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Welcome to Beyond The Sideline, the community resource for the next generation of sports business leaders.
Big Idea
Tom Farrell is the CEO of The WorkShop Content Studios, a sports and entertainment production studio based in Philadelphia. He is an Emmy-nominated and award-winning Executive Producer with over 30 years of TV production experience. The Real Screen Awards named their 2020 series Basketball or Nothing as the best non-fiction sports documentary of the year, beating out The Last Dance. Their productions have appeared on Netflix, Amazon, Vice, PBS, CBS, Peacock, and other networks. If you were watching any sports programs this past year, you probably saw some of their work as they had two popular shows running almost simultaneously: Pitino: Red Storm Rising and Belichick and Brady: The Verdict.
Finance
In a move that has sent ripples across the landscape of collegiate athletics, the University of Utah has officially ushered in the era of private equity. The university's Board of Trustees recently gave unanimous approval to a first-of-its-kind partnership with New York-based private equity firm Otro Capital, creating a new for-profit entity that could forever change how athletic departments are funded and operated. It's a paradigm shift that extends far beyond a simple financial transaction and could serve as the blueprint for the future of college sports.
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By The Numbers
Numbers That Jumped Off the Page
1- It's been a tough go for the Chicago White Sox lately, but they just caught a major break by winning the MLB Draft Lottery and securing the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1977. Other teams, like the Rays (jumping from 7th to 2nd) and Giants (12th to 4th), also had some luck. Meanwhile, big spenders like the Mets, Yankees, and Dodgers saw their picks drop 10 spots as a penalty for exceeding the luxury tax threshold.
$1 Million- The NFL is officially putting its money where its mouth is to grow flag football. League owners have unanimously voted to invest up to $32 million (or $1 million per team) to help launch a new professional flag football league. With flag football set to make its Olympic debut in 2028, the NFL is hoping to create a top-tier pro league for both men and women, aiming to build a clear path from youth programs to the professional level.
$2 Billion- Organizers for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics announced they have already surpassed $2 billion in domestic sponsorship revenue, putting them on track for one of the most commercially successful Games ever. With partners like Google, Delta, and Intuit already on board, the committee is well on its way to its privately funded $6.9 billion budget.
Pulse Check
Last week, we asked BTS readers, “Which league does the best job at marketing its stars?” Here’s what they thought.
With YouTube TV planning a cheaper, sports-only subscription package, what's the most likely future for watching live sports?
The Highlight Reel
Catch up on our most-read articles from previous weeks
Do you have a topic you want us to cover, a survey question you'd like us to ask, or any news you'd like to share? Let us know at [email protected].
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