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☆ Lawsuit Accuses Everton Bidder 777 Partners of $600 Million Fraud
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The American investment firm 777 Partners, whose bid to buy the English Premier League soccer team Everton has been on hold for months amid doubts about the company’s finances, was accused by one of its lenders on Friday of running a yearslong fraud scheme worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The accusation came in a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in New York by Leadenhall Capital Partners, a London-based asset management company. It said that it had provided 777 Partners with more than $600 million in financing, only to discover that roughly $350 million in assets serving as collateral for the loans either were not in 777’s control or had already been pledged to other lenders. The lawsuit is the latest, most serious claim against 777 Partners, which has for years made bold assertions about its financial health — it has previously claimed $10 billion in assets — even as it was trailed a string of lawsuits, corporate failures and unpaid bills. The suit could have immediate implications for 777’s stalled bid to buy Everton: The Premier League has not approved the sale, and the financially strapped club recently said it was seeking alternate investors.

Organizations: Partners, English Premier League soccer, Everton, Leadenhall Capital Partners, The Premier League Locations: New York, London

☆ This Town Had a Reputation Problem. Premier League Soccer Changed Things.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the announcement trilled out over Kenilworth Road, the jumble of rusted metal and peeling paint that Luton Town F.C. At the start of the sentence, it was little more than the traditional polite welcome to the stadium for that evening’s visiting team, Manchester City. By the end, though, the voice of the announcer seemed overcome by what sounded a little like awe. Cup, the champions of England and the champions of Europe.” Luton seems to be having a hard time believing the company it now keeps. Fifteen years ago, Luton Town had been relegated to the fifth tier of English soccer, a world away from the power and the prestige of the Premier League.

Persons: Luton Organizations: Luton Town F.C, Manchester, Luton Town, Premier League Locations: Kenilworth, Manchester City, Luton, England, Europe

☆ Google DeepMind wants to make AI a part of soccer
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Google DeepMind launched a prototype AI soccer tactics tool last month. DeepMind developed the tool with Liverpool FC, known for its data-driven approach to soccer. AdvertisementGoogle DeepMind is bidding to bring artificial intelligence (AI) into soccer by launching a new tool to help coaches make better tactical decisions. DeepMind researchers published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Google DeepMindHaving that knowledge on hand helped the collaboration between DeepMind and Liverpool to run smoothly, according to Veličković.

Persons: Google DeepMind, DeepMind, —, Zhe Wang, Didier Drogba, Divock, Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Ian MacNicol, Petar Veličković, Billy Beane, Ian Graham, they've, Liverpool —, Monterrey's Sergio Canales, Yuri Cortez, We're, Wang, it'll Organizations: Google, Liverpool FC, Service, English Premier League soccer, Nature Communications, Soccer, Former Ivory Coast, Chelsea, Liverpool, FC Barcelona, UEFA, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool FC's, Ph.D.s, Harvard, Inter Miami, Getty Locations: London, Cambridge, Anfield, DeepMind, Liverpool, AFP

☆ Insiders break down Amazon's sports strategy and the low-key but powerful exec behind it, as the tech giant eyes NBA rights
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of them is Jay Marine, who oversees Amazon's sports business as VP of Prime Video and global head of sports. Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesMarine's next move could be for the NBA, which Amazon craves for its young, global fan base. Advertisement"For us, everything starts with Prime," Marine told CNBC in a rare interview last fall. AdvertisementApart from its big bet on "TNF," Amazon's sports moves have been largely incremental. The deal lets Diamond continue airing local NBA broadcasts, which makes it more likely Amazon will bid for national NBA rights, analyst Ben Thompson of Stratechery wrote.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos, Jay Marine, Bezos, Andy Jassy, Chris Webber, Tyrone Wheatley, scrappy, Chris Graythen, Ben Thompson, Stratechery, Marine, Patrick Crakes, it's, Marie Donoghue, Mike Hopkins, Amazon's, John Kosner, Donoghue, Kantar, signups, He's Organizations: Service, Marine, Business, US, Premier League soccer, Industry, The, Sports, WBD, NASCAR, NBC, NBA, Amazon, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Apple, Netflix, CNBC, Amazon MGM Studios, Premier Boxing Champions, Diamond Sports, Diamond, Premier League, WNBA, National Women's Soccer League . Media, ESPN, DraftKings, Warner Bros . Locations: London, The New Jersey, Amazon

