Business and Commerce

Endeavor went public in April 2021. In September it announced its acquisition of OpenBet. (Image/Arturo Holmes/Getty)

Endeavor Slashes Bid for OpenBet After Sportsbook Valuations Tank

Last week, Endeavor lowered its bid for OpenBet to $800 million, down from its previous offer of $1.2 billion. The 33% price reduction comes in the midst of a stock market correction, which has pummeled sports betting securities. Last September, Endeavor agreed to buy OpenBet from Light & Wonder (formerly […]

Max Verstappen wins Miami's inaugural F1 race in May 2022. (Image: Brian Snyder/Reuters) REUTERS/Brian Snyder

F1 Renews with ESPN Even Though Amazon Bid More

F1 chose to renew its media rights deal with ESPN through 2025. Amazon’s bid to stream the prestigious auto racing series, however, was significantly higher, according to Sports Business Journal sources. Still, ESPN will have to cough up a lot more than it paid to cover the previous three years. […]

On June 19, 1972, Curt Flood failed in his challenge of the MLB antitrust exemption. But his court battle led to free agency. (Image: Getty)

Clock May Be Ticking on MLB Antitrust Exemption

Almost exactly 100 years ago, Major League Baseball received an exemption from the Sherman Antitrust Act. To this day, it’s the only US sport legally operating as a monopoly. But a minor league lawsuit, and recent pressure from the Department of Justice, could limit MLB’s unique control. In December 2021, […]

PSA raised its rates on Monday, making it significantly more costly to have sports and TCG cards evaluated through the company. (Image:

PSA Reimplements All Card Grading Services — at Much Higher Cost

The sports card hobby’s leading grader has reopened all of its levels, but collectors must now pay much more for the same services. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) had to temporarily suspend some of its authentication and grading services last year due to overwhelming demand while working through a backlog of […]

When (Image: Troy Wayrynen/Reuters)

Pros and Cons of the Exclusive Apple MLS Streaming Deal

Apple just locked up the next ten years of MLS streaming rights. The US soccer league should net roughly $250 million per year from the exclusive streaming deal. While some matches will still likely air on television, Apple will offer all every single MLS match. There are some obvious advantages […]

Shivam Dube for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) 23 run victory over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Image (BCCI/IPL

Cricket’s IPL Media Rights Fetch More Than $6 Billion

In a series of recent auctions, the Indian Premier League (IPL) sold its media rights for more than $6 billion. The popular cricket league’s current media contract with Star India — a subsidiary of Disney — expires at the end of this year. Going forward, however, Disney will have to […]

LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers is the only active NBA player named to the latest Forbes list of billionaires. (Image: Getty)

LeBron James Wants to Own an NBA Expansion Team in Las Vegas

There’s been a lot of chatter about Seattle and Las Vegas becoming the next two cities to land NBA expansion teams, and LeBron James publicly stated that he would like to be the owner of any new team in Sin City. On Friday, the next episode of “The Shop” debuts […]

The heir to the Walmart fortune will become the next owner of the Denver Broncos in a record-setting sale. (Image: Getty)

Walmart Scion Agrees to Buy Denver Broncos for $4.65 Billion

The Denver Broncos have a new owner. Well, almost. The final sale is pending a vote from the other NFL franchise owners and approval from the league’s finance committee, but it looks like the Walton-Penner group will become the next owner after they agreed to a purchase agreement for the […]

This 2-year-old colt set numerous records when he brought $3.55 million in auction Tuesday in Maryland. (Image: Fasig-Tipton Photo)

Colt Sells for Record $3.55 Million at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale

A colt from the late sire Bernardini shattered several records on Tuesday when he brought $3.55 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale at Timonium, Maryland. The colt, a product of Bernardini out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare G Note, went to Gary Young, the respected West […]

Champion 3-Year-Old Malathaat and John Velazquez made her 2022 debut with this resounding victory in the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland. That was one of the highlights of a record Spring Meet at Keeneland. (Image: Keeneland/Coady Photography)

