Bloomberg Business of Sports

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The Money Behind Villanova's NCAA Basketball Title Apr 05, 2018

Show notes

Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman discusses a host of topics related to the business of sports, including what Villanova’s NCAA men’s basketball championship -- its second in three years -- means for not only the Wildcats but the other universities in the conference. She also talks about the conference’s national TV deal with Fox Sports and what kinds of digital and social opportunities are available. Ackerman also talks about eschewing costly football programs and the growth of women’s basketball, including her time at the helm of the WNBA.

One of the most powerful women in sports, Ackerman was named the fifth commissioner of the Big East in 2013. She was the founding president of the WNBA and a past president of USA Basketball, which oversees the Olympic program. She attended the University of Virginia as one of the university’s first female student-athlete scholarship recipients.

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Sister Jean Goes Home; Ledecky Goes Pro: Sports Business Apr 02, 2018

Show notes

On this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss the NCAA men's basketball tournament championship game between Michigan and Villanova, as well as the financial implications of Loyola-Chicago's Final Four run. They also talk about swimmer Katie Ledecky's decision to turn pro, allowing the Stanford and Olympic star to sign endorsement contracts. Also discussed are the NFL's interest in selling its data to international betting markets, and NCAA's push for the NBA and its union to allow players to enter the draft directly from high school. Currently, players must be one year removed from what would be their high-school graduation before they're permitted to enter the NBA Draft, resulting in what's called one-and done -- players leaving school after their freshmen seasons.

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Yankees Print Money as Home Run Derby Baseball Returns Mar 29, 2018

Show notes

New York Yankees President Randy Levine discusses a host of topics related to the business of baseball, including the financial ramifications of a lineup that added home run king Giancarlo Stanton during the off-season. Levine also talks about the business of baseball overall, including the league’s new deal to exclusively stream 25 afternoon games on Facebook. Levine also discusses the Yankees proposed London series against the Boston Red Sox, and how former Yankees captain Derek Jeter is performing with the Miami Marlins.

Levine has been president of the Yankees since 2000. He was instrumental in creating the YES Network and Legends Hospitality, in which the Dallas Cowboys are partners. He also led the development and financing of the $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium.

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98-Year-Old Nun Drives March Marketing: Sports Business Mar 26, 2018

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On this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss the biggest star of this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament: Loyola-Chicago's Sister Jean. The 98-year-old nun who serves as chaplain of the basketball team has given the school permission to use her name and likeness for commercial opportunities. So far, Loyola has approved more than 25 Sister Jean T-Shirts from a variety of companies, including Fanatics. The trio also discuss the latest anthem-related comments made by Houston Texas owner Bob McNair and the inflated TV ratings for the Duke-Kansas basketball game that preceded CBS's 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

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Meet the Home Team Without any Home Team Allegiance Mar 22, 2018

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Home Team Sports Executive Vice President Craig Sloan discusses a number of issues related to the business of sports, including how the sales unit of Fox Sports offers advertisers a sort of one-stop shopping experience for regional sports networks. RSNs like the Yes Network and SNY in New York have become lucrative vehicles for professional sports teams, sometimes clashing with cable operators over pricing. He also discusses the rise of digital advertising, which is being used to connect with a younger demographic. HTS reaches 90-plus million homes with its platforms.

Home Team Sports offers advertisers sponsorship of every MLB, NBA and NHL home team in the U.S. It also has exclusive media rights in major college conferences and conference-owned TV networks, including the Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Networks, the ACC and Big 12. Sloan has led the HTS sales team for more than 15 years. During his tenure, he and his teams have secured partnerships with every RSN in the country.

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UMBC Seeks to Cash-In on Tourney Upset: Sports Business Mar 19, 2018

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On this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Scott Soshnick and Michael Barr discuss how the University of Maryland, Baltimore County is taking advantage of becoming the first 16th seed in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament to defeat a top seed. Scott and Michael also discuss what's ahead for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans following the death of owner Tom Benson, and they address Meredith Corp.'s plan to sell Sports Illustrated.

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Syracuse, ESPN Alum Wildhack Talks Sports Landscape Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

Syracuse University Director of Athletics John Wildhack discusses a host of issues related to the business of college sports, including what being included in the NCAA basketball tournament means for a school's bottom line and promotion. Wildhack also discusses the idea of paying college athletes and what the university has in mind for a redeveloped Carrier Dome. A former ESPN executive, Wildhack also talks about the world of sports media, including a changing landscape where cable networks like ESPN are losing subscribers while non-traditional broadcasters like Amazon and Facebook pursue live sports rights.

Wildhack was named athletic director in July 2016. He is responsible for leading the daily operations of a 20-sports athletics department with more than 550 student athletes. Prior to joining the Orange Wildhack spent more than 30 years at ESPN, ascending to the network's executive vice president of programming and production.

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Facebook Gets MLB, March Madness Time: Sports Business Mar 12, 2018

Show notes

On this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss Facebook's deal to exclusively show Major League Baseball games on mostly Wednesday afternoons. It's the first time a major U.S. league has agreed to show regular-season games exclusively on the social network, which paid about $30 million for the 25-game package. Also, the trio discusses March Madness, including why Coca-Cola is miffed at Grant Hill and whether the FBI influenced the selection committee's NCAA tournament teams. Also discussed is the resurgence of Tiger Woods.

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She -- Yes, She -- Will Drive NBA’s Clippers Business Mar 08, 2018

Show notes

Los Angeles Clippers President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker discusses a host of topics related to the business of sports, including the team’s recent sponsorship agreement with Bumble. The agreement not only puts the company’s logo on the team’s uniform, but the Clippers and Bumble say it’s a wide-ranging deal that’s intended to promote female empowerment. Zucker also talks about the team’s plans for a direct-to-consumer network and the possibility of leaving the Staples Center for a new arena in Inglewood, California. She also talks about the NBA’s global ambition, new technology and the prospects for legalized sports betting.

Zucker joined the Steve Ballmer-owned team in 2014, becoming one of the most powerful women in sports. Prior to joining the Clippers she spent nine years as the president of Auto Club Speedway, the largest race track on the West Coast. Before that she was the vice president of business and development at Daytona International Speedway.

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Kobe's Oscars Win, Big Ten Hoops in NYC: Sports Business Mar 05, 2018

Show notes

On this Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, Scott Soshnick, Michael Barr and Eben Novy-Williams discuss the business behind the Big Ten basketball tournament being played in New York City, hundreds of miles from most of its schools. They also discuss, among other things, spring training baseball, Tiger Woods's influence on golf and sports winners at the Oscars.

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