☆ Rupert Murdoch's new Russian fiancée ties him to a sprawling web of money — with some surprising connections
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His fiancée, Elena Zhukova, was once married to Alexander Radkin Zhukov, a Russian oligarch. Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, was married to Roman Abramovich from 2008 to 2017. Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty ImagesZhukova shares a daughter with Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova. Dasha Zhukova is now married to Stavros Niarchos, the grandson of a Greek shipping tycoon. AdvertisementDasha Zhukova married Stavros Niarchos in January 2020.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Elena Zhukova, Alexander Radkin Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich, —, Murdoch, Vladimir Putin, Zhukova, Wendi Deng, Zhukov, hasn't, Daniele Venturelli, Dasha, Abramovich, Putin, backchannel, Vladimir Putin's backchannel, Mikhail Svetlov, Stavros Niarchos, Lexie Moreland, Murdoch didn't Organizations: Service, The Daily Mail, Guardian, Times, Getty, Premier League soccer, Chelsea Football Club, European Union, Penske Media, News Corp, Business Insider Locations: Russian, Italy, London, Russia, Ukraine, New York, Switzerland

☆ Personal pilot for billionaire Joe Lewis pleads guilty to insider trading scheme
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a press conference in New York City, Sept. 22, 2023. A personal pilot for British billionaire investor Joe Lewis pleaded guilty Monday to securities fraud related to the same insider trading scheme that Lewis admitted guilt in a month ago, federal prosecutors in New York said. The pilot, Patrick O'Connor, on multiple occasions, received material, nonpublic information about companies from Lewis that O'Connor then used to trade in shares of those firms, prosecutors said. Lewis is the principal owner of the Tavistock Group, a private investment firm, and controlled one or more board of director seats at companies in which he shared nonpublic information with O'Connor that the pilot then traded on, prosecutors said. Lewis, through a family trust, formerly controlled a majority ownership stake in the English Premier League soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.

Persons: Damian Williams, Joe Lewis, Lewis, Patrick O'Connor, O'Connor, Mirati Organizations: Attorney, Southern, of, Tavistock Group, English Premier League soccer, Tottenham Hotspur, Mirati Therapeutics, Manhattan U.S, Attorney's Locations: U.S, of New York, New York City, New York

☆ Thaksin Shinawatra: Thailand’s jailed former prime minister to be freed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Helen Regan | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —Thailand’s jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will soon walk free from detention after his parole was approved, according to Thailand’s justice minister, just six months after his dramatic return to the kingdom. The announcement caps an extraordinary decades-long political saga that will see the return of one of Thailand’s most controversial political figures to everyday life. On Tuesday, Thailand’s Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong confirmed to CNN Thaksin is one of 930 inmates who have been granted parole this month. The party’s candidate Strettha Thavisin became Thailand’s 30th prime minister in August, just hours after Thaksin’s return to the country. Last week, Reuters reported that Thaksin faces possible lese majeste charges under Thailand’s royal insult law, but it’s unclear whether prosecutors will move forward with the complaint.

Persons: Thailand CNN — Thailand’s, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Maha Vajiralongkorn, Tawee Sodsong, Thaksin —, Strettha Thavisin, Thaksin’s, Pita Limjaroenrat Organizations: Thailand CNN, Manchester City, Thailand’s, CNN Thaksin, The Corrections Department, Thai Corrections Department, Reuters Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, New York, Thai

☆ Africa's richest person just opened a $19 billion oil refinery to help Nigeria reduce fuel imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewAfrica's richest person has opened one of the world's largest oil refineries in Nigeria. Aliko Dangote, the billionaire founder and chairman of the multinational conglomerate the Dangote Group, opened the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in a bid to help make Nigeria self-sufficient in fuel. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The $19 billion refinery, in the coastal city of Lekki, near Lagos, has suffered years of delays and setbacks, but it finally began production last week. This is something that the new Dangote refinery aims to change by eventually producing up to 650,000 barrels a day.

