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Comcast CEO Brian Roberts chose Shell to replace Steve Burke as NBCUniversal CEO in 2019. Soon, Shell, 59, will be at the helm of Paramount and paired with Ellison, who has already expressed his desire to transition Paramount into a more modern media company. The 10 p.m. hourAt Paramount, Shell will be given an asset mix similar to what he oversaw at NBCUniversal — save the theme parks. Wolf's shows were also significant moneymakers for NBCUniversal, according to a person familiar with the matter. Some media analysts, such as LightShed Partners' Rich Greenfield, have argued Paramount Global should shut down Paramount+ and instead license Paramount content to other streamers with more scale.

Persons: Jeff Shell, Eric Gaillard, NBCUniversal, David Ellison, Ellison, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Shell, Brian Roberts, Steve Burke, RedBird, Andrew Brandon, Gordon, Shell's, —, Skydance, NBC —, CNBC's David Faber, George Cheeks, Hollywood creatives, Dick Wolf, Kevin Dietsch, Stephen Colbert, it's, we've, Pluto, Rich Greenfield, Shell's playbook, We've, Peacock, Roberts, Andrew Wilson, Brian L, Eric Charbonneau, Wall, Mark Hoffman, Shepard Smith, Hoffman Organizations: NBCUniversal, Cannes Lions International, Creativity, Reuters, Paramount Global, Skydance Media, Shell, CNBC, Paramount, Fox, Comcast, NBCU International, Universal, Entertainment Group, RedBird Capital Partners, NFL, CBS, Paramount Pictures, NBC, Local, Journal, FBI, Hollywood, TV, Allen & Company Sun Valley, Getty, LightShed Partners, Warner Bros ., Viacom, WarnerMedia, Netflix, EA, Entertainment, Comcast Corporation, Universal Pictures, Invision, Bravo, MSNBC, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Fox News, NBC Sports, NBA, CBS Sports, Big Ten, UEFA Champions League Locations: Cannes, France, Shell, NBCUniversal, Sun Valley , Idaho, Toronto

☆ CNBC Sport: Shams Charania on joining ESPN and life after Woj
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-10 | by ( Alex Sherman | In Alex-Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +21 min

Charania begins his ESPN TV work today. "It's definitely going to be a lot of TV," Charania said. They worked together at Yahoo Sports before becoming rivals, only for Charania to eventually take over for Wojnarowski at ESPN. Charania begins his ESPN TV work today. "It's definitely going to be a lot of TV," Charania said.

Persons: Alex Sherman, Shams, Adrian Wojnarowski, Charania, FanDuel, Jimmy Pitaro, It's, Pat McAfee, Wojnarowski, I'm, Jim Rome, I've, he's, that's, He'll, I'd, Adam Silver, Bob Kraft, Jessica Berman, CNBC's Jessica Golden, Craig Kilborn, Colin Neville, Jim Ratcliffe, Joe Tsai, Colin, Neville, dealmaking, We've, CNBC's Contessa Brewer, Jim Allen, Adam Greenblatt, isn't, Tiger Woods, Tigeraire, Woods, CNBC's Lillian Rizzo, Rudy, Rudy Ruettiger, Kevin Mayer, Tom Staggs, Read, Yahoo's Ross Dellenger, we've, Woody Johnson, Woody Johnson —, Johnson, Robert Saleh, Derek Jeter, Shams Charania, Raine Organizations: CNBC, ESPN, FanDuel TV, The, ESPN TV, Worldwide, Sports, NBA, Yahoo Sports, Wojnarowski, Yahoo, I'm, NFL, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, Dolphins, New England Patriots, National Women's Soccer League, Chelsea Football Club, Manchester United, Brooklyn Nets, Premier Lacrosse League, Youth, NCAA, UFC, CNBC Sport, Rock, Seminole Gaming, U.S . Patent, Sun, QVC, Notre Dame, Disney, Candle Media, SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Jets, Apple, Hollywood, Diamond Sports Group, Bally Sports, Wildcats, College Football, Sinclair, Raine Group Locations: Raine, DraftKings, U.S, Las Vegas, Florida, Tigeraire, Northwestern

