Category Archives: Sidebar Featured

Swet Tailor Partners with The Reese’s Senior Bowl as First-Ever Official Off-The-Field Apparel Sponsor

Los Angeles-based fast-rising menswear brand Swet Tailor, the creators of EveryDay. EveryWear,™ has teamed up with the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the preeminent college football all-star game, to exclusively sponsor the off-the-field wardrobe for players, coaches and staff. It is the first time the Senior Bowl has brought on a brand to handle all non-field related apparel in the history of the game. The category of off field apparel is expected to be a unique one for college athletes when Name, Image and Likeness comes into play in the coming years, and Swet Tailor sees NIL as a business growth opportunity for the brand.  

The Swet Tailor off-the-field wardrobe will include key styles such as the All-In Pants, Swet Joggers and All-Polos, and will be an opportunity to officially introduce its new High & Mighty range, which includes big and tall extended sizing, to elite draft prospects and sport industry insiders ahead of the NFL Draft in April. The brand has continued to grow its presence in recent years, and its investor athletes include current and former NFL players, including: Mark Sanchez, Josh Norman. Josh Rosen, and Ryan Kerrigan. Longtime media personality Rich Eisen has also worn Swet Tailor during his annual 40 yard dash for charity at The Combine, and is a supporter of the brand as well.  

“This is an exciting partnership for the Reese’s Senior Bowl. We are always looking for sponsors that bring added value to our players and making Swet Tailor our official off-field apparel partner does just that,” said Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl. “Our Senior Bowl players will appreciate the comfort and quality of Swet Tailor products, especially the big guys.  We expect Swet Tailor’s new High & Mighty line for big and tall men to be a huge hit with our linemen.”

“We are honored to partner with Reese’s Senior Bowl because we know exactly how pivotal this game is for the student athletes,” shares Swet Tailor CEO Adam Bolden. “We are here to ensure each and every player looks and feels good as they step up to one of the biggest moments in their careers. Our wide range of styles––from our classic sizing to our newly-launched High and Mighty line––is made to move with athletes, on and and off the field. We are looking forward to getting to know these talented individuals and helping them discover that style and comfort do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

This is the first official college football event sponsorship for Swet Tailor; previously, the menswear brand has supported sporting events including The NFL Combine, The EOD Warrior Foundation Golf Outing, and Merril Hoge Celebrity Golf Outing.

The Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins will be the coaching staffs for the 72nd annual Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will be played on Saturday January 30, 2021 at brand new Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama.  The game will be aired live on the NFL Network at 1:30 CT. The rosters will be announced shortly.

The Swet Tailor sponsorship will span the duration of the Reese Senior Bowl Week, which will officially kick off Saturday, January 23rd and run through January 30th. 

CELSIUS Teams Up with MMA Superstar Dustin Poirier

Celsius

Celsius Holdings, Inc., maker of the leading global fitness drink, CELSIUS®, today announced that they have officially signed Dustin Poirier to Team CELSIUS to act as an ambassador and engage with fans and consumers on behalf of the brand.

“I’ve been a fan of CELSIUS for a long-time – I’m very careful about what I put into my body, and I know that CELSIUS is a healthy way to get a boost of energy. Plus it’s been scientifically proven to help boost your metabolism, which obviously doesn’t hurt when it comes time for weigh-ins,” said celebrated MMA fighter and current #2 UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier. “It just made a lot of sense for me to get involved with CELSIUS – not only do I drink it regularly but the company is right in my backyard in Boca Raton where I spend half my year.”

“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to collaborate with an athlete of Dustin’s caliber who happens to be a huge fan of the product and is also practically a neighbor,” added Celsius Holding Inc.’s CEO John Fieldly. “We look forward to working with Dustin to introduce CELSIUS to new fans and to get our existing fans even more excited.”

CELSIUS® is a lifestyle fitness drink and a pioneer in the rapidly growing performance energy sector.

CELSIUS has four beverage lines that each offer a property, functional, healthy-energy formula with distinct clinically-proven benefits such as boosting endurance and burning body fat.

CELSIUS® is backed by six university studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals validating the unique benefits CELSIUS® provides.

Drone Racing League, DraftKings Sports Betting Precedes DRL Finale

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the global, professional drone racing property, today announced a deal with DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) to make the sports technology and entertainment company an Official Sports Betting Partner of DRL. Upon completion of this deal, DRL drone races became the first aerial sporting event upon which fans can wager. Mobile sports betting on DRL drone races is currently legal in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee and West Virginia with regulatory approvals pending in additional states. DRL’s final drone races of the 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season will kick off this Saturday, January 9th at 4:30pm ET on NBC, Twitter and Facebook.

“The sky is now the limit for DRL fans to get skin in the game, and we’re thrilled to partner with DraftKings to transform our high-speed race competition into the ultimate sport to bet on,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson. “The opportunity for us to elevate our engagement through all forms of gaming and gambling will only increase as mobile betting becomes more adopted across the country.”

DraftKings is a leader in the rapidly growing motorsports and esports sportsbook categories and believes DRL will bring an entirely new audience of fans to gaming. Consumer research indicates drone racing fans are three times more likely to place a bet than fans of major sports leagues and 90 percent more likely to be interested in sports betting than the average global sports fan. After initially introducing DRL drone races to customers as a free-to-play pool during the 2020 season, DraftKings saw over 30 percent more entries in its first week than the average for new sports, totaling over 150,000 entries to date.

