1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio News. This is the Business 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:10,479 Speaker 1: of Sports. 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 2: Our aim is always to leverage the global appeal of football. 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 3: Having representation in college sports is even more important than pro. 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,159 Speaker 4: Ten percent of Americans now clayed so Cup to be 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 4: the favorite sport. 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 1: We estimate the US sports audience has three trillion dollars 8 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: in spending power. The nature of baseball is, it is 9 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: worldwide and it is exploring. 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 4: I'm very happy for the WNBA and how the NBA 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 4: has embraced them. 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 3: Sports books are not going anywhere, and sports betting is 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 3: only growing. We have a super team running this league, 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 3: and this league is here and it's here to stay. 15 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 16 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 4: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports, where we explore 17 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 4: the big money issues in the world of sports. 18 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 5: I'm Michael Barn, I'm Vnesipranoo Maglan, and I'm Miranda Williams. 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 4: The World Cup Final is set, but you know what 20 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 4: that means. It means the World Cup is about to 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 4: come to a dead. 22 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 5: I'm not prepared and i will not get over it 23 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 5: anytime soon. But this is going to be a great 24 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 5: final between Spain and Argentina. 25 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 6: Coming up today, we will talk about the World Cup 26 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 6: with Sports Business Journal senior reporter Joe Lemire on his 27 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 6: takeaway from attending matches, as well as check in with 28 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 6: Olympic cross country skier Jesse Diggins, who's being honored at 29 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,320 Speaker 6: the time one hundred Sports galap. 30 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 4: And all that is straight ahead. But first let's run 31 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 4: through the biggest headlines we followed through the tournament. Well, 32 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 4: it's over, Well it. 33 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: Will be over, almost over catching. 34 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 4: It that way, And I'm just wondering how many VIPs 35 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 4: will attend the Sunday matchup at MetLife Stadium between Spain 36 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 4: and Argentina. 37 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 5: It's a really good question, Michael. I feel like there's 38 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 5: definitely gonna be a lot. President Trump is a scheduled 39 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 5: to attend. Yes, he will be there, which will make 40 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 5: our jobs really hard on Sunday getting into and out 41 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 5: of the stadium. I think that what we'll see on 42 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 5: Sunday is a lot of VIPs. Obviously, they are also 43 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 5: the halftime show that's justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS 44 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 5: and BTS. 45 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 6: With Don't Forget you Cannot Forget Sesame Street. 46 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 2: Sesame Street. 47 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 6: Yeah, Buddy, I think what I'm interested to see is 48 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 6: if the number of stars is on the level of 49 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 6: Game three at Madison Square Garden between the Nicks and 50 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 6: the Spurs. Like, I think it's a good comparison because 51 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 6: you have the young prodigy and le Migna Maul and 52 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 6: the old goat that is Lionel Messi, So it'll be interesting. 53 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 2: I think that, you know what. 54 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 5: The interesting thing there in that comparison is MSG for 55 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 5: Game three was like, how do you get these tickets? 56 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 5: How you know, how can we be seen court side? 57 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 5: All of that, And because that doesn't really exist in soccer, 58 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 5: the court side and the being seen aspect of it, 59 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 5: I'm not sure it's going to be as celebrity row. 60 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 6: Well, I might disagree with you there, and the reason 61 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 6: for that is because FIFA does have you know, the 62 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 6: celebrities give out the ball and sometimes they stay for 63 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 6: the game, other times they go, and they often feels 64 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 6: like there's an they are obligated to show the celebrities 65 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 6: in the suites. Yeah, and I think that with the 66 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 6: halftime show, with this being the biggest final lever that 67 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 6: FIFA's trying to make it, I do wonder if they 68 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 6: will incentivize people to come out. 69 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 2: We will check in on that next week. 70 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 6: Maybe I'll bring my binoculars. 71 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 4: I want to ask though, because there's been a lot 72 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 4: of talk about the hydration breaks in this tournament. I mean, yes, 73 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 4: it's important because it's hot as blazes out there. But 74 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 4: at the same time too, I know a lot of 75 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 4: the purests are like, what is this? But I'm going 76 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 4: to ask this question, and this is from a novice. 77 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 4: What's the difference between that and a TV break when 78 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,119 Speaker 4: you're watching a professional NFL game. 79 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 5: Well, the difference is there's actually quarters in the NFL, 80 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 5: and the soccer is not. 81 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: Soccer's not supposed to be quarters. 82 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 5: And the interesting thing with the hydration breaks is it's 83 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 5: not a completely new thing in global soccer. I was 84 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 5: at the Gotham Spirit match this week that was held 85 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,799 Speaker 5: at City Field, and there were hydration breaks there because 86 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 5: it was ninety eight degrees outside with like eighty five 87 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 5: percent humidity, and because there was wildfires happening around the area, 88 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 5: so the air quality wasn't good. So when you have 89 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 5: these sorts of circumstances where players actually need to breathe 90 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 5: and they need help with that and the conditions aren't great, 91 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 5: then hydration breaks make sense. They've been done before, but 92 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 5: it's not something that soccer parits are going to want 93 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 5: constantly in the sport. But they made five hundred million 94 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 5: dollars from the hydration break, so it's hard to argue 95 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 5: that it's not something that's going to stay around. 96 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 6: What's fascinating about the hydration breaks is the fact that 97 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,679 Speaker 6: there weren't a lot of controversy after the hydration breaks. 