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Dallas Baptist Opts Into Revenue Sharing
Dallas Baptist University (DBU), traditionally a Division II athletics school without a football team, has opted into the new NCAA revenue-sharing model to maintain its Division I baseball program's competitiveness. This move allows DBU to provide more scholarships and share direct revenue with athletes—a key strategic adaptation, especially as larger programs shift more resources toward football and basketball. While DBU’s entire university revenue stood at $150 million last year, dwarfed by the University of Texas athletic department’s $332 million, DBU is maximizing its resources through focused fundraising and strategic cost-cutting in other sports. This decision underscores how even smaller schools are rethinking athletic department operations to remain relevant in an evolving college sports landscape, potentially carving out a niche by investing heavily in sports where they can feasibly compete at the national level.
Dallas Baptist Opts Into Revenue Sharing With Only One D-1 Sport
Unrivaled Offers Top Players NIL Deals
Real Madrid Revenue Hits Record $1.4 Billion
WNBA All-Star Game Ratings Fall Without Clark
Valuations of College Football Programs
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision
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Sheppard Mullin's Sports Industry Team is uniquely positioned to address the complex and dynamic needs of our sports industry clientele. Our sports practice offers the expertise necessary to provide full service legal counsel to owners, teams, leagues, governing bodies, facility operators, key rights holders, advertising companies, sponsors and others involved in sports-related transactions or disputes.
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The WNBA faces stalled collective bargaining talks ahead of its October 31 deadline, while rising stars like Azzi Fudd and JuJu Watkins are signing prominent marketing and equity deals with Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 women’s pro league offering salaries that rival WNBA compensation. These NIL agreements, publicly announced during All-Star weekend, deepen the connection between elite collegiate talent and Unrivaled, which has quickly become a powerful financial alternative and supplement for U.S. players, particularly given potential work stoppages. This development highlights players’ growing leverage, as WNBA rookies like Paige Bueckers stand to earn more from Unrivaled than from their entire early-career WNBA contracts, especially since some received equity in the Miami-based venture. As Unrivaled grows its presence and brand appeal, it may accelerate pressure on WNBA owners to improve pay and conditions, even as some in the league hierarchy express concern over “alt leagues” drawing talent and attention from the WNBA’s own efforts at growth.
Unrivaled Offers Top Women’s College Players NIL Deals Amid WNBA CBA Negotiations
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Real Madrid set a new record for professional sports franchise revenue, reporting €1.185 billion ($1.39 billion) for the 2024-25 season—a 10.4% increase over the prior year and the highest ever posted in the industry. Despite declines in broadcasting revenue due to early exits from major competitions, the club more than compensated with substantial growth in commercial and matchday revenues, aided by increased sponsorships and the full reopening of the renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization climbed 55% to $284 million, with net income reaching $28 million, and Real Madrid improved its personnel expense-to-revenue ratio to 43%, well within industry guidelines. The club’s ability to post record revenues despite on-field setbacks underscores how its global brand power and strategic commercial initiatives are now primary drivers of financial success in elite soccer.
Real Madrid Revenue Hits Record $1.4 Billion
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The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, making it the second-most watched All-Star contest in league history, despite Caitlin Clark's absence due to injury. Although viewership was down 36% from last year's matchup—which benefited from Clark's participation and an Olympics tie-in—it was still 158% higher than the 2023 event before Clark joined the league. The associated 3-point and Skills Contest also saw significant audience growth, attracting 1.318 million viewers, up 89% from the prior year, even though Clark did not compete. This demonstrates that while star power like Clark’s boosts numbers further, the WNBA is experiencing a notable and sustained increase in viewer interest, which could bolster its position in future media and labor negotiations.
WNBA All-Star Game Ratings Fall 36% Without Clark
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The Athletic ranked college football’s most financially valuable programs by estimating hypothetical sale prices if private equity could buy teams, using recent professional sports franchise transactions as benchmarks as well as a mix of art and science. The top five programs—Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan—were valued between $1.8 billion and $2.4 billion, largely driven by revenue, market demographics, facility investments, and brand prestige, while some lower-tier Power 4 schools were valued below $200 million. The figures represent what buyers might pay rather than intrinsic value, where strong brands (i.e., Alabama, Oklahoma, USC, and LSU) all benefit from high revenues or powerful fan bases. As college football edges closer to a professional model, these soaring valuations highlight both the sport’s commercial appeal and the increasing financial divide between elite and mid-tier programs.
Valuations of College Football Programs if Sold to Private Equity Firms
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A U.S. District Court jury ordered the National Football League to pay more than $4.7 billion in damages for antitrust violations. The ruling held that restricting negotiations over rights to broadcast teams’ out-of-market Sunday games to a single, bundled TV package violated competition laws. The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for out-of-market games from 2011 through 2022 on DirecTV. The plaintiffs claimed that the NFL broke antitrust laws by selling its Sunday games package at an inflated price. While the League plans to appeal the decision, the ruling could prompt changes in how rights to air games are distributed, potentially benefiting football teams and fans alike. If the ruling stands, the NFL could lose out on one big-ticket payday. But dicing up rights could spark a wider feeding frenzy. The pot for sports rights is expected to grow to $30 billion annually by 2024.
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision to Boost How Teams and Fans Watch Games
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Weekly Trivia Question
Weekly Trivia Question
What is a full point called in a judo match?
Weekly Trivia Question
Answer
Ippon
REveal Answer
What is a full point called in a judo match?
Weekly Trivia Question
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
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Hide Answer
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
Hide Answer
Incorrect
try Again
Real Madrid set a new record for professional sports franchise revenue, reporting €1.185 billion ($1.39 billion) for the 2024-25 season—a 10.4% increase over the prior year and the highest ever posted in the industry. Despite declines in broadcasting revenue due to early exits from major competitions, the club more than compensated with substantial growth in commercial and matchday revenues, aided by increased sponsorships and the full reopening of the renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization climbed 55% to $284 million, with net income reaching $28 million, and Real Madrid improved its personnel expense-to-revenue ratio to 43%, well within industry guidelines. The club’s ability to post record revenues despite on-field setbacks underscores how its global brand power and strategic commercial initiatives are now primary drivers of financial success in elite soccer.
Real Madrid Revenue Hits Record $1.4 Billion
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