This deal gives DraftKings exclusive marketing rights around sports betting and branding integrations, including custom gates, through the culmination of the current 2020 DRL Allianz World Championship Season. Both pre-race wagers and in-race live bets will be available for fans in approved states to engage before and during the high-flying action.

“DRL is scaling their business as fast as their drone races, and we’re excited to be flying with them given DRL’s thrilling, innovative racing events are perfect for the customized wagering offerings we can create,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings. “Our expertise in sports betting combined with DRL’s stats-packed competition will make this a fun and seamless opportunity to engage their avid audience along with tech-savvy, adrenaline-loving sports fans.”

In the lead up to DRL’s final drone races of the season, DraftKings and DRL will host “Pre-Flight Shows” ahead of the live events, including tonight at 7pm ET on Twitter, where expert sports bettors and elite drone pilots will educate fans on how to participate.

Fans can learn more and check out DraftKings’ Drone Racing League offerings by downloading DraftKings Sportsbook via iOS and Androidhere.

Latino Players Have Their Say In New La Vida Baseball Show, Mas Que Un Juego

Edgar Martinez (credit: Kuyabribri)

La Vida Baseball, the nation’s leading multi-language Latino baseball lifestyle media company, is gearing up to launch its newest show Mas Que Un Juego, on Thursday, January 7, 2021 via La Vida Baseball’s (@lavidabaseball) social media platforms. The new show celebrates the Latino experience through unfiltered conversations with some of the biggest names in baseball including current and former Latino MLB players. This announcement is the first of several new content initiatives and distribution partnerships planned for 2021.

“As Latinos, it is important that we continue to shape our own narrative. Opportunities like Mas Que Un Juego help us do that,” says Luis Tiant, former Boston Red Sox pitcher.

The first captivating episode features a candid and compelling conversation on culture and identity with Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez, Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero and former MLB great, pitcher Luis Tiant.

Mas Que Un Juego is an opportunity for fans to hear the most revered figures in sports openly talk about their experiences and stories. The half-hour long episode features authentic and passionate discussions about the game of baseball and the issues that are important to Latinos and their communities. Listeners are granted unprecedented access as these players share intimate stories about their lives outside of baseball and what it means to be Latino in professional sports in the United States.

“La Vida Baseball is launching Mas Que Un Juego to reflect a time when we’re celebrating all things Latinx and taking a hard look at the lack of inclusion in the United States,” says Jesse Menendez, La Vida Baseball Managing Director. “It’s important to continuously engage the growing Latino audience in authentic ways by sharing our stories and journey – from how we arrived in the U.S., to how our upbringing in our país has shaped who we are, uplifting stories about our beloved communities and hearing how the struggles of being Latinx and immigrants applies to all of us, including pro athletes.”

La Vida Baseball host and producer Jennifer Mercedes (@LaChicaDeportes) is at the helm of this roundtable discussion. Mas Que Un Juego will air on La Vida Baseball’s (@lavidabaseball) social media platforms and LaVidaBaseball.com. The series will run throughout 2021.

For more information about La Vida Baseball and Mas Que Un Juego, please visit lavidabaseball.com.

National Lacrosse League Launches Redesigned Website With Agency Partner AOR

 The National Lacrosse League (NLL), North America’s premier professional lacrosse league, today announced the relaunch of its website, NLL.com, with a complete technological and U/X U/I redesign by AOR. Designed mobile-first for digitally native fans who want to get in on the action any time, any place, the new site captures the vision of the league and mirrors the evolution of the brand and sport.

Complete with all team’s information, player stats, and schedules, the new NLL site is an immersive experience for fans and media alike with dynamic multimedia content. Its user-friendly functionality and one-click access to ticketing, e-commerce (NLLShop.com powered by Official League Partner, Fanatics), betting (in available markets) and free-to-play gamification (powered by FanHub), centralizes the entire NLL experience. There are real-time game updates as well as archived information from historical statistics. NLL Awards and the prestigious Hall of Fame can also be explored. The site integrates with all NLL social accounts and features real-time API connections to Instagram, Twitter and prominent lead gen to all NLL email communications.

As the NLL continues to build on its recent momentum – with new brand partnerships and content distribution platforms – this site allows for upgrades to keep it at the cutting edge of technology.

“We have focused on a mobile-first, video rich strategy and aspire to be the leading sports league in an immersive site experience. It’s more than just a strategy; it’s a commitment to our fans to invest in technology and innovation to elevate their NLL experience. And this website is another key step in fulfilling that promise,” said Nick Sakiewicz, Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League. “The redesigned user-experience gives fans mobile-first access to non-stop box lacrosse action, with new features and functionality to offer a truly engaging and comprehensive experience.”

“AOR began the site creation process with comprehensive primary research to learn how current and prospective fans want to interact with the league, in order to provide the best fan experience possible.  Our research gave us insight into pain points and inspired us to build the new site to be mobile first, user-friendly and, most importantly, establish the NLL as the foremost destination for all things box lacrosse for all fans. Our goal has always been to grow the sport and we think with this new site, we’ve successfully accomplished this first step,” said Derek Effinger, Account Director, AOR.

In addition to the league overhaul, the following NLL teams have also partnered with AOR to have a new site experience.  This includes the: Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Panther City Lacrosse Club, Philadelphia Wings, San Diego Seals, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors.  AOR built a seamless experience between the teams and league site, and vice versa, so deep that even the content, such as player pages, stats, and more, is shared through back-end API integrations.

The new NLL.com comes as the NLL is planning for Face-off Weekend in April 2021.   For the latest news, scores and highlights from across the National Lacrosse League, please visit www.NLL.com.