Persons: —, Aliko Dangote, Pius Utomi Ekpei, David Rubenstein, Dangote, Rafiq Raji, Raji, John Moore, Alhassan, Forbes, Rubenstein, Bill Gates, Gates, Aliko, Melinda Gates Organizations: Service, Dangote, Petroleum Refinery, Business, Dangote Petroleum, Center for Strategic, Studies, Africa, Bloomberg Global Business, West Africa's, Al, Azhar University, Dangote Cement, Bloomberg, Melinda Gates Foundation, English Premier League soccer, Arsenal Locations: Nigeria, Lekki, Lagos, AFP, New York, Nigerian, West, Egypt, Africa

☆ The Chiefs-Dolphins game on Peacock was the most-streamed live event in US history
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The “Peacock Exclusive Wild Card” game garnered 23 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. NBC said in a release that the game sets records for the “most-streamed live event in US history” and was also responsible for the most internet usage ever in the US on a single date, consuming 30% of internet traffic during the Saturday night game. That number also includes viewership figures from the local NBC affiliates in Miami and Kansas City and on the NFL+ mobile app, where the game was also shown outside of Peacock. Notably, the ratings for the exclusively streamed game was up 6% over last year’s primetime AFC Wild Card Game that was shown on NBC’s broadcast network. It recorded an average of 27 million viewers overall, which NBC said at the time made it the most-watched Sunday show since the 2023 Super Bowl.

Persons: New York CNN — Peacock, Peacock, ”, Brian Roberts, “, Roger Goodell, Taylor Swift’s, Travis Kelce, Swift, CNN’s Ramishah Maruf Organizations: New, New York CNN, NFL, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, Nielsen, NBC, Kansas City, Comcast, English Premier League soccer, MLB, WWE, “, NBC Sports, Chiefs, Jets Locations: New York, Miami, Peacock

☆ Loyal to Their Soccer Team, and to Their Burger Van
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Surveying his territory, Tony Aujla is pleased. His business, after all, is all about location, and he has a prime one. Like a general surveying a battlefield, he points to his right: a short walk that way is Aston train station. Over to the left is Villa Park, with its grand, brick-lined facade, home of the city’s Premier League soccer team, Aston Villa. Should any of them require sustenance to complete their (not especially arduous) trek, he is there, spatula in hand, to sell them a burger.

Persons: Tony Aujla, amble, Aujla, Burger Organizations: Aston, Villa Park, city’s Premier League soccer, Aston Villa Locations: Villa

☆ Twitch's chief revenue officer is set to leave the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Twitch Chief Revenue Officer Walker Jacobs is set to leave the company this month. It's understood he has another job lined up, a person familiar said. It's been a rocky year for Twitch amid a CEO change, layoffs, and soft ad market. Twitch Chief Revenue Officer Walker Jacobs is set to leave the Amazon-owned livestreaming company at the end of this month, according to two people familiar with the matter. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Walker Jacobs, It's, Jacobs Organizations: Twitch, Amazon, Amazon Prime, English Premier League soccer, Business

☆ Man United nears sale of 25% stake to Jim Ratcliffe for $33 a share -Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Glazer family announced last November that they were exploring "strategic alternatives" for the club, including a possible sale and were open to fresh investment. Manchester United's U.S.-listed shares rose 9.5% to $20.10 in early trading on Friday. Manchester United generates more revenue and has a larger fan base than its London rival. The Glazer family has faced intense criticism from fans over its handling of this key part of the club's operations. The six descendants of American businessman Malcolm Glazer, who died in 2014, currently control 96% of Manchester United's voting stock.