☆ CNBC Sport: A responsible look at women's sports exuberance
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Alex Sherman | In Alex-Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +28 min

Media landscape shifts Most of the value in professional sports is propelled by media rights deals, and we're in an unusual sweet spot right now for sports. Still, gaining access to 11 teams' media rights is probably in the league's long-run best interest. You have the WNBA rights term worth $2.2 billion over 11 years with league expansion going from 12 to 15 teams. Media landscape shifts Most of the value in professional sports is propelled by media rights deals, and we're in an unusual sweet spot right now for sports. Still, gaining access to 11 teams' media rights is probably in the league's long-run best interest.

Persons: Alex Sherman, Jeff Zucker, Patrick Whitesell, Zucker, Scripps –, it's, Alex Michael, he's, Michael, they're, There's, Caitlin Clark, Michael said, weathers, AEW, I'm, Tony Khan —, he'd, Khan, US Networks Kathleen Finch, Max, hasn't, Finch, Rob Manfred, doesn't, CNBC's Lillian Rizzo, Craig Kilborn, Barrett, Jackson, Caitlin Clark's, You've, Soccer League's Nielsen, Tom Brady, Father, Brady, Jess Golden, Michael Jordan, Libs, Jim France, OneFootball, Lionel Messi, Jessica Pegula, CNBC's, Venu, Fubo, Venu …, Nike, Matthew Friend, John Donahoe, Elliott Hill, Sabrina Ionescu –, Jane Hali, Jessica Ramirez, AE1, Gabrielle Fonrouge, Ariel Atkins, DiDi Richards, Craig Hudson Organizations: CNBC, Endeavor, WNBA, NCAA, National Women's Soccer League, Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Scripps, NBA, Fox, NBC, Apple, Google, MLS, Clark, Warner Bros ., TNT, TBS, Warner Bros, Discovery, US Networks, Diamond Sports Group, U.S, Bankruptcy, Southern, Southern District of, Major League Baseball, Atlanta Braves, MLB, Holdings, UFC, WWE, WME Sports, ATP, Miami, NCAA Women's, Soccer, Angel City FC, NFL, Premier League, Netflix, Tech, CNBC Sport, Father Time, NASCAR, Motorsports, Major League Soccer, American, NHL, Buffalo Sabres, Bills, Disney, International Center for Law & Economics, Nike, New York Liberty, Air Force, Air Jordan, League Men's NCAA, Gonzaga, Pac, West Coast Conference, FloSports, Sports, Indiana Fever, Washington Mystics, Capital, Washington , D.C, Washington Post Locations: York City, Southern District, Southern District of Texas, OpenBet, U.S, Kobe, Washington ,

☆ QVC to add USA Pickleball to its home shopping experience
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

QVC , the owner of home shopping networks on TV and streaming, has signed a deal with USA Pickleball to bring the sport to its platforms. In a multiyear partnership, QVC has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights of USA Pickleball, the national governing body of the sport. The deal begins with USA Pickleball's 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships in November, which will be featured on QVC's free streaming platform, QVC+/HSN+. As part of the partnership, QVC will also be the exclusive retail industry partner of USA Pickleball. More than 5 million women over the age of 45 actively play the sport, according to QVC and USA Pickleball.

Persons: Thomas Wilson, Ross Whittaker, Christopher Haworth, John Malone's, Annette Dunleavy, Pickleball, Philipps, Stacie Tedesco Organizations: Pro Mens Doubles, Brookhaven Country Club, QVC, USA, Retail, Professional Pickleball, Tennis, Qurate Retail Locations: Dallas , Texas, USA, America, U.S

☆ Diamond Sports looks to drop 11 MLB teams from Bally Sports regional networks
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-02 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Diamond Sports — the owner of Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks — said Wednesday that it plans to drop all MLB teams from its channels except for the Atlanta Braves. A Diamond attorney made the comments before a U.S. bankruptcy judge on Wednesday as part of an update on the company's ongoing bankruptcy process and attempt at finalizing a reorganization plan. Some of those teams were already slated to see their contracts end this season, and some contracts are not being determined by the bankruptcy process, a Diamond spokesperson said. "To be clear, rejecting these teams is not our preferred path," Diamond attorney Andrew Goldman said on Wednesday. Goldman said Diamond had warned the league about this outcome in August, noting it was a possibility if the MLB rejected Diamond's latest proposal.

