Monthly Archives: September 2022

2022 AKTIV Against Cancer Award Luncheon Honors adidas, Lowe Nov. 3 in N.Y.

AKTIV Against Cancer, the organization co-founded by legendary runner Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen, today announced it will honor adidas and Olympic Champion Chaunté Lowe for outstanding contributions to the field of Exercise Oncology at their eighth annual awards luncheon. The reception will be held November 3 at the historic New York Athletic Club.

Over more than 10 years of collaboration, adidas has accounted for more than $10M in donations toward AKTIV Against Cancer’s groundbreaking exercise oncology research and programs. United by the power of sport, the two organizations have worked together to help those fighting cancer improve their quality of life through physical activity.

“adidas has been an incredible supporter of AKTIV Against Cancer since our inception and has always embodied our mission to the highest degree,” said AKTIV Against Cancer CEO Helle Aanesen. “We simply couldn’t have done what we have done without adidas. There is no one better to honor than Grete’s longtime sponsor and our biggest believer, adidas.”

AKTIV Against Cancer’s partnership with adidas was born out of adidas’ relationship with the late Grete, who passed away in 2011. Grete had a storied history with adidas during her ground-breaking long-distance running career, having worn and promoted its apparel and footwear for more than 30 years.

“At adidas, we believe sport has the power to change lives, and few athletes have personified that motto as thoroughly as Grete Waitz,” said Adrian Leek, Sportswear & Footwear Vice President at adidas. “Our partnership with AKTIV Against Cancer represents our gratitude for everything Grete accomplished during her remarkable life, and we are proud to supported such a great cause for more than a decade.”

Additionally, AKTIV Against Cancer will honor four-time Olympian, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and former high jump world champion Chaunté Lowe with the Gabrielle Grunewald Inspiration Award for her courage and her dedication to expanding resources and support for others fighting breast cancer. Lowe is a Global Ambassador for the American Cancer Society and a spokesperson for a new partnership between pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and patient advocacy group Susan G. Komen.

Since 2015, AKTIV Against Cancer has hosted the AKTIV Against Cancer Award Luncheon in an effort to continuously honor the legacy of the co-founder, the late Grete Waitz. The award recognizes leaders who demonstrate great philanthropic efforts using health and fitness as a platform – a belief that was instrumental to Grete and at the core of AKTIV Against Cancer’s mission.

Mary Wittenberg, Global CEO of Virgin Sport, received the inaugural award in 2015 and running legend Meb Keflezighi received it in 2016. In 2017, AKTIV Against Cancer honored The Rudin Family for their long-standing commitment to the TCS New York City Marathon and the late professional runner Gabriele Grunewald for her commitment to continue running through her cancer and inspiring many to be physically active through treatments.

More recently, the organization honored Olympic Champion and cancer survivor Kikkan Randall and Dr. Jordan Metzl in 2018, Chip Gaines, Jeff Rochford & Aubrey Barr in 2019, Shannon Miller in 2020, and Cycle For Survival co-founder David Linn in 2021.

For more information about AKTIV Against Cancer please visit www.aktivagainstcancer.org/award

National Lacrosse League Announces 2022-23 Schedule; Face Off Weekend Set for December 2-3

The National Lacrosse League (@NLL) today announced the largest schedule in its history – 135 games – as the 2022-23 regular season gets underway with Face Off Weekend on December 2-3, 2022. The NLL’s 36th year opens with six games, three matchups in Canada and three in the U.S., as part of a 22-week schedule through April 29. Fans can view the entire slate at https://www.nll.com/schedule/full-schedule/.

Face Off Weekend will include two TSN Game of the Week contests on Friday, December 2 (Philadelphia Wings at Halifax Thunderbirds, 6 p.m. ET) and Saturday, December 3 (Vancouver Warriors at Toronto Rock, 5 p.m. ET). All 135 games during the regular season are available on ESPN+ and through TSN’s platforms, including TSN.ca and the TSN app. The complete national broadcast schedules for TSN and ESPN and the League’s playoff schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Our fans have been eagerly anticipating Face Off Weekend since our sensational Final’s series capped an incredible season and playoffs in the spring,” said NLL Commissioner Brett Frood. “We expect that the passionate fan bases at the six venues opening the 2022-23 regular season will pillar momentum for the rest of the year, and the broad reach of TSN and ESPN ensures that fans across North America can join in the celebration.”

The Las Vegas Desert Dogs, the NLL’s 15th and newest franchise, open Week 2 at Panther City, and will play their inaugural home game on Friday, December 16, at Michelob ULTRA Arena. The game at Las Vegas will be televised on ESPN2 at 10:30pm ET. The defending champion Colorado Mammoth will hoist their 2022 NLL Championship banner on Saturday, January 7, 2023, against the Calgary Roughnecks.

