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This is the business 2 00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:10,120 Speaker 1: of sports. 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 2: The business of sports can be intimidating or hard for 4 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 2: a starting to break into. 5 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 3: We really appreciate when our owners are actually there, you know, 6 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 3: with us through the journey. 7 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,920 Speaker 4: Teams ours especially have been very intentional to diversify at 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 4: all levels of the company. 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 2: I think we're in bolden years for the NFL and 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 2: college football. 11 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 3: Our demographic reach has continued to explode. 12 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 5: This is going to be really unlocking the streaming platform 13 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 5: for sports fans. 14 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 6: Sports evaluations arising, we'll see when they peak. 15 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 7: You don't have to be the best in your sports 16 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 7: to make a whole ton of money. 17 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 18 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 7: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore 19 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 7: the big money issues in the world of sports. Michael 20 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 7: Barr along with my colleagues Damian Sasaur and Vanessa Berdomo. 21 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 7: Coming up on the show, we'll talk WNBA with Atlanta 22 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 7: Dream President and chief operating Officer Morgan Shaw Parker. 23 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 5: We don't bet on women here. We invest in them 24 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 5: because when you bet on something, you expect that you 25 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 5: might lose your money. We really invest because we expect 26 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 5: a return. 27 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 7: All that and more is on the way on the 28 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 7: Bloomberg Business of Sports. But first we have to talk 29 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 7: through a story that is still reverberating around at where 30 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 7: offices here in New York City. On Monday evening, a 31 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 7: gunman opened fire in a Manhattan office building, killing four people, 32 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 7: wounding another. The investigation into the gunman found that he 33 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 7: was targeting the NFL's New York offices, putting the league 34 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 7: at the center of a national tragedy. Bloomberg US sports 35 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 7: business reporter Randa Williams has done reporting on this and 36 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 7: joins us now to discuss the fallout for the NFL. 37 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 7: We all know what has happened in the news. A 38 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 7: former football player he played in high school. He walked 39 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 7: into a midtown Manhattan office fatally shot for people, and 40 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 7: he has claimed to have a poorly understood brain disease CTE. 41 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 7: Now the headquarters three forty five Park Avenue. That's the 42 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 7: same home as the NFL headquarters, which is why he 43 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 7: went there in the first place, which gets down to 44 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 7: the topic of your article. Why is it so hard 45 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 7: to get answers about CTE? 46 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 6: Well, number one is that it can only be diagnosed 47 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 6: after someone is dead, and I mean just a really 48 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 6: tragic incident. I think about our office, I think about 49 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 6: offices in general. Dozens of sports offices that I've been to, 50 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,119 Speaker 6: they all have a security officer there, and I'm sure 51 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 6: that there's someone in that vicinity is armed, but you 52 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 6: just don't anticipate someone's going to walk in with an 53 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 6: assault rifle and do what this person. 54 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 4: Did, Randall, What is you know, the NFL's role now, 55 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 4: Like obviously people have talked to them about this in 56 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 4: the past, that's come up a lot esctially, you know, 57 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 4: in the last like ten years or so. But now 58 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 4: when it gets brought up again like this, do they 59 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 4: have to do more research again? Is it on them 60 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 4: now to address this situation? 61 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 6: I don't necessarily think so. I think that it shines 62 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 6: an unfortunate light on the NFL and CTE, and I 63 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 6: think that's well documented about you know, the settlement and 64 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 6: things like that, and of course in recent years you 65 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 6: remember too at Taga Bailois history with concussions. Concussions are 66 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 6: always going to be a part of the NFL's history 67 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 6: and they will be going forward. The NFL has done 68 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 6: a bunch to try to improve its policies, to create technology, 69 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 6: different helmets at different positions to help with this. But 70 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 6: of course, when someone is angry and they do what 71 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 6: this person did and drive across the country to enact violence, 72 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 6: it does make the NFL look a certain way about Oh, like, 73 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 6: what is the NFL's history with concussions? And I think 74 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 6: it's complicated, but you know, they have tried to improve 75 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 6: from where they were, and I think that effort is valid. 76 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 3: Randall the shooter Shene Tomorrow, I mean, he didn't play 77 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 3: for the NFL, But I wonder if you could, for 78 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 3: an audience, just give us a quick history about that 79 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 3: settlement that was reached back in twenty fifteen. I think 80 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 3: it was seven hundred and sixty five million, And you know, 81 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 3: I remember some of the plaintiffs like Tony Dorsett and 82 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 3: Jim McMahon, and you know, looking back, was that a 83 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 3: sufficient settlement in your opinion? 84 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,559 Speaker 6: I think they're still paying out a lot of that money. 85 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 6: So I do think that and even the amount of 86 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 6: money that these families and people are receiving is life 87 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 6: changing for a lot of them. It starts at five 88 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 6: hundred thousand, it can go all the way up two 89 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 6: millions of dollars, and so I do think that it 90 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 6: is changing. But of course there's no amount of money 91 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 6: that can change a condition in somebody, right, And so 92 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 6: in that aspect, I do think that, yes, it's a 93 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 6: good thing that these people are receiving families. But of 94 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 6: course the other side of that is how many lives 95 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 6: have been lost along the way because of the fact 96 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 6: that they weren't able to get help that in this case, 97 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 6: the NFL allegedly denied a lot of people that ignored 98 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 6: the symptoms of concussions. And of course I say allegedly, 99 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 6: but with the settlement in mind, like it's good that 100 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 6: they're getting help. I just think about all of the 101 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 6: families of the past who lost someone, and I hope that, 102 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 6: you know, the money helps change things for their future. 