Pair Of 1980’s ‘Mike’ Trading Cards Set Records In Goldin Auctions

Goldin Auctions

In a year when trading cards became considered an asset class, two particular sports legends name Mike who started their careers in the 1980’s – Michael Jordan and “Iron” Mike Tyson – had their rookie trading cards set new records this past weekend in Goldin Auctions End of Year Auction.

The first of the two records was set by Heavyweight boxing Champion Mike Tyson’s rookie card, a 1986 Panini Supersport #153 sold for $47,970, shattering the previous high sale of $6,999 for a 683% yield.

The same year of the Tyson rookie card, Michael Jordan’s popular 1986 Fleer rookie card also kept climbing as Goldin Auctions has set the record high sale for this card four times in the past 6 months, setting a new mark of $222,630, besting the $211,560 record set less than 30 days in December.

“Here we go again” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions in reaction to the new records, “We have begun a new way of doing business here at Goldin Auctions without sellers and buyers having to wait months in between auctions and the supply is being met by the demand.”

Goldin auctions is actively accepting consignments for its upcoming Winter Auction which we anticipate taking place in early February. To get into the next auction you can consign by emailing an image and description of your items to [email protected].

Diamond Anniversary For Strat-O-Matic As Sports Simulation Leader Celebrates 60th

Now sixty years after Hal Richman launched the first set of Strat-O-Matic (www.strat-o-matic.com) baseball cards, the market leader in sports simulation is set to celebrate its Diamond Anniversary (how appropriate!) with a full lineup of new items, including upgraded seasons, updated popular series including Hall of Fame and Negro League sets, and branded 60th Anniversary merchandise that longtime fans and newcomers alike will enjoy.

Strat-O-Matic, which has become legendary in the gaming industry and in sports, particularly in baseball, since Richman launched that initial set in 1961, will be upgrading the 1972 and 1956 seasons, two hugely popular years based on fan feedback, to Super Advanced status, for board and digital game play, as a highlight of new products for 2021.

The company is coming off a landmark year, which saw baseball board and Windows platform sales, game product sales, Baseball 365 sales and membership all saw steep increases. The 2020 Strat-O-Matic daily baseball season simulation also brought the company unprecedented attention from popular sports and entertainment personalities and media outlets. Basketball, football and hockey board, Windows, and 365 products also saw increases in sales and interest.

“It is hard to believe that it has been 60 years since we launched our first set of baseball cards,” said Richman, Strat-O-Matic founder. “This year’s offerings will be exciting for our fans, and I’m particularly pleased to be upgrading our first-ever ‘classic’ season of 1956, as it holds a special place for me.”

In addition to the classic baseball seasons, Strat-O-Matic will introduce numerous new products to commemorate the occasion. The popular Heroes series returns for a third edition, along with the 2021 Career Historical Update, Hall of Fame 2021 for Windows and three new Negro League seasons for Windows (1918, 1928 and 1943). 

And Strat-O-Matic enthusiasts can show their fandom even more and help celebrate the anniversary with hats, t-shirts bearing the new 60th logo and the classic red game box, available in limited quantities.

Pre-orders for these products, as well as the 60-game and imagined full 2020 season sets, will begin on January 26. The Strat-O-Matic Headquarters will be closed to the public, and while pick up will be available “curbside” beginning on March 5, the company strongly encourages ordering via the strat-o-matic.com website for delivery this year.

“While it’s disappointing to not have our annual Opening Day activities that thousands have enjoyed as tradition for years,” added Richman, “we hope that making available the new seasons and products that so many have been requesting will renew everyone’s excitement for the new year as they help us celebrate.”

Squaresbook Offers Sports Fans a Lucrative Promotion to Start Betting on the Biggest Games

Squaresbook.com is the newest player in the world of online sports betting. Despite stiff competition from other online betting companies, Squaresbook’s innovative format promises a reprieve from traditional sports betting. Using a betting method familiar to anyone who’s attended a Super Bowl party, Squaresbook is perfect for beginner and veteran betters alike.

That’s right – Squaresbook uses the Score Square Pool format you’d find at a football viewing party for a recognizable betting experience that feels entirely fresh. And right now, they’re offering sports fans the perfect opportunity to start betting. For a limited time, Squaresbook is giving users a 50% bonus on their first deposit up to $200 using promo code BONUS50!

Not a football fan? Not an issue! Squaresbook has developed squares for all major sports. You can start betting on the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and more today. They even offer online square pools for all major cricket tournaments!

Interested in getting started with Squaresbook’s fresh take on online sports betting? Visit them at www.Squaresbook.com today to sign up. Don’t forget to use code BONUS50 for a 50% bonus on your deposit!

Legends Media & Entertainment Adds Peter Vecsey And Hoop Du Jour To Its Content Offering

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) announced today that veteran NBA columnist and renowned basketball insider Peter Vecsey ([email protected]) has joined its content team, sharing his thoughts via his popular Hoop du Jour platform each week. Hoop du Jour will be featured content for Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), the multifaceted story-telling platform producing, distributing and quantifying the wide-reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars that was launched in September and has seen record growth since launch. Athletes First Partners represents the NBRPA in its marketing endeavors and is working on engaging with brands on the platform as well.

Vecsey, the long-time columnist for the New York Post and analyst for TNT/TBS, NBC and NBATV, is one of the most connected and engaged media members in the sport. His opinions, insights and quips about the game–both past and present–have long been required reading for anyone involved or interested in basketball.

The native New Yorker has been enshrined in four Halls of Fame, including Naismith Basketball (Class of 2009), NYC Basketball, Rucker League and Archbishop Molloy.