Persons: —, Diamond, Andrew Goldman, MLB's, James Bromley, Goldman, Diamond's Organizations: Bally, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Major League Baseball, Sports, Bally Sports, MLB, U.S, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Diamond, Wednesday Locations: Atlanta , Georgia

☆ MLS partners with OneFootball in push to expand global audience
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Major League Soccer is teaming up with German digital media platform OneFootball to provide highlights, stats and other content to a global audience. As part of the deal OneFootball will have access to highlights of hundreds of MLS matches each season. Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has fueled MLS' attendance and audience, and there has been an increase in sponsorship revenue, according to data from the league. Global social media engagement has also increased substantially for MLS, particularly on YouTube and TikTok, according to data from the league. For OneFootball, adding MLS made sense as the U.S. has become one of the fastest-growing markets for soccer, said OneFootball CEO Patrick Fischer.

Persons: Lionel Messi, we're, Seth Bacon, Messi, That's, Patrick Fischer, Fischer Organizations: Inter Miami, St, Louis City, Chase, Major League Soccer, MLS, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Manchester City, American, Global, YouTube, Yahoo Sports, U.S, OneFootball, FIFA Locations: Louis, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, OneFootball, European, U.S

☆ EchoStar to sell Dish to DirecTV, combining major pay-TV providers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Kristian Burt | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

EchoStar is selling its Dish TV provider and digital business Sling to rival DirecTV in a deal announced Monday that brings together two of the largest pay-TV providers. Combined, DirecTV and Dish will serve close to 20 million customers, according to Reuters. The content distribution industry as a whole has been on a major decline, Akhavan said, and distribution companies such as Dish and DirecTV have fallen behind other platforms with newer technologies and wider reach. Also on Monday, AT&T announced it would sell its entire 70% stake in DirecTV to private equity firm TPG for $7.9 billion. The possibility of a merger between Dish and DirecTV has been rumored for decades.

Persons: Hamid Akhavan, CNBC's, Akhavan, EchoStar, — CNBC's Lillian Rizzo, Alex Sherman Organizations: DirecTV, Dish, Reuters, T, TPG, General Motors, Hughes Electronics, Federal Communications Commission, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation

☆ EchoStar nears deal to sell Dish to DirecTV with $2 billion debt payment looming
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Alex Sherman | In Alex-Sherman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The combination of Dish and DirecTV has been rumored for years and nearly happened in 2002 until it collapsed under regulatory pressure. The prospect of a future EchoStar bankruptcy and deal approval from creditors make the completion of a deal complicated. EchoStar has a total enterprise value of about $31 billion and a market capitalization of about $7.6 billion. Dish ended its last quarter with 6.1 million satellite subscribers and 2 million customers for Sling TV, Dish's over-the-internet package of linear networks. DirecTV has also felt the pain, losing millions of subscribers since AT&T bought the company in 2015 for $67 billion with debt.

Persons: Charlie Ergen, EchoStar, MoffettNathanson's Craig Moffett, — CNBC's Lillian Rizzo Organizations: Dish Network, DirecTV, TPG, AT, Dish, Satellite, Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime, Sling, T, CNBC, ESPN

☆ Charter rolls out new Spectrum pricing and internet speeds, aims to 'be a better service operator'
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In addition, Spectrum pledged to give customers automatic credits for internet outages that are out of their control or when the company's customer service doesn't live up to its promises. That's in part because broadband customer growth at providers including Charter and Comcast has struggled, according to the companies' earnings reports. Spectrum Mobile has 8.8 million total lines and has grown rapidly due to enticing promotional deals and increased mobile usage on reliable Wi-Fi networks, the company said. "When I think about Wall Street, I think about the customer," Winfrey said. "If you focus on the customer, provide great customer service, save them money, provide value, then your capital market strategy, your regulatory strategy, all of that just falls into place."