103 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 7: ESPN used to have a segment called he Got Jacked Up, 104 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 7: and in fact, they talked about it in the movie 105 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:34,559 Speaker 7: Concussion YEP, which was about CTE, and I recommend people 106 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 7: go back and look at that movie again. And I 107 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 7: want to just bring some notes to you. One of 108 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:44,920 Speaker 7: the players who had CTE and he's failing. He goes 109 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 7: to Dave Doerson and he's like, help, me, man, help me. 110 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 7: What people forgot and I remember doing this story is 111 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 7: that Dave Dowerson as well committed suicide and he asked, 112 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 7: please look at my brain for ct and sure enough 113 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 7: he had CTE. Right. 114 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think this person, Shane Tamora, him shooting himself 115 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 6: in the chest, in my opinion, is not a coincidence. 116 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,000 Speaker 6: One of the texts that I receive in the hours after, 117 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 6: because the crazy thing. I'll paint the picture of my day. 118 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 6: Of course I leave work, and I mean I had 119 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 6: a crazy day because I had dropped my keys on 120 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 6: I think sixtieth and first I drop, I go pick 121 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 6: them back up there were there, and then I get 122 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 6: back to my apartment, and of course I see the 123 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 6: news that a shooting has occurred, and at that point 124 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 6: in time you have I'll paint a picture of the 125 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 6: three forty five park after anyone who's never been there. 126 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 6: But you walk in and depending on which entrance you 127 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 6: go into, the building on one of the sides looks 128 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 6: like an empty basement and the other side is a 129 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 6: much more policy side of the building, and there is 130 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 6: a security guard and then they send you up to 131 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 6: I believe it's the fifth or sixth floor. 132 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 7: That the NFL is on. 133 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 6: And after or as this was going on, I texted 134 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 6: someone and they said, you know he was he was 135 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 6: went to thirty third floor and he could not get 136 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 6: to the sixth floor. Or maybe he you know, with 137 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,280 Speaker 6: investigation still going on. But he's a button push away 138 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 6: and a key cart swipe away from ending up on 139 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 6: the NFL's floor. And it's crazy to think, and just 140 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 6: such a tragic incident for the people who lost lives, 141 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,400 Speaker 6: the officer, the Blackstone executive, and the two other lives 142 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 6: that were lost. He's literally a button push away from 143 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 6: many more lives loss. Of course, of course, it's it's 144 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 6: crazy to think about it. And I think in large 145 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 6: part football is a violent, violent sport. The head to 146 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 6: head contact injuries. I think about two is injury all 147 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 6: the time because of course his head hits the ground, 148 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 6: and then you watch the lead up to that, you know, 149 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 6: the games afterwards where his head slams the ground and 150 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 6: he gets up and he's stumbling, and so this concussion 151 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 6: in CTE dilemma is going to be something for a 152 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 6: long time. It doesn't matter how much technology you developed. 153 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 6: The nature of the sport is violence, and I think 154 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 6: the athletes and the NFL owner accept that, and they 155 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 6: accept the risks of it. 156 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 5: I think that's the interesting part there. 157 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 4: I mean, you know, as an athlete, you have to 158 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 4: go through even in high school and college, you go 159 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 4: through concussion protocols. And I've actually had teammates who I 160 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 4: feel like in college they're more willing to tell you 161 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 4: to stop playing than they are at the professional level 162 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 4: because now there's money on the line. In college, they 163 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 4: used to tell people, actually, you've had too many concussions. 164 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 4: You are done, you cannot play any more. And this 165 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 4: is soccer, you know, with heading the ball and whatever 166 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 4: it is, right, But in the NFL it just feels like, 167 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:37,959 Speaker 4: and not just the NFL, but at a professional level, 168 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 4: they don't really have the same you know, we're cutting 169 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 4: you off. It's really on the athlete themselves. And we 170 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 4: saw Andrew Lock kind of take himself out of the 171 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 4: game at a young age because he didn't want to 172 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 4: get injured anymore. Right, So does there need to be 173 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 4: more of that telling players that they are done and 174 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 4: that they can't continue. 175 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 6: I think that's a collectively bargained thing between I mean, 176 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 6: not just the NFL, but all sports period. 177 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 7: Is that, you know, is. 178 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 6: There a point in time where your head injuries are 179 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,680 Speaker 6: so traumatic that you just don't you can't play anymore. 180 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 6: But the bigger issue in two his case specifically, and 181 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 6: the reason I bring him up, is because he had 182 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 6: just signed a huge contract, and of course there are 183 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 6: injury guarantees involved, but in two is a. 184 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 7: Large, a larger. 185 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 6: Macro picture of this. But imagine you're not him, and 186 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 6: you're someone who's on a rookie contract, You're a fifth 187 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 6: round draft pick, and you get two concussions in a year, 188 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 6: and they're telling you we don't think you should play, 189 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 6: But you've also just changed the course of your family history. 190 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 6: You now are tasked with figuring out do I continue 191 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 6: to play and endanger my life by potentially getting another 192 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 6: concussion developing CTE long term, or do I retire and 193 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 6: live maybe a much longer and healthier life. And I 194 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,679 Speaker 6: can tell you there are a lot of athletes who 195 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 6: are grappling with this because of the money involved. 196 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 7: Right exactly, Let's think about. 