Bloomberg Business of Sports

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the possibility that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson might play a mic’d up round of golf amid a total shutdown of sports programming. A fan on Twitter asked Mickelson about the possibility of playing a mic’d up round with Tiger Woods to give sports fans something to watch amid t...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the dearth of programming available to sports networks like ESPN amid the virus-related shutdown of professional leagues like the National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League Baseball, which would normally be celebrating opening day. The hosts also o...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the different ways sports teams and arenas are treating their salaried employees and hourly workers. Some teams are fully compensating them for games not held, while others are having layoffs and cutting pay. Josh Harris, the billionaire co-owner of the New Jersey Devils and Ph...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the National Football League’s decision to push forward with negotiations aimed at completing new media rights deals amid the coronavirus outbreak. The NFL will soon embark on talks with the incumbents, who pay handsomely for the most popular programming on television. The NFL’...

Syracuse University sports management professor Rick Burton joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including what sports management means during a prolonged absence of sporting events. Burton, a former commissioner of the Australian Basketball League and an ex-chief commercial officer of the U.S. Olympic & Paraly...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady reportedly nearing a deal to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady is a rare athlete whose free agency can alter the business landscape of a whole league, and his move to Tampa should swing merchandise sales, ticket sales, betting lines...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the NFL's new long-term labor accord. Despite vocal opposition from some big-name stars, NFL players voted narrowly to accept the new CBA, insuring a decade of labor peace that will let the league turn its attention to negotiating billions in new TV deals. Also talked about is...

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including ramifications of the NBA’s decision to suspend its regular season because of the coronavirus. The league took the unprecedented step of halting its regular season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the virus, which has been labeled a pandemic. Also talked about is sponsor reaction...

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Rob Gronkowski reportedly being close to a deal with the WWE. According to Fox Sports, which has a broadcast contract with the wrestling behemoth, the former New England Patriots tight end is nearing a deal that could have him competing as soon as March 20 at a Friday Night Smackdown event....

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the PGA Tour’s new media rights deals with NBC, CBS and ESPN, which will show events on its streaming service, ESPN+. Network coverage remains with CBS and NBC. The nine-year deal begins in 2022, and will pay the Tour about $7 billion, a hefty rights increase from its current agreement. Also...

Former Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Richard Peddie joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the wide-ranging effect the coronavirus might have on major professional sports teams and leagues. Peddie was running the parent company of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and NHL’s Maple Lea...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the public feud between the New York Knicks and their super fan, Spike Lee, who was admonished by the NBA club for using the employee entrance to Madison Square Garden. The team said it has repeatedly asked the Academy Award winner to use the VIP entrance instead. Lee in an int...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including whether the NCAA should play its annual college basketball tournaments without fans due to the coronavirus outbreak. Ramogi Huma, who leads the National College Players Association, in a statement said there should be “a serious discussion” about holding the competitions withou...

Former Liverpool FC and current Nashville SC Chief Executive Officer Ian Ayre joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including his team’s Major League Soccer debut this weekend. The club is one of two MLS expansion teams that begin play this season, joining Miami FC, whose ownership group includes retired superstar D...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including a pair of trademark battles: one involving the Phillie Phanatic, and one involving NBA star LeBron James. The creators of the original Philadelphia Phillies mascot are trying to reclaim ownership of it through a little-used legal provision. A Maryland-based non profit is suing...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the tale of a 42-year-old Zamboni driver for a minor-league hockey team who was pressed into action during an NHL game, which he won for the Carolina Hurricanes. David Ayres is a case study on several sports business fronts, including media, scale and the capabilities of retail...

Media consultant Lee Berke joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including how the prospective television deals of the National Football League are playing a role in their ongoing labor talks with the players’ association. The owners are seeking long-term labor peace prior to those negotiations, hoping it’ll prompt...

Top Rank Chief Executive Officer Bob Arum joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the heavyweight rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. The fight is scheduled for Feb. 21 in Las Vegas. Arum, who represents Fury, talks about how a promoter goes about hyping a fight, and touches on where boxing stands...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the continuing fallout from the Houston Astros cheating scandal. MLB and its players’ union are negotiating new penalties for sign stealing in the wake of the scandal. That, however, hasn’t stopped players from other teams from speaking out against the Astros players. Nick Mark...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the ongoing negotiations regarding the National Hockey League's participation in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. NHL players want to play in the Olympics, but league owners have balked at the idea, citing the risk of player injuries, the lack of business benefit and the di...

Nascar President Steve Phelps joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including this weekend’s Dayton 500, which is often referred to as the racing circuit’s Super Bowl. Phelps discusses the decision by the France family against selling any part of Nascar, which has said it would seek limited partners. Phelps talks ab...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Forbes Magazine’s 2020 NBA valuations, which are once again topped by the last-place New York Knicks, who are worth $4.6 billion. Rounding out the top three are the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Also discussed are the proposed changes in Major League Baseball, w...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including how the spreading coronavirus affects athletic events and sports retailers around the globe. Across China, where the deadly outbreak emerged, many people are being told to stay inside or avoid public spaces, halting critical manufacturing and foot traffic that many companies re...

XFL Chief Executive Officer Oliver Luck and President Jeffrey Pollack join Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including what it takes to launch a new professional sports league. The XFL, which is being funded by WWE founder Vince McMahon, begins play this weekend. The executives discuss a range of topics related to the...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including what it means for Harvard University’s football program to have one of its former players score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Former Harvard standout Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers scored in this past weekend’s NFL championship against the eventual champion Kansas Ci...