“If there is any media member who knows our players and our audience, it is Peter Vecsey,” NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle said. “Hoop du Jour was a business and lockerroom must read for decades. Peter’s ability to tell stories in his own style will certainly resonate not just with our current audience, but with a growing number of new fans who love basketball and its personalities. We are confident it’s going to be a must-read and must-follow as our other content has become this fall.”

“The men and women who make up the NBRPA were, and are, the most engaging and interesting athletes anywhere,” Vecsey said.  “I’m looking forward to having some fun with them, telling and retelling their stories, and showing a new (and not-so-new) audience just how much noise we can make in this space.”

The first Hoop du Jour can be seen here: https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/hoop-du-jour-2-0/

The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. In three months LME in both audio and video has drawn almost 600,000 views and listens, more than three times the combined numbers of audio and video around the players in the previous nine months. Viewers and listeners have come from over 20 countries, and have enjoyed content from some of the most unique storytellers in the history of professional basketball. The key unified elements of LME include: Legends Magazine, Legends Studios, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.

Online Gambling Comparison Site Compare.bet Awarded Colorado Vendor License

Jamal Murray (Flickr/All-Pro Reels)

Compare.bet has successfully completed the registration process in Colorado and is now able to operate in the newly regulated US state.

Colorado is the second state license obtained by Compare.bet, following the company’s earlier New Jersey vendor license award.

Compare.bet has been assigned vendor ID 94452979.

“Sports betting in Colorado has started with a bang this year – handle has climbed impressively despite COVID-19, and we’re seeing plenty of appetite from both customers and bookies in the state,” said Luke Eales, founder of Compare.bet.

“We have a number of license applications in progress for other regulated US states. We are excited to serve the expanding US market with the best offers, fresh sports content and a range of comparison tools.”

Colorado betting handle hit new heights in December, surpassing $200m. The figure represented the State’s fifth month in a row of record-beating betting activity, and was almost double the handle recorded in August 2020.

It has been forecast that most US states will offer some form of licensed sports wagering in the next 2-3 years*. The impressive growth in revenue of newly-regulated states like Colorado continues to make a strong case for wider legalization across the country.

More information on Compare.bet US is available at the official site.

Weekly Fantasy Sports Provider, OwnersBox, Partners With Industry Leader DailyFaceoff

OwnersBox, an innovative sport-tech company behind the new Weekly Fantasy Sports (WFS) platform is ecstatic to announce that they have partnered with top NHL fantasy sports content site DailyFaceoff.

As OwnersBox gears up for their inaugural fantasy hockey season, the team wanted to expand their reach and make a big splash. Daily Faceoff has been a leader in the hockey space for over a decade and prides themselves on being the fastest and most accurate site for projected and confirmed starting goalies as well as line combinations. They provide daily news, projections, and tools for fantasy hockey players across North America. 

When asked for comment, President & CEO Brian Kipp stated: “As we actively prepare for the upcoming NBA & NHL seasons, we wanted to target a well-known trusted platform such as DailyFaceoff to leverage their network and help grow the Weekly Fantasy Sports movement. I’ve been an active Daily Faceoff user for years and am excited to work with the DFO team this year.” 

OwnersBox and the Daily Faceoff will begin their relationship at the start of the 2021 season and will be collaborating through content, social media & weekly fantasy sports strategy articles. This partnership will allow OwnersBox to keep their momentum going from the NFL season into the new year with the NBA and NHL on the horizon.

HeadsUp Entertainment to Enter the Regulated Canadian Online Sports Betting Market

Mark Scheifele (Lisa Gansky from New York)

HeadsUp Entertainment International Inc. announces today its strategic plan to enter the regulated sports betting market in Canada.  In November 2020, the Canadian federal government introduced a bill (C-218) to the House of Commons that, if passed by both House and Senate, would legalize single-game sports wagering within the country’s 10 provinces and three territories.  It is anticipated that this bill will pass in the spring of 2021 and HeadsUp is positioned to be a major player in the sector.

The forthcoming legislation and subsequent changes to the Criminal Code of Canada will allow for HeadsUp to be positioned for rapid growth, taking to market platforms in sports betting, into an industry estimated to be over $14 Billion in annual gross gaming revenue as estimated by the Canadian Gaming Association.

HeadsUp is currently negotiating with 2 sportsbook software providers and is in negotiations with a strategic media partner as a potential merger candidate or acquisition to create unique market access and lower than industry standard costs for player acquisition.

“The rapidly evolving opportunities in the Canadian market, as well as in other countries, are very encouraging and our team has been anticipating licensing and government regulation that we are strategically poised to take advantage of” commented HeadsUp President and CEO Doug Wilson.

The Company will be launching its media content delivery platforms the first week of January which are designed to target viewers and build its base of players in anticipation of the launch of its online gaming products once the path to legalization and licensing in Canada is complete.

Canada is an explosive market for sports wagering and the country is following the lead of New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania as US States that have legalized sports betting.

NFL Enters Week 16 on Historic Scoring Pace, According to TheLines

Davante Adams (credit: Kyle Engmann)

The NFL will offer plenty of offense this Christmas, with two of the top offenses in the league set to square off and four games with an over/under set at 51.5 points or more in Week 16. So many high point totals shouldn’t be a surprise, according to analysts from TheLines, which tracks odds in U.S. regulated sports betting markets. In fact, the NFL is on a historic scoring pace.

