Super Bowl LVII Easily the Most Expensive Sporting Event of 2023
As 2023 comes to a close and all champions for the calendar year have been named, it’s time to see what the most expensive sporting event was. According to TickPick, the top spot was Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, averaging $5,795 per ticket. Coming in second was Session 25 from the US Open, which featured the men’s final and women’s doubles final, averaging $1,778 a pass. The NBA took over the following two spots, with the 2023 NBA All-Star Game ($1,512) and Game 5 of the NBA Finals ($1,414) between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat claiming third and fourth, respectively. Game 5 of the NHL Finals between the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers rounded out the top five at an average of $1,398 a ticket.
Boardroom’s Griffin Adams breaks down the complete top 10 list.
Gotham FC's Krieger, O’Hara, Purce to Drop the NYE Ball in Times Square
NJ/NY Gotham FC are taking their 2023 championship-winning season into the new year. On Tuesday, the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, co-organizers of Times Square New Year’s Eve, announced that Gotham FC players Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, and Midge Purce will push the crystal button in the center of Times Square, which signals the lowering of the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball. Past guests designated for this job include Muhammad Ali, Lady Gaga, former presidents, Broadway stars, and more.
Kia Takes Over the Naming Rights for the Orlando Magic's Arena
Starting Wednesday, the Amway Center, home of the Orlando Magic, will be officially renamed the Kia Center. The partnership will consist of new indoor and outdoor signage, the installation of EV charging stations, Kia vehicle displays, and the Kia Terrace, a hospitality lounge to be used by concertgoers and Magic fans alike. As the NBA‘s official car brand, this reveal coincides with the historic launch of the first three-row, all-electric SUV — the Kia EV9. Kia also becomes an Orlando Magic “Champion of the Community” partner and will work on impactful Central Florida community relations activations. Kia also has naming rights for the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.
Jake Paul, USA Boxing Team Up for Olympics
YouTube celebrity-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul will join the US Boxing team in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics and accompany the team at the Games in July. Paul posted the news to his Instagram, saying he is “determined to make my impact outside the ring bigger than anything I do within it.” USA Boxing executive director Mike McAtee added that Paul will also give his audience a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s Olympic journey to France and mentor athletes to develop their brand inside and outside the ring. Team USA won four boxing medals at the Tokyo Games in 2021 (three silver, one bronze), the most at an Olympics since 2000.
TRINITI & Sounds.Studio Partner to Streamline AI in Music
TRINITI, an artistic intelligence platform powered by music tech studio CreateSafe, announced a partnership with modern music production platform Sounds.Studio on Tuesday to place music AI software in the hands of the creators and consumers. Sounds.Studio will leverage the capabilities of TRINITI’s technology to allow users to create and distribute music seamlessly, all in one place. Over the summer, CreateSafe worked with musician Grimes, cloning her voice and authorizing artists to use it in new original songs. Since then, over 1,000 pieces have been created since its collab.
Online Shopping Exceeds 2020 Pandemic High
A CNBC All-America Economic Survey found that 57% of Americans identify online shopping as their top one or two destinations for Christmas gifts, ending the two-year slump that followed the unprecedented levels during the pandemic. Online shopping hit an all-time high in 2020 when 55% responded it was their top choice at the height of lockdown. Per the Tuesday report, Amazon is the No. 1 choice for online shopping, with 74% of consumers identifying the marketplace as their preferred spot. In second place (by a long shot) is Walmart, rising to 16% from 12% in 2022.