Brimmer, chief marketing and public relations officer at Ally said of the occasion.

“We are taking a major step forward together with Disney and the ACC to change the way women’s media is packaged, and through this barrier-breaking partnership – that channels funds directly to women’s sports and begins to level the playing field for female athletes – we hope to create the kind of systemic change needed to significantly increase visibility, opportunity and fandom in women’s sports.”

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Brimmer is right. According to the release, the media highlights women’s women’s sports less than 10% of the time, oftentimes only using it as an accompaniment to men’s sports options. So, how do we combat this issue?

This alliance vows to invest more than 90% in women’s sports and highlights, with an added target to broadening focused game highlights, branded content, and feature stories across the ESPN networks, like regular SportsCenter segments.

This deal also means Ally Bank is now the official retail bank of the Atlantic Coast Conference and in possession of media branding and activation rights across all ACC Championships. This includes the first-ever title sponsorships of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament and Women’s Soccer Championship as well as the exclusive presenting sponsor of the 2023 ACC Women’s Lacrosse Championship. 

Ally’s activation is expected to begin in early March at the women’s and men’s ACC basketball championships at the Greensboro Coliseum. Ally and Disney also purposely organized the ACC Network media part of the agreement to make it possible for other financial entities to sign on, consequently thereby increasing exposure for women’s sports.

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Think of this new partnership as an add-on to another agreement reached last year. In 2022, Ally called on Disney to develop an innovative sponsorship package to spotlight women’s sports. This resulted in a collab with Disney’s CreativeWorks team, with an intention to produce unique creatives that centers around gender equity.

Look out for the two spots on SportsCenter at some point during the summer.

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The post Ally & Disney Team Up to Boost Exposure for Women’s Sports appeared first on Boardroom.

Last year was one of significant change for the X Games.

First, ESPN — the Games’ founder — sold a majority interest in the action sports franchise to MSP Sports Capital. Then, the company gained a new CEO in Steven Flisler. He arrives after stints as Twitch’s vice president of original content and executive producer of Twitch Rivals.

With Flisler leading the way, X Games is tasked with returning to its roots while also launching into the future. One thing that Flisler hopes will help bridge that gap is bringing back longtime host Selema “Sal” Masekela. More on that later.

Ahead of the first X Games under new management, Boardroom caught up with Flisler about what to expect.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Griffin Adams: What has the transition been like from Twitch to X Games?

Steven Flisler: For me, I’ve always been chasing all competition without discriminating. Is it football or baseball, which I played growing up, or is it eSports, or is it action sports? So for me, it’s just competition. And then the story and the riveting kind of drama that goes with it is something for me that I see as transitive and I can’t wait to learn more about the sport and get into the technical — whether it’s the gear, the competition of the athlete community. So that’s the first thing that’s been new in terms of the exact sports. I mean, I’ve skied and biked for a long time, but really the competitive depth there.

The second part is there are a lot of commonalities around the storytelling, the content, and also certainly the opportunity to advance how we distribute programs and do things. So for me, that’s actually been one of the most exciting parts because we have this world-class property and brand that’s been 27 years in the making, but storylines embedded global in nature. And now we get to say, ‘All right, how are we gonna get this into the hands of our audience? How are we gonna get them more and get them the right style of content on the right platform at the right amount of time?’

So for me, that’s actually just been a continuation of a lot of the principles and learnings that I’ve been a part of at Twitch. And even at my tail end working at NBC.

The thing that is comfortably intimidating there is, I feel like the whole industry is trying to figure a lot of these things out. So whether it’s Thursday Night Football on Prime Video with Dude Perfect, or Monday Night Football with the ManningCast, or the collection of how F1 complements its flagship broadcast. So those things have been actually challenging but also comforting because I’ve been caught on the case for a long time.

The last part of it is this is a fully owned event and company now, so we’re responsible for everything from the shaping of the halfpipe to the security to making sure that everyone gets fed along the way. So, there’s just been a normal amount of ridiculous heavy lifting that comes along with producing any event. Over the years, everything from working on different portions of the Olympics with NBC to the Thanksgiving Day parade to running Twitch, a lot of that … you just gotta build the event.

*During Boardroom’s interview with Flisler, a familiar X Games face walked in — Selema “Sal” Masekela. Anyone who knows X Games knows Sal is a staple who hosted the X Games for over a decade before leaving in 2012. A decade later for Aspen 2023, he’s back, so Boardroom snuck in the below question.*

GA: If anyone knows the roots of the Winter X Games, it’s you. How are you feeling about being back and what excites you most about the future?

Selema Masekela: I’m super excited to be here. It’s super surreal. I mean, it’s been a decade and it’s very humbling to leave something for 10 years and still be considered synonymous with it. It’s crazy. I’m walking around town, just being around the venue, people letting me know that they’re stoked that I’m back with ’em. It’s been fun.