Persons: Glazer, Jim Ratcliffe, Ratcliffe, Sir Alex Ferguson, Richard Arnold, Roman Abramovich, Todd Boehly, Phil Noble, Malcolm Glazer, Ineos, Eva Mathews, Matt Scuffham, Arun Koyyur, Susan Fenton Organizations: Manchester, soccer, Sky News, Old, Manchester United, Premier League soccer, Chelsea, U.S, Clearlake, REUTERS, Reuters, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Forbes, Ligue, Nice, Swiss Super League, FC Lausanne, Racing Club Abidjan, Ivory Coast Ligue, Grenadiers, Thomson Locations: Old Trafford, Manchester United's U.S, London, Manchester, Britain, Ineos, British, Bengaluru

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia's government announced Thursday that the father of Liverpool striker Luis Díaz was released, 12 days after his kidnapping in northern Colombia by members of the guerrilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN. The release was announced by the government's delegation that currently is in peace negotiations with the ELN. Luis Manuel Díaz’s kidnapping on Oct. 28 in the small town of Barrancas quickly drew international attention. But Colombia’s government announced last week that it had information that Díaz was kidnapped by an ELN unit. The ELN later acknowledged the kidnapping, saying it was a mistake and that the group’s top leadership had ordered the elder Díaz’s release.

Persons: —, Liverpool, Luis Díaz, Luis Manuel Díaz’s, Diaz, ’, Papa ”, Díaz, ELN Organizations: National Liberation Army, Liverpool, Premier League soccer Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Barrancas, Colombian

☆ Everton Sale Stalls Amid Questions About Buyer’s Financials
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Tariq Panja | More About Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The proposed sale of the Premier League soccer team Everton F.C. to a Miami-based holding company has stalled because the firm, 777 Partners, has failed to provide audited financial statements to a British government regulator that must approve the deal. The regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, delivered its request to 777 Partners this month, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the approval process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. If the company does not provide the requested financials or an acceptable explanation, its proposed takeover of Everton — a deal involving hundreds of millions of dollars in assumed debt and a coveted place in the world’s richest soccer league — could fall apart. The missing documents are the most significant complication to date in the effort by 777 Partners to add Everton to the collection of high-profile but financially troubled teams it has acquired over the past two years.

Persons: Everton — Organizations: Premier League soccer, Everton F.C, Financial, Authority, Partners, Everton Locations: Miami, British

It's a long way from the Wembley mudfest in 2007 when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in the first London game. The league said the NFL Academy's TikTok channel has the highest engagement of its channels on the the popular video-sharing app. The NFL won't overtake the Premier League for popularity in Britain but it says it has 14 million fans with 3 million deemed “avid” fans. Results of a survey by media consulting firm Altman Solon indicate good consumer trends for the NFL in Britain. The Jags' game on Oct. 8 against the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham will be run by the league.

Persons: It's, ”, Henry Hodgson, —, ” Hodgson, Altman Solon, Matt Del Percio, Maria Gigante, Shad Khan, Daniel Levy, Tottenham —, ” “, Clint Black, “, ” Gigante Organizations: Tottenham Hotspur, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, Wembley, Buffalo Bills, Tottenham —, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, Britain . League, Sky Sports, BBC, ITV, London, NFL, Premier League, Jaguars, Tottenham, Houston Texans, EverBank, Denver Broncos, Premier League soccer, Fulham, English Football Association, Jacksonville Locations: Germany, Spain, Europe, Britain, London, Ireland, JAGS, Jacksonville, U.S

☆ The job Americans would most like to see replaced by robots
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Joseph Bien-Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +26 min

In a survey of jobs Americans would most like to see replaced by robots, the umpire would surely rank near the top. (The MLB league official tells me that legalized gambling has not been a factor in implementing ABS.) Frustratingly, the subjective has infiltrated what initially felt like a technological problem: What does the perfect strike zone even look like anyway? The MLB league official agrees, telling me the Jetson Robot Home Plate Ump is not in their plans. "Growing up, my parents would go, 'Oh, the umpire's strike zone was small!'