197 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 3: Just t a step back. You know, there's been a 198 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 3: lot of investigative reporting on CTE. I'm talking ESPNS outside 199 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 3: the lines, you know, thirty for thirty did the sayout 200 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 3: the League of denial. You know, the question I have is, 201 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 3: you know, I'm reading your article here, I'm reading about 202 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 3: some of the medical like pTau or whatever they, you know, 203 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 3: and I realized just how little I know about it. 204 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 3: And you know, my question for you is this, like 205 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 3: is awareness really there? And you know, like to your point, 206 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:25,199 Speaker 3: you know, I get it. You know, it's a financial 207 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 3: decision in the case, and a very big one in 208 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 3: the case of many of these professional athletes. But you know, 209 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:34,439 Speaker 3: is the education there for high schoolers, for amateur athletes 210 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 3: to really understand the risks and what I guess they 211 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 3: should be doing is yeah. 212 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 6: It is, but it isn't at I think Vanessa's point 213 00:10:42,559 --> 00:10:44,559 Speaker 6: is a very good one because at a younger age, 214 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 6: people want to protect young people. But when you're an adult, 215 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 6: I think, I mean, you're not going to see a 216 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 6: concussion advertisement like, hey, you know, you accept the risk 217 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 6: of this because that's anti business. However, at the same time, 218 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 6: I think that as people get older, like you look 219 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 6: at an example like Tuo. We're on Monday Night football, 220 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 6: and of course you see like when Tua hit the ground, 221 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 6: his fingers are doing all sorts of things when he's 222 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 6: when you know, his brain hits it and then his 223 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 6: fingers look crazy, but it doesn't stop it. Like you, 224 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 6: the season continues and until what's going to happen evidently 225 00:11:20,160 --> 00:11:23,359 Speaker 6: is that you're going to see something like that again, unfortunately, 226 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 6: and it's going to raise awareness again. But people are 227 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 6: still going to play the game. Now at a youth level, 228 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:32,080 Speaker 6: I think that parents and administrators are more likely to 229 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,960 Speaker 6: stop these things because they don't want to end up 230 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 6: in a lawsuit, they don't want to get in trouble. 231 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 6: But once you're on the professional stage, as we have 232 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 6: already noted, the stakes are different because they're monetary. 233 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 7: I want to go back to what you had mentioned, 234 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 7: Damien about Junior Seau. The family was part of a lawsuit. Fact, 235 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 7: it was a seven hundred and sixty five million dollar 236 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 7: lawsuit about ten years ago with over forty five hundred players. 237 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 7: By the way, in case people aren't familiar, Junior Seo 238 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 7: committed suicide in twenty twelve. One of the plaintiffs also 239 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 7: in this those former Cowboys running back Tony dor set 240 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 7: yep and I saw that game where he got hit 241 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 7: so hard in the head it knocked his helmet askew, 242 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 7: and back then it was like how you feeling, and 243 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 7: it's like, I'm going to shake it off, and I 244 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 7: think he went back in the game. Today, that would 245 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 7: not happen, It wouldn't. 246 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 6: I mean, the NFL's concussion protocols are very very good. 247 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 6: I mean, if you suffer a concussion in the game, 248 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 6: you're going to miss not only the rest of the game, 249 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 6: and you're probably going to miss the game after that 250 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 6: and potentially the game after that as well. But back then, 251 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:42,880 Speaker 6: I mean, I think about ray Lewis, I think about 252 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 6: Luke Keikley, I think about players who literally used to 253 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 6: fly all over the field and grant and now even 254 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 6: so on the penalty side of things, you lead with 255 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 6: that helmet. It's a fifteen yard penalty and much of 256 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 6: the fans criticism of the league is that you're taking 257 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 6: away the contact. But the reality is the NFL is 258 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 6: trying to protect players, and the players sometimes don't like 259 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 6: it either, because then you have lower extremity injuries where 260 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 6: someone instead of you know, going towards the chest, they're 261 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 6: diving towards the legs. That results in an aclchair, mclchair, meniscus, 262 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 6: things like that. But at the end of the day, 263 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 6: the nature of how they're trying to play football is changing. 264 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:19,000 Speaker 6: And I'm sure both of you, all three of us 265 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 6: can can speak to, all four of us can speak to. 266 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 6: This is that football has gotten a little bit safer, 267 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 6: but the nature of the sport is still violent. There 268 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 6: are still incredibly hard hits and the consequences of them 269 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:31,719 Speaker 6: don't change. Like if you get hit hard in the 270 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 6: eighties and nineties, the consequence is that they're going to 271 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 6: send you back in the game. 272 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 7: But the correlation is. 273 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 6: That you still have the possibility of developing CTE from 274 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 6: playing football. There's no way of like, oh, eighties nineties, 275 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 6: here's a difference. You're playing football. Your head's gonna get hit, 276 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 6: and there's a possibility of this condition. 277 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 7: Remember the Rinaldo Namaya hit. He went up the middle, 278 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 7: and I mean he got clobbered. Today that would be 279 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,720 Speaker 7: a penalty in fact, to go by what you were saying, Hey, listen, 280 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 7: back in the day, they taught you put your helmet 281 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 7: down and charge with you ahead, put your helmet on 282 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 7: his chest. Yeah. 283 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 6: That's the last thing I'll say is that the biggest 284 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 6: thing that I'm wondering going forward, is how this change 285 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 6: is security? Not only are sports offices, but it's sports 286 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 6: events going forward, like at the Super Bowl. Vanessa, I'm 287 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 6: sure you can speak to this as well, but more 288 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 6: securities than I've ever seen. You have guys standing on 289 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 6: vehicles that I've only seen in movies, roadblocks even of 290 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 6: course that had to do with the tragedy on January first, 291 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 6: to New Orleans as well. But going forward, what do 292 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 6: NFL league meetings look like, What do the NBA Board 293 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 6: of Governors meetings look like? What do the MLS is 294 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,760 Speaker 6: and the MLB's Winter League meetings look like? Because you 295 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 6: want to protect these people, and you don't know how 296 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 6: many individuals like Shane Tamara are out there, and these 297 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 6: are things that are highly broadcasted because of the fact 298 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 6: that these meetings change rules. There's contracts that are contracts, 299 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 6: trades that are strucking these things. And so with that 300 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 6: in mind, what does it look like going forward? How 301 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 6: much are these sports leagues going to emphasize security now 302 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 6: that the strategy has happened. 303 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 7: Randall, I wish we could have brought you in for 304 00:15:04,760 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 7: a much more happier topic, but this is something that 305 00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 7: needed to be discussed and you are all over it. 306 00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 7: Our thanks to Bloomberg US sports business reporter Randa Williams 307 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 7: for joining us today. Up next, we turned to the 308 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 7: w NBA for Damian Sasauer and Vanessa Perdomo. I'm Michael Barner. 