98 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 6: What I mean by that is that I heard killing 99 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 6: and Bape and I'm going to paraphrase this quote here 100 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 6: where he said they asked him about hydration breaks, and 101 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 6: he says like, I don't know, don't ask me. If 102 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 6: we come out and we're dominating and then a team, 103 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 6: you know, comes out in the second half of the 104 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 6: hydration break and they dominate, then we're gonna hate it. 105 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 6: But if we turned it on, then we're gonna love it. 106 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 6: And I do think that there hasn't been a hydration 107 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 6: break that we've seen a momentum swing super far that 108 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 6: I remember just yet. I mean, of course we had 109 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 6: the Argentina Egypt game, but I don't think that that 110 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 6: was from a hydration break. I think it was just 111 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 6: more so that Argentina was down to nil to Egypt 112 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 6: than they had to come back. I haven't seen one 113 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,039 Speaker 6: yet where it's like wow, whatever was said in that 114 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 6: hydration break changed the scope of the game. I think 115 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 6: when that happens at an international tournament that and we 116 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 6: could see it. We could see it at the final, 117 00:05:58,040 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 6: But when that happens, I think that it will be 118 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 6: put under the microscope a little bit more than it 119 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 6: already is. 120 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 5: I think that's interesting and I think that that is 121 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 5: true in the terms of like, did it the other 122 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 5: team swing things around? 123 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 2: No, but it did stop a lot of teams maritum. 124 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: It stopped a lot. 125 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 5: I can very clearly remember England versus Dr Congo. D 126 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,799 Speaker 5: R Congo was putting it on them. England was on, 127 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 5: you know, on the defense a lot and Dr Congo 128 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 5: had all of this momentum that got fully stopped by 129 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 5: the hydration break. It didn't mean England came out strong, right, 130 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 5: you're right, but it put the brakes on. 131 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 6: Yeah, it allows you to gather yourself and I think 132 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 6: that it does serve as a momentum stop. But and 133 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 6: if you're a team, of course you hate that. At 134 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 6: the same time, intensity is sort of intensity, and I 135 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 6: think that we saw it in the match between Argentina 136 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 6: and England where that was probably the most physical match 137 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 6: and it didn't matter about the hydration. 138 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 4: Break like that. 139 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 6: It felt like they wanted to fight regardless. 140 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 4: Did somebody slap somebody in that game? 141 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 5: Jude Bellingham hit the Argentina player after the game was over, 142 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 5: which also I have seen reports. 143 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 6: So he pushed him. He pushed him in the back 144 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 6: of the push him in. 145 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 5: The back of the head, which I have seen reports 146 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 5: that he could potentially face some sort of penalty for that, 147 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 5: because I mean it is unsportsmanlink and. 148 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 4: Randall, something else has coming way. As we move on, 149 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 4: something else is coming up that you were talking about. 150 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 6: Yeah, Fanatics Fest is taking over in New York and 151 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 6: the Javit Center, and I mean Fanatics gathers a cluster 152 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 6: of stars like no company I have ever seen a 153 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 6: tremendous amount of talent as well. Fanatics just brings out 154 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 6: the biggest athletes and celebrities and they're going to be 155 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 6: doing that all weekend long. 156 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 5: It is unbelievable how big this has gotten in only 157 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 5: like three years, and I think it's now it's going 158 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 5: to become one of the just the biggest things on 159 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 5: every sports calendar I think going. 160 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 6: Forward, I mean from a numbers perspective, year one had 161 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 6: sixty five thousand, Year two had one hundred and thirty 162 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 6: thousand people, and year three is expected to do more 163 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 6: than both combined at two hundred thousand people. And I 164 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 6: think it's just a testament to fanatics, Like there's a 165 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 6: lot that people can say about them in terms of 166 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 6: the product. Like when you get a product that maybe 167 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 6: the logo is better, you don't like the quality of it. 168 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 6: It hasn't stopped their business. They still are partnered with 169 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 6: athlete celebrities, sports teams and leagues who see their value. 170 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 6: And then you throw an event like this, and you 171 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 6: think of everything that is going on in the midst 172 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 6: of this week and what's going to happen after. You 173 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 6: of course have the World Cup that's unique to this year, 174 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 6: but you also have Yankees Dodgers. You also have a 175 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 6: WWE match at Madison Square Garden, and so then you 176 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 6: place Fanatics Fest right in the middle of that, and 177 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 6: you give these superstars a reason to come to New 178 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 6: York and celebrate with fans who evidently are only going 179 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 6: to shower love. 180 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 5: Which I actually had spoken with someone about it and 181 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 5: about scheduling for the MLB, and they said they worked 182 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 5: with the MLB to make sure Yankees, Dodgers, and the 183 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 5: Mets are all in the New York market during this 184 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 5: week so that they could all make an appearance, which 185 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 5: is just shows the scope and power of fanatics. 186 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:12,840 Speaker 6: The leagues have a vested interest in being around this 187 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 6: event because if you are not there, then it's like, 188 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 6: why aren't you there. There's a very few people who 189 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 6: say no toive in atics. Fesst Like you think about 190 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 6: the list of stars that are going to be there, 191 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 6: Lebron James, Tom Brady, Kevin Durant, Serena Williams, and many 192 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 6: many more. The only person that is missing from that 193 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 6: is Michael Jordan, and he has so many different names, 194 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 6: mj Blackcat, Goat that he had he can afford to 195 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:39,959 Speaker 6: make a decision like this and be like, I'm good 196 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 6: on it this. 197 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 4: He'd probably be the NASCAR track anyways, the old cars exactly. 