Persons: Christopher L, Winfrey, Chris Winfrey, —, Spectrum, Tom Rutledge, we've, there's, Craig Moffett, Moffett, Robin Alam Organizations: Charter Communications, Communications Charter Communications, CNBC, Spectrum, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Charter, Comcast, Verizon, Spectrum Mobile, ESPN, Night, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Getty Locations: U.S, MoffettNathanson, Santa Clara , California

DirecTV and Disney have reached a deal that brings Disney’s ESPN and other channels back to the pay-tv provider’s customers after a roughly two week blackout. On Saturday, DirecTV and Disney said they reached a deal that called for “market based terms” on pricing. DirecTV will be able to offer Disney’s streaming services in its packages and a la carte, the company said in a release Saturday. The amount of customers DirecTV lost during the dispute was not “immaterial,” said DirecTV Chief Marketing Officer Vince Torres at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia & Technology Conference on Thursday. DirecTV offered its customers a $30 credit, financed by stopping payments to Disney as soon as the blackout began, Torres said.

Persons: Disney, DirecTV’s, Jimmy Pitaro, “, It’s, ESPN’s Pitaro, ”, Vince Torres, Goldman Sachs, Torres, Venu, DirectTV, ESPN — Organizations: DirecTV, Disney, ESPN, ABC, SEC Network, ACC Network, CNBC, U.S ., Hulu, Charter Communications, Technology Conference, Antitrust, Warner Bros, Discovery, Fox Corp, Federal Communications Commission, FCC

Disney's networks went dark on Sept. 1 after the two sides could not agree to terms on fees and bundle structures. DirecTV called Disney anti-consumer, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the responses DirecTV made to Disney's package offers "basically hypotheticals." The amount of customers DirecTV lost during the dispute was not "immaterial," said DirecTV Chief Marketing Officer Vince Torres at Goldman Sachs' Communacopia & Technology Conference on Thursday. DirecTV offered its customers a $30 credit, financed by stopping payments to Disney as soon as the blackout began, Torres said. This was the second dispute in a year that left pay TV customers without Disney's networks.

Persons: Disney, DirecTV's, Jimmy Pitaro, It's, ESPN's Pitaro, Vince Torres, Goldman Sachs, Torres, Venu, DirectTV, ESPN — Organizations: Clemson Tigers, season's, Clemson, NCAA Division, DirecTV, Disney, ESPN, U.S ., Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, CNBC, & Technology Conference, ABC, Antitrust, Warner Bros, Discovery, Fox Corp, Federal Communications Commission, FCC, Charter Communications

The partnership and potential future deals could boost both retailers taking a hit as consumers pull back discretionary spending, and legacy media companies that have tried to maintain profits in a challenging landscape. Paramount's partnership with Shopsense was a key component of its Upfront presentation in May, a time when media companies make their annual pitch to advertisers. The agreement comes as legacy media companies look to generate new revenue streams and find different ways to monetize their content. While media companies have relied on ad revenue for some time, it's become more important as they look to make their streaming businesses profitable. Legacy meets AIAdvertisers and media companies have been leaning into generative AI tools, such as shoppable advertising.

Persons: MTV VMAs, they'll, Shopsense, Everyone's, Bryan Quinn, Shopsense's, it's, Natalie Bastian, Bastian, Laura Taylor, John Halley, Halley, Glenn Fishback, Quinn Organizations: MTV, Paramount Global, CNBC, Paramount, Amazon, Skydance Media, Disney, Gateway, Goodway Group, Paramount Advertising

But broadband companies have been focused on transitioning their customers to other affordable options to help them make up the expired discount, according to the companies’ earnings calls. In the wake of the ACP’s expiration, broadband companies have reported losing some customers. While broadband providers were generally supportive of the ACP, many in the industry believed the subsidy benefitted too wide a swath of U.S. households. During the second quarter, Charter reported a loss of 149,000 internet customers, while Comcast reported a decline of 120,000 broadband customers. Charter has tried to retain its low-income consumer base by rolling out new savings deals like offering ACP customers a free unlimited mobile line for one year.

