Bloomberg Business of Sports

Capitol IV Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mark Ein joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including his investment in the Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC, and his World Team Tennis club, the Washington Kastles. A former Citi Open ball boy, Ein acquired the 50-year-old tournament and is seeking to...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's desire for a new contract. According to ESPN, Elliott's representatives have told the Cowboys their client won't play this season without a new agreement. He is scheduled to be paid about $3 million this season and $9 million next s...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Tom Brady's contract extension with the New England Patriots. The two-year extension keeps Brady, 42, under contract through the 2021 season. Also discussed is Brady's decision to sign with Endeavor for off-the-field matters. Also discussed is Barcelona playing exhibition games...

Bleacher Report Chief Executive Officer Howard Mittman joins Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including his digital media company's popularity on Twitter. According to Mittman, Bleacher is the No. 2 most engaged account on Twitter, sandwiched in-between President Trump and Ariana Grande. Bleacher focuses on sports and culture, and...

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the tax implications of the Dallas Cowboys hosting training camp in California. The Cowboys and Carolina Panthers are the only two NFL teams to hold camps outside of their home states. Having to pay California taxes costs some players hundreds of thousands of dollars. Also discussed is New B...

Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the financial troubles of Washington Redskins star Adrian Peterson. The highest paid running back in NFL history, Peterson is being sued for allegedly defaulting on a $5.2 million loan and has other creditors, all despite making over $100 million over his career. An attorney...

Liverpool Football Club Chief Executive Officer Peter Moore (and the club's recently acquired Champions League trophy) join Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including his team's U.S. tour that included a stop at Yankee Stadium. Liverpool is just one of many blue-chip soccer brands to tour the U.S., hoping to snag a s...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the appreciation of professional sports teams in the NFL, NBA and MLB. According to Forbes, for the first time every team in those leagues is worth at least $1 billion. Also talked about is Zion Williamson’s decision to sign with Nike’s Jordan Brand. Williamson, the No. 1 draft...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams, Randall Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including ESPN personality Dan Le Batard's decision to break from company policy to discuss politics on his radio show. The son of Cuban immigrant, Le Batard last week criticized President Donald Trump and ESPN's own policy of only discussing politics when the topic is...

Connecticut Jr. Rangers program director Jeff Hamilton, a Yale graduate and former National Hockey League player, 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 victory in the prestigious Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament. CJR became the first American team to win the tournament since 2002. Also discu...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Major League Baseball exploring whether to allow its teams to display advertisements on their uniforms. The consideration follows jersey patches in the NBA, where teams just completed the first season of uniform ads. Also discussed is the National Football League's revenue pict...

Scott Soshnick and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the five-set thriller that decided the Wimbledon men's championship. Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the epic affair, which was decided in a fifth-set tiebreak. The win boosted Djokovic's career on-court earnings to about $133 million, while Federer reached about $110 million. Moreover, t...

Big 3 founder Jeff Kwatinetz joins Scott Soshnick and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the appeal of retired National Basketball Association stars playing in a 3-on-3 format. The league was co-founded by producer, actor and music artist Ice Cube, who has partnered with Kwatinetz on a number of entertainment projects around. Also discussed is the...

Scott Soshnick and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the debate within Major League Baseball over whether the baseball's are juiced this season. Pitcher Justin Verlander used the All-Star game platform to assert that the baseball's have been changed amid a surge of home runs. He questioned whether MLB has more input into the ball since Rawlings Spor...

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Kawhi Leonard's decision to join the Los Angeles Clippers. It was the latest blockbuster move in what has been a wild offseason for the league, and highlights a growing trend in the NBA -- star free agents are starting to act a lot like team general managers. Also discussed is U.S. women’s nat...

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred joins the podcast from London to talk about the league's first-ever games in Europe. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees played twice in London last weekend, drawing two sold-out crowds and combining for 50 runs. MLB essentially built a make-shift baseball stadium inside London's Olympic Stadium, complete with imported locker rooms and dirt import...

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Nike's controversial decision to recall a limited-edition Fourth of July shoe that featured the "Betsy Ross" version of the American flag. The image has been coopted by some far-right groups and Nike reportedly reconsidered the sale after conversations with quarterback-turned-activist Colin Ka...

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including a banner first day for NBA free agency. The Brooklyn Nets made the biggest splash, reportedly agreeing to terms with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, while the crosstown New York Knicks failed to land a big name. Other stars changing teams appear to include Jimmy Butler and Al Ho...

In this special, the Surveillance team does a deep dive on Major League Baseball's debut in the U.K. Robert Manfred Jr., MLB Commissioner, speaks on the profound financial opportunities of bringing Major League Baseball to Europe. And Sam Kennedy, Boston Red Sox CEO, illustrates the severity of the need to grow the MLB on an international scale.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Former U.S. Women’s National Soccer team player Kristine Lilly joins Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the current team’s run through the World Cup, its place in the quarterfinal against host France, and what kind of halo would attach itself to the club should it win the tournament. Lilly, who first qualified for the nati...

Scott Soshnick, Michael Barr and Eben Novy-Williams discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including NCAA President Mark Emmert threatening to bar California teams from participating in national championships if a proposed state law takes effect. The bill in question would force schools to allow athletes to sign endorsements, appear in ads and make money off their name and lik...

Scott Soshnick and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including Big 3 Chairman of the Board Amy Trask grabbing a mop and drying the court during a game. Trask, a former CEO of the NFL's Oakland Raiders, said the wet spot was bugging her so she just grabbed the mop and dried the court herself. Also discussed is Major League Baseball's decision to grant the Tamp...

Former Disney Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner joins Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including his pursuit and eventual ownership of English lower division soccer team Portsmouth. Eisner talks about the pitfalls of pro sports team ownership and what advice he would give a prospective owner of an English footba...

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including a new partnership between NBA All-Star Anthony Davis and Ruffles, the PepsiCo-owned potato chip brand. Davis, who was recently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, will become a Ruffles endorser, but he also unveiled a new sneaker with Nike, called the Ruffles Ridge Tops, which are potato-chip in...

Scott Soshnick, Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of All-Star center Anthony  Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. In return for Davis, who had requested a trade, the Pelicans will receive three players and three first-round draft picks. Davis will team with LeBron James, who this past seaso...