198 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 4: Speaking of the New York Yankees, the Yankees said to 199 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 4: be in talks for three billion dollars in Apollo financing. 200 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 4: You talk about the splash to get into sports. 201 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 6: It's a lot of money, and we did not report, 202 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 6: you know, what the percentage of the steak is going 203 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 6: to be. But with that much money, and I believe 204 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 6: Sportico followed us after and said between two to three billion, 205 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 6: but we went with the three billion dollar number, that 206 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 6: valuation is going to be absolutely huge and a good 207 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 6: portion of this money, of course, is going to go 208 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 6: towards debt, and Apollo will get a piece of the 209 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 6: Yankees back. But I mean, we don't see signature franchises 210 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 6: often stakes come up for sale, and the fact that 211 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 6: they're doing private equity means that there's probably some debt 212 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 6: that they'd like to get rid of, and Apollo is 213 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 6: I imagine that Apollo was not the only private equity 214 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 6: firm that raised their hand to say, well, we'd like 215 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 6: to partner with the Yankees. So good on Apollo for 216 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 6: getting arguably the most famous sports brand in the world. 217 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 5: Yeah, I think it's really interesting, especially in this era 218 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 5: of private equity coming into sports. It's one of the 219 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 5: only ones we're seeing. I know they're not the only 220 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,439 Speaker 5: ones getting debt relief, but one of the only ones 221 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:54,360 Speaker 5: we're seeing that's not helping finance stadium or anything like that. 222 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 6: Absolutely, And I'd also say that they are one of 223 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 6: the only signature sports teams that has welcomed in private equity. 224 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 6: The Los Angeles Rams have not, the Dallas Cowboys have not, 225 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,079 Speaker 6: the Los Angeles Lakers have not. But so many of 226 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 6: the biggest brands in the world, they're like, no, we're good. 227 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,360 Speaker 6: And the reason for that is because they truly don't 228 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 6: need it. They make so much money on the day 229 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 6: today that they're like, private equity, it's an option, but 230 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 6: we're good. And I think the Yankees doing this, maybe 231 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 6: it helps their cap table, maybe it allows them to 232 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,760 Speaker 6: spend a little bit more. But this is a big 233 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 6: win for Apollo. 234 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 5: It is going to be interesting to see how that 235 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:37,760 Speaker 5: deal continues to come together. 236 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 2: Randall, we know you're going to stay close on it. 237 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 5: But coming up, we're going to continue our conversation on, 238 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 5: of course, the World Cup with Sports Business Journal senior 239 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 5: reporter Joe Lamir. 240 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 4: That is straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 241 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 4: For it, Vanessa Perdomo, macleone and Randon Williams. I'm Michael Barr. 242 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 4: You are listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports from 243 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 4: Bloomberg Radio around the World. 244 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 245 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 4: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore 246 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 4: the big money issues. I'm not talking about that little 247 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:15,959 Speaker 4: coin stuff. I'm talking to some big, old money issues 248 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 4: in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr. 249 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 2: I'm going to ask the Prodomo Maglion and I'm. 250 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 4: Randa Williams now to continue the conversation on the World 251 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 4: Cup and to discuss FIFA if they can classify this 252 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 4: tournament as a success. We are joined by Joe Lamire, 253 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 4: Senior reporter for Sports Business Journal. Joe, welcome to the 254 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 4: Bloomberg Business of Sports. This thing is winding down, the 255 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 4: World Cup. I'm going to miss this. 256 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: It's been a remarkable ride. Certainly the competition on the 257 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 3: pitch has stolen the show, but there's been a whole 258 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 3: lot of activity around it, kind of consuming just about 259 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 3: all facets of life, especially in this New York region. 260 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 5: It has been a summer like no other in the region. 261 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,840 Speaker 5: Like you mentioned, Joe, when all is said and done, 262 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 5: after you know, the finals played, after everything settles down, 263 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 5: do you think this will be categorized as a successful 264 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 5: World Cup? 265 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 3: Absolutely, a successful World Cup. I feel like there'll be 266 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 3: a few things kind of left on the table. I'm 267 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 3: not sure we're going to see the same surge in 268 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 3: interest that perhaps some people in North America wanted to see. 269 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 3: I think the overall ticket prices have kept a lot 270 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 3: of folks from being able to bring families to events, 271 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 3: But certainly on the business side, it's been an unqualified 272 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 3: success because even if the tickets might have been a 273 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 3: little too expensive for families, they've. 274 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 7: Still been incredibly well attended. 275 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,080 Speaker 3: I mean we're talking only maybe a handful of seats 276 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 3: have gone unused in pretty much any venue this entire month. 277 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 3: It's been a remarkable commercial success. The hydration breaks, which 278 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 3: are certainly polarizing among purists, are something that I doubt 279 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,760 Speaker 3: will ever go away given the ad inventory that they've 280 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 3: brought along. The hospitality and event space and activations around 281 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 3: I think are an American creation that I think we're 282 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 3: going to start seeing in far more World Cups going 283 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 3: forward as well. 284 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 5: Wow, wait, so hold on, you're saying hydration briggs will 285 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 5: stay in basically in the World Cup, you know here 286 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 5: so throughout the history of time, So basically soccer is 287 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 5: going to become a quarters sport. 