Mike Levy

Sharing an excellent article in Sports Business Journal highlighting the significant impact TGI Sport technology has on league & team revenue, driven by our ability to display different brands across a number of markets targeting different audiences, depending on where a game is airing: https://lnkd.in/eF5tgWxd #technology #sportbusiness #sporttech #advertising #revenuegeneration

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In a May 15th status conference, Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National Hockey League (NHL) representatives voiced concerns about Diamond Sports Group’s lack of a renewal deal with Comcast, its third-largest distributor. ⚾️ Comcast's customers lost access to Bally’s regional sports networks in late April over cost and channel placement disputes. With a plan confirmation hearing on June 18th approaching, the leagues stressed the need for a viable business plan from Diamond. 🧢 Find out the implications of these disputes, the positions of the major sports leagues, and what to expect as the confirmation hearing nears. 👉 Read now: https://lnkd.in/eRzpXE3y #distresseddebt #leveragedfinance #debtcapitalmarkets

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The cutthroat power struggle within US Soccer is plunging the sport into a downward spiral, with MLS at the forefront of the controversy. Accusations of MLS deliberately sabotaging the USL in a bid to cling onto its dominance are rife, exposing a desperate grasp for power. This calculated move by MLS comes as no surprise, considering its ongoing assault on the USL's modest strides in lower league soccer. The recent demise of USL San Diego serves as a grim reminder of the ruthless tactics employed by MLS to crush any potential competition. Such ruthless maneuvers not only stifle the growth of the sport but also erode the very essence of healthy competition that soccer thrives on. Instead of nurturing an environment of fair play and rivalry, MLS's actions reek of a monopolistic agenda aimed at controlling markets, ultimately tarnishing the integrity of the beautiful game. https://lnkd.in/eEmjB5db

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As per Netflix, Christmas Day National Football League (NFL) games will be played on the streamer. The major streamer’s aggressive move into LIVE sports, specifically the NFL, is incredibly encouraging. Despite the NFL's massive audience, which drew 97 out of the top 100 US broadcasts of 2023, the NFL audience is only monetized by its broadcasters five months out of the year. X League, positioned as America's No.1 sport's entry into Women's Sports and already drawing NFL audiences across its digital and social platforms, will become the perfect complimentary sports media IP leading into each NFL season to further monetize the built-in NFL audience that sits dormant for the remainder of the year. #football #linear #streaming #global #viewership #nfl #xleague #herturn

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Here are 10 player development questions YOU MUST answer. What are your answers? Listen to podcast here: https://lnkd.in/gGjdJmB9 #PlayerDevelopment #LinkedInSports

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The U.S. is facing a critical shortage of sports officials, causing chaos for league directors, teams, players, and fans, and leading to canceled games and compromised experiences. Key Issues: • Outdated and inefficient processes for assigning and managing officials. • Limited access to training and certification programs. • Inadequate compensation and delayed payments. • Hostile environments created by fan and parental behavior. At Remedy Sports, we solve this issue by: • Providing officials with a platform to find more games and earn better pay. • Streamlining payments to ensure officials are compensated quickly and accurately. • Offering top-tier training and certification to aspiring officials. • Creating a safe and supportive community for all officials. Our mission is to preserve the future of organized team sports by addressing the critical shortage of officials. Join us in our collective effort to save more games by ensuring that every game has the qualified officials it needs.

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📊 New Data Tool for Evaluating Sports Franchises The University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business has teamed up with Arctos Sports Partners to launch the pioneering Sports Franchise Index (SFI). This innovative initiative promises to transform how we understand the performance and valuation of sports franchises. 🔍 What is the SFI? The Sports Franchise Index offers a comprehensive and transparent measure of the financial and operational health of sports franchises. Utilizing robust data analytics, the SFI aims to provide deep insights into the sports industry. 💡 Notable Findings: - Long-Term Growth: The value of North American sports assets included in the index has compounded at 13.0% per annum over the last 60+ years, outperforming the equity market by 2.5%. - Superior Risk/Return: According to several measures of risk, North American sports assets included in the index possess risk/return characteristics superior to other traditional and alternative asset classes. 📊 Latest Performance Updates (as of Q1 2024): - Quarter-to-Date Return: 4.8% - Year-to-Date Return: 28.1% - Three-Years-to-Date Return: 16.7% 🔝 Year-Over-Year Performance: - Outperforming Assets: North American sports assets have outperformed global equities (23.8%), U.S. small cap stocks (19.7%), private credit (8.8%), private equity (6.0%), commodities (1.5%), and fixed income (1.3%). - Top Performers: The U.S. media and entertainment sector (53.6%) and U.S. equities (29.9%) have outperformed North American sports assets included in the index. This collaboration highlights a significant step forward in using data-driven strategies to revolutionize the sports industry. I've dropped a link to the announcement in the comments 👇 #linkedinsports #sportsfranchise

