On the latest episode of La Previa, hosts Asli Pelit and Boris Gartner talk about what 2023 has in store for sports businesses across the globe.
The hosts focus on four main themes: the future of streaming services, women’s sports, sports teams for sale and whether Lionel Messi will come to play for Inter Miami of MLS.
In 2022, live sports events came back in full force from the pandemic. Most leagues, except for the NFL, relaxed their restrictions for institutional investors. With nine pro sports teams for sale, including an NBA franchise, two EPL clubs and an NFL team, the hosts predict that most of these teams will be sold in early 2023 and investors will pay above asking price.
Pelit and Gartner also discuss the NWSL expansion and the importance of next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. This month, the NWSL announced it will add three expansion teams in 2024, as valuations have soared nearly tenfold to an average near $40 million, with Angel City valued at $100 million before its NWSL debut. The hosts predict interest in women’s soccer will raise the value of current teams and the value of potential media deals.
The two also discuss whether Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi will come to MLS after his World Cup success and what it will mean for the growth of the sport in the United States before the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
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