Sunday night’s game between the Tennessee Titans, which leads the NFL with 31.1 points per game, and Green Bay Packers, which is third at 31 points per game, promises two of the most prolific scoring teams in the NFL. Total points for the game as of Monday morning is 56, according to a consensus of the nation’s largest legal online sportsbooks — including DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, PlaySugarHouse, BetMGM, Unibet, and William Hill. No game has offered more points this season.

But games offered at 50 total points or more have not been uncommon this year. In fact, there were five such games in Week 15 alone. Points have been up significantly all year. Through the first 15 weeks, NFL teams are averaging 24.8 points per game, up dramatically from 22.8 points per game in 2019. Barring a points outage over the season’s final games, it should break the scoring average record of 23.6 points per team per game, set in 1948.

“In a season of anomalies, we may never see so many high point totals again,” said Brett Collson, lead analyst for TheLines.com. “There are so many reasons why scoring is up, and many of them are related to the pandemic, from fewer distractions with teams being in relative isolation to quiet stadiums helping road teams stay in sync. Regardless, oddsmakers continue to do well in making adjustments.”

The consensus point spreads for Week 16 and remaining Week 15 games, as of Monday, Dec. 21:

  • Pittsburgh Steelers (-14.5) at Cincinnati Bengals; over/under 40.5
  • Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (-7); over/under 51.5
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-9) at Detroit Lions; over/under 53.5
  • San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals (-3.5); over/under 49.5
  • Miami Dolphins (-2.5) at Las Vegas Raiders; over/under 47.5
  • Carolina Panthers at Washington Football Team (-1.5); over/under 44.5
  • Chicago Bears (-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars; over/under 47
  • Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-8.5); over/under 45
  • Cleveland Browns (-10) at New York Jets; over/under 44.5
  • Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3); over/under N/A
  • New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens (-10); over/under N/A
  • Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-3); over/under 48.5
  • Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5); over/under 53
  • Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-1.5); over/under 46.5
  • Philadelphia Eagles (-1.5) at Dallas Cowboys; over/under 49.5
  • Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers (-4); over/under 56
  • Buffalo Bills (-6.5) at New England Patriots; over/under 45

To access the updated futures lines for every NFL team, and for more analysis, visit TheLines.com/odds/super-bowl. To access Week 16 odds, visit www.thelines.com/nfl-week-16-lines-2020.

FSV Makes Major Push In Hispanic Engagement With Acquisition of Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv

JUGOtv

For Soccer Ventures (FSV), an organization focused on the growth and long-term development of American soccer, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv, groundbreaking Hispanic soccer companies engaging with and offering opportunities for the underserved Hispanic soccer community in the U.S.

For nearly two decades, Alianza de Futbol implements identification programs, coaching clinics, and tournaments in Hispanic communities throughout the U.S. that have historically existed outside of the traditional structure of American soccer. These programs have offered the opportunity for participation to male and female players, and led to the identification of dozens of future professional players such as Mexico’s National Team player Jonathan González. JUGOtv has operated as the content studio and social media arm of Alianza de Futbol, featuring one of the premier American Hispanic social channels.

“As we set about our mission to transform soccer in America, we began identifying the entities and the stakeholders who’d been doing it successfully for years. Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv are the benchmarks for creating a more inclusive American soccer community,” FSV founder and Philadelphia Union investor Richie Graham said. “As part of FSV, we hope to bring these organizations closer to the fold with our partners, offering even greater opportunities for Hispanic soccer players in the U.S. and establishing a richer and more robust soccer community for everyone.”

Founded in 2004 by Richard Copeland and Brad Rothenberg, the son of former US Soccer Federation President and 1994 FIFA World Cup organizer Alan Rothenberg, Alianza de Futbol has been a one-of-a-kind opportunity for male and female soccer players outside of the traditional club system in the U.S. Since the program’s launch, players have come from 46 states and more than one thousand U.S. cities, connecting over 3.2 million hispanic families to the Alianza de Futbol community. Additionally, over seventy seven alumni have gone on to play professionally and twenty three have received youth national team invitations.

Working with commercial partners, Alianza de Futbol hosts weekend long activations in Hispanic communities throughout the country that feature tournaments for youth and adults and identification programs for players hoping to take the next step in their career, all at little to no cost. Guest appearances from legends of the game such as Carlos ‘Pibe” Valderrama and Jorge Campos, brand activations, and more round out an experience that often draws more than a quarter of a million attendees per year.

As part of the FSV portfolio, Alianza de Futbol and JUGOtv will leverage relationships with organizations such as Major League Soccer and US Soccer Federation to expand opportunities for its participants.

“We’re beyond excited to join the FSV team,” said Joaquin Escoto, Managing Director of Alianza de Futbol. “The future of soccer in America is so bright, and we’re thrilled to be joining FSV on their mission to ensure all communities are part of that future. FSV are the perfect partners to help amplify our impact in bringing the Hispanic community closer to the most important organizations in American soccer.”

Additionally, FSV’s unrivaled creative, American soccer storytelling and strategic capabilities will provide Alianza de Futbol a greater platform to evangelize their transformative work in grassroots soccer, while also connecting them to new brands and advertising agencies.

New initiatives that expand upon Alianza de Futbol, both on-and-off the field, will be announced by FSV in the forthcoming months.

Weekend Sports Appreciation Post

credit: Mike Morbeck

by Alex Perel, Special to The Daily Payoff

Nothing major to report in the sports and entertainment today, but we wanted to draw attention to the major upswing in games coming to the forefront. Going into the weekend, the first this year to feature Saturday NFL games, and the 2020-21 NBA season starting on Tuesday, we suddenly have a lot to look forward to in the sports world.

