On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a major retirement announcement. Serena Williams, the highest paid female athlete of all time, said this week that she would hang up her racket after the U.S. Open, which is due to start Aug. 29 in New York.
Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles–more than any other man or woman in the Open Era–plus another 14 major double titles. Her legacy off the court is equally impressive. She’s made more than $450 million over her career, including $350 million from endorsements. She’s also made dozens of endorsements, including a stake of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, and early positions in Impossible Foods and Tonal.
The hosts also discuss the latest with the Big Ten’s media negotiations. The conference appears headed toward a new TV package worth more than $1 billion per year, including a noon slot with FOX, an afternoon slot with CBS, and a primetime slot with NBC. That’s in stark contrast to the approach recently taken by the SEC, the other dominant NCAA conference, which handed its full package over to Disney/ESPN. The hosts discuss what this means for Fox, a partner in the Big Ten Network; and some downstream effects for Notre Dame.
Lastly, the hosts discuss Endeavor’s decision to sell its 10 minor league baseball teams to PE giant Silver Lake for $280 million in cash. Endeavor (NYSE: EDR) bought the teams over the last 12 months, but drew resistance from the MLBPA, which said it was a conflict for a company that represents players to also hold a portfolio of farm teams.
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