Persons: Jordan Pacheco, Pacheco, John McEnroe, —, Billy Beane, maniacally, Houston, it's, Ben Hurian, Paul Hawkins, Goltz, Tyler Le, Justin Goltz, he's, there's, rears, Tyler Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, who's, FanGraphs, Bagwell crouch, Miguel Yajure, Phillip Evans, Evans, X, they'd, Dylan Yep, what's, we're, Rob Manfred, — England's, Calvin Baker, Baker, Drew Strotman, Billy Evans, Strotman, Greg Maddux, MIT grads, steph, klay thompson, alf, hite, mudge, hird, ove, ahn Organizations: Lexington Legends, Twitter, Major League, ump, MLB, Sony, NASCAR, Triple, Albuquerque, Colorado Rockies, Astros, Companies, English Premier League soccer, Rugby, NFL, NBA, ABS, Sutter Health Park, Cats, San Francisco Giants, River, Reno Aces, AAA, Atlantic League, Big, of Fame, Seton Hall Sports, MIT, hawkeyes, ust Locations: OKC, California, Sacramento, uman

☆ Asian Games: South Korea's Esports stars target medal success -- and a military exemption
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

For South Korean male participants, winning a gold medal in the Asian Games or Olympic Games not only brings honor but also grants them a military exemption. However, the mandatory duty can be waived for some athletes, in particular those who win an Olympic medal or a gold medal in the Asian Games. Seven games will be featured as official medal events at the 19th Asian Games, building on the success of the pilot event at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games. The venue for the Asian Games esports competitions is state-of-the-art and an impressive sight to see. With its inclusion as an official Asian Games medal event, the possibility of esports becoming a part of the Olympic Games is a topic of growing debate.

Persons: Suga, Oh, Wang Zhao, Son Heung, ” Shin, ”, esports, ” Kim Sa, “, ” Lee Kyung, Kwak, hyouk, it’d, ” Kwak, Thailand’s Teedech, Lee Sang, –, Michael Chow, Yoonjung Seo, Michael Jordan, ” Chow, Faker, JUNG YEON, Philip Fong, Rowan Crothers, “ I’m, I’ll, ” Crothers, Jess Bolden, Chow, Niko, Young Organizations: CNN, Gaming, Hangzhou Asian Games, Asian Games, Games, BTS, Asian, Getty, Premier League soccer, Tottenham Hotspur, Marine Corps, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, “ Times, CNN Sport, FIFA, Hangzhou, South Korea, Believer Company, Riot, South, Team Korea, League, “ League, SK Telecom, Riot Games, Microsoft Studios, Xbox, Studios, International Federation of, Phonographic Industry, EA Sports FC Online, PUBG, of Valor, of, Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Maekyung Media, Paralympic, IOC, Kodikara, International Federations, Niko Partners Locations: South Korea, Hangzhou, AFP, Seogwipo, Jeju, Republic of, Seoul, esports, Jakarta, South, . South Korea, Palembang, Asia

LONDON (AP) — Before he hit America, Rupert Murdoch ripped through Britain’s media like a tornado. But politicians from both right and left courted and feared Murdoch, who added The Times and Sunday Times to his stable in 1981. Like other politicians, Blair denied giving Murdoch anything in return for his support — though plenty of skeptics doubted that. For now, Rupert Murdoch remains a magnet for the powerful, and those who seek power, in Britain. The guest list for his summer party in June included Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, many members of his Cabinet and opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan, Murdoch, Boris Johnson, “, Nathan Sparkes, Murdoch “, Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy Hunt, Britain’s, couldn’t, ”, Jacques Delors, Margaret Thatcher, Thatcher’s, John Major, Sun wot, Tony Blair’s, Blair, ” Blair, Andy Coulson, Prince Harry, Lachlan Murdoch, Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, James, Kathryn Murdoch Organizations: Fox, News Corp, Times, ”, Labour Party, Treasury, LBC, BBC, European, Argentine, Liverpool, Sunday Times, Thatcher’s Conservative, Sun, Blair’s Labour Party, Murdoch’s News Corp, The Sun, Sky Television, Premier League soccer, Sports, BSkyB, Comcast, AP Locations: London, Australian, Britain, British, Hillsborough, ___

☆ Saudi Arabia is grappling with rising borrowing costs as it embarks on massive spending plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

It's getting more expensive for Saudi Arabia to borrow, with a key lending rate hitting a record 6%. The Gulf Kingdom plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars as part of its Vision 2030 project. It plans to fund those efforts with a combination of oil revenue and borrowed cash. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Saudi Arabia has also slashed its oil output by around 10%, or 1 million barrels a day, in a bid to bring in more revenue from its crude exports by squeezing up prices.