This weekend marks the final Thursday night game of the season as the NFL shifts into its weekend heavy schedule. The Los Angeles Chargers (+ 3 1/2) took down the Las Vegas Raiders in that matchup last night on Fox and NFL Network. The Thursday game will shift to a Friday matinee for Week 16. Both Week 15 and Week 16 will feature multiple Saturday games as well, with both having day and night matchups. Monday Night Football, however, remains on ESPN over the next two weeks. Finally, Week 17 hosts its full schedule on Sunday, as the league traditionally closes the season the same day for all teams.

Of course, Wild Card Weekend and the Divisional Round subsequently follow, both having Saturday and Sunday games. Point being, the NFL is mixing up its schedule to spread games across the next few weeks, so chances are when you flip on the TV any given weekend, you will have an NFL game to watch.

College Football sees a transition from conference championship games to bowl match ups next week, so NCAAF is there as well. The Power Five championships are as follows:

Pac-12: Oregon vs. 13-USC – 12/17 at 8PM EST

Big Ten: 14-Northwestern vs. 4-Ohio State – 12/19 at 12PM EST

Big 12: 10-Oklahoma vs. 6-Iowa State – 12/19 at 12PM EST

ACC 3-Clemson vs. 2-Notre Dame – 4:00PM EST

SEC 7-Florida vs. 1-Alabama – 8:00PM EST

All the great football leads into our biggest development: the NBA regular season’s return this coming Tuesday, December 22. Opening night features a Warriors vs. Nets early contest, followed by the Lakers and Clippers. With the league trying to cram a 72-game schedule into the coming months, we will see more back-to-back sets of games as well as “baseball series.”

In the latter format, teams will play each other multiple nights in a row. This style is uncommon in a normal NBA season, but the new schedule promises an abundance of NBA games throughout the week while you wait for football. Wednesdays and Fridays will be particularly packed with the requisite ESPN/ABC nationally televised packages.

And similar to football, the NBA is piggybacked by the college schedule, which is now entering its full swing of conference play. Check for those games to be typically packed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays on ESPN, FS1, and regional conference networks.

TL;DR: We shoot into the new year with a very healthy dose of live sporting events. Before you look up, we will have hockey and later baseball back, returning to a full slate of the four major American team sports. Get excited for the action packed weeks to come.

Legends Media & Entertainment Experiences Solid Growth In First Three Months Since Launch

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) today announced the numbers for the first three months of the expansion and launch of Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), a multifaceted storytelling platform producing, distributing and quantifying the wide reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars. In three months LME in both audio and video has drawn almost 600,000 views and listens, more than three times the combined numbers of audio and video around the players in the previous nine months. Viewers and listeners have come from over 20 countries, and have enjoyed content from some of the most unique storytellers in the history of professional basketball. Athletes First Partners represents the NBRPA in its marketing endeavors and is working on engaging with brands on the platform as well.

“Basketball is a team sport, and by unifying efforts under the LME brand, we have been able to start building an audience, and a destination that fans from around the world are enjoying,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “The first three months have shown that consistency is key, and now that the season is upon us, we are expecting the concept to continue to grow both in content and in audience with our players, some of the most identifiable and engaged athletes and personalities anywhere.”

The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. This has allowed for direct access to players for opportunities domestically and internationally. Some of the most popular segments to date have included sessions with hoist Trill Withers talking with Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Grant Hill and many others. The content can be seen, and heard at  https://www.legendsofbasketball.com/legendslive/

Some of the key unified elements of LME include:

Legends Magazine which debuted in 2018 and is the official publication for NBA and WNBA Legends. Produced quarterly, Legends Magazine has featured cover stories about NBRPA Director Caron Butler, Jerry Stackhouse, Elton Brand, Jamal Mashburn and “The Knuckleheads” – Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Each issue is delivered to all former players, active players, coaches, stakeholders, influencers and league officials worldwide.

Legends Studios also debuted in 2018 with the launch of original live-action and animated short videos and two podcasts, the All-Access Legends Podcast and On Deck with Scott Rochelle. In April 2020, Legends Live, a weekly web series broadcasted to multiple social media platforms featuring live conversations with NBA and WNBA Legends, was added to the Legends Studios portfolio. In addition to 32 standard episodes, Legends Live also covered the 2020 WNBA Draft and ESPN’s The Last Dance with live commentary from Legends. Last week, media personality Tyler Johnson, aka Trill Withers joined the LME team as host of Legends Live, where he will spend time with many of the game’s most successful and dynamic personalities and business people. Johnson will also be a key contributor to Legends Magazine, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.

To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.

Entain And Verizon Media Announce Global Innovation Alliance

Verizon Media, the global media and technology company and Entain plc (LSE: ENT), the international sports-betting and gaming operator (formerly known as GVC Holdings), today announced a global innovation alliance to develop new opportunities across interactive sports and entertainment.  Entain brands include Ladbrokes, bwin, PartyPoker, and BetMGM in the United States, which is co-owned with MGM Resorts.

The new alliance coincides with initial findings from new research for Entain by YouGov, revealing that the use of technology is increasingly shaping consumer behaviours in gaming and entertainment around the world, notably in the United States and Australia.  Social media has become central to consumer enjoyment, with new immersive experiences, driven by virtual reality and 5G, accelerating growth of both gaming and e-sports.

Verizon Media and Entain will collaborate to develop a first-of-its-kind highly immersive proof of concept virtual reality experience, that will combine live sports viewing with interactive layers of sports data and gaming. Consumers will be able to participate in sports events, check data, socialise with friends, and place bets on Entain platforms.   

