On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the latest in the sale of the Denver Broncos. Five prospective buyers have submitted non-binding preliminary offers to purchase the NFL team, according to a Sportico report, including groups led by Josh Harris, Todd Boehly and Rob Walton.
Each of those names is notable for different reasons. Both Harris (co-owner of the 76ers and Devils) and Boehly (investor in the Dodgers and Lakers) are also backing groups that are finalists in the auction for English soccer giant Chelsea. But in the Broncos sale, Walton looms the largest. The Walmart heir is worth about $70 billion, making him one of the richest people on the planet, and his presence in the sale has many wondering if his bid is a foregone conclusion. He would be the richest owner in the NFL by a factor of five, and the trust selling the Broncos has a fiduciary duty to sell the team to the highest qualified bidder.
The hosts talk about two other football stories—the debut of the USFL this weekend, and the latest iteration of Turner’s “The Match” golf property. Star quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will square off in the next golf showdown, the first time the event has been held without any pro golfers.
Lastly, the hosts talk about Syracuse University renaming the Carrier Dome, home to the school’s football and basketball teams. HVAC manufacturer Carrier gave the school a $2.75 million gift in 1979, which included naming rights for the lifespan of the building. Over time, as naming rights have evolved into a billion-dollar business, that agreement has looked worse and worse for the school. Syracuse recently negotiated an exit to that deal, and local JMA Wireless will take over the rights.