309 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 7: You're listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports the Bloomberger Radio 310 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 7: around the world. 311 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 312 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 7: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports, where we explore 313 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 7: the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm 314 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 7: Michael barr along with Damian Sasauer and Vanessa Perdomo. On 315 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 7: the way, We've got Morgan Shaw Parker. She's president and 316 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 7: chief operating officer for the w NBA's at Atlanta dream 317 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 7: lakreem no readbound. Alisha Great, what a year she is 318 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 7: having a career high end Points and the creams Dry. 319 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 7: We'll talk to her about the growth of the league 320 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 7: and her team in particular. That is up next. But 321 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 7: joining us now to talk a little bit about the 322 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 7: state of the WNBA is Bloomberg News Global Business reporter 323 00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 7: Ira Budway. Ira, welcome back to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 324 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 8: Good to be here. 325 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 7: You wrote a great article it's on the WNBA's Caitlin Clark, 326 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 7: and the effect is now the Aripple effect as you 327 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 7: call it. When she missed five games due to a 328 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 7: quad injury, early TV ratings tanked. Can you go more 329 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 7: into Clark's impact on the business of the WNBA and 330 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 7: her impact. 331 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 8: Yeah, it's been very interesting because obviously last season, her 332 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 8: rookie year, was all about what is the Kaitlin Clark effect? 333 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 8: And it was noticeable, it was big. It was basically 334 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:53,240 Speaker 8: the most reliable and significant kind of single player impact 335 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 8: that we've seen since Tiger Woods and Golf. And this 336 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 8: year it's kind of been because she has been injured 337 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 8: so much. It's sort of offered this sort of real 338 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 8: world experiment in the league with and without her, And 339 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 8: what we've seen is that, yes, ratings suffer when she's 340 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 8: not there, but the baseline is much higher than it 341 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 8: used to be. I think the best probably example is 342 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 8: the All Star Game. You know, they got two point 343 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 8: two million viewers this year she was injured. That's less 344 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 8: than last year when she played. It was a record 345 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 8: three point four million last year, but the two point 346 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 8: two million is the second most ever for that game. 347 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 8: So the bar you know, it's the idea I think 348 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:42,439 Speaker 8: was all these new fans arrive as Caitlin Clark fans, 349 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 8: and then they discover the Fisa Collier and the Lynx 350 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 8: and Asia Wilson and the Aces and Sabrina and esqu 351 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 8: and the Liberty, and they stick around and they become 352 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 8: WNBA fans, They become Fever fans, they become fans in 353 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 8: a broader way. I think that premise is holding. So 354 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 8: we're sort of seeing the ripple effect out from It's 355 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 8: not just Caitlin Clark. It's it's really a move. It's 356 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 8: a broader based rise for the league. 357 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:10,439 Speaker 4: What do you think, you know, Paige Beckers has to 358 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 4: do with that as well? Is it the other newcomers 359 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 4: coming along? 360 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 2: Is them? 361 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,399 Speaker 4: You know, people paying attention to all those other people, 362 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 4: Paige Beckers and Nourice all that or is like you said, 363 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,239 Speaker 4: is it the Nofasa Colliers and Kelsey Plum and all 364 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 4: these other people that they're realizing are there for the 365 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 4: first time. 366 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 8: You know, it's a good question. They're very fortunate that 367 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 8: the pipeline didn't just kind of stop Clark. Paige Beckers 368 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 8: in her own right is a pretty big deal and 369 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 8: Juji Watkins coming up behind, and you have some young 370 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:47,840 Speaker 8: players that are the players the leagues getting into right, Angel. 371 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 7: Reese, that rivalry obviously was a jeopardy question. That's how big? 372 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 8: Yeah, but you know, and so it's that momentum is 373 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 8: building and then you just have some some super teams too. 374 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 4: You know. 375 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 8: The liberty are just a phenomenon on their own. You're 376 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 8: basically watching all of the things that make mainstream sports 377 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,439 Speaker 8: leagues work come into play for the WNBA in a 378 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 8: big way. Now they are just a part of the 379 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 8: conversation in sports. They are on the ticker, they are 380 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 8: in the Sports Center roundup, they are on social media, 381 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 8: for better and for worse. 382 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 7: They have all of. 383 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 8: The noise and the hype and the revenue that comes 384 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 8: and the conflict that comes with, you know, getting into 385 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:33,640 Speaker 8: the big time Hira. 386 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 3: Last October, the WNBA Players Union voted to opt out 387 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 3: of their current CBA their collective bargaining agreement two years early. 388 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 7: Right, are we gonna have. 389 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 3: A lockout here if they don't agree to a deal 390 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 3: in the next few months? I mean, is there a 391 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 3: possibility that we could see a workstoppage to that effect? 392 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 3: Caitlin Clark being injured. That probably doesn't help the Players 393 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 3: Association all that much given the given where we are 394 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 3: in the negotiations. 395 00:19:57,840 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 7: Am I wrong? 396 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 8: Yeah, it's in interesting. I mean, I think what the 397 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 8: players would say is, look, you just added three teams 398 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 8: at a two hundred and fifty million dollar feet, which 399 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 8: is like five times what the expansion tee feet used 400 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 8: to be. You just sign media deals for two hundred 401 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 8: million dollars a year, which is about four or five 402 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 8: six times what you used to be pulling in. All 403 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 8: the metrics point upwards, you know, with or without Caitlin Clark, 404 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 8: So you're going to need to pay us our share. 