Rixon Sports Report - Wed. May 21st, 2025

NCAA is officially out of enforcement (FOS)

NBA ratings increase holds (FOS)

ESPN and Penn Entertainment reach pivotal point (Sportico)

Roger Goodell wants more international games (CNBC)

Arthur Ashe Stadium getting an upgrade (CNBC)

Transcript

Welcome to the Rixon Sports Report, the fastest three minutes in sports business, the Wednesday, May 21st, 2025.

It’s official, the NCAA will be out of the enforcement game, ceding control to the newly created College Sports Commission created by the Power 4 conferences in the wake of the house settlement.  NCAA President Charlie Baker confirming the news Tuesday.  Where does this split rules enforcement?  The College Sports Commission will oversee amateurism, the revenue-sharing cap and NIL deals, while the NCAA will maintain control of academic eligibility, in-game rules, sports betting and championships.  As of right now the CSC has no CEO and no clear set of rules.  We’ll see how this plays out - more at Front Office Sports.

Sticking with Front Office Sports, they’ve got a great story this morning about NBA ratings, which we’ve been watching closely.  NBA ratings through the first two rounds are up 3% from last year.  The semifinals with a modest 1% bump vs. a 6% increase in the first round.  The conference finals will be a true test considering only one “true” major market team remains in the New York Knicks. 

Sportico’s Brendan Coffee with a breakdown this morning of ESPN/Penn Entertainment’s deal, implying that this is a real “make or break” year for the two entities.  BetESPN lags behind their competitors with a 3% market share as they approach 2026 when Disney can exit the ten year deal early.  They jumped to as high as 7% after they sold Barstool Sports back to Dave Portnoy and severing their gambling relationship for $1 and signed the deal with ESPN.  Penn Entertainment’s CEO Jay Snowden has not confirmed what that market share number needs to look like but has discussed it needing to get up to 10%.  The lack of success has put pressure on Penn Entertainment to deliver, with shareholders like Vora Capital openly criticizing Penn’s deals and trying to leverage for leadership change.  Penn Entertainment getting it from all sides, we’ll see how this one winds up.

CNBC with Roger Goodell discussing the league’s international game portfolio, which he has stated may double within the next few years, up to nearly 16 games per season from its current 7 game slate.  While many fans are critical of the addition, the NFL sees international games as an open opportunity for them.  Goodell appearing at the network’s CEO Summit alongside Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano, who touched on the role of sports travel within his company.  Nearly $50 billion annually is spent on sports tourism, nearly 10% of all global tourism, just shows you a little bit of the economic power of sport.

Back over to geographic neck of the woods, the USTA announced an $800 million investment in US Open facilities in New York.  The privately-funded modernization of of Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Queens should be ready by 2027, will include a new grand entrance, modernized concourses and restrooms, two new dedicated luxury suite levels, with new club and restaurant areas.  The renovation will also add 2,000 seats in the courtside-level bowl and a new player-performance center.  CNBC with scoop on this as well.