The advantages of streaming sports are now at loggerheads with increasing costs and complexity. Media providers are coming out of the woodwork to stream sports, paying top dollar for exclusive rights. As a result, recreational fans and sports bettors, are paying more than ever to follow teams, using a complicated […]
Apple just locked up the next ten years of MLS streaming rights. The US soccer league should net roughly $250 million per year from the exclusive streaming deal. While some matches will still likely air on television, Apple will offer all every single MLS match. There are some obvious advantages […]
In a series of recent auctions, the Indian Premier League (IPL) sold its media rights for more than $6 billion. The popular cricket league’s current media contract with Star India — a subsidiary of Disney — expires at the end of this year. Going forward, however, Disney will have to […]
The NBA Finals has a long track record of bringing together the best teams and players in an annual clash for the NBA championship. But with 30 clubs starting each NBA season with a chance to make a run for glory, there has been no shortage of teams that have […]
Apple has a new deal to stream MLB games on Friday nights. The exclusive $85 million, multi-year, contract marks Apple’s first foray into live sports coverage. Meanwhile, the news could give MLB players a bit more leverage in their ongoing CBA negotiations. There were rumors that Apple was in the […]
DAZN Group announced a $4.3 billion capital injection by billionaire investor Len Blavatnik’s firm. The British sports media company aims to expand into recreational betting, gaming and non-fungible tokens. The investment comes after Spain’s LaLiga sold its domestic broadcasting rights to Movistar and DAZN for $5.62 billion over five years. […]
Super Bowl 56’s ratings rebounded, up 16.5% over last year. Nielson reported 112.3 million watched the big game on NBC’s television and streaming platforms. Meanwhile, both Nevada and New Jersey reported record sports betting totals for the event. The Los Angeles Rams pulled out a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati […]
The New York Times plans to acquire The Athletic for $550 million. The acquisition of the sports media company solves two problems for the 170-year-old newspaper. The NYT’s sports coverage has always been thin. Meanwhile, the paper has been looking for ways to expand its digital subscription base. Buying The […]
FOX Sports and the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday that the network now owns the exclusive media rights to one of the jewels of the Triple Crown. FOX Sports acquired the exclusive media rights to the Belmont Stakes beginning in 2023. The eight-year agreement with the New York Racing […]
Walt Disney’s ESPN is looking to generate more than $3 billion in sports-betting licensing deals. Once reluctant to associate with gambling, the multimedia company has gradually changed its tune. Initially tentative to offer sports-betting content, the company is now looking to leap into ESPN-branded sportsbooks. According to the Wall Street […]
Until the introduction of social media, the only time you’d be able to follow a professional boxer’s journey would be during a TV interview, press conference, weigh-in, or fight night. Now, thanks to platforms such as Instagram, we’re able to get an insight into the lives of the most formidable […]
Cricket and sports betting came up multiple times during Walt Disney’s earnings call on Thursday. It was a knuckleball for Disney analysts who normally focus on theme parks and movies. They failed to predict the impact of Disney’s newest revenue streams. Disney’s parks can’t operate at full capacity, due to […]
By now, most people have heard about the recent battle over a videogame retailer’s stock. But, few understand how the GameStop stock saga impacted sports and gaming. An MLB owner, a casino company — and even the Super Bowl — all became part of the drama. It all started with […]
The NFL’s expanded slate on wild-card weekend, with several networks opting to expand their footprint by simultaneously broadcast on alternate networks or streaming, did not yield a ratings bonanza. Instead, overall viewer numbers were down year over year and in some cases were the lowest in five years or more. […]
Entain CEO Shay Segev announced he is leaving his post less than a week after the company turned down an $11 billion takeover offer from online betting partner MGM. Segev said he’s headed to digital sports broadcaster DAZN and will join James Rushton there as a co-CEO. Speculation has run […]
While the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL have suffered rating sags since the COVID-19 virus touched down in the U.S. last spring, ESPN’s New Year’s Day bowl broadcast numbers remained steady compared with the previous six years of the format, averaging close to 19 million viewers across its pair of […]
With tech giants like Amazon emerging as players in NFL broadcasting, ESPN is staking its reputation on streaming this weekend with its first-ever NFL “MegaCast.†The idea is to broadcast the Ravens vs. Titans wild-card game at 1:O5 p.m. ET across six Disney-owned networks with different viewer experiences on each. […]
UFC regulars will pay more to watch premiere fights starting Friday, as ESPN Plus will up its pay-per-view rates on select matches. The price increase coincides with parent company Disney’s focus on streaming services and partnerships with sports betting operations. ESPN’s streaming service is the exclusive broadcast home of the […]
Fire up the Zoom, crank up the Keurig, and make sure the mute button’s off. ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit will broadcast from home after testing positive for COVID-19 on the eve of college football’s biggest weekend. The network’s college GameDay analyst tweeted Tuesday night that he was diagnosed with the virus […]
ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt revealed Thursday evening he has tested positive for COVID-19. The 54-year-old host of ESPN’s late-night SportsCenter said in a tweet that he would be off the air after testing positive for the virus. Won’t be doing shows for a bit after a positive Covid-19 test. […]
Ten Hag Says Ronaldo’s Decision to Leave Rayo Match Early is ‘Unacceptable’ 
Consecutive NBA Titles: Celtics 8 Straight, Phil Jackson Three-Peats with Bulls and Lakers 
Baseball Movies: ‘Bull Durham’ (1988) with Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon 
Basketball Movies: ‘Blue Chips’ with Nick Nolte, Shaq, and Penny 
The OG List: Top 50 NBA All-Time Scoring Points List, Abdul-Jabbar Still No. 1