405 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 8: But Yeah, to answer the first question, I think it 406 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,880 Speaker 8: everybody seems to think that the league and the players 407 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,520 Speaker 8: are not very close right now, that there's not a 408 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:40,200 Speaker 8: lot of trust between them, and that the distance between 409 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 8: what the players are demanding and what the league is 410 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 8: prepared to offer is very wide. Now, these things ten 411 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 8: have a way of, you know, as you get closer 412 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 8: deadlines kind of spur action, and I think everybody understands 413 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,960 Speaker 8: how damaging it would be you take something that has 414 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 8: this momentum that we're talking about that but it's new 415 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 8: still I think that it has broken out in this way. 416 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 8: If you just to this typical fan, I don't know 417 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 8: that they're going to dig into the details. They're just 418 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 8: going to go, oh, this went away. They can't agree, 419 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:15,159 Speaker 8: they're squabbling, Oh well, right, And I think it's a 420 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 8: real risk there that you take that momentum and you 421 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 8: squander it. So I don't know if maybe cooler heads 422 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 8: prevail here, but at the moment, it looks like when 423 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 8: this deadline approaches at the end of October, they're not 424 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 8: going to be able to come to an agreement. 425 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 7: I want to expand more on that about the three 426 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 7: teams that are going to join Detroit, Philly and Cleveland. 427 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:39,919 Speaker 7: And as you mentioned, the expansion fee was two hundred 428 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,400 Speaker 7: and fifty million dollars. It used to be fifty million dollars. 429 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 7: Doesn't that give some leverage to the players union? Yeah. 430 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 8: I mean it's the oldest fight in sports in the 431 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 8: sense that you look at things like franchise values and 432 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,920 Speaker 8: you say this is going up, right, we need more. 433 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 8: You look at things like media rights deals and you 434 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:03,800 Speaker 8: say this is going up. We need our share, and 435 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 8: then teams turn around and say, we're not actually making 436 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 8: a profit right, and that's been the fight. The league 437 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 8: is basically said, when we're profitable, we can do revenue 438 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 8: sharing in the way that you typically see in professional 439 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 8: sports in this country. The WNBA isn't there yet in 440 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 8: terms of just contractually at the moment, they don't have 441 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 8: the kind of split that they don't have any sort 442 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 8: of promised share of revenue and so you know, it's 443 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 8: it's more of just a structured scale, and I think 444 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 8: that's what they want to get to, and that's what 445 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 8: the fight is over. 446 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 7: And you know, it's kind. 447 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 8: Of like who do you believe? And you know, there 448 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 8: were reports that the league as a whole is still 449 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 8: losing tens of millions of dollars a year just on 450 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 8: a sort of profit and loss basis, But that's hard 451 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 8: to square with the fact that media companies and investors 452 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 8: seem very bullish on its future and are willing to 453 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,159 Speaker 8: put real money into it at rates that we've not 454 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 8: seen before. 455 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 4: I right, it's interesting because I feel like, you know, 456 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 4: and correct me if I'm wrong, But the w is 457 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 4: having to, you know, prove that their profitability. 458 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 2: Like you said, you know, when. 459 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 4: We'll be when we're profitable, then we'll do revenue sharing 460 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 4: and all that, but did all of the other leagues, like, 461 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:19,480 Speaker 4: did the NBA have to do this? Did the NFL 462 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:19,920 Speaker 4: have to do this? 463 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 2: To MLB? 464 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 4: Did they all have to prove profitability before the payers 465 00:23:24,080 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 4: the players starting getting paid like fairly, that's. 466 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 8: A good question whether revenue sharing broadly, you know, I 467 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,640 Speaker 8: had to you had to have profitability first. I don't 468 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:39,120 Speaker 8: think so. You know, I'm sure every league's story is different. 469 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 8: But what's weird with the WNBA is that it is 470 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 8: a it's a co property with the NBA still right, 471 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,439 Speaker 8: It's equity is owned in part by every NBA owner. 472 00:23:51,119 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 8: It's equity is also owned by a group of investors 473 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 8: who invested in the league as a whole, and its 474 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 8: equity is owned by each franchise owner. So it's a 475 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,360 Speaker 8: it's a slightly different basket of stakeholders. And the commissioner 476 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 8: Engelbert Kathin Engelbert is she works for Adam Silver. You know, 477 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 8: in the end, he is going to have final say, 478 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 8: as he did on media deals, and so it's just 479 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,120 Speaker 8: I think a little bit more complicated trying to get 480 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 8: everybody on the same page. 481 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,880 Speaker 3: So that's a really really interesting point that Kathy Engelbert, who, 482 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 3: by the way, used to be she was the first 483 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 3: female CEO for Deloitte, you know, she'd been there for 484 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 3: thirty three years. And you know, but it's not her call. 485 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,399 Speaker 3: It's Adam Silver's call. And I think that's the interesting 486 00:24:33,440 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 3: point here because I keep like, I was like, wait, 487 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,960 Speaker 3: why why is it so contentious? You know, is why 488 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 3: is Kathy Engelbert, you know, driving such a hard bargain? 489 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:43,679 Speaker 3: But I guess you're right. It's it's the owners and 490 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 3: they're represented first and foremost by Adam Silver. 491 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean, I think Engelbert is leading on this, 492 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 8: and I think her recommendations and her you know, she'll 493 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 8: be the one doing the day to day negotiating, the 494 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,919 Speaker 8: face the face of the negotiations with a WNBA. But 495 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 8: she does work for Adam Silver, and you know, I 496 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 8: think the and ultimately Adam Silver and Engelbert, they work 497 00:25:06,359 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 8: for the owners. Yeah, And so this is just a 498 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 8: you know, it's a it's a very interesting version of 499 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 8: a very old fight, which is, yeah, these properties are 500 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 8: worth a lot, but we also we spend most of 501 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 8: our money on our costs. 502 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 3: Well, I were you say these properties are worth a 503 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 3: lot let's contextualize that for our audience, right, I mean, 504 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 3: when the Golden State Valkyries joined the league, they paid 505 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,240 Speaker 3: a fifteen million dollars you know, initiation fee. 506 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 7: Right. 