On top of COVID-19, the national reckoning over racial and social justice, and a rapidly evolving media landscape, pro sports leagues are wrestling with yet another existential crisis: teens and young adults giving up on the game. According to ESPN data cited in a recent Washington Post article, while 96% of teens Read more…
The NWSL is the world’s top women’s soccer league and, entering the year, was home to all 23 current US Women’s National Team players and many international stars. And thanks to a new partnership with CBS and Twitch, more people than ever were able to watch them play; the league Read more…
Surrogate advertising. It’s the term one sports executive used when describing Thursday’s sports betting media deal with Turner Sports featuring DraftKings and FanDuel. The executive said the sports wagering companies are still competing for brand exposure and market share to position their future paths to revenue. Click here to read Read more…
Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC, which played its first season in Major League Soccer in 2015, is on the verge of being sold for about $400 million, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. If the sale goes through, it would represent a windfall for owner Flávio Read more…
When we were smack in the middle of the barren sports landscape of April and May, it seemed natural to assume that the hunger to watch big events would build to a crescendo when they finally came back. With no options other than classic games or documentaries, the only salvation Read more…
The XFL won’t play in 2021, the league announced Thursday, and is targeting a return in the spring of 2022. Co-owner Dwayne Johnson tweeted the news Thursday morning, and the league followed with an official announcement. Johnson, longtime business partner Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital Partners completed their purchase of Read more…
Since boxing has returned from the sports hiatus, the sport’s linear television ratings have been in decline. Top Rank cards on ESPN have drawn just 332,000 viewers since June 9th (down -51% from the 680,000 viewers averaged between Aug.’19 and Apr.’20), while Premier Boxing Champions has seen -36% of its Read more…
The return of live sports has been highly anticipated by advertisers seeking to reach mass audiences on linear TV, and MediaRadar’s data indicates most of the top brands that had advertised in NBA, MLB and NHL games were ready to resume their marketing activities once live play returned. A key Read more…
With fall fast approaching, marketers would typically be kicking into high gear for the return of professional football, as the National Football League (NFL) remains one of the last bastions of destination TV viewing. But, as with so many major events this year, exactly how the season will shape up Read more…