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At #G2E2024, industry insiders dove into the hottest topics shaping the future of gaming. From the push for Texas gaming expansion to the potential of California sports betting, the discussions offered key insights into what’s next for the industry. Catch up on all the essential discussions from G2E!

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BETTING ON CONSENT: MLB PLAYERS AND FANDUEL SETTLE LIKENESS LAWSUIT On Nov. 15, Major League Baseball’s players union reached a settlement in a lawsuit against sports betting giant FanDuel (FLTRF.L), which was accused of using the names and likenesses of hundreds of MLB players on its platform without authorization.  The lawsuit, filed in September, claimed FanDuel "flagrantly" violated the rights of nearly every active MLB player by utilizing their names, images, and likenesses without proper licensing. According to a New York federal court filing, the players have now agreed to dismiss the claims with prejudice, preventing them from being refiled. As part of the settlement, FanDuel and the union entered into a confidential licensing agreement.  “For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses is a crucial return on their substantial career investment,” the players stated in court documents.  Neither the union nor FanDuel has disclosed further details about the agreement, and representatives from the players union did not immediately respond to requests for comment.  This case is not isolated. The National Football League’s players union has also taken legal action, filing a lawsuit in August against DraftKings over alleged misuse of NFL player likenesses in non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Additionally, data provision companies such as Sportradar have faced similar accusations for allegedly using player likenesses without consent.  The broader implications of these legal battles highlight a pressing issue: athletes, like any public figures, deserve a fair share of the billions of dollars generated by the sports betting industry. Whether on digital platforms, betting apps, or NFTs, the commercialization of athletes’ images without their consent is a growing concern, as it undermines their right to control and profit from their personal brand.

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Everything you need to know in #SportsBiz today:   1. Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Denver named finalists for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)’s 16th team 2. FIFA partners with Mythical Games to launch new mobile arcade game ‘Fifa Rivals’ 3. DAZN emerges as suitor for majority stake in Australian broadcaster Foxtel, according to the AFR 4. Sony secures $170m media rights deal for all Asian Cricket Council tournaments until 2031 5. Lamborghini confirms withdrawal from WEC Hypercar and LMGT3 series 6. FC Barcelona partners with New Era Visionary Group and Orange to launch Barca Mobile offering for mobile and fibre services 7. Swansea ownership changes as EFL approves purchase of remaining shares by Andy Coleman, Brett Cravatt, Nigel Morris, and Jason Cohen 8. Welsh Rugby Union reports £7.5m loss for 2024 citing financial obstacles 9. Boston Celtics owner pitches potential stake sale to UAE’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund, according to Bloomberg 10. Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young signs multi-year shoe deal with Jordan Brand Keep your finger on the pulse with all the major stories and news announcements by checking out The Wire - our one-stop shop and super-feed of sports business news 👉 https://lnkd.in/dyh6iZ2E &utm_campaign=linkedin 

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Using a mere few hundred thousand TV viewers as a gauge amidst a potential audience of nearly 400 million, of whom only 83 million demonstrate any real interest in soccer, reveals a glaring discrepancy that demands attention. This discrepancy underscores the evident disinterest of America in the lackluster, exclusive ventures embodied by MLS and USL. These leagues, characterized by their poor quality and dismissive approach to sport development, fail to resonate with a nation yearning for genuine soccer experiences. The failure of the Federation to actively track and address the state of the sport is concerning, as it falls squarely within their mandate. Where is the long-term vision? Where is the strategic planning for the next 5, 10, or 20 years? American soccer languishes in dire need of comprehensive reform, necessitating the removal of gatekeepers who hinder progress and innovation. While competition is undeniably beneficial for the sport, the monopolistic grip maintained by certain entities stifles growth and alienates fans. True progress can only be achieved through fostering an environment where diverse voices and ideas thrive, rather than succumbing to the confines of a stifling monopoly https://lnkd.in/ebGvHtrB