507 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,959 Speaker 3: Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia have been approved to join by 508 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 3: twenty thirty and they are paying an expansion fee of 509 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,879 Speaker 3: two hundred and fifty million dollars each. I mean, so 510 00:25:41,320 --> 00:25:43,919 Speaker 3: if that's just representative of the growth of the league, 511 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 3: one would think and assume that, however, these negotiations go, 512 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 3: women basketball players, professional basketball players are going to be 513 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:53,000 Speaker 3: paid a lot more money and have a much bigger 514 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,120 Speaker 3: stake in the success of the league going forward. Would 515 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 3: you not agree with that? 516 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 8: Yeah, their pay is going to go up, assuming they 517 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,359 Speaker 8: can get a deal done. I think the question is 518 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:00,920 Speaker 8: going to be whether they can sort of make it 519 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 8: where their pay goes up commensurate with the leagues with 520 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 8: the expansion of revenue for the league. And it is 521 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 8: interesting even those prices for those expansion fees for those 522 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,720 Speaker 8: three new teams. If you look at our friends at 523 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 8: Sportico did their annual evaluations, They've got the Valkyries, who 524 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:20,679 Speaker 8: are the newest team, worth five hundred million, which is 525 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 8: pretty wild to think about, you know, an expansion team 526 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,879 Speaker 8: in a women's sport with evaluation like that after so 527 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 8: little time, you know, so, I think the players are 528 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:34,639 Speaker 8: definitely in a position to point to a lot of 529 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 8: numbers and say, you know, this is built on our work, 530 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 8: and this is built on our celebrity and our skill 531 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 8: and our talent, and we want a bigger share. 532 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 7: This is hinging on the fact that a lot of 533 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 7: the WNBA teams are connected to NBA teams, obviously with 534 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 7: Detroit and the Pistons, and then this expansion and going on. 535 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 7: What will it take for a w NBA team to 536 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 7: be totally independent of any NBA team? 537 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 8: I mean right now, it's just structurally they aren't, right. 538 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,920 Speaker 8: Every NBA owner owns a little piece of the WNBA 539 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:20,120 Speaker 8: and so they would have to restructure the whole setup 540 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 8: of the league. Just the cap table would have to 541 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 8: be rearranged for them to be independent. And they seem 542 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 8: to be maintaining this, you know model that has been 543 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 8: working pretty well for them, which is you take the 544 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 8: brand equity of a w NBA team, a w or 545 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 8: an NBA team, an NBA city, You take the facilities 546 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 8: of an NBA team, You take the expertise in front 547 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 8: office of an NBA at least on the on the 548 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 8: business side of an NBA team, and you marry it 549 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,040 Speaker 8: with a WNBA franchise and it just it makes sense right. 550 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,600 Speaker 8: The scheduling lines up. This is the whole sort of 551 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:54,800 Speaker 8: premise of the league in the first place. But I 552 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 8: do think you reach a point maybe where that becomes 553 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 8: limiting for the WNBA. But I think that's a conversation 554 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 8: further down the road. 555 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 7: Our thanks to Bloomberg News Global business reporter Ira Boodweyh 556 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,440 Speaker 7: for joining us stick around. We've got more w NBA 557 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 7: up next for Damian Sasaur and Vanessa Perdomo. I'm Michael Barr. 558 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 7: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberger Radio. 559 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:18,479 Speaker 7: Around the world. 560 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 561 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 7: Thanks for joining us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports, 562 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 7: where we explore the big money issues in the world 563 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 7: of sports. I'm talking big. I'm Michael Barr along with 564 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 7: Damian Sasaur and Vanessa Perdomo. Joining us now is Morgan 565 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 7: Shaw Parker. She's President and chief operating officer of the 566 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 7: WNBA's Atlanta Dream. The Dream They're on their way to 567 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,840 Speaker 7: a third straight playoff appearance, and Morgan is here to 568 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 7: talk to us about the team's growth trajectory as the 569 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:59,080 Speaker 7: erro continues to point up for the WNBA. Morgan Shaw Parker, 570 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 7: Welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 571 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 2: Well, thank you so much for having me. What a 572 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 2: pleasure to be here today. 573 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 7: The Atlanta Dream. You guys made the playoffs the last 574 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 7: two seasons and a lot of it has to do 575 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 7: with GM Dan Padover. Can you go more into Padover's 576 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 7: impact on the team. 577 00:29:18,680 --> 00:29:22,000 Speaker 5: Yes, I have the good fortune of being able to 578 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 5: be attached at the hip with Dan Padover. He really 579 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 5: manages the basketball side of the business on the court, 580 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 5: and I managed the business side. But you know, Padover 581 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 5: is a two time WNBA Executive of the Year. 582 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 2: He came on board basically at the. 583 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 5: Exact same time that I did, right after new ownership 584 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 5: took over in twenty twenty one, and has really transformed 585 00:29:44,400 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 5: this organization on the basketball front to be a powerhouse 586 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,040 Speaker 5: on the court. We have just brought on a new 587 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 5: head coach in Carl simesco this year and elevated the 588 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 5: capacity of what this team is able to accomplish and 589 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 5: maximize is what we are getting out of our young 590 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 5: core and add a few amazing players to the roster 591 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 5: this year. 592 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 2: And so you're absolutely right. 593 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 5: Part of what we have seen, not only in the 594 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 5: growth of the business, is also the growth on the 595 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 5: court and what our athletes have been able to do. 596 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 5: How we've been able to be yet again a playoff contender, 597 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 5: but in a really different way this year. It's exciting. 598 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 5: It's an exciting brand of basketball to watch. 599 00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 4: It's definitely a good year for you guys on the court, 600 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 4: but off the corps also, I want to talk about 601 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,680 Speaker 4: all the things that's what we're seeing, the growth of 602 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 4: the WN obviously the Atlanta Dream and the Dream recently signed, 603 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 4: you know, the first seven figure partnership with cash App. 604 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 4: Can you tell us more about the commercial partnerships and 605 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:49,200 Speaker 4: how that landscape has changed over just the four years, 606 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 4: you know, four or five years you've been in the 607 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 4: organization from twenty twenty one to twenty twenty five. 608 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,600 Speaker 5: I mean, so much has changed in that time. 609 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,400 Speaker 4: So how has it changed from your side of the 610 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 4: desk for the commercial partnerships. 