288 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 3: I will say that I caveat that without having any 289 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 3: insight info it, but I think the way that the 290 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 3: way that has gone, I would be surprised if FIFA 291 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 3: doesn't find a way for them to remain. 292 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 6: And so one of the things you just mentioned was 293 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 6: about how the impact after the World Cup ends, the 294 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 6: interest in soccer might not be there, And I do 295 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 6: wonder what do you think would have been a better 296 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 6: outcome for this tournament. Would it have been if the 297 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 6: US defeated Belgium despite the controversy, or what is it 298 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 6: better that the US was defeated because of Trump's meddling 299 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 6: in allowing you convincing FIFA to allow f Low Balagan 300 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 6: to play. 301 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 7: That's a hard question to answer. 302 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 3: I will say that purely from the soccer side of things, 303 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 3: beating Bosnia and winning that round of thirty two knockout 304 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 3: game was sort of the table stakes that US soccer 305 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 3: needed to have. 306 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 7: They met the minimum. 307 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 3: I think beating Belgium, beating a European power, would have 308 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 3: been that real shot in the arm that maybe helped 309 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 3: with the surge and interest a bit more certainly, the 310 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 3: TV ratings were there. I do think soccer is going 311 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 3: to grow some. I just don't know if this is 312 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 3: the transformational moment. It's hard to compare to ninety four 313 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 3: because the bar was so low, and that led to 314 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 3: the creation of Major League Soccer. That was this watershed 315 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 3: moment for the sport in this in this country. And 316 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 3: I don't know if we're going to have another huge 317 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 3: inflection point of acceleration. 318 00:15:58,120 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 7: But it will continue to grow. 319 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 3: Although it's quite clear that it's one of the most 320 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 3: massively participated youth sports already. 321 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 7: So it's not like it needs to, you. 322 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 3: Know, start afresh the way perhaps it did in ninety four, 323 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 3: but you know, it maybe won't reach the high end 324 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 3: of the expectations. 325 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 4: We're talking with Joe Lemire, Sports Business Journal, soccer reporter, 326 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:27,000 Speaker 4: and I want your thoughts because fifahead Gianni Infantino, he 327 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 4: wants to make it, let's make it sixty four teams 328 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 4: now more the better. I'm wondering is that going to 329 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 4: help or hurt the sport. 330 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 3: I think we saw already that the group stage matches 331 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 3: were watered down a bit in this forty eight team. 332 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 7: You know. 333 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 3: Addition, I think sixty four as much as I don't 334 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 3: think we need to. 335 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 7: Expand the tournament. 336 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 3: It does make the math a little cleaner, Whereas right 337 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 3: now so many of the third place group stage teams 338 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 3: still got through that those matches meant a lot less. 339 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 3: When you have sixty four and it's just going to 340 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 3: be the top two getting through, maybe that helps incentivize 341 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 3: teams to try to win more as that just settle 342 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:16,359 Speaker 3: for the gentleman's draw. And you know, FIFA has said 343 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:18,479 Speaker 3: that so much of this revenue does go back to 344 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 3: our feeding grassroots, and so if that's the case and 345 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 3: this helps elevate the sport globally, maybe it can work. 346 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:30,560 Speaker 3: I think we've seen the success of this three country hosting, 347 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 3: and we've already got that, you know, even more countries 348 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 3: actually for the next tournament, between the handful of matches 349 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 3: in South America and then the rest in Europe. I 350 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,120 Speaker 3: think as long as you have the space to accommodate 351 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 3: that many teams, you know, maybe sixty four is actually 352 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 3: going to be better than forty eight. You know, I 353 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 3: personally probably would have kept it at thirty two, but 354 00:17:52,600 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 3: that's a different scory. 355 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 6: This does sort of feel like the March Madness effect, 356 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 6: where and see like how many teams can we bring 357 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 6: in and I've seen less Cinderella stories in March and Madness. 358 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,679 Speaker 6: But you know, we saw Cape Verde captured the hearts 359 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 6: of many soccer fans around the globe. But ultimately, you know, 360 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 6: when you play against the Titan and they had a 361 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 6: monumental effort, they lost. And I wonder from your perspective, 362 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 6: is it good to have so many nations involved even 363 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 6: if they don't get to the round of sixteen or 364 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 6: advance farther. Is that a win for FIFA to have 365 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 6: smaller nations if it means that you know, the Titans 366 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,800 Speaker 6: are still going to emerge like they did in this tournament. 367 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, the March Madness analogy I think is pretty perfect. 368 00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,840 Speaker 3: I mean, I think mid major basketball tournament, mid major 369 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 3: basketball conferences are still pleased that their schools get in 370 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:45,360 Speaker 3: and have a high profile win or two. And even 371 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 3: if it is in this case maybe Cape Verdy getting 372 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 3: you know, pulling that epic draw against Spain and holding 373 00:18:50,600 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 3: on against so long against Argentina, I do think those 374 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 3: Cinderella stories are meaningful even if they don't you know, 375 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 3: reach the you know, the rounds of the tournament, and 376 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 3: hopefully that does elevate the sport in other areas where 377 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 3: maybe it hasn't gone there already. 378 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 5: I think I still think that when Cape bred I 379 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 5: scored that second goal against Argentina was one of the 380 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 5: greatest moments of the tournament. 381 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 6: Goal of the tournament. 382 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 2: It was amazing. 