Keeneland Brings Home Record Spring Meet Handle Across the Board

Keeneland enjoyed its third consecutive year of record Spring Meet handle, bringing in an all-sources handle of $219,284,979 for its just-concluded Spring Meet. That handle was the largest total in the Kentucky track’s history. The more than $219 million from the 15-day meet that ended Friday represented a 33.16% increase […]

The slabs seen here from PSA and SGC are among the most popular services in the hobby. (Image: Johnny Kampis)

Card Collectors Corner: A Primer on Sports Card Grading

One of the most common questions I get from relatively novice collectors who visit my store, Cullman Sportscards & Fun Shop, is about where and how to get their cards graded. Given the popularity of “slabs,” the term those in the hobby use for graded cards, and the boost in […]

Embattled Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert may face a two-year ban from racing in New York if a hearing officer's ruling is upheld. (Image: Susie Raisher/NYRA)

NYRA Hearing Officer Recommends Two-Year Ban for Bob Baffert

Retired Justice O. Peter Sherwood, who presided over the January hearing pitting Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert against the New York Racing Association issued a report recommending Baffert be banned from NYRA tracks for two years. That 54-page report was issued to the media on Wednesday. In it, Sherwood […]

Nevada horseplayers can once again partake in the full wagering menu of Churchill Downs races like the Kentucky Oaks. An agreement between Churchill Downs and Nevada racebooks opened the betting windows for that state's bettors after a three-year impasse. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

Nevada Racebooks, Churchill Downs Inc. Reach Agreement

The three-year conflict between Churchill Downs Inc. and Nevada racebooks finally ended Tuesday when the two formerly bickering entities signed a contract that will allow Nevada horseplayers access to the entire Kentucky Derby wagering menu this year. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the deal between the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association […]

Minnesota's Canterbury Park introduced a 10% takeout Pick 4 that offers the lowest takeout in North American racing. (Image: Canterbury Park)

Canterbury Park Wants You to Take In This Low Takeout Pick 4

Canterbury Park announced it will add a “Post Time Pick 4” wager that features the lowest takeout of any North American track – 10%. To put this into perspective, the average takeout on a multi-race wager is 22%, according to TwinSpires. That means 22 cents out of every dollar bet […]

NBC's streaming service, Peacock, will join its parent in airing all three Triple Crown races and their pre-race shows. (Image: NBC)

NBC Expands Triple Crown Coverage, Brings Peacock in to Live Stream

NBC expanded its Triple Crown portfolio to the streaming world, announcing that its Peacock service will live stream all three Triple Crown races. This marks a first for the streaming service, which will supplement – not replace – NBC’s Triple Crown coverage. It also brings horse racing back to Peacock, […]

War of Will just completed his first year at stud last year. Claiborne Farm signed a NIL agreement to promote the stallion with University of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. (Image: Claiborne Farm)

New NIL Agreement Merges Kentucky QB Levis With War of Will

Taking the NIL landscape from the green turf of the football field and merging it with the bluegrass of Kentucky’s horse country, Claiborne Farm signed a NIL (name, image, likeness) partnership with University of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. The unique NIL partnership will pair Levis with War of Will, Claiborne […]

For its third US race, F1 is going to Las Vegas. The racing series is breaking with its Sunday race tradition and Saturday night (Image: Formula 1)

F1 Adds November Las Vegas Race as US Popularity Soars

F1 announced Las Vegas as its latest venue. The new race will debut in November 2023. Vegas will be its third US race location, tapping into F1’s growing US fanbase. For many years, professional sports avoided Las Vegas, fearing the prevalence of gambling might mar their integrity. But with the […]

Kentucky horseplayers betting on horses like John Battaglia Memorial winner Tiz the Bomb will benefit from a bill reducing breakage to a penny. The bill HB 607, passed the Kentucky State Senate this week and is expected to be signed by Gov. Andy Beshear. (Image: Coady Photography)

Bettors Cash a Long-Awaited Ticket as Kentucky Eliminates Breakage

It went by Kentucky HB 607, an innocuous name for a bill that could put millions of dollars into horseplayers’ wallets after its Tuesday passage in the Kentucky State Senate. That bill, which heads back to the House for concurrence after sailing through the state senate 33-1, virtually eliminates breakage. […]