Some other highlights of the 2022-23 NLL schedule include:
• Four other Face Off Weekend games will be contested on December 3, including the Albany FireWolves at Buffalo Bandits, San Diego Seals at New York Riptide, Rochester Knighthawks at Georgia Swarm and defending champion Colorado Mammoth at Saskatchewan Rush
• Each team will play 18 games (nine home and nine away) over the 22 weeks
• There are five weeks in which all 15 NLL teams will be in action (Week 9, Jan. 27-28; Week 10, Feb. 3-4; Week 16, March 17-19; Week 17, March 24-25, Week 18, March 31-April 2

For the latest scores and developments in the National Lacrosse League, please visit: NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

More Than $150 Billion Wagered in U.S. According to SportsHandle.com New Sports Betting Revenue Tracker

More than $150 billion in total sports betting handle has been wagered in the United States since the overturning of Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) according to SportsHandle.com’s new Sports Betting Revenue Tracker.

The definitive resource for information on sports betting legislation and legalization in the United States, SportsHandle.com has introduced the all-new revenue database for consumers and sports betting industry leaders who wish to stay on top of the latest handles and sportsbook revenues in states where sports betting is legal.

The first-of-its-kind tracker includes real-time updates on each of the states reported monthly handles (including Washington D.C.), as well as other key figures including gross revenue win rate, gross/adjusted sportsbook revenue, state taxes collected, and the legal betting start date.

Additionally, the tracker provides an overall snapshot highlighting each state’s regulator, tax rate on sportsbook operators, biggest monthly handle to date, and more. The launch of the revenue database follows the success of Sports Handle’s Sports Betting Partnership Tracker, which was launched back in May.

“As more states legalize sports betting and the overall sports handle continues to soar, we saw the need for an all-encompassing resource center for both consumers and industry leaders,” said Brett Smiley, Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief at SportsHandle.com. “Our team has done a terrific job in gathering all these statistics, and providing a comprehensive breakdown on the sports betting history in each state – all in one convenient location.”

Founded in July 2017 by Brett Smiley and Dan Zucker, SportsHandle.com is an elite sports betting industry news site that covers legislative and regulatory developments through original reporting, features and analysis.

Today, Sports Handle is owned and operated by Better Collective, a leading sports betting media group that develops educational platforms within the iGaming industry. Other leading websites owned and operated by Better Collective include: The Action Network, US Bets, and RotoGrinders.

Athletes First Partners to Represent Edmonton Oilers For Jersey Patch Sales

Athletes First Partners (A1 Partners) todayannounced that they have been retained by the Edmonton Oilers to handle the exclusive sale of the Oilers’ jersey patch, further expanding A1P’s growing offerings for brand partnerships. The Oilers resurgence—highlighted by last season’s trip to the Western Conference Finals, as well as their wildly passionate fan base, massive social and broadcast outreach and engagement, and return to their original iconic jersey colors of the dynasty years—is making their jersey patch one of the most unique and invaluable brand opportunities for the 2022-23 season.

“There are few North American clubs that have the deep history, including the glorious past of five Stanley Cup championships, the vibrant social media presence of today, and the young stars of tomorrow like the Oilers do. We know this opportunity will resonate for brands looking for that deep engagement, not just in the Pacific Northwest but across all of North America,” said Jim O’Connell, President Athletes First Partners. “We also know how important timing is in our business, and we are pleased to see the club continuing to drastically increase their reach as an organization, further than ever before.”

“Athletes First Partners showed us an innovative approach that we felt was different than others, and we are looking forward to seeing how they tailor all aspects of our history, brand, culture, city and fan base to find the perfect partner for our patch opportunity,” said Stew MacDonald, Chief Revenue Officer, OEG Sports and Entertainment. “As we return to our original NHL jersey colours with a rich history, including five Stanley Cup championships, this is a truly unique opportunity for a top North American brand to be part of many more historic moments in royal blue and orange starting this fall.”

Led by superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers advanced to the Western Conference finals last season, their latest and most crucial step in returning to the Wayne Gretzky-led glory years of the 1980’s. Off the ice, the Oilers have built an unprecedented social media following, leading all NHL clubs in social engagement and content consumption with 32 million impressions weekly throughout the season. The Oilers have also amassed the second largest national broadcast audience and third largest regional broadcast audience across the NHL. Those numbers are only expected to rise as the iconic club continues its much anticipated upward rise this fall.

To date, seven NHL clubs have secured jersey patch deals for the coming season.

Ready® Signs Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett

Ready®, one of the fastest growing sports nutrition brands in America with co-owners Aaron Donald and Giannis Antetokounmpo, today announced the signing of NFL first round draft pick and Pittsburgh Steeler rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett as a Ready® athlete.