611 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 5: You're absolutely right, it has been a really interesting ride 612 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 5: and part of the reason that I proactively chose to 613 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 5: jump off from the NFL and a great career, there 614 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:14,959 Speaker 5: is the opportunity to build, and we really were in 615 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 5: our infancy four years ago when new ownership came on 616 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 5: board in twenty twenty one, we were at a state 617 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,480 Speaker 5: of the league where a lot of partnerships were really 618 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 5: used to offset costs in these organizations, and rightfully so, 619 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 5: we were a relatively young league. What we've seen over 620 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 5: the last four to five years is exponential growth, but 621 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 5: with a change in trajectory, specifically with the Atlanta Dream, 622 00:31:41,800 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 5: going from an ownership group that was really divesting of 623 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 5: the team in twenty twenty one to an ownership group 624 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 5: with Larry Gottesteiner at the Helm, Suzanne Abaron Renee Montgomery, 625 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:55,240 Speaker 5: an ownership group that really is all about investing. We 626 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 5: talk a lot about the fact that we don't bet 627 00:31:57,680 --> 00:31:59,959 Speaker 5: on women here. We invest in them, because when you 628 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 5: bet on something, you expect. 629 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 2: That you might lose your money. 630 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:07,120 Speaker 5: We really invest because we expect a return, and we 631 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 5: have seen nothing short of a return in every single. 632 00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 2: Year of new ownership. 633 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:13,920 Speaker 5: But you've got to really look at it from a 634 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 5: long term perspective, and I think what we're seeing now. 635 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 5: As we've seen exponential growth not only in ticket sales, 636 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 5: in partnerships coming on board in the number of staff, 637 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 5: we're seeing the partnership model change too. And what's really 638 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,240 Speaker 5: interesting is having come from my trajectory in women's excuse me, 639 00:32:37,280 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 5: in men's sports. On the NFL side, I was with 640 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:43,400 Speaker 5: Nike for ten years. What's so interesting about this is 641 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 5: that we almost have to break the traditional model. And 642 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,200 Speaker 5: it doesn't mean that we're against a traditional sponsorship model, 643 00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 5: a traditional partnership model, but we really have to start 644 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 5: to understand, first of all, how are these female athletes different, 645 00:32:56,800 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 5: How are women different, How has the game change, how 646 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:02,200 Speaker 5: is fandom evolving? 647 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 2: And how are. 648 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 5: Partners choosing to invest where they can see a return 649 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:07,760 Speaker 5: as well. 650 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 2: And it's been. 651 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 5: Really cool to transform this organization into one that is 652 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:17,480 Speaker 5: revenue driving year over year over year instead of just 653 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:19,840 Speaker 5: trying to keep an organization afloat because it's the right 654 00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 5: thing to do, which you know, perhaps was you know 655 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 5: what it was years ago, you know, for good, bad 656 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 5: or indifferent. You know, like I said, we are still 657 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 5: a very young league, and so I think the changes 658 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 5: we're going to continue to see and specifically as you 659 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 5: asked on the partnership side, I mean, we've got a 660 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 5: seven figure deal that's already on the books, We've got 661 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:44,400 Speaker 5: multiple additional ones coming this year, and you know, we 662 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 5: are definitely going to be investing in a lot of 663 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 5: other things and having a lot of other partners investing 664 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 5: in US in very creative ways. 665 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 3: Well, Morgan, Michael and I are not surprised at all 666 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,480 Speaker 3: about your success with the Atlanta Dream. I mean you 667 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,120 Speaker 3: mentioned the Atlanta Falcons, your role as the chief marketing 668 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 3: officer at the Arthur and Blank Sports and Entertainment firm, 669 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 3: and as well, I think you're the first vice president, 670 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:08,360 Speaker 3: female vice president of football communications for an NFL franchise. 671 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 3: But I do want to focus on your role working 672 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:14,040 Speaker 3: for a small sneaker company up in Beaverton, Oregon, where 673 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 3: you represented Nike with all of their Olympics. I'm talking owaight, 674 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 3: Beijing twenty ten, Vancouver twenty sixteen, Rio. You know, we've 675 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:24,320 Speaker 3: got another, We've got a World Cup coming to the 676 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,799 Speaker 3: US next year. We've got the Olympics coming to LA 677 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:29,319 Speaker 3: in the not too distant future. You know, what role 678 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,760 Speaker 3: do you see the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream playing 679 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:35,640 Speaker 3: as you know, women's basketball kind of takes hold in 680 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 3: the Olympics. I mean, you know, how would you position 681 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:42,280 Speaker 3: the Atlanta Dream and your team to sort of benefit 682 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:43,799 Speaker 3: from all the buzz that's going to go side by 683 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:44,279 Speaker 3: side with that. 684 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 5: Well, you know what, it's a great question, and I 685 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 5: could not be more excited about the World Cup coming here. 686 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 5: I sit on the Sports Council for the City of Atlanta, 687 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,279 Speaker 5: and it has been really a privilege being a part 688 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:04,600 Speaker 5: of a group of sports organizations with the Braves, the Hawks, 689 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 5: various brands, the city itself, the Falcons United, all working 690 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 5: to bring such a massive event here and putting out 691 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 5: a bid for Atlanta, and so, you know, to be 692 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 5: a part of that has been absolutely incredible. But what's 693 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:23,839 Speaker 5: really cool. You know, I spent ten years at Nike 694 00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 5: and working in various divisions. You know, you mentioned some 695 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 5: of the Olympic opportunities that I had a chance to lead, 696 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 5: you know, the Super Bowls as well, you know college 697 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:39,200 Speaker 5: partnerships as well, and you know, so many of those 698 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:43,640 Speaker 5: were massive in scale. But when you think about taking 699 00:35:43,760 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 5: a women's sports organization like the Atlanta Dream and plugging 700 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:51,399 Speaker 5: us into the existing fandom and excitement, you know, you've 701 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:54,000 Speaker 5: got to find creative ways to do that. And what's 702 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:55,800 Speaker 5: cool about Atlanta is and I don't know if you 703 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:57,839 Speaker 5: know this, but the we. 704 00:35:58,080 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 3: Call oursel No, I'm just kidding it. 705 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 5: Well, yeah, the traffic in the airport. Yeah, we're not 706 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,719 Speaker 5: here to talk about that, but it's real. But hey, 707 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 5: you know it and you love it, right, it is real. 708 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:11,719 Speaker 5: But there's so much more to offer. But one of 709 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,719 Speaker 5: the coolest things that we have the opportunity to do 710 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:21,160 Speaker 5: is really build something special continuing from the nineteen ninety 711 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 5: six Olympics and that gold medal shot with that specific 712 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 5: team and you remember the team, you know, cover a 713 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 5: Sports illustrated that gold medal shot that took place literally 714 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 5: in a spot and I know the exact spot where 715 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,280 Speaker 5: that gold medal shot was taken. It was the Georgia 716 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 5: Dome at the time, which, as you know, was imploded. 