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New DDSN MLB Article by Tyler Welch: Here is Part II with the National League selections for the most deserving MLB players for the 2024 All-Star Game along with runners-up, at every position. #MLB #Baseball #Sports #SportsJournalism

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📢 Your weekly rundown on the biggest stories in North American #sportsbetting is here: 🔗 ESPN Bet and ESPN accounts can now be linked for seamless integration, offering bettors enhanced personalisation and tracking. 🚫 Missouri's Amendment 2 faces new opposition as concerns over promotional deductions affecting tax revenue come into play. 📈 Rush Street Interactive reports a stellar Q3 with revenue up 37% YoY, prompting a $50M share buyback programme. Dive into all the top stories and insights that are shaping the industry!

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ESPN will launch its own streaming service in fall 2025, alongside joint venture ESPN will launch its flagship direct-to-consumer service in either August or the fall of 2025, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced during an interview Wednesday with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin. The service will include all of ESPN’s programming and feature new personalization and integration with ESPN’s fantasy platforms and ESPN Bet. The date of this launch has been long anticipated by the sports media world, although the news is somewhat muted by Disney’s announcement that ESPN will be available in a new sports bundle this fall. The direct-to-consumer service would have been the first time noncable subscribers could access ESPN outside of the traditional cable bundle. Now, the yet-to-be-named joint venture from Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery will take over that role. It is unclear now whether TV viewers who abandoned cable will agree to pay a premium for either sports offering, neither of which include Comcast NBCUniversal and Paramount Global’s live sports games. ESPN didn’t announce a price for the flagship direct-to-consumer service. Disney already has a sports streaming service in ESPN+, which ended the quarter with 25.2 million subscribers, down from 26 million a quarter ago. ESPN+ only has some of ESPN’s content and doesn’t include the network’s most popular live sports, including the full suite of Monday Night Football. In the CNBC interview, Iger downplayed the prospect of the joint streaming service cannibalizing the ESPN product. He said the two platforms would offer different features to sports fans. The ESPN offering “will have many more features and provide a much more immersive experience for the sports fan than this bundle has,” he said. “This bundle is really a channel bundle.” Disney is attempting to transform the ESPN business, which has suffered as traditional cable bleeds subscribers. The company has considered finding a strategic partner for the network, and has held preliminary talks with the NFL, NBA and MLB about potential agreements. #news #dailynews #technews #dailynewsupdates #trending #viralnews #trendingnews

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As the world’s most valuable sports league, the National Football League (NFL) comprises 32 franchises and is one of the pinnacle entertainment experiences in the United States and beyond. Protecting their assets means an acute understanding of how digital and physical worlds meld, given its increasingly globalized impact. From keeping stadiums secure during games to ensuring their vast media ecosystem remains safe, the information security team handles an incredibly complex environment. On today’s episode of ESD, Tomás Maldonado, CISO of the NFL, shares his insights into the vital role of cybersecurity in the NFL, the impact of AI on emerging security threats, and his optimism on the potential for AI-driven incident response. Full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gVY-zMVE #esdpodcast #cisoinsights #aisecurity #aitools #incidentresponse #nfl #cisolife #tomasmaldonado

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🏅 Genius Sports is one of the world’s largest sports technology companies. Sportsbooks and media brands rely on them to provide realtime information about games happening around the world. That includes the NFL, the Premier League, and more. 🏈⚽️ For Genius Sports, realtime data is non-negotiable. Without it, their customers can’t optimize odds or provide engaging live experiences for fans. But delivering that realtime data at scale isn’t easy. Read the full case study to find out how they rely on Ably to deliver just that. 👉 https://hubs.la/Q02rFj5D0

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