Persons: It's, Mohamed bin Salman, That's, bin Salman, LIV Golf Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Investment Fund, English Premier League soccer, Newcastle United, PGA Tour Locations: Saudi Arabia, Gulf Kingdom, Wall, Silicon, Gulf, Saudi, Refinitiv, SAIBOR

☆ Comcast beats expectations as higher prices offset slowing broadband growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Comcast beat analyst estimates on Thursday when it reported its second-quarter results, as higher pricing helped offset a continued slowdown in its broadband business. The company now groups its Xfinity-branded broadband, cable TV and wireless services with its U.K.-based Sky. Higher average rates helped to offset second-quarter subscriber losses, leading to broadband revenue growth of 4.4%. Comcast and its peers have experienced slowing growth in the broadband segment following quarters of robust gains during the early days of the Covid pandemic. The drop in domestic advertising was largely due to lower revenue at NBCUniversal's TV networks, which was partially offset by the leap in Peacock revenue.

Persons: Peacock, Cord, Bob Iger, NBCUniversal, Mario Organizations: Comcast, Refinitiv, Disney, USA Network, Bravo, Premier League soccer, Peacock, Sky Sports, Revenue, Mario Bros, Super Nintendo, CNBC Locations: Beijing, Japan, Orlando, Florida

☆ NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service is growing, thanks to live sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

NBCUniversal's sports portfolio has been driving growth at its streaming service Peacock, and the company has no plans to let up, with other sports rights deals top of mind. Sports are a double-edged sword for media companies contending with relentless cord cutting and trying to make their streaming services profitable. At the same time, sports are serving as a propeller of growth for streaming, especially for fledgling services such as Peacock and Paramount Global's Paramount+. NBCUniversal's parent company, Comcast , on Thursday touted that Peacock nearly doubled its customer count year over year to 24 million. According to Cavanagh, simultaneous streaming has given the company and its sports assets "tremendous reach," and all at a lower cost to the consumer.

Persons: Travis Kelce, Raymond James Stadium, Peacock, Mike Cavanagh, Cavanagh, it's Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Paramount, Comcast, Sports, NFL, Nascar, Premier League, Telemundo —, Paris Olympics, Sunday, Football, Premier League soccer

☆ NFL owners approve sale of Commanders, former owner fined $60 mln
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Frank Pingue | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

July 20 (Reuters) - National Football League owners have unanimously approved the sale of the Washington Commanders franchise to a group led by the co-owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's New Jersey Devils, the league said on Thursday. Financial terms of the deal to purchase the Commanders from Dan Snyder, who was fined $60 million by the NFL for workplace misconduct after the approval was announced, were not disclosed. Former NBA great Johnson wrote on Twitter that he is both "honored and ecstatic" to be a co-owner of an NFL team. The investigation also concluded that the Commanders withheld about $11 million in revenue, and possibly more, that should have been shared with other NFL teams. In 2021 the NFL fined the Commanders $10 million after an independent counsel review found the workplace demonstrated "a general lack of respect" towards women.