Persons: ’, ”, Craig Moffett, “, Blair Levin, Mike Carey, Nikki Budzinski, GOP Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Donald Trump’s, Vance quieted, ” Gigi Sohn, Joe Biden, Sohn, Wall, they’re, ” Sohn, ” Carey, ” Budzinski, Chris Winfrey, “ We’ve, ” Moffett, MoffettNathanson, Gigi Sohn’s Organizations: Charter, Verizon, Comcast, Program, Federal Communications Commission, Democratic, Republican, Street Research, CNBC, NBC News, Capitol, Republicans, Emergency, GOP, Republican House, ACP, FCC, ”, Universal Service Fund, USF, Charter Communications Locations: MoffettNathanson, Ohio, U.S, New York

☆ Streaming deals are key to future of NFL viewership, fandom
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-10 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

When the NFL signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal in 2021, streaming was already part of the mix. Live sports broadcasts have maintained a large audience on traditional TV, even as consumers flee the cable bundle for streaming services. The majority of viewership still comes from traditional TV, according to ratings data. Schroeder said Tuesday that the NFL's strategy exists in both the traditional TV and streaming worlds. Netflix will stream NFL games for the next three years, with two games being streamed this year on the platform, and at least one matchup in both 2025 and 2026.

Persons: John Kelly Jr, Hans Schroeder, Peacock, Steve Jobs, Schroeder, Nielsen, Rick Cordella, Lori Conkling Organizations: Baltimore Ravens, NFL, Green Bay Packers, Lambeau, The, CNBC, Google, YouTube, Comcast, Netflix, Apple, NBC Sports, English Premier League, NBA Locations: Green Bay , Wisconsin, U.S, Brazil

In the wake of the ACP's expiration, broadband companies reported losing some customers. "But that doesn't take away from the families for whom this was important, and could now lose access to broadband." Pete Marovich | ReutersStill, Sohn believes bipartisan support for the ACP should make reauthorizing it a political slam dunk for Democrats. While broadband providers were generally supportive of the ACP, many in the industry believed the subsidy benefitted too wide a swath of U.S. households. Charter Communications CEO Chris Winfrey said in July that the ACP's expiration impacted both losses and low income broadband connections after the company had "put a lot of effort into the ACP program."

Persons: Craig Moffett, Blair Levin, Mike Carey, Nikki Budzinski, GOP Sen, JD Vance, Ohio, Donald Trump's, Vance quieted, Gigi Sohn, Biden, Pete Marovich, Sohn, Wall, they're, Carey, Budzinski, Chris Winfrey Organizations: Istock, Getty, Charter, Verizon, Comcast, Program, Federal Communications Commission, Democratic, Republican, Street Research, CNBC, Capitol, Republicans, Emergency, GOP, Republican House, ACP, Commerce, Science, Washington , D.C, Reuters, Universal Service Fund, USF, Charter Communications Locations: MoffettNathanson, Ohio, Washington ,, U.S, New York

GM declined to discuss details of the spending, including how much of that amount is specifically tied to NFL advertising, but reiterated it remains significantly lower than historic levels. “The impact of the NFL on the automotive advertising industry is really very, very substantial,” said Alberto Leyes, head of product strategy at Guideline. Guideline reports viewership of NFL broadcasts grew about 7% over the past season, whereas ad spend in NFL programming doubled that pace at 14%. Automotive ad spend increased 17% over the past two seasons and is expected to increase again this year, according to Leyes. Stellantis is expected to soon launch new ads for the NFL season, including around its Jeep brand, but a spokeswoman declined to provide additional details.

Persons: ”, Ryan Briganti, Alberto Leyes, “ We’ve, we’ve, ” Leyes, Andrew Messina, Messina, Mark Marshall, Jenny Wall, Dedra DeLilli, That’s, ” DeLilli, “, DeLilli, Stellantis, Randy Parker, NBCUniversal Organizations: National Football League, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Detroit, NFL, Toyota, CBS Sports, CBS, Paramount, General Motors, GM, Nielsen, Disney, ESPN, Disney Advertising, Hyundai, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan Motor, Chrysler, Brands, Sunday, NBC, Automotive, Toyota North, Olympics, Hyundai Motor America, CNBC, Comcast, NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, Games Locations: Messina, U.S, Toyota North America, Paris

Disney and DirecTV are not likely to reach a deal in time for "Monday Night Football" according to people familiar with the matter. As a result of the fight, DirecTV customers were unable to see the U.S. Open and the first full weekend of the college football season. DirecTV alerted customers on Friday to competitor alternatives for watching ESPN and also said it would provide a $30 credit to customers. However, Charter and Disney reached a deal hours ahead of "Monday Night Football" that allowed customers to tune in that night. The dispute between DirecTV and Disney has led to mudslinging between the two companies reminiscent of most carriage fights.