Additionally, Entain will work closely with Verizon Media to develop concepts for new formats with emerging technologies like 5G, virtual reality, and augmented reality to bring the best experiences in immersive content and gaming to sports betting and gambling.  Along with betting on the Entain platforms on live streaming sports events, the goal is to create realistic, immersive experiences for sports fans, such as being in the stadium, participating in play, competing and betting on outcomes on the Entain platforms. 

“To win in the future we need to understand where consumers will be in five, ten years’ time and work with other global businesses also investing in that,” said Shay Segev, CEO of Entain. “We envisage consumers meeting at a game with friends, who could in fact be elsewhere, using virtual reality headsets to watch, interact and share the experience together and, potentially, compete between themselves at half time or feel like they’re on the pitch with the players.”

“This new alliance takes the collaboration between our two companies to a new level and will allow us both to maximize new opportunities across sports-betting, content and entertainment,” said Guru Gowrappan, CEO, Verizon Media.

“Together, we are building the next-generation of content experiences for sports and gaming fans. Our world-first 5G-enabled production studios in LA and London, creative technology teams and Verizon Media’s Immersive platform, that enables extended reality (XR) content to be created and distributed across digital channels at scale, allow partners like Entain to bring next-level immersive and interactive experiences to their customers.” 

The collaboration builds on an existing successful relationship between Yahoo Sports, part of Verizon Media, and BetMGM, a joint venture with MGM Resorts through which Entain operates in the United States.  BetMGM is integrated throughout Yahoo Sports in the US, and in legal jurisdictions fans can place a bet with BetMGM without leaving the Yahoo Sports app.

The new alliance coincides with first findings of new research for Entain from YouGov, revealing that gaming and entertainment is converging across multiple devices and becoming increasingly interactive, with two-thirds of consumers combining it with social media to increase their enjoyment.

Across all markets, men aged 25 to 39 are the most likely to be innovators or early adopters and are the key audience for e-sports and gaming. Half of e-sports players are in this age group, with most also interacting in social media and more than half enjoying a bet. When it comes to conventional sport, interaction is also increasingly important to this audience, with 31% of 25 to 39-year-old and 34% of over 55’s also engaging digitally to increase their enjoyment of watching sport.

Electronic Gaming Federation Selects First-Ever Board of Governors

The Electronic Gaming Federation, the national governing body for formalized collegiate D-I esports and high school level leagues, today announced the election of its first Board of Governors for EGFC, EGF’s Division 1 esports governing body. 

“We have had tremendous success growing our position in the space in the past year, and being able to bring on this group of educators who are the center of gaming growth on college campuses is essential as we expand our reach in 2021,” EGF Founder Tyler Schrodt said. “The election of this Board is a tremendous milestone for the League and Division 1 esports and we’re so excited to work with such a remarkable group of people from our member schools to continue the development and advancement of collegiate esports”.

“I’m excited to join the Board of Governors and look forward to helping EGF continue its growth in the collegiate esports space,” said Steve Kramarck, of the University of Delaware.  “There are so many great elements already in place and I believe that the next few years will further establish EGF as a national leader in the industry.” 

“Thank you to the EGF for the selection, and I look forward to serve on the first EGF Board of Governors and am energized to grow the Esports program here at Marist as well as across the collegiate landscape,” added Julie Byron, Marist College. I look forward to working with both students and school administrators in the coming months to create a new and innovative gaming community.”

The Board of Governors will work directly with EGF on League policy and governance and furthering the initiatives important to the League like student development, diversity and inclusion, and a slate of other topics and projects. This group of seven is the first cohort of the board that will eventually include 21 representatives from member schools as the League continues to grow.

The following individuals were elected by their peers to serve on the Board for a three year term:

  • Courtney James, DePaul University
  • Michele King, William & Mary
  • Steve Kramarck, University of Delaware
  • David Tomczyk, Quinnipiac University
  • Nyle Sky Kauweloa, University of Hawaii
  • Julie Byron, Marist College
  • Bill Newton, Niagara University

Now in partnership with the new Board, EGF is will start the second half of EGFC Season 2 on February 1st with conference and national championships starting in March, 2021 across a wide range of games. 

Strat-O-Matic, La Vida Baseball Team For ‘What-If,’ Simulated Content

Being Guillén

In more than 7000 Major League plate appearances over 16 years, Ozzie Guillén faced some of the game’s great fireballers, with his share of success. How would he have fared against intimidators like Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Aroldis Chapman? When the three-time All-Star and host of La Vida Baseball’s Being Guillén wanted to know, he turned to the experts at Strat-O-Matic, the market leader in sports simulation, for the answer.

Revealed on last Friday’s episode, the series of 10 simulated at bats against the three marked the start of a content partnership between La Vida Baseball, the digital media platform that celebrates the passion of Latino baseball’s past, present and future through original video, written and social content, and Strat-O-Matic, through which viewers and readers can see how some of the sport’s great “what if” moments might have turned out, as well as the results of fantasy events that only the world of Strat-O-Matic can simulate with unmatched accuracy.

“It was fun to see how I would do against guys like Drysdale, Gibson and Chapman, and it’s great that Strat-O-Matic has the tools to show us,” said Guillén, who hosts Being Guillén alongside his sons Ozzie Jr. and Oney live on Fridays at noon CT. “I think there are so many things we can do to create scenarios that fans will love to see what would have happened.”