383 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 5: Absolutely, Joe, you also, you know, have written about and 384 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 5: you have been to me, You and randall have all 385 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 5: been to games at MetLife. I was really hesitant before 386 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 5: going there. I was really scared. I'm scared of how. 387 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 2: It was going to go. But it wasn't as bad 388 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:31,160 Speaker 2: as I thought. 389 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 5: Tell me, like, you know what you thought about the 390 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 5: logistics and how it actually was handled as opposed to 391 00:19:36,960 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 5: all the talk that happened beforehand. 392 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I went in with great trepidation, particularly before that 393 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 3: very first match that Brazil Morocco the first group stage, 394 00:19:46,160 --> 00:19:47,880 Speaker 3: wanting to experience it like. 395 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 7: Most people would. 396 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 3: I took the infamous New Jersey transit ride that made 397 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 3: sure they cleared that with my bosses that'd be reimbursed 398 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 3: on the ninety eight dollars before actually buying the ticket. 399 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 3: But perhaps so many people got scared off by the 400 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 3: price tag that it was exceedingly efficient. It was remarkable 401 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 3: how many blocks were closed off in Manhattan to accommodate 402 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:15,480 Speaker 3: for security and to get everybody through. I don't know 403 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 3: how many other people had their lives interrupted because maybe 404 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 3: they couldn't get the train they normally would have or 405 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 3: get to the place they wanted to. But for those 406 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,080 Speaker 3: actually going to the tournament, that train logistics worked out 407 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 3: really quite well. I know a few people who ended 408 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 3: up getting put on a bus instead of a train, 409 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 3: and they do quite as positive an experience. And then 410 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 3: the second atchual I went there, I will say I 411 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 3: had a press parking pass and then I got treated 412 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 3: like a VIP, but that's a very different story altogether. 413 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:46,360 Speaker 7: I think MetLife has worked out a right. 414 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 3: I do think the final has the benefit of being 415 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 3: on a Sunday when you don't have to worry about 416 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 3: rush hour traffic and the normal commutes. But given how 417 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 3: many VVIPs there will be there, it will certainly be 418 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 3: a whole lot of good luck. 419 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:02,880 Speaker 6: So let's look ahead just based on how this tournament 420 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:05,120 Speaker 6: is gone. The next time the Men's World Cup takes 421 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 6: place will be in twenty thirty that'll be hosted by Spain, Portugal, 422 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 6: I believe Morocco. In twenty thirty four, it'll be in 423 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 6: Saudi Arabia, but there is an open slot in twenty 424 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 6: thirty eight. And I wonder, just based on your reporting, 425 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 6: based on what you're hearing, how has FIFA enjoyed the US. 426 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 6: I mean, we've seen fans come in and talk about 427 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 6: food and BUCkies and different places that they've enjoyed in 428 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 6: the US. What's FIFA's perspective on bringing the tournament back here. 429 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 3: The second match I went to at MetLife was one 430 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 3: of the knockout matches when France beat Sweden, and I 431 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,880 Speaker 3: know some FIFA for people there wanted to make sure 432 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,359 Speaker 3: they highlighted to me and to the rest of the 433 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 3: media that that was the match where they eclipsed five million. 434 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 6: Oh yes, they spoke to me about it as well. 435 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,199 Speaker 7: Yes, I didn't think it was a very quiet message. 436 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 3: I think it was pretty well distributed and I think 437 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 3: they are in love with those numbers. I think the 438 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 3: attendance has been great. The stadiums here are, you know, 439 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 3: in a class of their own in terms of certain 440 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,879 Speaker 3: amenities and how much hospitality and premium spaces there are. 441 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 3: I was at the semi final in Dallas the other 442 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:16,640 Speaker 3: day and that was certainly another great atmosphere. I mean, 443 00:22:16,640 --> 00:22:20,160 Speaker 3: there's so many rings of luxury suites there. I think 444 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 3: FIFA would love to bring it back as sort of 445 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 3: as much as they can, whether twenty thirty eight might 446 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 3: be seen as too soon because there are lots of 447 00:22:29,119 --> 00:22:33,000 Speaker 3: other you know, historic markets in other countries that can 448 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 3: do a nice job, you know, hosting it. But if 449 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,440 Speaker 3: you do start thinking about, hey, sixty four teams, that's 450 00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 3: going to really winnow the funnel in terms of how 451 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 3: many countries and host markets can really sustain that type 452 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 3: of inventory of matches and stadiums. And so I'm sure 453 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 3: FIFA will make sure it gets back to the US, 454 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 3: you know, in my lifetime at least. 455 00:22:54,560 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 4: You know who's happy with the final with Spain and Argentina, 456 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 4: you know what? Well, yeah, but you know, really the 457 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 4: sports betting books because the so called favorites for the 458 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 4: Semis was supposed to be France and England and both 459 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 4: of those guys got knocked out. And according to Bloomberg Intelligence, 460 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 4: the books like that because they get to clean up 461 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 4: because a lot of people put a lot of money 462 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 4: on the France England ticket. I want your thoughts about that, Joe, 463 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:29,480 Speaker 4: and what do you think about that. 464 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 7: Well, I think yeah. 465 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,399 Speaker 3: I think Fifu's thrilled that the top four ranked teams 466 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 3: were the final four standing. 467 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:38,880 Speaker 7: I think the first line. 468 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 3: I saw yesterday had Spain as a pretty significant favorite 469 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 3: over Argentina. I think the most likely outcome, given how 470 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 3: Spain just throttled France's vaunted attack, is that I would 471 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 3: bet the under. 