#whan i was the opening shift so i was there at 6:30

[dokyeomini]

today was crazyyyyy at work

[rickhorrow]

15 + 5 + 5 To Watch 61719

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 17

with Jacob Aere

Perhaps The Ringer’s Rodger Sherman said it best: The NBA Finals "weren't just a prelude to free agency: The two exist hand-in-hand." As if the Raptors thrilling last minute victory in Oakland wasn’t NBA blockbuster enough, the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday agreed to a deal to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a package of players and draft picks, including the No. 4 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft. The trade, noted ESPN, is a "massive game-changer that reshuffles the deck and could affect every major decision in what already was shaping up to be a monster offseason.” Davis’ trade not only shifts the balance of power in the Western Conference, it will also impact the Eastern, starting with the Pelicans, who will add another marquee player alongside their all but certain acquisition of Duke forward Zion Williamson at No. 1 in the NBA Draft. The NBA Finals were the "opening chapter of the league's future." How free agency now proceeds will shape the NBA’s competitive balance for many years to come.

Kevin Durant will likely miss all of next season after injuring his Achilles during Game 5 of the NBA Finals, throwing NBA free agency into even more chaos. Now, as the Washington Post noted, a "bigger-picture question" has emerged, as it remains to be seen "which teams, and which star players, can afford to wait on Durant’s return to health.” It is a question that "touches nearly every corner of the league, as Durant has been linked in rumors" to the Knicks, Clippers, and Nets outside of the Warriors. What Durant decides to do will obviously impact what other players like Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard decide to do. Durant can choose to opt in to the final year of his contract with the Warriors at $31.5 million and become a free agent in 2020. Durant’s other suitors now have to "calculate whether he’s still worth offering a maximum contract over four years, even if he might not play for the first year of the deal.” Durant’s future also has medical undercurrents. It will impact how other athletes manage devastating injuries like Achilles tears, companies like Embody whose mission is to treat such injuries via technology, and the global financial funds that underwrite NBA teams and medical startups alike.

Forbes just released their world's highest-paid athletes list, which highlights the top 100 earners over the past year.  Forbes calculated earnings include prize money, salaries, and bonuses earned June 1, 2018-June 1, 2019, as well as endorsement estimates for the same period. No. 1 Lionel Messi led the way at $127 million, with $92 million in salary and $35 million in endorsements. That put the Argentine well ahead of fellow soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo’s $109 million ($65 million in salary, $44 million in endorsements) and Neymar’s $105 million ($75 million, $30 million). Quarterbacks Russell Wilson ($89.5 million, $80.5 million in salary) and Aaron Rodgers ($89.3 million, $80.3 million in salary) ranked sixth and seventh, respectively. Boxer Canelo Alvarez was fourth with $94 million ($92 million in winnings), while tennis icon Roger Federer was fifth, counting $93.4 million, led by $86 million in endorsements, the highest total among the group. Of note: 62 of the top 100 earners play in a U.S.-based league, with the NBA alone accounting for 35, including No. 8 LeBron James ($36 million in salary, $53 million in endorsements), No. 9 Steph Curry ($37.8 million, $42 million), and No. 10 Kevin Durant ($30.4 million, $35 million).

While golfer Gary Woodland is not on the Forbes’ highest-paid athletes list, he did just add his name to the U.S. Open Championship trophy. At a little over $25 million in total PGA Tour earnings, Woodland does not breathe the rare air of the Forbes’ elite. On Sunday, however, Woodland joined the prestigious club of golf’s Major champions, winning the 119th U.S. Open, pocketing $2.25 million for the win, and denying runner up Brooks Koepka the opportunity to become the first player to win three consecutive Opens in 105 years. Woodland, of Topeka, Kansas, is No. 25 in the official World Golf Rankings, with three prior PGA Tour wins. He is also the first University of Kansas graduate to win a Major and only the sixth player age 35 or older to do so. “This is a really popular win,” said FOX commentator Paul Azinger. “Everybody loves Gary. He has a heart of gold.” Likely loving Woodland more than ever are his sponsors, including Puma and its Volition Collection – benefiting Folds of Honor, which provides for spouses and children of fallen soldiers; Wilson; NetJets; and CDW, the PGA Tour’s official tech partner since 2008.

