Sports Business

Amazon’s softly-softly UK soccer move is smart

7 Jun 2018

The e-commerce group made its first foray into UK football rights. But it won’t screen as many games as Sky and BT. The restraint means the group run by Jeff Bezos should easily break even, and suggests it’s more interested in scoring tactical goals than tackling rivals head-on.

Viewsroom: Who will win the World Cup?

31 May 2018

Germany may not be the bookies’ clear favorite to lift the trophy. But a data dive into player values, population and other factors predicts the team will emerge victorious. Meanwhile, Italy stages an economic and political comic opera. Plus: Ant Financial’s $10 bln kitty.

Vivendi’s soccer loss may be winning tactic

30 May 2018

Chinese-owned Mediapro beat the media conglomerate’s pay-TV group Canal Plus in a 1.2 bln euro auction for rights to show France’s top matches. The winner is taking a gamble since the value of those rights leapt 60 percent. Vivendi avoided overpaying and can withstand the loss.

World Cup Soccernomics

29 May 2018

Who will lift soccer’s ultimate trophy in Russia this summer? Breakingviews ranked the 32 contenders according to player values, population, home support, and participation in the sport. Put them all together, and Germany is best placed to successfully defend its crown.

Numbers add up to Germany retaining World Cup

29 May 2018

Who will lift soccer’s ultimate trophy in Russia this summer? Breakingviews ranked the 32 contenders according to player values, population, home support, and participation in the sport. Put them all together, and Germany is best placed to successfully defend its crown.

Football is imperfect hedge for hedge fund mogul

24 May 2018

Appaloosa’s David Tepper brings a winning attitude to Carolinas' Panthers, which he’s buying for $2.3 bln. America’s biggest sport is all about active management and performance - a welcome break from the pressures squeezing hedge funds. But data geeks are targeting the NFL too.

Paddy Power turns M&A into a fantasy sport

23 May 2018

The Dublin-based group is merging its U.S. assets with fantasy-sports business FanDuel. If a recent Supreme Court ruling leads to nationwide legal sports betting, loss-making FanDuel’s users could become valuable punters. The catch is that payback could be a while in coming.

WWE is a leading contender for content champion

22 May 2018

Vince McMahon’s wrestling kingdom may be close to inking a deal with Fox for its popular "SmackDown." The agreement would bring more than $1 bln for the rights to broadcast the program, much more than NBC has been shelling out. WWE deserves a champion’s belt for savvy partnerships.

Get ready to gamble – on U.S. sports betting

15 May 2018

The Supreme Court ruled that the feds can’t stop states legalizing wagers on basketball and other games. It will push a $150 bln black market into the light and gives firms like DraftKings and Paddy Power, sports leagues and media outlets like ESPN a grab at the revenue pot.

Videogame-watching IPO magnifies clash of clans

11 May 2018

Huya is set to list at a $2.6 bln valuation, or nearly eight times revenue. The startup gives investors a shot at a market whose audiences for "League of Legends" and other games exceed the NBA's. Backer Tencent's stake in Chinese e-sports rival Douyu also offers a useful hedge.

Bookie investors misjudge odds in political casino

24 Apr 2018

William Hill, Paddy Power Betfair and GVC collectively lost 1 bln stg in value on reports Britain may cap betting-machine stakes and hike levies. That’s worse than feared, but not unimaginable given low UK gambling taxes. Smarter investors would have seen the writing on the wall.

Poker group bets $5 bln on Sky-high sports growth

23 Apr 2018

Canada’s Stars Group is buying UK online sports-gambling specialist Sky Bet. The price is more than current owners CVC and Sky would have got in a mooted IPO. For Stars, the debt-heavy punt only works if Sky Bet’s rapid growth continues - or the U.S. relaxes sports-gambling laws.

Arsenal manager’s weak second half instructs CEOs

20 Apr 2018

Frenchman Arsène Wenger is hanging up his boots at the North London soccer club after 22 years. A golden age of winning seasons followed his arrival in 1996, but Arsenal underwhelmed for the last decade. As with corporate bosses like WPP's Martin Sorrell, he hung around too long.

Solid takeover hurdle trips up Foxconn of sneakers

11 Apr 2018

Taiwanese contract footwear maker Pou Chen wanted full control of its Hong Kong affiliate Pou Sheng. The $1.4 bln deal was nixed, however, by just 4 pct of investors. There's a risk that the rigorous system can be gamed, but it commendably tilts in favour of outside shareholders.

Indian cricket plays well for Disney and Murdoch

6 Apr 2018

Fox’s Star India is paying almost $1 bln to secure its monopoly over Indian cricket. It is unusual to see a company in play splashing the cash so freely. That suggests Disney, which is keen to buy parts of Rupert Murdoch's empire, shares his enthusiasm for this growth market.

Adidas catchup race has further to run

14 Mar 2018

The shoemaker’s shares have outpaced Nike and Puma during a global sportswear boom in the last three years. However, they still trade at a discount to main rivals, despite faster revenue growth and improving margins. Hitting new, higher targets should help Adidas close the gap.

Which gunmaker will exit assault rifles first?

28 Feb 2018

With the decision by Dick's Sporting Goods to take AR-15s off its shelves, it's a matter of time before one of the big producers of firearms gets out of tactical weapons and reverts to its self-defense and hunting roots. Aside from sending a message, it would be good business.

Sky and BT impose unusual austerity on UK soccer

14 Feb 2018

The pay-TV company and telecoms group showed novel restraint in bidding for the right to air English Premier League games. They will pay less per match and a fifth of games are unsold. Soccer clubs facing leaner times can pin their hopes on new bidders and international rights.

Korea can aim for Olympic economic bronze

9 Feb 2018

Hosting typically leads to financial defeat. The 2018 Winter Games will cost about $13 bln. In 2002, TV revenue equaled 30 pct of Salt Lake City's smaller tab. Pyeongchang won't land that split nor probably match Vancouver's. It should, however, skate past super-pricey Sochi.

Amazon can justify foray into UK soccer-rights war

5 Feb 2018

The tech group may bid to broadcast England’s Premier League. A head-on battle with Sky, which paid 4.2 bln pounds last time, would be costly. But Amazon could break even by buying just a few matches so long as 15 pct of rivals’ customers jump ship to its TV service.