Persons: Dan Snyder, Josh Harris, Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, Harris, Johnson, Snyder, Frank Pingue, Deepa Babington Organizations: National Football League, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, NFL, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, Fame, Los Angeles Lakers, 76ers, Devils, Premier League soccer, Crystal, Apollo Global Management, Washington, NBA, Twitter, Congress, Forbes, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Maryland, U.S, Toronto

☆ The wildest demand Saudi Arabia made as part of its potential investment (takeover?) in the PGA Tour: get LIV Golf's Saudi boss a Masters green jacket
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Congress grilled the PGA about its bid to merge with LIV Golf and accept Saudi Arabian investment. As PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne put it, "There is simply an agreement to try to get to an agreement." LIV Golf would only play in the fall and not overlap with the heart of the PGA Tour season. What makes the demand even stranger is that the PGA Tour almost certainly does not have the power to grant this. After all, despite the initial fight between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, none of the defecting players were being withheld from competing in the majors.

Persons: LIV Golf, LIV, LIV Golfand, Jimmy Dunne, Woods, Rory McIlroy, Yasir Al, PIF, Donald Trump, Greg Norman, Chris Trotman, St Andrews, Andrews, Stephanie Asymkos, Augusta Organizations: Augusta National, PGA, Service, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, Investigations, Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, LIV, Aramco, Congress, Augusta National Golf, Getty, Augusta National Golf Cub, Golf, St, — Augusta National, Augusta, Uber, Microsoft, Boeing, Disney, English Premier League soccer, Newcastle United, Al, Wall Street Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, St

☆ Thomson Reuters to buy digital content management company Imagen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] The Thomson Reuters logo is seen on the company building in Times Square, New York, U.S., January 30, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File PhotoJune 28 (Reuters) - Thomson Reuters (TRI.TO) will buy Imagen, a digital content asset management company, for an undisclosed price, to expand its agency business to new customers, the news and information company said on Wednesday. Britain-based Imagen, which owns the Screenocean video distribution platform, operates digital content libraries for sports, media and business companies including Premier League soccer and Major League Baseball. "Our belief is that our agency business needs to evolve to be a tech-enabled content delivery (business)," Reuters President Paul Bascobert said in an interview. On Monday, Thomson Reuters said it agreed to buy Casetext, a California-based AI company that helps legal professionals conduct research, analysis and prepare documents using generative AI, for $650 million.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Imagen, Paul Bascobert, Bascobert, Thomson, Kenneth Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Thomson Reuters, REUTERS, Premier League soccer, Major League Baseball, Reuters News, Reuters, Reuters Connect, BBC, USA, Thomson Locations: Square , New York, U.S, Britain, California, New York

☆ MLB: London Series takes over the UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Cubs dominated the London Series opener storming home to a 9-1 victory. Daniel ShireyMLB Photos/Getty ImagesA UK twist“It’s a thrill to be here,” Cardinals fan Karen Asher-Relf told CNN Sport. “I think it’s awesome [the London Series], I love baseball and I’m slowly converting him,” said Karen. DeCap, a Cardinals fan, and Crain, a Cubs fan, flew over to the UK for a vacation that incorporated watching the game. Since the last London Series event, the MLB has introduced a pitch clock designed to make matches shorter – a far cry from the mammoth four hour and 42-minute game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox during the 2019 London Series.

Persons: Jack, it’s, Daniel ShireyMLB, Karen Asher, Relf, Paul, Karen, didn’t, “, ”, Paul’s, –, Jimmy Anderson, Nathan Lyon of, Winston Churchill, King Henry VIII, Freddie Mercury, Churchill, Caroline ”, Neil Diamond, Henry VIII, Andrew Couldridge, John DeCap, Scot Crain, Crain, “ We’ve, ” Crain, DeCap, We’ve, Hector Echevarria, Echevarria, Louis, Lars Nootbaar, ” Willson Contreras, Louis Cardinals, Nick Offerman, Swanson, Offerman, Ron Swanson, John Goodman, Kate Long, I’ve, Zac Goodwin, Sadiq Khan, Rob Manfred Organizations: London, London CNN, Major League Baseball, Chicago Cubs, Louis Cardinals, Premier League soccer, West Ham United, Cubs, Cardinals, CNN Sport, King’s Guard, Guard, Covid, MLB, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Soul Symphony, Recreation, Inc, ”, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets Locations: London, British, St, Louis , Missouri, Nathan Lyon of Australia, Toronto, Canada

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