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The Kalshi, Polymarket and Novig TV ads that have aired across high-profile MLB postseason games in recent weeks will not find their way onto NBC’s season-opening NBA telecasts on Tuesday, a source told SBJ, indicating that the league will enter the season with the door still closed to deals with prediction market operators.
DAZN is actively on the hunt for even more pro team local media rights, bringing additional emphasis to one of the most unlikely stories this year across sports media. In the last six months, the London-based streamer has acquired local rights to 19 teams across MLB, the NBA, NHL, and WNBA, a collection that includes some smaller-market clubs such as the Grizzlies and Pacers, but also dominant and popular teams such as the defending NBA champion Knicks and runner-up Spurs, and the Yankees.
Jazz and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, already in the midst of expanding his pro sports empire, said he plans to be “aggressive” in pursuit of an MLB expansion franchise for Utah. Speaking with Front Office Sports on the latest episode of Portfolio Players, Smith said he was interested in adding teams to his holdings, including in baseball.
Steve Aschburner: Had some fun yesterday w. the “Scarface” clip. The reactions it triggered confirmed what I’ve believed all along – this business is all about the people, the friends, colleagues, subjects, sources and readers who made parts or all of this ride so terrific. Can’t be anything but grateful & humble after wrapping a career that cut across so many sports (MLB, NFL, NBA) in so many roles (beats, features, columns) from so many places (Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago) for newspapers when they dominated to outlets in this digital world. Exiting on a high at the right time (I’m out 9/30) is satisfying (though it recalls many scribes who didn’t get a choice). The story was the thing, always, but the people & experiences kept it from feeling like work. Thank you for tagging along. The pleasure has been all mine.
Both Polymarket and Kalshi are official partners of the NHL, while Polymarket is MLB’s exclusive prediction-market partner and Kalshi is an “authorized prediction market” under MLB’s integrity framework, which has allowed it to do a number of team-level deals. The NBA and NFL have yet to embrace prediction markets. Sources tell FOS the former is closing in on agreements, while the latter remains a staunch holdout.
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Adam Schefter: The NFL, MLB, MLS, NBA and NHL joined with their respective players’ unions today to crack down on betting-related harassment of athletes, coaches and families. “Threatening the safety of an athlete or their family members over a sports bet crosses a bright ethical and criminal
Kurt Badenhausen: LeBron James jumps into prediction markets with a Polymarket endorsement deal. Polymarket has done league-wide deals over the last 12 months with MLB, MLS and the NHL.
Nate Atkins: Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is acquiring the Los Angeles Angels from the Moreno family. Kroenke will now own controlling interest of the Rams and Angels in L.A., in addition to the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal.
A Hunterbrook Media review of EquiTrust’s statements, insurance statutory filings, and SEC documents found that Johnson’s insurer invested in businesses tied to Johnson and Holoman, EquiTrust’s longtime CEO. This includes an investment of more than $100 million in JLC Infrastructure, a fund whose principals are Johnson and Holoman. EquiTrust also holds $350 million of debt issued by the television company that has the media rights for the Dodgers, an MLB team co-owned by Johnson and Walter. These positions are listed in EquiTrust’s filings as unaffiliated investments.
The issues at hand mirror claims made in a 2014 lawsuit—that money one of the plaintiffs paid into her life insurance policy was used to fund a $35 million loan that was connected to the purchase of the Dodgers. Although that suit was dropped one day after it was filed, the forensic accountant who helped build the case recently told Front Office Sports “my clients seemed pleased, that’s all I can say.” In Wednesday’s statement, TWG says “the allegation that the Los Angeles Dodgers were acquired or have been funded improperly is false and not supported by the facts.” It also notes the 2012 deal was “subject to significant scrutiny and complied with all rules and regulations that govern the purchase of Major League Baseball teams.” Further, it says the Dodgers “have the highest revenue in baseball,” and that the team’s revenue “significantly exceeds” its payroll obligations.
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Mike Vorkunov: The NBA has had 13 control sales since 2019. That's 13 times a team has been sold and changed control owners. That blows away the NFL (3) and MLB (5). Lakers appreciated 25% in a year. Timberwolves tripled in value in 5 years. NBA record price nearly sextupled in 7 years.
Lore is stepping back into a limited partner role in the ownership group, and Stad will team with Alex Rodriguez as the new two-headed face of the franchise. Rodriguez is well acquainted with fame after his career as a Major League Baseball star and is comfortable with the spotlight on him in such a high-profile position with a team that has developed into a Western Conference contender in recent seasons. Stad, on the other hand, was practically anonymous in the Wolves ownership group before this move. Over the past several years, Lore and Rodriguez made it known that they had a heavyweight limited partner list that included former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But Stad’s name was never publicly mentioned.
Mike Curtis: Cade Cunningham bought a minority ownership stake in his hometown MLB team, the Texas Rangers, earlier this year. His take on what they need to do to get back in the wild card hunt: “Win some games. Hit some home runs. Get some stops...Get outs & home runs. That’s what we need.”
Jason Benetti of NBC Sports will get the chance to mix in some NBA announcing with his MLB coverage this season, Front Office Sports has learned. Benetti, the lead voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball, will handle play-by-play for some regular-season and NBA playoff games during the upcoming season, sources say.