472 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 7: But then again, you don't really want to bet the. 473 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 3: Under against Leo Messi either, so it will be interesting 474 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 3: to see how some of those other lines, you know, 475 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 3: play out on Sunday. But Spain looks fierce. One goal 476 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:08,760 Speaker 3: allowed and the whole tournament is hard to get beat 477 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 3: that way. 478 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,280 Speaker 6: That was senior reporter for the Sports Business Journal, Joel 479 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 6: Emre Up. 480 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 5: Next, we'll be joined by four time Olympian and gold 481 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 5: medalist Jesse Diggins. 482 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 4: That is straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports. 483 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 4: I'm Michael Barr with Vanessa Perdomo Maglione and Randa Williams. 484 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 4: You are listening. I don't even need a contraction here, 485 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 4: not your You are listening to the Bloomberg Business of 486 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 4: Sports from Bloomberg Radio around the world. 487 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio. 488 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 4: Thanks for joining us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports, 489 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 4: where we explore the big money issues in the world 490 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:49,760 Speaker 4: of sports. 491 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 2: I'm Michael Barr, I'm Vanessa Prodomo Maglione. 492 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 4: And I'm Randa Williams. With World Cup winding down, this 493 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 4: will essentially in the year of international competition that started 494 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 4: with the twenty twenty six Milano Cortina Winter Olympics all 495 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,120 Speaker 4: the way back in February. 496 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:09,719 Speaker 5: It's been one of the best years of international competition 497 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 5: with the Olympics, with the World Baseball Classic, and with 498 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,040 Speaker 5: the World Cup. These tournaments showcase how sports can bring 499 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 5: the world together in competition but also in unity because 500 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 5: it's special to see someone compete for their national team. 501 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 6: To give us some insight on how it feels to 502 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 6: represent your country. We are joined in the studio now 503 00:25:27,359 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 6: by four time Olympic cross country skier Jesse Diggins. 504 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 4: Jesse, welcome to the Bloomberg Business of Sports. Now I 505 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 4: got it. I have to tell you I did it 506 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 4: one time cross country skiing one time and boy, with 507 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 4: my arms tired and they really were. That is very 508 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 4: tough to do because I mean, can you're constantly going 509 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 4: and you've won numerous gold medals in. 510 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 8: This Oh well, first of all, thank you so much, 511 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 8: and second of all, are you hooked? 512 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: Are you going to come back? 513 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:02,639 Speaker 8: Are you going to try it again? 514 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 4: Unfortunately that was forty years ago. 515 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, time to come and try. 516 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,479 Speaker 4: There were too many visits the pizza hut in between 517 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 4: those tests. 518 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 6: Shtal Michael Bough. 519 00:26:18,280 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 4: But really that's that is extremely tough to do. 520 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 8: Oh thank you. I I love the sport because it is. 521 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 8: It is so challenging, it is so humbling, and that's 522 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 8: what I love about it is that you're never going 523 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 8: to have a race where you feel like, oh I 524 00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 8: nailed it. You know, you're always chasing that feeling of 525 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 8: trying to get a little bit better every single day 526 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 8: at what you do. And the sport's constantly evolving, and 527 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 8: even if you come back to the same venue at 528 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:44,560 Speaker 8: the same time of year, like, for example, our World 529 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 8: Cup season opens in Ruca, Finland, so we're like way 530 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 8: up north, like Arctic Circle area, eating reindeer, like the 531 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 8: whole situation. 532 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 6: Can you say eating reindeer? 533 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 8: Yeah, that part broke. 534 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,440 Speaker 2: My heart a little bit, but no it's not. 535 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 8: Yeah, I know, I know it's terrible, but we're there 536 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 8: every single year and every time you race there, it's 537 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,639 Speaker 8: a completely different experience because the snow is different and 538 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 8: the weather is different, so the conditions are different, and 539 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 8: so the course race is different, and so it's constantly 540 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 8: evolving and changing, and so you have to adapt as well. 541 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 8: And I love that about it. 542 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's so interesting, you know, having to adapt like that. 543 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 5: You said, like even though it's the same thing, having 544 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 5: to adapt every time. I want to get into you 545 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 5: know what you're here in New York for. You're joining 546 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 5: us live in the studio, which is great, and we 547 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 5: love that you are being honored at the time one 548 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 5: hundred Sports Scala. Congratulations. That's an amazing feed. But it's 549 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 5: because because of what you're able to do for the sport. 550 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 5: What does it mean to be recognized in that way. 551 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,239 Speaker 8: It's a huge honor. It's very exciting this. You know, 552 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 8: we've always been one of the smaller sports in the 553 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 8: US and you know over in Scandinavia it's very different situation. 554 00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 8: But it's just so cool for me to get to 555 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 8: be here as part of this sport that I love 556 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 8: so much, and I love the idea of getting to 557 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 8: grow the sport and getting more families out on skis 558 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 8: and more kids out there experiencing it. And you know, 559 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 8: I feel like, even though I'm the one who gets 560 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,399 Speaker 8: to be here, I'm here representing my whole team and 561 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 8: all the people behind the scenes who made it possible, 562 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,320 Speaker 8: because you know, we're always standing on the shoulders of 563 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 8: the people who came before us. And I got to 564 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 8: the point that I did because generations of skiers went 565 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 8: out there and like quite literally laid the tracks for us. 566 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,919 Speaker 8: And I just feel so honored to be here, and 567 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 8: so I hope that I can represent my community. 