The LPGA and Group1001 have announced a new LPGA Tour event in Boca Raton. The first edition of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will be held January 20-26, 2020 at Boca Rio Golf Club. “We are thrilled to support women’s professional golf and to provide a platform for the sport’s best to compete and showcase their talents,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of Group1001. “We want to thank our good friends at Group1001 and Boca Rio Golf Club for their support of the LPGA and their desire to host a world-class event in South Florida,” added LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. The inaugural Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio will feature a 108-player field competing for a $2 million purse over 72 holes of stroke play. The new event will be one of two LPGA Tour tournaments held in Florida in January 2020. The year will kick off with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on January 15-19 in Lake Buena Vista, one week prior to the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. The Sunshine State will also bookend the LPGA Tour season, with the year culminating at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples in November.

NBA Finals merchandising deal proved a slam dunk for Instagram and the league. According to SportsBusiness Daily, as soon as the final buzzer sounded on the last game of the NBA Finals, the NBA and sportswear manufacturer New Era were shooting to score by offering instant sales of championship gear on Instagram. This was part of a growing effort to turn sports highlights, as well as the social media posts of celebrities, influencers, and retail brands into shoppable moments. The minute the Raptors clinched their first championship last night, the NBA offered Toronto Raptors championship gear on its Instagram account @NBA. The Raptors' championship hat and T-shirt by New Era will be offered exclusively on Instagram for the first 24 hours after the game. Additionally, the Raptors winning their first NBA title in franchise history led to “record merchandise sales at the official NBA store." The NBA said that by Friday afternoon, the "combined online sales through NBAStore.com and NBAStore.ca had eclipsed the previous record" by 80%. Pairing an exclusive merchandise drop with an event like the NBA Finals leverages the strength of the NBA with fan enthusiasm around championship titles.

The NFL and NFLPA have initiated “preliminary talks” on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. While the existing CBA doesn’t expire until after the 2020 season, Pro Football Talk has reported that the NFL wants a deal in place before the start of the 2019 season. Players would like to address several concerns in the next CBA including limits on Goodell’s authority in player conduct cases, increased roster sizes, improved medical benefits, and eliminating marijuana from the league’s banned substances list. There’s “definitely a deal to be made. The NFL is so healthy financially, it seems unlikely that either side would be inclined to shut it down. The NFL generates upwards of $15 billion per year in revenue – roughly 50% more than the next sports league, MLB – and the salary cap has risen more than 40% since 2014. Meeting a self-imposed September 1 deadline would ensure that the league’s 100th anniversary season is celebrated without the distraction of labor negotiations, and guaranteed long-term labor peace would allow the NFL to begin negotiating its next round of broadcast rights deals.

Major League Baseball announced that the St Louis Cardinals will host the Chicago Cubs in a rivalry matchup in London in 2020. Taking place June 13-14 at London Stadium, the series follows this year’s Red Sox vs. Yankees matchup in that city. Said William DeWitt Jr, Cardinals chairman and chief executive, “I have no doubt that the passionate sports fans in London will love these games and we look forward to creating some new Cardinals fans overseas.” This year, Taco Bell is exporting its “Steal A Base, Steal A Taco” promotion to Europe for the two-game Red Sox-Yankees series in London June 29-30. A successful stolen base in either game will win fans in the U.K. a free taco on July 4 from 2:00-6:00pm local time at any of the 38 U.K. Taco Bell locations. The chain has staged the same promo in various World Series since 2007. Meanwhile, as presenting sponsor of this year’s MLB London Series, Canadian telecom giant Mitel will get its logo on both team’s batting helmets. Baseball, clearly, is no longer just an American pastime.

NBC reportedly reaped an eight-figure haul from the Blues-Bruins Stanley Cup Final Game 7. According to Nielsen, before last Wednesday, the most recent Stanley Cup Final Game 7, in 2011, averaged 8.54 million viewers and a 4.8 household rating, making it the most-watched NHL game in 38 years. Media buyers last week claimed NBC was asking north of $200,000 for each 30-second ad unit in Wednesday’s Blues-Bruins broadcast. According to Standard Media Index data, the average unit cost in the three 2018 Stanley Cup Final games that aired on NBC was $113,702, and overall spend for the five-game series added up to more than $27 million. NBC said that roughly 25% of its Game 7 ad sales inventory is pre-sold, mostly to traditional NHL sponsors. As with all Game 7s, the network’s ad sales execs scrambled to sell the remaining 75%. AdAge noted the last Game 7 on record also featured the Bruins, which likely helped advertisers “justify the expense of their additional investment in hockey." The Blues history-making victory also provided NBC with a significant ratings boost.