717 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,759 Speaker 5: We built Mercedes Benz Stadium when I was over there. 718 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 5: I came in at the tail end of that when 719 00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 5: I joined the Falcons and ended up being the CMO 720 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:51,360 Speaker 5: of the stadium and the Falcons. But the gold medal 721 00:36:51,360 --> 00:36:55,319 Speaker 5: shot for the women's USA team took place right in 722 00:36:55,560 --> 00:36:59,520 Speaker 5: that home depot backyard outside of Mercedes Benz Stadium, and 723 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 5: see you think about what happened and how the WNBA 724 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:08,080 Speaker 5: took off from there. We call Atlanta the birthplace of 725 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 5: the WNBA, and so when you really think about that 726 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 5: and you start to own that, then you start to 727 00:37:15,400 --> 00:37:18,719 Speaker 5: look at, well, man, what could this possibly be when 728 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 5: we insert the dream conversation and the WNBA conversation into 729 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:28,240 Speaker 5: something like a World Cup, something like an international sporting 730 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:31,439 Speaker 5: event coming to this city and making sure that Atlanta, which, 731 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:34,439 Speaker 5: as you know, Atlanta influences everything. I'll steal that line 732 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 5: from my friends over at AIE, but it. 733 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:38,200 Speaker 2: Really is true. You know. 734 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,719 Speaker 5: We hold that near and dear, and it's something that 735 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 5: I am excited about. We're building towards next year, but 736 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:48,040 Speaker 5: we're also looking well beyond that. We are working on 737 00:37:48,120 --> 00:37:50,520 Speaker 5: building a training facility, which we have not announced yet 738 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:52,880 Speaker 5: but soon to be. So hopefully I'll be talking to 739 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,400 Speaker 5: you again soon about all of that, and looking to 740 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 5: figure out where our long term arena home will be 741 00:37:58,760 --> 00:38:01,040 Speaker 5: as well, because, as you know, we are busting at 742 00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 5: the seams in Gateway Arena right now, which is not 743 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:04,120 Speaker 5: a bad problem. 744 00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 7: To have, all right, I have to have some fun 745 00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 7: because I'm built that way. You gotta explain to me 746 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 7: swag surfing. The you guys started this tradition, the dream, 747 00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,000 Speaker 7: and it spread to the entire w n b A. 748 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:27,400 Speaker 7: It started with fast life youngsters and he created this. 749 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:35,439 Speaker 7: I'm going to play a bit of the song. See 750 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:41,640 Speaker 7: we're swagging right now. Man. It's like it's you guys 751 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 7: started a tradition that is going through the NBA and 752 00:38:45,760 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 7: all through many other sports as well. Ken you comment 753 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 7: on that salute to you guys, Well, you. 754 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 2: Know what we do it special over here in Atlanta. 755 00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 2: We've got our own swag. 756 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 5: When you really am brace the culture of Atlanta, you know, 757 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,960 Speaker 5: I got to go back to the fact that we 758 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:10,120 Speaker 5: are sitting in the heart of literally what I call 759 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 5: the most diverse city on the planet, and you know, 760 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:14,920 Speaker 5: by statistics that may or may not be correct, but 761 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,320 Speaker 5: literally one of the most diverse cities on the planet. 762 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:24,760 Speaker 5: And swagsurfing, ironically was wildly popular. What was it three 763 00:39:26,120 --> 00:39:30,239 Speaker 5: in Kansas City? How great is that? And so I 764 00:39:30,239 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 5: can't take credit for that, But what's so interesting is 765 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 5: Atlanta has kind of adopted that environment of you know, 766 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 5: our games really are like a cookout. It's like you're 767 00:39:42,040 --> 00:39:45,520 Speaker 5: sharing a plate of food with your friends. You're you know, 768 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 5: have a little bit of a club atmosphere, but it's 769 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,919 Speaker 5: still family friendly and you kind of want to throw 770 00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:52,759 Speaker 5: your arms around each other and just start moving. And 771 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 5: swagsurf really brings that out of people. And our arena 772 00:39:56,080 --> 00:39:59,080 Speaker 5: is wild when swags are happens. 773 00:39:59,120 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 2: I mean last night it was. 774 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:03,720 Speaker 5: Nuts the whole You know, you've got thousands of people 775 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 5: doing that at once, and it really has now taken 776 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:07,360 Speaker 5: off in the WNBA. 777 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 2: But the thing about. 778 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 5: Coming to Atlanta four years ago is coming to the 779 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:14,839 Speaker 5: dream four years ago is we knew that we had 780 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:18,320 Speaker 5: to embrace the culture. And to do that here in Atlanta, 781 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:19,800 Speaker 5: you have to sit down and you got to listen. 782 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:22,360 Speaker 5: You've got to really understand it. You've got to really 783 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,880 Speaker 5: dig in and make sure that your experience, your fan experience, 784 00:40:27,000 --> 00:40:30,719 Speaker 5: represents the city that you seek to serve. And you know, 785 00:40:30,800 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 5: you've got to really lean in in the energy that 786 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,680 Speaker 5: is coming in the building. And when you get it 787 00:40:36,760 --> 00:40:40,440 Speaker 5: right and it happens in the arena and everybody's singing 788 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:43,279 Speaker 5: and everybody's moving, there is absolutely nothing like I don't 789 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 5: think anybody else does as good a job as we do. 790 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 5: But that's just you know, I'm drinking my own kool aid. 791 00:40:48,120 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 7: Too, So well, listen, I got a brag on you guys, 792 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:54,760 Speaker 7: the Dream. They sold out every home game in twenty 793 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,000 Speaker 7: twenty four, and you're on pace to sell out all 794 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 7: twenty two games in twenty twenty five. Tickets generally rained 795 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:03,680 Speaker 7: from eleven dollars to three hundred and seventy four dollars. 796 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 7: That's the floor seats, and that's a big bargain because 797 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 7: if you try to get floor seats for the next 798 00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:15,879 Speaker 7: court side, it's three thousand dollars one day that your 799 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:17,479 Speaker 7: price is going to go up. And I wouldn't blame 800 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,800 Speaker 7: you one bit because you guys have a great product. 801 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:22,839 Speaker 7: I am tickled to death to talk with you. Our 802 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:25,799 Speaker 7: thanks to Morganshaw Parker for joining us. She's president and 803 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 7: COO of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. And that does it 804 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,560 Speaker 7: for this edition of The Bloomberg Business of Sports. For 805 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:36,520 Speaker 7: my colleagues Damian Sassauer and Vanessa Perdomo, I'm Michael Barr. 806 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:40,080 Speaker 7: Thank you for joining us. Tune in again next week 807 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:42,640 Speaker 7: for the latest on the stories moving big old money 808 00:41:42,640 --> 00:41:45,040 Speaker 7: in the world of sports and don't forget to catch 809 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,080 Speaker 7: our podcast on all your podcast platforms. You are listening 810 00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:53,080 Speaker 7: to the Bloomberg Business of Sports Bloomberg Radio around the world.