568 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 3: Well. 569 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 6: This past year at the Winter Olympics was your last 570 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 6: time competing, And I wonder did you know that going 571 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 6: into it, or was there some hope in your mind 572 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 6: that maybe you had one more in you four years 573 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 6: from now? 574 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 5: Oh? 575 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 6: No, I knew you. 576 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 2: No, I can be very honest about that. 577 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 6: I knew. 578 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 5: Look. 579 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 8: I feel so incredibly fortunate to have gotten to do 580 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 8: this for so long long And it takes a whole village, 581 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 8: right like, it takes so many people and such commitment 582 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 8: and sacrifice from my partner, my family, my club, my 583 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 8: sponsors like Toyota. I mean, I literally ran every workout 584 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 8: out of that you should have seen the back of 585 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 8: my car, like six different pairs of roller skis, sunscreen, 586 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 8: the whole thing, Like I based my whole operation. Wait 587 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 8: wait wait si oh yeah, that's that's how we cross train. 588 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,240 Speaker 8: It's you're gonna love this. Two wheels. So it's a 589 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 8: picture like a roller blade, but quite a bit longer 590 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 8: and no breaks, no breaks, and you have poles with 591 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 8: special tips that stick in the asphalt so you go 592 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 8: down the road. And so if you imagine the motion 593 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 8: of cross country seeing it mimics those muscles pretty much exactly, 594 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 8: very slightly to have different technique because there's a ratchet 595 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:53,440 Speaker 8: on the wheels, so it would only roll forward, so 596 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 8: you can mimic that sensation of kicking your ski. 597 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:57,760 Speaker 2: But yeah, the no breaks thing. 598 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,480 Speaker 6: You know, in New York, you could quit. You would 599 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 6: fit right in. I think if you were just going 600 00:30:02,720 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 6: down the street, someone would just be like, oh, well 601 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 6: that's different, and they would keep on pushing. 602 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: You know. 603 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 8: I actually I have heard that people do roller ski 604 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:11,200 Speaker 8: wow in Central Park. 605 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 2: I have seen it. 606 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,920 Speaker 8: I haven't done it. I'm not brave enough because a 607 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 8: lot of the time cars don't know what you are 608 00:30:20,280 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 8: or what you know, like or they don't care or 609 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,680 Speaker 8: they don't care, but like you recognize, like, okay, that's 610 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 8: a bike, they have brakes, they see me, we got 611 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 8: to share the road. That's a runner. You know, you 612 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 8: recognize different people doing different activities. And people see across 613 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 8: country skier and they're. 614 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 2: Like, I don't know what you are. 615 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:37,920 Speaker 8: And so I have friends who have literally had someone 616 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,080 Speaker 8: roll down the window and throw a cheeseburger at them. 617 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 8: What I think he picked it up and ate it. 618 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,840 Speaker 2: Well, all right, that sounds like a man. 619 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,080 Speaker 5: These are other like teammates of yours, who are they 620 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 5: live in New York and they've done this training here, 621 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 5: or it's just what I've. 622 00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,640 Speaker 8: Heard of, just people who I don't know. But most 623 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 8: of my teammates were all based in club systems across 624 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 8: the country, and so like I would train out to Stratton, Vermont, 625 00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 8: where it's very quiet in the summer, there isn't a 626 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 8: lot of traffic. It's a very safe place, and the 627 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 8: whole community really gets behind. It's like this beautiful, like 628 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 8: tucked away little jewel in the green mountains of Vermont 629 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,440 Speaker 8: where you know you rollerskiing and people will give you 630 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 8: the like friendly honk, like wave and cheer for you 631 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 8: and like roll down the windows and like the kids 632 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,800 Speaker 8: will be in the back like yeah, like it's so cool. 633 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,240 Speaker 8: And so you just felt so completely supported in the 634 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 8: day to day grind of training for your sport. 635 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 4: We're talking with the things you learn here, Jesse Diggins 636 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,239 Speaker 4: Olympic cross country scare. The training sounds like something that 637 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,960 Speaker 4: you could do on I eighty and New Jersey. And 638 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 4: because I mean and you talk about this going forward 639 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:55,000 Speaker 4: and not stopping and it again, it's what you have 640 00:31:55,160 --> 00:32:00,840 Speaker 4: accomplished is simply amazing. What do you think the chances 641 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 4: are because it's going to come back to you now 642 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 4: that you want to go into the booth one day 643 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 4: and I'm talking about TV to do some commentary about 644 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 4: the Olympic sport. 645 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 8: Oh, I mean, never say never, right, We'll see what happens. 646 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 8: I'm not sure, but I'm not going far from the sport. 647 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:21,360 Speaker 5: You know. 648 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 8: I want to lift up and support my teammates. I 649 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:26,520 Speaker 8: want to help them tell their stories. I want the 650 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 8: world to learn their stories and I want the world 651 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 8: to know about this incredible team that I love so 652 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 8: much because they are such hard workers, but they're also 653 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 8: really good people and they're out there part of the 654 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 8: community giving back to the sport, volunteering their time, you know, 655 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 8: like all of us spend different time like going to 656 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 8: kids clinics and like helping kids connect with the sport 657 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 8: and feel confident in their bodies and moving on snow 658 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:52,240 Speaker 8: and I think that's so cool and it's so important. 659 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 8: So I want to be able to give back to 660 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 8: the sport in any way possible. 661 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,560 Speaker 5: Do you imagine that your next venture is going to 662 00:33:00,600 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 5: be within the sport as you look to the next 663 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 5: chapter of your career professionally or are you looking at 664 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 5: other things? 665 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 8: So I knew before probably a year before retirement, Like 666 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 8: I know, I want to get into speaking because I 667 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 8: love being able to try to inspire people, and that's 668 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:19,320 Speaker 8: something that the sport allowed me to do. 669 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 3: Right. 