Europe’s triumph over the USA in last year’s Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris provided France with an economic boost of more than $266 million. The figure represents almost double the $134 million of economic activity generated in Scotland from Gleneagles staging the 2014 edition of the biennial golf match. The economic impact study commissioned by Ryder Cup Europe and supported by the French Golf Federation (FFG) took into account spending by all spectators, with over 270,000 fans from over 90 different countries turning out to see Europe’s victory. The figure also accounts for all organizational spending by the FFG and French authorities on course and infrastructure upgrades, developing 100 municipal golf facilities, and other indirect or induced spending. Meanwhile, the 2018 Ryder Cup also delivered a major increase in social media engagement, with more than 22 billion global impressions throughout the week of the event. As the golf world now turns its attention to The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, it’s interesting to note that last year’s Open at Carnoustie boosted the Scottish economy by $152 million.

The 2019 French Open generated more revenue for Tennis Channel’s streaming service than any tournament in the subscription platform’s five-year history. With a record high presentation of up to 12 live courts per day, Tennis Channel Plus took in more than $1 million in subscriber revenue from Roland Garros’ first day of qualifiers all the way through to championship Sunday. This marks a 25% uptick from 2018, and a more than 500% increase compared to the 2014 French Open, when the Tennis Channel Plus service first launched. Tennis Channel's 15-day live coverage of the French Open averaged 266,000 viewers in 2019 according to Nielsen, up 42% over the 187,000 average viewers in 2018. Tournament coverage led to live tune-in growth across key demographics for Tennis Channel as well, with a 35% rise in adult viewers aged 18-49, 41% increases in adults aged 25-54 and 55% increases in adults aged 35-64. This is all terrific news for Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon and his staff, now gearing up for a busy summer of tennis coverage highlighted by Wimbledon and culminating in the U.S. Open in New York come August.

Amazon is the world's most valuable brand, according to the 2019 BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands rankings. The other brands in the Top 10 include Apple, Google, Microsoft, VISA, Facebook, Alibaba, Tencent, McDonalds, and AT&T. Amazon moved up from the No. 3 spot in 2018 with a brand value of $316.5 billion, a 52% change, while Apple held fast at No. 2. In related news, according to Recode, Bond Capital Partners' Mary Meeker released her annual Internet Trends Report at Code Conference in Scottsdale. Some notable data points from her presentation: Some 51% percent of the world -- 3.8 billion people -- were "internet users last year," up from 49% (3.6 billion) in 2017. Internet ad spending in the U.S. was up 22% in 2018. Most of the spending is "still on Google and Facebook, but companies like Amazon and Twitter are getting a growing share." The number of interactive gamers worldwide grew 6% to 2.4 billion people last year, as "games like Fortnite become the new social media." Between gaming and the billions in advertising and sponsorship spent by the top brands, sports is clearly central to these annual conversations.

USC and United Airlines announced an agreement last week that names the field at the school's football stadium, "United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum." The deal will go into effect in August. According to the L.A. Times, "under the terms of a previous agreement announced in 2018, United would pay USC $69 million over 16 years to "have the Coliseum named United Airlines Memorial Coliseum." But that deal "came under scrutiny this spring." USC and United did "not disclose revised financial terms of the agreement but announced this deal will be for 10 years instead of 16.” Naming rights for the Coliseum have "long been seen as a key component to renovating the aging stadium." In 2015, USC "enlisted the help of Fox Sports" to find a naming rights partner. USC was looking for about $5 million per year, and “'Memorial Coliseum' had to remain part of the name." However, USC lost out on an estimated $25 million when the original deal between the school and United Airlines was scrapped. The new 10-year agreement is only for the naming rights to the field.

MLS and SeatGeek partnered for a new in-depth study on female fans of the league, coinciding with the launch last week of a new campaign, “We Fan,” which highlights what women fans are looking for from the league. The study found that close to half of MLS’ fans overall are minorities, while 42% of the league’s fan base comprises women. The study also found that 71% of women say they are MLS fans because they “like bonding with family and friends who are fans,” while 75% of women usually attend games with family members. The “We Fan” campaign, created in-house, launched across social media and digital, MLS’ website, and various SeatGeek partner clubs. Of course, it’s likely no coincidence that the campaign launch was timed to the perfect quadrennial intersection of women and soccer, the opening of the Women’s World Cup in France. The Women’s World Cup typically has a carryover effect on women’s interest in top level soccer competitions all over the globe, as well as increased amateur participation.