Persons: Rob Thun, Venu —, Venu, Disney, It's, Jimmy Pitaro, Nielsen, Pitaro, Adam Schefter, DirecTV's Thun Organizations: ESPN, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, EverBank, DirecTV, Disney, FX, ABC, U.S ., CNBC, Walt Disney Co, Fox Corp, Warner Bros, NFL, Federal Communications Commission, Charter Communications, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers Locations: Jacksonville , Florida, American, U.S

GM declined to discuss details of the spending, including how much of that amount is specifically tied to NFL advertising, but reiterated it remains significantly lower than historic levels. Last NFL season, automakers were the most-seen brand industry, with more than 10% of TV ad impressions, according to ad data company iSpot. Guideline reports viewership of NFL broadcasts grew about 7% over the past season, whereas ad spend in NFL programming doubled that pace at 14%. Automotive ad spend increased 17% over the past two seasons and is expected to increase again this year, according to Leyes. New ad campaignsToyota, as the "Official Automotive Partner of the NFL," launched a new ad campaign for the NFL season this week called "Roll Deep."

Persons: Ryan Briganti, Alberto Leyes, we've, Leyes, Andrew Messina, Messina, Mark Marshall, Jenny Wall Organizations: NFL, National Football League, Toyota Motor Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Detroit, Toyota, CBS Sports, CBS, Paramount, General Motors, GM, Nielsen, Disney, ESPN, Disney Advertising, Hyundai, Mercedes, Benz, Nissan Motor, Chrysler, Brands, NBC, Automotive, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs Locations: Messina, U.S

Rupert Murdoch at his annual party at Spencer House, St James' Place in London. Activist investor Starboard Value moved Friday to dissolve News Corp's dual-class share structure, a challenge to the Murdoch family's control over the Wall Street Journal parent, according to people familiar with the matter. News Corp's structure as of September gave Rupert Murdoch control over around 40% of the company's voting stock. Last November, Rupert Murdoch, 93, stepped down as chair of the board at both News Corp and Fox Corp. His son, Lachlan Murdoch, is the sole chair of News Corp., and continued his role as Fox Corp.'s executive chair and CEO.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, St James, Murdoch, Jeff Smith, Smith, Lachlan Murdoch Organizations: Spencer, Wall Street Journal, News Corp, CNBC, REA Group of Australia, New York Times, Wall Street, Fox Corp, Reuters, Autodesk, Match, . News Corp, Sun, HarperCollins Locations: London

☆ Private equity will be able to invest in the NFL but won't have much say in team decisions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Last week, NFL team owners voted to allow an initial group of private equity firms to acquire up to a 10% stake of a franchise. "This isn't a case where private equity is going to come in and have influence on the franchise." Private equity has been eager to take stakes in sports as team valuations rise, mainly due to ballooning media rights deals. As investors, private equity firms often take management and board roles. Private equity investments typically have a set duration — it can range from three to seven years in many cases — and an expected return.

Persons: Ric Tapia, Steve Pagliuca, Shirin Malkani, Perkins, Anthony Mulrain, Toney, Angela Weiss, Michael Considine, Ellis, Jimmy Haslam, Mulrain, Eric Washington, Robin Alam Organizations: NFL, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans, NRG, Getty, National Football League, Bain Capital, CNBC, Washington, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Holland, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Farm, Afp, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, Kirkland, Cleveland Browns, Knight's, Buffalo Bills, Microsoft Locations: Houston, U.S, Glendale , Arizona, Holland

In 2021, the National Football League signed an 11-year, $111 billion media rights deal. In July, the National Basketball Association signed an 11-year, $77 billion deal of its own. Welcome to the sports media rights doldrums. It will also be a significant driver of future NFL team valuations. The average NFL team is now worth $6.49 billion, according to CNBC's Official 2024 NFL Team Valuations.

