Sports Business Journal

SBJ was on the ground in Sin City 👀 Reporter Alex Silverman gives an inside look at the 2024 #NHLDraft at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Watch the video here ⬇️

ESPN is having a stellar 2024 and isn't slowing down 👌 The network secured an eight-year NCAA rights deal for 40 championship games in January. In February, they announced Venu, a sports bundle joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox that will launch later this year. College and women's sports are surging, and shows like "Get Up," "First Take," and "The Pat McAfee Show" are breaking viewership records. CEO Jimmy Pitaro emphasizes the importance of talent, highlighting stars like Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee, who resonate with younger audiences. ESPN Bet continues its rollout, recently launching in North Carolina and Detroit. Despite challenges, Pitaro is confident, promising significant product enhancements and highlighting the hiring of Aaron LaBerge as CTO. On the streaming front, Venu will offer a lower-priced alternative to traditional cable, catering to cord-cutters and cord-nevers. ESPN's flagship direct-to-consumer product is on track for a fall 2025 launch. Read more from Mollie Cahillane ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eWbNuS4c

Atlanta remains a hot sports and business destination 🔥 Here’s what struck Abe Madkour after a visit to the market: 📍 Major events are coming to the city 📈 Local franchises are collectively as strong on the business side as any U.S. market 🔑 Camaraderie among organizations is key Read more: https://lnkd.in/ewr5Jwtc

ESPN digital & social continue to dominate 🔝 🏆 In May, ESPN led the U.S. sports category for the 27th straight month with 100M unique visitors, reaching two-thirds of U.S. adults across digital, YouTube, and social media (166.9M unique). 📱 The ESPN app remains the #1 mobile sports app with 23.3M unique users, outpacing the next seven competitors combined. The top 5 apps are ESPN, TeamSnap, MLB At Bat, CBS Sports, and MLB Ballpark. 🔥 ESPN's social media accounts saw 663M engagements, leading the sports category for 35 consecutive months. Read more from Austin Karp ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/epssJer2

I talked to Sam McGee, MBA, MSAT, inventor of The Beer Bat, about what makes the product a viral hit (and live sports business booster). Oh, and we talked about the new patent he's just gotten for another sports equipment-shaped drinking vessel... https://lnkd.in/eG7eF6jD

Athletes Unlimited has brought on Kim Ng as a Senior Advisor ahead of the launch of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League 🥎 The planned team softball league that will debut next year with at least 18 games broadcast across ESPN networks. Ng, a former collegiate softball player, left the Marlins in October 2023. She previously held executive roles with the Yankees, Dodgers, and MLB. Her immediate priorities include finalizing roster construction plans and host cities for AUSL’s debut season in 2025 and hiring support staff for the new league, which will feature GMs for each of the four teams (the parent league will own all teams). Read more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ecw_huex

💼 Longtime sports executive Carlos Silva has joined SeventySix Capital as a partner and president of its consultancy division, SeventySix Capital Sports Advisory. Silva previously served as CEO of C360, a former portfolio company of SeventySix Capital. Silva said, “I’ve spent most of my career raising money, and building out some startups and early-stage sports properties. Now I’m looking at all of those [types of companies] sitting at the table with them, and hopefully we can help some of those companies with media, tech, production, operations and all the things I’ve done over the last 25 years.” 🔗: https://ow.ly/lqQJ50SsRkX

Big moves are happening in college sports today ⚠️ Texas and Oklahoma are officially leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, with celebrations marking the occasion. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey spoke in Austin, followed by a speech by Texas regents Chair Kevin Eltife. Texas AD Chris Del Conte called the SEC's celebration the culmination of a three-year journey since Texas' acceptance into the SEC. Former Texas football and track star Marquise Goodwin and other Texas-exes and coaches took part. Meanwhile, SMU is officially joining the ACC today, a move the university has been eagerly preparing for over the past several months. Read more: https://ow.ly/CW7e50SsM00

I talked to Sam McGee, MBA, MSAT, inventor of The Beer Bat, about what makes the product a viral hit (and live sports business booster). Oh, and we talked about the new patent he's just gotten for another sports equipment-shaped drinking vessel... https://lnkd.in/eG7eF6jD

Sports facilities are evolving with innovative architecture and design reimagining the fan experience: 🏈 Jacksonville City Council approves Jaguars stadium agreement ⚽ Charlotte approves outline for Bank of America Stadium reno 🥇 LA28 updates venue plan with iconic L.A. spots 🎾 International Tennis Hall of Fame unveils museum reno plans 🏈 Northwestern breaks ground on new Ryan Field 🏟️ Augusta breaks ground on new James Brown Arena Read more in this week's Building Blocks: Renderings of the Week of the week ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eHu5gzcw