And since it’s summer, we end with travel and a leisure sport. It was reported last week that Michelle Obama will lead a USA dodgeball team versus late night host James Corden’s “Team U.K.” crew when CBS’s “The Late Late Show” broadcasts from London for four days starting this Monday. In the episode, which airs June 17, the former First Lady leads an all-star and all-female American team that includes Melissa McCarthy, Allison Janney, Mila Kunis, Lena Waithe, and Kate Hudson as they do battle with Corden's all-male team of Brits Harry Styles, Benedict Cumberbatch, “Game of Thrones” star John Bradley, and “Late Late Show” bandleader and American ringer Reggie Watts. The transatlantic dodgeball showdown will be the highlight of four London episodes of the CBS show to be broadcast from Central Hall Westminster. No word on early odds from British sports betting houses like William Hill famous for their colorful prop bets.

Top Five Tech

Women's World Cup gets an assist from Google Doodles. Google is celebrating all the teams in the Women’s World Cup tournament with a series of doodles. Some of the recent homepage banners on Google’s search page represents work by artists of six different countries: Chile, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Thailand, and the U.S., teams from each of the countries that competed the first Tuesday of the tournament. Google says the doodles portray a distinct message about what the tournament means for each artist and their country. According to C|Net, there is a full list of 24 artists, one for each country in the tournament, in a blog post by Google. The banner rotates around different teams and features four to five designs in one day. Google also said soccer fans will be able to use Google Assistant and the search app to follow real-time match updates. While the Google search app will let you subscribe to team updates, Assistant can answer specific questions. Having one of the world’s largest search websites feature Women’s World Cup content will get even more casual fans talking about the tournament, now entering its second week of play.

Super League Gaming acquires esports video network Framerate. Super League Gaming is a platform for competitive and social gameplay experiences, and it acquired the independent social video networks in esports and gaming for a price of $1.5 million in cash and $1 million in stock. Earlier this year, Super League Gaming went public to expand its business of running esports events in places such as movie theaters and TopGolf venues. According to VentureBeat, Framerate boasts more than 100,000 followers and generates millions of video views and engagements per month across Instagram, InstagramTV, Facebook, and Facebook Watch. The esports video network has become the largest independent gaming media channel on Instagram and a top five channel overall, driving more video views across Instagram video than traditional gaming outlets. Super League Gaming will make esports even more available to the outsider through this move as they will use social media channels to bring esports to the masses in public locations.

Play video games with Miller Lite's new Bluetooth-enabled beer. The "Cantroller" is a 12-ounce can of beer that doubles as a gaming controller. The limited-edition, dual purpose can is being made in partnership with comedian and gaming fan Eric Andre. The brand also will launch its own Twitch channel later this week. The high-tech drinking container is Bluetooth-enabled, contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for a three-hour charge, offers haptic feedback, and can be refrigerated. According to Marketing Dive, Miller Lite produced 200 Cantrollers for the launch and intends to make hundreds more. Developed with tech company Unit 9, the controller was a reward for winning a game of “Street Fighter” against Andre at the video game industry's E3 event in Los Angeles. Gamers are big drinkers; 40% are drinking while they play – as such, Miller Lite looks to embed itself as a frontrunner for the beverage of choice in the gaming industry.

TikTok is growing amongst large sports teams. According to SportsPro, the short-form video app has reached one billion downloads and is catching the attention of sport’s social media strategists. TikTok only hit the international market in 2017. A year later it was merged with Musical.ly, a teen-friendly U.S. video app built around lip-syncing, which was purchased by ByteDance at the end of 2017 with the aim of leveraging the digital platform’s young user base. As of March 2018, unofficial data from App Ape Lab claimed that more than 60% of TikTok’s global users are under the age of 30. In addition, 40% of that user base is said to be under 20. This may be the platform for sports leagues to reach the young audience they have been striving for – since the launch of Liverpool’s TikTok on May 24, that club has amassed over 194,000 TikTok followers, which means over 100,000 fans under the age of 30. Leagues such as the NBA, MLB, NFL, and NASCAR that are looking to engage with younger audiences can use TikTok to build a new generation of fans.

The Yankees’ broadcasting future is taking shape. The Yankees and the YES Network are beginning to look into developing YES Radio. They are now leveraging current content while creating new shows, which seems to be starting a series of moves that could have huge implications for the future of sports media. After completion YES networks’ $3.5 billion deal, expect more broadcasting changes to switch up the broadcast game thanks to Amazon and Sinclair, who back the network and are positioning YES to be a leader in high-tech broadcasting in the future. According to The New York Post, the new ownership setup could eventually have a major impact on how fans watch games as the finances of cable/digital sports viewing further change in the next decade and beyond. Additionally, YES Network changes could foreshadow Amazon’s move as a major sports video player on par with ESPN, Turner and the broadcast networks. Amazon Prime could eventually become a place where some Yankees games are digitally housed, while Yankees/YES audio, YES, and SiriusXM have had discussions about housing the radio network on the satellite service. By adding Amazon to the YES Network mix, the Yankees will have a major league tech broadcasting edge.

