1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: This is the business of sports. Let's talk Super Bowl 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: and Fox Sports every single thing that occurs. I want 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: people to remember, this is a business. Guaranteed money isn't 4 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: necessarily guaranteed. Michael Ball, how high can these valuations go? 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: Scott everybody loves rooting against him, right, Evan, nobody Williams 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: off the field. The NBA has never been buzzier. And 7 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: the leaders in the sports industry Major League Baseball Commissioner 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: Rob Manfred, MIKEA. Riscoe is the commissioner of the American 9 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: Athletic Conference. Hearan Smith, President of Ticketmasters in the Race, 10 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: car driver Elio Castro, and Evs Bloomberg Business of Sports 11 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: from Bloomberg Radio. Hello, I'm Michael bon I'm Evan, Novie Williams. 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: We miss Scott Sassen to come back. This is a 13 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: special Tuesday Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast where we explore 14 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 1: the big money issues in the world of sports. And 15 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: what Nellie, We've got the two Super Bowl contenders. I 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: know a wife that's extremely happy the San Francisco forty 17 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: Niners up against the Kansas City Chiefs. And it's not 18 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: cheap to get to Super Bowl fifty four in Miami 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: It's a good thing you didn't promise your wife that 20 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: if they make the Super Bowl that you would be 21 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: paying for her for her ticket, because you're right, they are. 22 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: They are quite pricey, you know, as we record this 23 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: right now on Tuesday, you know, tickets are selling right 24 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: now average over seven thousand dollars um, which is a 25 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: bit higher, you know than the most years at this point. 26 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: Right now, I think the demand, you know, you can 27 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: point to a few things. These are two you know, 28 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: classic NFL franchises, neither of whom have won a Super 29 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: Bowl uh in quite a while. Right, So these are 30 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:33,040 Speaker 1: fan bases that are itching to get there to Miami, 31 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: which doesn't hurt either, right But but for most of 32 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: the people that that I've talked to or have heard 33 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: from in the ticket world, they're expecting this to be 34 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive 35 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: super Bowl ticket ever. She was looking at it too 36 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: on the on her smartphone. It's like, what do you 37 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: know that if you try to get a cheap ticket, 38 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: it's going to be like about almost five thousand dollars 39 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: just for one ticket. And I'm thinking, yeah, that's a 40 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: nice conversation that might end up being low yeah. If 41 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: I mean, if you look at kind of the way 42 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: super Bowl ticket prices they used to, you know, they 43 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: would spike a bit right after you know, the conference finals, 44 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: right when we knew which teams were playing and all 45 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: the fans were, you know, rushing to get tickets, and 46 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: then we kind of see this kind of steady decline 47 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: towards game day where prices dropped. The last couple of years, 48 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: we haven't seen that quite as much, right, And I 49 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: think kind of the assumption is that the super Bowl 50 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: ticket market has changed a little bit and we may 51 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: not see this kind of steep dip in the final 52 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: couple of days that we've seen in years past. It's 53 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 1: all the ancillary things also. That always piques my interest 54 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: is that you know, you have the parties and you 55 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: have the limos that are limo drivers, by the way, 56 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: do a lot of business during the Super Bowl. And 57 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: I'm assuming in Miami that is going to be the 58 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 1: same thing. I was going to say, if if you 59 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 1: you know, like the party scene, we're better to have 60 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: your super Bowl right than than Miami. And we've talked, 61 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 1: you know, a couple of weeks ago, we talked about 62 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: NFL on location, right the which just recently sold. Right, 63 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: this is their biggest event of the year, and it's 64 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 1: all access to those kind of things, Right, So there's 65 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: you know, your own concert, there's access on the in 66 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: the locker room, on the field after your team if 67 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 1: they win, et cetera. There's there's so many packages going 68 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: around along that. So yes, you know, when we say 69 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: seven thousand dollars for the average ticket, that's just a 70 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 1: ticket to the game. That doesn't include any of these 71 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: really premium packages or anything else that's happening in Miami 72 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: that weekend. Speaking of the Super Bowl guests, who is 73 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: now number one on the NFL Players Association's list of 74 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: top selling players. This man has surpassed Tom Brady, and 75 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: I'll give you a hint. He scrambles like a champ. 76 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes. He has supplanted 77 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: New England's Tom Brady as the a f C champion quarterback. 78 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: And now he is selling jerseys like there's no tomorrow. 79 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: I'm actually surprised that he didn't rise on the list faster. Right, 80 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: And every year the NFL p A puts out it's 81 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: list of the fifty top selling players, right, that includes 82 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: is the T shirts, bobbleheads, you know, all all that 83 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: kind of merchandise. And every year it feels like Tom 84 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: Brady is at the top of the list. And it 85 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: shocks me every year because at some point every Patriots 86 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: fan owns a Tom Brady uniform or how how much 87 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: more do you need of your Patriots fan? Right But 88 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: past two years, Tom Brady has been top of the list. 89 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: This year it looks as though Patrick Mahomes, who is 90 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: the odds on I think odds on favorite right now 91 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: to win Super Bowl MVP. I thought it was even 92 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: lower than even money right now, it looks like he 93 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,559 Speaker 1: is going to supplant tom Brady. And who knows, given 94 