The idea of “What If” using Strat-O-Matic data was first realized  with the Marquee Network and the Chicago Cubs this past summer, where Marquee talent Len Kasper, Jim Deshaies and Taylor McGregor looked at some of the iconic moments in team history and created alternative results that delighted fans and had some fun buzz, like Deshaies facing the 1927 Yankees. Strat-O-Matic is currently in discussions with a host of other media partners locally and nationally to reimagine other classic moments in time in baseball and other sports.

While MLB paused at the beginning of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Strat-O-Matic simulated the season as it would have been played, with results published daily by dozens of media outlets. Strat-O-Matic also posted results of the shortened 60-game schedule and playoff seasons.

“The possibilities are endless with what we can simulate working with La Vida Baseball,” said Adam Richman, Strat-O-Matic president. “From ‘what if’ player and game situations to imagined international tournaments and customized leagues, we look forward to tapping the creativity of La Vida’s personalities and fans to create content that they will enjoy.”

T-Mobile, Drone Racing League Partner To Innovate 5G Wireless Drone Tech, Reimagine Sports Entertainment

T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) and The Drone Racing League (DRL), the global, professional drone racing property, announced a broad-reaching partnership to advance 5G-powered drone technology. As part of the multi-year deal, T-Mobile has made an investment in DRL via the company’s T-Mobile Ventures fund, and the Un-carrier has signed on as the league’s exclusive U.S. 5G Wireless partner. Together, T-Mobile and DRL will innovate 5G racing drone technology to create the first integrated 5G racing drones, with the aim of authentically building them into the sport. DRL will develop first-of-its-kind, custom racing drones powered by T-Mobile 5G during the 2021 DRL Allianz World Championship Season.

DRL’s high-speed 5G racing drones, running on America’s first and largest 5G network, will enable the companies to stream DRL’s 3D racing action to fans in real-time. And the 5G racing drones will enable the companies to deliver unique, immersive experiences to fans and millions of T-Mobile customers across the country, and open up opportunities for new applications across a wide variety of industries.

“We invested in DRL to fuel innovation in two large and growing markets – drones and tech-powered sports – and we can’t wait to supercharge both with T-Mobile 5G,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “The world’s fastest drones and the nation’s largest 5G network – now that’s a fantastic combination!”

DRL features the world’s top pilots flying custom racing drones through live and virtual iconic locations around the globe to create the New Playing Field, combining the adrenaline of high-speed racing with the limitless possibilities of esports. In live events, pilots race standardized FPV (First Person View) drones at nearly 100 miles per hour, wearing goggles that stream a live video feed from a camera on their drone, as they navigate complex, three-dimensional courses. Tens of millions of next generation sports fans watch DRL on premier sports networks around the world, including NBC, NBCSN, Twitter and Facebook.

“T-Mobile is one of the most innovative marketers in sports, entertainment and technology — sharing our mission to bring the most immersive experiences to millions of fans around the world. With a foundation of the best 5G wireless technology to power our racing drones, we’re excited to set the new standard for sports and create cutting-edge content and collaborations across T-Mobile’s sports, music and lifestyle properties,” said DRL President Rachel Jacobson. 

Innovating through new groundbreaking technology is part of DRL’s DNA: The league has launched four iterations of racing drones, a record-setting fastest racing drone, and the first autonomous racing drone — all designed and hand-built with proprietary technology by its in-house team of expert drone engineers. The addition of T-Mobile 5G will propel the sport forward and offer new opportunities to drive fan engagement. Data shows that DRL fans are ready, willing and able to play a part — they are 14X more likely than the U.S. population to be considered “tech-savvy” and 4X more likely to be interested in gaming.  

T-Mobile has invested in DRL through T-Mobile Ventures, a multi-year investment fund focused on early and emerging growth companies developing groundbreaking 5G products and services for the T-Mobile network. As a T-Mobile Ventures portfolio company, DRL will benefit from T-Mobile’s network and engineering expertise, go-to-market infrastructure and investment backing as the companies work together to develop the next big thing in 5G racing drones and sports technology. 

As part of the partnership, DRL will feature T-Mobile in the 2021 DRL Allianz World Championship Season through advertising spots and branded course elements in the DRL SIM, the virtual platform hosting the elite competition. T-Mobile will also support the DRL Academy, the league’s STEM program, creating educational programming around 5G and drones to inspire the next generation of technologists and digital athletes.  

T-Mobile 5G, A Platform for Innovation

T-Mobile is America’s 5G leader, delivering 5G speeds in more places with the first and largest nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile’s Extended Range 5G covers more than 270 million people across more than 1.4 million square miles – 2x more geographic coverage than AT&T and 3.5x more than Verizon. With Sprint now part of T-Mobile, the Un-carrier is quickly lighting up Ultra Capacity 5G with technology that can deliver download speeds of 300 Mbps and peak speeds up to 1 Gbps.

Now is the time for developers to build applications that take advantage of 5G’s transformational power, and drones represent one of the most exciting use cases for 5G. From the engine behind a new self-service economy, to industrial IoT, security monitoring, emergency response and so much more, autonomous 5G drones will dramatically transform industry and commerce.

With its supercharged 5G network as the foundation, T-Mobile is working to fuel this kind of 5G innovation. T-Mobile Ventures backs early and emerging growth companies building the next big thing in 5G. The Un-carrier also collaborates with universities and standards bodies to support 5G research and development. In addition, T-Mobile runs the award-winning T-Mobile Accelerator and is a co-founder of the 5G Open Innovation Lab.

For more on T-Mobile’s plans for 5G-powered drone innovation, read today’s blog from the company’s EVP of Advanced & Emerging Technologies, John Saw.