670 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 8: You get to go out there and you race super hard, 671 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 8: and you've got like, you know, like slabb all over 672 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,440 Speaker 8: your face, and people are like, cool, I'm inspired. 673 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 2: I'm going to go run up a mountain. 674 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 4: That's just Tuesday for me, that's just a. 675 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 8: Random Tuesday, wait till Saturday, you know, And it's just 676 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 8: cool to feel like you get to inspire people. And 677 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 8: I you know, when I knew, I was time for 678 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 8: me to retire. I thought, how can I continue to 679 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:44,920 Speaker 8: inspire people? Maybe instead of doing it by running my 680 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 8: body into the ground every week, maybe I can do 681 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 8: it with my story and all the things I've learned 682 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 8: from all the incredible people around me and all the experiences. 683 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,800 Speaker 8: So now I do keynote speeches and it's been so 684 00:33:57,040 --> 00:34:00,200 Speaker 8: cool and fun to talk about mental health and the 685 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 8: sport and trying hard and sustained excellence over time and 686 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,920 Speaker 8: really like the mental strength that you need in order 687 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:11,239 Speaker 8: to navigate challenges and setbacks and trying to get to 688 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 8: that high level and then stay there. And so it's 689 00:34:14,160 --> 00:34:15,959 Speaker 8: been really cool to feel like I can give back 690 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 8: in that way. But yeah, someday maybe like coaching kids 691 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:20,879 Speaker 8: or something that. 692 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:22,000 Speaker 2: Would be really fun as well. 693 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 6: Like I kind of have all. 694 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,319 Speaker 8: The doors open right now, and it feels like so 695 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:27,439 Speaker 8: much possibility. 696 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 6: How do you think the sport of cross country skiing 697 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:32,000 Speaker 6: can go to the next level? 698 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 5: Oo? 699 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 8: Well, I think having cross country skiers being honored in 700 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 8: the Time one hundred is a really good place to 701 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,360 Speaker 8: start because people see that and they go, oh, what's 702 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 8: that sport? And then they see like, oh, Johannes Claybow. 703 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 2: Who's he? 704 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:48,359 Speaker 8: And then they look them up and they go, oh, 705 00:34:48,360 --> 00:34:51,640 Speaker 8: my god, he swept the Olympics. He literally won every 706 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 8: gold medal that there was in our sport. That's amazing 707 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 8: and so and then they see the video and they. 708 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 2: Go, whoa, that looks cool. 709 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 8: And then they go, wait a minute, there's a local 710 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:03,279 Speaker 8: ski track near me. I'm going to sign up for 711 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 8: a lesson. I'm going to bring my family. And then 712 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,440 Speaker 8: they get hooked and they're like, Hey, this is so cool. 713 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,640 Speaker 8: This is a really good way for me to experience 714 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 8: winter and be outside and be healthy and active. 715 00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 3: Right, So I. 716 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:17,640 Speaker 8: Think all of these, all of these places to get 717 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 8: the sport out and to new eyes and new ears, 718 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 8: and like sitting here with you, like maybe there's somebody 719 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 8: listening to this who's like, you know what, I'm going 720 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 8: to go out there and try it and then your 721 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:29,160 Speaker 8: life changes and go. 722 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 6: In the TV booth too. So let me ask you this, 723 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 6: Where were you when you found out that you were 724 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,360 Speaker 6: going to be honored? Was it a surprise? Did you 725 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,320 Speaker 6: find out on social media? Where were you when you 726 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 6: found out you were going to be on the Time 727 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:42,440 Speaker 6: one hundred list? 728 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 8: Oh, this is the lame. I was just sitting at 729 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 8: my kitchen counter, sitting a cappuccino, and then I got 730 00:35:47,840 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 8: us an email from my agent and I was like, 731 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 8: no way. And I was like, wait a minute, this 732 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 8: might be what if it's like a miss, But if 733 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 8: it's a typo, they must have meant someone else. They 734 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 8: were probably talking about somebody yells, And so I wrote 735 00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:03,960 Speaker 8: back and I was like, oh, that's super cool. Are 736 00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 8: you sure this is for me? So clearly I still 737 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 8: deal with the imposter syndrome of it all. And he 738 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 8: was like, no, no, this is for you, and Toyota 739 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 8: is going to bring you there and you're going to 740 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:16,359 Speaker 8: get to celebrate and you know, get to hang out 741 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 8: with some incredible teammates of years across other sports like 742 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:23,000 Speaker 8: Oxana Masters. I love that woman. If you don't know 743 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,799 Speaker 8: who she is, look her up. She is incredible and 744 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:29,319 Speaker 8: she's an even more incredible person. But beyond that, as 745 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,120 Speaker 8: an athlete, wow, setting the bar to a new level. 746 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:34,319 Speaker 8: So to me, it was just it felt like this 747 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 8: surreal little moment where I was like, wait a minute, 748 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 8: this doesn't normally happen in our sport in the US. 749 00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 6: So and then you finished a cappuccino and went on 750 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:43,520 Speaker 6: with yeah, exactly. 751 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:44,719 Speaker 8: When I hed my cappuccino, and I was like, but 752 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:46,400 Speaker 8: I have a speech to write, so I know. 753 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 6: That was four time Olympian and gold medalist Jesse Diggins. 754 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:53,360 Speaker 4: That's it for today. Thanks for joining us. Tune in 755 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,880 Speaker 4: again next week for the latest on the stories moving 756 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,000 Speaker 4: big old money in the world of sports. 757 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,279 Speaker 5: And don't forget to catch our podcast on all your 758 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 5: podcast platforms, and go to Bloomberg dot com to subscribe 759 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 5: to the Bloomberg Business of Sports newsletter to stay up 760 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 5: to date on all our juicy insights. 761 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 4: You say you're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports 762 00:37:11,120 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 4: Bloomberg Radio around the world.