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: you know the way he's playing, we may see another 95 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: twenty years span of of Patrick Mahomes at the top 96 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: of the list. Speaking of did you see that scramble 97 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: that he made to get to the end zone, I 98 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: mean he should have been trapped some time ago. And and 99 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: and that's when I said, right then and there, when 100 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: I saw the replay of that, I'm like, you know 101 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: what I see where you I see where they won 102 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: the game. Tom Brady is not at all. I do 103 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: wonder if we're kind of seeing this changing of the 104 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: guard of of NFL stardom a bit right, So our 105 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,800 Speaker 1: Super Bowl this year is going to have two younger quarterbacks, 106 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: Jimmy Garoppolo and Pat Mahomes. Lamar Jackson was obviously a 107 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: darling for for much of the season this year. Earlier 108 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: in the playoffs eliminated, Tom Brady was out, Drew Brees 109 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: is out, Aaron Rodgers is out, Russell Wilson is out. 110 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: I do wonder if we're kind of entering this new 111 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: age of NFL stardom where the big names now are 112 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: your Mahomes or your Garoppolo or your Jackson and less 113 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: so these aging stars like Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and 114 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: and Tom Brady. Speaking of which, there's a State farm 115 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: commercial with Drew Brees, I'm sorry with Aaron Rodgers and 116 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes, and Mahomes is kind of like, you know, hey, 117 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: this is my he's the young up and coming. I 118 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: wonder if that was Roles are going to flip and 119 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: we see the next state farm. It's interesting, just like, yeah, 120 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: this is uh, this is my buddy, Aaron Rodgers. Finally, 121 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: let's tarn the world a mixed martial arts Ultimate Finding 122 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: Champion superstar Econor McGregor. He made his return to the 123 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: octagon Saturday and I in Las Vegas after a fifteen 124 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: month layoff. McGregor beat as opponent, the veteran Donald Serronian 125 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: under one minute. Michael, I think it took you longer 126 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: to read that little section right there than it did 127 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: for McGregor to knock this guy out. But a big 128 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: night for anyone I think who is associated with UFC 129 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: and mixed martial arts. This is a sport. Boxing is 130 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,480 Speaker 1: the same way where you know, the big money fights 131 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: happen when you have a star who transcends just the 132 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: sport itself, where normal people who don't really follow m 133 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: m A want to tune in and watch people fight. 134 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: Connor McGregor has been that star for UFC for so long. 135 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: He retired. He's retired multiple times. He hasn't really fought 136 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: much in the past four or five years, and in 137 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: his stead, no one to my knowledge, has really stepped 138 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 1: up and taken the mantle as this you know, firebrand, 139 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: really exciting, also controversial person who averaged Joe sports fans 140 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: are willing to pay to watch him fight now he's back, right, 141 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: So he beat you know, this guy in less than 142 00:06:55,160 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: a minute this weekend something Dave's Cowboy. He says he's 143 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: going to fight at least two more times this year, 144 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: which must be music to your ears if you're if 145 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,599 Speaker 1: you're UFC executive, and we're starting to hear rumblings again 146 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: of maybe Connor going back to boxing. Remember he won 147 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: over He made over a hundred million dollars when he 148 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: fought and lost to Floyd Mayweather there a couple of 149 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: years ago. But I think if you're a potential opponent 150 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: for Connor McGregor, you're happy, right because that's that's a 151 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: much bigger pay day for you. I think this guy, 152 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: SERRONI had the biggest payday of his career in losing 153 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: in under a minute to Connor McGregor. Um. If you 154 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: are ESPN, which just shelled out a lot of money 155 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: to broadcast UFC rights, you're you're thrilled the Conor McGregor's back. 156 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: If your UFC, you're happy. Remember the owners of UFC, 157 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: or William Morris I, MG Endeavor and a bunch of 158 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: private equity firms, they're happy as well. I think everybody 159 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: is thrilled that Connor McGregor is back and fighting. Well, now, 160 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: if you paid money to see this fight, it's over 161 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: in less than a minute. I wonder what people are 162 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 1: thinking about that. And this is kind of the Mike 163 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: Tyson and problem, right. This is a big issue back 164 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: in the nineties as well, Right when when a lot 165 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: of people were buying you know, big heavyweight championship fight 166 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: tickets and and they'd barely sit in their seats, they'd 167 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: have won by the popcorn, and suddenly the thing will 168 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: be over. UFC fights, much like boxing fights, you get 169 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: a lot of undercards as well, and UFC does you know, 170 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: they do their best to try to create you know, big, 171 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: big events, not just the main event in this case, 172 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: the McGregor fight. But yeah, I would imagine if you were, 173 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: you know, looking forward to a to a big, nice, 174 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: maybe multi round fight, you might be a little disappointed 175 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: that it took less than a minute for McGregor to 176 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: finish this guy off. This is the Bloomberg Business of 177 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: Sports podcast. I'm Michael Barr, along with the Missing in 178 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: Action Scott Sashnik. We missed your Scott and Evan. We're 179 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,840 Speaker 1: here each and every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday exploring the 180 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: world of money in sports, and you can join us 181 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 1: again at the end of the week we speak with 182 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: the biggest and brightest in the sports business world. You're 183 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,559 Speaker 1: listening to Bloomberg Business of Sports on Bloomberg Radio around 184 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: the world and online where you get your podcast.