Persons: What's, Daniel Cohen Organizations: ESPN, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, EverBank, National Football League, National Basketball Association, U.S, NFL, Octagon, Sunday, Fox, Paramount, CBS, Apple, YouTube Locations: Jacksonville, Fl

☆ NBC ripped up its Olympics playbook for 2024 — so far, the new strategy paid off
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-01 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Mike Tirico is seen on the set of NBCUniversal Paris 2024 Olympics coverage on August 04, 2024 in Paris, France. We ripped up the playbook two years ago," said Jenny Storms, chief marketing officer of entertainment and sports at NBCUniversal. The 2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Olympics drew the lowest-ever audiences for Summer and Winter Games, respectively. But notably the strategy for Peacock during those Games appeared to be the biggest misstep. "We made a claim that Peacock would be the home of the Olympics, and we didn't exactly deliver," said Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.

Persons: Mike Tirico, Comcast's NBCUniversal, Jenny Storms, Storms, Peacock, Mark Lazarus Organizations: NBCUniversal, Games, NBC, Olympic, U.S, Beijing, Olympic Games, Olympics, NBCUniversal Media Locations: Paris, France, Tokyo, Asia, Beijing

NFL owners voted Tuesday to allow private equity firms to take a maximum 10% stake in teams. The league has never allowed private equity investment before. No other league takes a percentage of the so-called carry — the percentage of a fund's investment profits that managers typically receive as compensation — for all private equity firms. The NFL has informally told investment firms that if they make a return on an investment, it wants a portion of the profits to be returned to the league. It was unclear if the NFL's plans to take a piece of profits would deter future investment from private equity.

Persons: Brock Purdy, Robert Kraft, CNBC's, Curtis Martin, Jake Piazza Organizations: San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Super, National Football League, NFL, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, New England Patriots, Ares Management, Sixth Street Partners, Arctos Partners, Dynasty Equity, Blackstone, Carlyle Group, Capital Partners Locations: Allegiant, Las Vegas

Edgar Bronfman Jr. walked away from his bid for Paramount after the company's special committee demanded his consortium submit a final offer Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. Bronfman dropped his 11th hour bid just a week after the media executive made an initial offer of $4.3 billion for Shari Redstone's National Amusements, the controlling shareholder of Paramount. Bronfman said last week in a letter to the Paramount special committee that he had rounded up 19 financial backers, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal. Spokespeople for Bronfman, Skydance and the Paramount special committee declined to comment. The special committee said late Monday the go-shop period was now over.

Persons: Edgar Bronfman Jr, Bronfman, Centerview, David Ellison's Skydance, Shari Redstone's, Skydance, Spokespeople, Bronfman's, RedBird Capital Partners — Organizations: Paramount, Centerview Partners, David Ellison's Skydance Media, Bronfman's, Fortress Investment Group, BC Partners, Wall Street, wouldn't, RedBird Capital Partners

As part of the bid, Bronfman would acquire a minority stake in Paramount. However, after placing the bid, Bronfman raised more funds to support a higher bid, said the person, who asked to remain anonymous to speak about specifics of the offer. On Wednesday, Bronfman upped the bid and submitted a revised offer of $6 billion, the person said. The agreement included a 45-day "go shop" period during which Paramount could solicit other offers. Money manager Mario Gabelli reportedly filed a lawsuit looking for Paramount to turn over its books related to the Skydance deal — a possible first step toward a lawsuit challenging the deal.

Persons: Edgar Bronfman Jr, Bronfman, Shari Redstone's, Edgar Bronfman , Jr, Skydance, Mario Gabelli, Scott Baker Organizations: Paramount Global, Skydance, Paramount, Skydance Media, Bronfman Consortium, RedBird Capital Partners, KKR, National, Amusements, nonvoting Paramount, Warner Music, Seagram, Wall Street Locations: Paramount's

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