Power of Sports Five

World Surf League gets sustainable with Ikea. Determined to improve sustainability, the partnership between surfing’s largest association and the Swedish furniture giant is designed to raise awareness of climate change and to promote environmental initiatives, with the aim of inspiring people to reduce plastic pollution in the oceans. The WSL and Ikea will also collaborate to produce a specially-designed range of surf-centric products, using recovered ocean-bound plastic where possible. According to SportsPro, this partnership will be Ikea’s latest environmental team up. The Swedish company also works with the World Wildlife Fund to promote responsible forestry, environmentally friendly cotton cultivation, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. It is also a member of the Clean Cargo Working Group, which promotes sustainable product transportation. The WSL pledged to become carbon neutral by the end of 2019 and aims to set a new standard for pro sport. The WSL-Ikea initiative includes eliminating single-use plastics at its competitions and leaving venues in a better condition than before events took place.

Athletic company Saucony kicks off an Instagram relay race for charity. According to Mobile Marketer, Saucony launched a social media campaign called "Run for Good" that aims to raise as much as $50,000 for charity. The sportswear brand is urging Instagram users to run a mile and post selfies on the image-sharing app with the #RunForGoodRelay and @Saucony tags, then challenge three friends to do the same. The campaign began on Global Running Day, June 5, as the world’s first Instagram relay race, with a goal of collectively running one full lap around the Earth. If completed, the total challenge would eclipse 24,901 collective miles. Saucony will make a donation for every mile run to the Saucony Run for Good Foundation, Laureus Sport for Good, and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.​ Saucony’s "Run for Good" utilizes Instagram and its younger consumer base in an effort to go viral for charitable causes, as the ALS Ice-Bucket challenge did in the past.

Prince Harry’s charity and MLB team up before London Series 2019. Major League Baseball has announced that the Invictus Games Foundation, of which Prince Harry is a sponsor, will be an official charity partner of the MLB London Series 2019. The partnership has been announced ahead of MLB’s first foray into London later this month, when “The Rivalry” between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox takes place at the London Stadium June 29-30. According to The London Mirror, Invictus Games Foundation is an international charity that oversees the development of the Invictus Games, the multi-sport event created by the Duke of Sussex. In an attempt to bring America’s pastime to the U.K., the Invictus Games Foundation will have a team participating in London’s Softball60, the social softball series built for the city and targeted to introduce the sport to new audiences

Tom Coughlin delivers “A Day Off from Cancer.” According to People Magazine, Super Bowl-winning ex-coach Tom Coughlin runs the event through his charity, the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation, which supports the families of children suffering from cancer. For one day, children had the run of MetLife Stadium. The children went into the locker room, tried on equipment worn by the players, met former Giants legends, and ate all the ice cream they could. Since the inception of the Jay Fund in 1996, it has granted $11 million to 5,000 families with children suffering from cancer. The organization’s guiding belief is that the sacrifices made by these families are extraordinary and often overlooked. The original recipient of the charity was Jay McGillis, a college football player when Coughlin was the head coach of the Boston College Eagles in the early 1990s. McGillis was diagnosed with Leukemia during the 1991 season and died eight months later, but Coughlin started a team fundraiser for his family that blossomed into the Jay Fund today. Last year, the charity honoring McGillis raised $1.7 million, going to families in the New York and Jacksonville areas with children suffering from cancer.

Maggie Murphy aims for the world's biggest game of soccer to support women in sport. According to the BBC, Maggie Murphy works in anti-corruption in sport and is determined to make sure the excitement and new investments in women's soccer translates into more participation in grassroots soccer for women and girls around the globe, beyond the Women's World Cup. In 2016, Murphy founded Equal Playing Field – a voluntary, non-profit organization – to encourage women’s soccer participation around the world. Now, overlapping with the Women’s World Cup, Murphy and Equal Playing Field will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest number of players involved in a single football match. She aims to bring together more than 3,500 women, girls, and allies from about 70 countries with the match to take place over the course of five days, from June 27 to July 1. If successful, this will be the third Guinness World Record that Equal Playing Field has helped break, as it recorded the highest altitude game ever played (on Mount Kilimanjaro) and the lowest altitude game ever played (in the Dead Sea). Murphy noted the U.S. is one of the best countries for women to play soccer, even as they continue to face economic struggles, while a woman playing soccer in Afghanistan may face death threats.