Pickett was already quite familiar with Ready® having used its products while at Pitt, so the partnership was a logical extension. “Kenny already knew the fueling and recovery benefits of our products from his own experience. We really focus on our mentality and mission; and it became obvious he was a great fit to be a member of the Ready® Team,” said company founder and CEO Pat Cavanaugh.

Pickett will only promote products he uses during training, its Sports Drink and a few other select Ready® products in his various online and non-digital platforms. He joins NFL world champion Aaron Donald, NBA star and global basketball icon Giannis Antetokounmpo, and top rated American female tennis player Jessica Pegula as Ready® brand champions and ambassadors.

Pickett was the 2022 first-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers after a stellar senior season when he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, first team All-American, and voted ACC Football Player and co-Athlete of the Year while leading Pitt to an ACC Championship.

“Kenny is a great example of continuing to work hard and remembering it’s not where you start it’s where you finish, which is a pillar of the Ready® mentality that defines our brand,” said Cavanaugh. “Throughout his career and breakout senior season, he continued to get better and better achieving one goal after the next. He’s just getting started.”

“I’m excited to be part of the Ready® Team especially since I’ve experienced the benefits of the products when I was at Pitt,” said Pickett. “The more Pat and I spoke about the brand and their mission to inspire athletes to take more pride in their effort than their talent; that attitude and mentality resonated with me and how I approach my football career.”

Telemundo Rolls Out The Future Is Futbol, A Comprehensive Report On The State Of Soccer

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises today released a timely report titled The Future Is Fútbol to define and characterize the fundamental shift in the importance of soccer in mainstream American sports and the role Latinos are playing in this economic, cultural and media phenomenon. The Future Is Fútbol report draws on primary and secondary research and data collection, including quantitative surveys and an innovative neuroscience study among bilingual Hispanics. To view the full report please click here.

Fútbol has an estimated 5 billion fans around the world and 85 million adult followers in the U.S. Gallup estimates that soccer has seen a significant increase in popularity, with a gain of 52% more fans from 2012 to 2019, compared to 27% growth in basketball and 8% growth in baseball during this period. Fueled by its growing popularity among young people and women in particular, as well as Latinos overall, the sport is benefiting from the tailwinds of growth driven by the FIFA World Cup 2022TM – kicking off in November in Qatar – and the tournament’s arrival in the U.S. in 2026.

“Fútbol is the sport of America’s future. Soccer is growing in the U.S. and Hispanics are clearly leading the way,” said Monica Gil, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. “Every four years, the FIFA World Cup TM brings Latinos and non-Latinos together with a spirit and intensity that no other sporting event in the world can match. There is no more authentic way to experience the World Cup than in Spanish. For companies and brands seeking real cultural connection and a space to engage Latinos, soccer and the FIFA World Cup TM are the place to be, this fall and for years to come.”

According to the report, the World Cup is considered more important among Hispanic World Cup viewers than any other sporting event, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Olympic Games, or the NBA Finals. FIFA reported that the 2018 FIFA World CupTM reached over half the global population with 3.57 billion viewers. In 2018, the World Cup had its greatest 32-day performance in Spanish-language media history, with a commanding total U.S. audience reach of 37 million.

The Future Is Fútbolfurther highlights the power of soccer as a multibillion-dollar business with profits of $40 billion in 2019, twice the worldwide revenue for American football. Fans follow players and teams year-round as celebrities and representatives of national origin and sources of local pride. U.S. soccer fans spend 7% more than the average American sports fan on team sports clothing, tickets, sports equipment, and memorabilia. In 2021, soccer matches were available almost every day, with only six days without a match on broadcast TV, a phenomenon that offers brands, retailers and advertisers alike an advantage like no other sports property.

Other key themes highlighted in The Future Is Fútbol include:

  • Latinos Fueling Growth – Latinos have driven shifts in the U.S. population over the last decade. As their influence grows, so does soccer’s popularity. Hispanics and other diverse fans bring with them a love for soccer that has been part of their story for generations, shaped by history and now representing the next breakthrough in mainstream American sports.
    • Among U.S. Latinos ages 16 and older, almost three-quarters (73%) say they are soccer fans, and three times more Hispanics call themselves Superfans (22%) compared to non-Hispanics (7%).
    • More than half (53%) of Latinos ages 16 and older and nearly 1 out of 3 non-Latinos (29%) say they plan to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022.
    • Latinos rank both soccer (57%) and American football (59%) well above basketball (45%) and baseball (40%).
  • “Fútbol is Everything” Culture
  • 61% of Hispanic World Cup viewers are fútbol Enthusiasts, regular fans or superfans, who say that if their team won the World Cup, their euphoria would be unmatched, an experience more exciting than getting their dream job or getting married.
  • Over half (57%) of Hispanic Enthusiasts say they have reshuffled their priorities to watch an important game, including skipping family or friend events, taken off work, spent money they did not have or traveled miles to watch an important match.
  • The FIFA World Cup TM is as big as a holiday. Soccer gatherings are momentous among Latino Enthusiasts who rank the event second only to Christmas, more significant than Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
  • Biggest Multi-Platform Sporting Event –The ability of fans to watch and engage on any screen has a monumental impact on the growing FIFA World Cup TM fandom. Soccer media coverage and content have increased exponentially to meet the demand for more high-quality live, virtual and social fan experiences 24/7.
    • The FIFA World Cup 2022TM is expected to be the world’s biggest multi-platform sports event ever. The incremental viewership from live streaming helped make the 2018 FIFA World CupTM the biggest multi-platform sports event in Spanish-language history.
    • 67% of Hispanic viewers plan to watch the World Cup on broadcast TV, and 42% plan to stream the matches.
    • Television is the preferred device for Hispanics to watch the World Cup (90%), followed by smartphone (34%) and computer (17%).
  • The Power of Spanish – For most Hispanic fans, Spanish is the language and culture of fútbol. Viewers describe Spanish-language soccer commentators as excellent storytellers, utterly poetic and animated about what is happening on the field.
    • Over half (56%) of U.S. Hispanic World Cup viewers prefer watching the FIFA World CupTM in Spanish.
    • Even 1 out of 5 English-dominant Hispanic World Cup viewers prefer to watch in Spanish.
    • Spanish is not exclusive to Hispanics because 17% of non-Latino tournament viewers said they would watch some of the matches in Spanish as well, an increase of 12% over 2018.
    • According to a brain neuroscience study conducted among U.S. bilingual Hispanics, watching a World Cup match with Spanish commentary generated 15% greater likeability, keeping fans glued to their screens longer than watching the identical match in English.
      • Key game moments, like the iconic goal call by the Spanish commentator, prompted an average of 37% greater emotional intensity compared to English, making the “highs” higher and the “lows” lower.
      • The effects of Spanish game commentary also transferred to advertising. In the study, the identical ad, when played in Spanish had 19% higher likeability and 49% greater emotional intensity vs. English.
  • Latinas Are Watching and Bringing Their Kids – Hispanic women are an untapped opportunity among soccer viewers.
  • Four in ten (41%) U.S. Latinas say they are likely to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022TM.
  • 76% of Hispanic mom tournament viewers encourage their kids to follow the World Cup and professional fútbol.
  • Hispanic females are passionate fans and together comprised 17 million Spanish-network FIFA World CupTM viewers in 2018, making the tournament the most-watched Latina sporting event in Spanish-language history.
  • Among the World Cup audience, a fifth (21%) of Latinas call themselves Superfans, which is far greater than both non-Hispanic males (10%) and non-Hispanic females (8%).
  • And Latino viewing is a family affair, with 70% of Latino parent event viewers saying it’s important to watch the FIFA World CupTM in Spanish with their kids.
  • First-Choice Sport of Young People in the U.S. – Soccer has become the fastest-growing major team sport among all high school students and is the most popular among Hispanic high schoolers.
    • High school soccer participation increased 32% from 2002 to 2019, far more than the average growth of basketball (-6%), American football (-2%), baseball (6%), or ice hockey (7%).
    • Soccer is egalitarian, considering that high school girls play almost as much as boys, with participation growing 31% for girls versus 33% for boys from 2002 to 2019. There were 394,105 high school girls who played soccer in 2019, a figure not far behind the 459,077 high school boys who played.
    • Soccer is currently the most popular team sport among 40% of Hispanic high school students who say they played or were planning to play the sport in 2020, compared to 21% of all high school students.

Global and inclusive, growing across women and youth, fútbol is poised to redefine the American sports landscape. After years of wins, both large and small, fútbol is coming of age at the moment when millions of Latinos and fútbol fans of all backgrounds stand ready to watch, engage and lead the way.

Telemundo Deportes is the exclusive Spanish-language home of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ taking place in Qatar this Fall, starting Nov. 20. The network is prepared to deliver the most ambitious coverage in Spanish-language history with all 64 matches live, including all four games on Thanksgiving Day. Peacock will stream all the Spanish-language World Cup matches live, and will feature pre-game and post-game coverage, as well as special programming with extended interviews and highlights.

Topps NOW Timmy Trumpet Card Celebrates Diaz Save

With the Mets holding onto a narrow 2-1 lead over the Dodgers on Wednesday night at CitiField, Timmy Trumpet took the field to welcome closer Edwin Diaz into the game. Trumpet played a live rendition of his song “Narco,” Diaz’s intro song all season.

Now through Friday at 2 p.m. ET, fans can get a Topps NOW card commemorating the occasion. The card, depicting Trumpet’s live performance, is available here. Only the number of cards ordered by Friday at 2 p.m. ET will be printed.