Afternoon Edition
POWERED BY
Comcast is jumping into the skinny bundle game, but can it stand out in a packed streaming market shaken up by the collapse of Venu Sports? We break down how it compares to DirecTV’s MySports and what it means for cord-cutters.
—Eric Fisher, David Rumsey, and Colin Salao
Comcast
Another week, another sports-oriented skinny bundle from a major content distributor.
Just nine days after DirecTV introduced its MySports streaming package, Comcast is rolling out its own competing bundle of channels designed to cater to sports fans. The new Sports & News TV offering from the country’s No. 2 cable distributor will combine more than 50 broadcast, sports, and cable news channels in a cheaper and more condensed selection than a traditional cable or satellite TV subscription.
Like the DirecTV package, Sports & News TV will feature major networks such as ESPN and Fox—two of the key partners of the recently shuttered Venu Sports. Pricing will be essentially identical, with the $70 per month fee for the Comcast offering matching up with the non-promotional price of $69.99 per month for MySports. But like MySports, Sports & News TV omits many prominent sports outlets, with the absences here including Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT and TBS, regional sports networks not owned by Comcast, and key streaming entities such as Amazon, among others.
There are some particular elements to Sports & News TV, however, including the addition of Comcast’s Peacock streaming service. NBA basketball will also be a more prominent part of the package this fall once NBC Sports begins its rights deal with the league.
Comcast is seeking to position the package as a more affordable alternative to Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV, each starting at $82.99 per month after the latter’s price increase last month.
Fubo, whose successful injunction against Venu Sports helped lead to that company never reaching a public debut, is another digital competitor in the same price range. Sling TV also offers streaming TV packages ranging from $45 to $61.
The Comcast bundle will be available through both streaming platforms and the company’s X1 TV box.
The move also arrives in a period of corporate transition, as Comcast in November announced plans to spin off most of its cable network holdings.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The accelerating power of Europe’s top pro soccer teams was on full display as the sport’s highest-profile clubs enjoyed a banner 2024 economically, led by Real Madrid becoming the first to surpass €1 billion ($1.04 billion) in annual revenue.
The LaLiga giant topped the 2025 Deloitte Football Money League, the annual report released Thursday from the consulting firm. The club’s €1.046 billion in revenue for the 2023–2024 season, fueled in part by the impact of renovations to its Bernabéu Stadium and titles in both LaLiga and the 2024 Champions League, rose by roughly 15% from the year before. The top five clubs for the year included:
No North American club ranked in the top 30 clubs cited in the Deloitte report. The No. 30 entrant, Brazil’s Flamengo, generated $206.5 million. Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami previously projected a league-record $200 million in 2024 revenue, but it’s not certain whether that was achieved, and even if so, does not appear to have been enough to make the list.
Instead, the Premier League again held a dominant position, claiming nine of the top 20 slots, and 14 of the top 30.
The top 20 clubs on the list combined to generate a record $11.6 billion in revenue, up 6% from a year ago. Deloitte cited a mix of factors for the boost, including increased stadium capacities, heightened broadcast revenues, and upward trends in ticketing and sponsorship.
European clubs are also getting more active in pursuing non-match events at their facilities, as well as creating mixed-use developments around their stadiums—mirroring what has already become a core part of North American sports.
“Recognition of the reliability and potential upside from venue-generated income has led to half of the Money League pursuing stadia redevelopment in 2025,” Deloitte said.
SPONSORED BY VERIZON
The digital age demands connectivity that keeps up with fans’ expectations. In our latest white paper, The Connectivity Blueprint, we explore how Verizon and HPE Aruba Networking are transforming live events with cutting-edge solutions. From seamless Wi-Fi and cellular integration to real-time data analytics and personalized experiences, this partnership is setting new standards for fan engagement, venue operations, and revenue growth.
Discover how this game-changing collaboration is powering the next era of sports and entertainment experiences.
Read the full white paper.
Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
ORLANDO — Men’s professional golf is set to remain divided in 2025 as LIV Golf continues to upend the sport, but discussions are happening between new leaders in the game.
PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague, who is in his first week on the job, says he will “absolutely” be speaking with Scott O’Neil, the newly named CEO of LIV Golf.
“He’s already reached out to me, in email,” Sprague told Front Office Sports at the 2025 PGA Show in Orlando. “We’re going to try to get together. We have so much new leadership in the golf ecosystem today. So, looking to meet with all of them, including Scott from LIV Golf.”
This week, Sprague formally replaced Seth Waugh at the PGA of America, one of golf’s governing bodies that is separate from the PGA Tour but oversees one men’s major, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. operations of the Ryder Cup. Last week, O’Neil took over the reins from Greg Norman at LIV. There are also relatively new chief executives at the DP World Tour (European Tour) and the R&A, while the LPGA is searching for a new commissioner.
The PGA Tour continues to negotiate with LIV’s financial backers at the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. But unlike the PGA Tour, LIV Golfers are not banned from competing in PGA of America–operated events. In 2023, Brooks Koepka, a LIV player, won the PGA Championship.
For Sprague, conversations with LIV’s new CEO will be accompanied by talks with other leaders in golf, like top executives at Augusta National, the USGA, and R&A.
“Working with the other major championships to make sure that on the spectator side we can build unity there,” Sprague says of his goal. “It’s been a little divisive in the last couple years. And as recreational golf is booming, the fans have been disenchanted with all the talk about money in the professional game.”
Another controversial issue involving more money in men’s golf is the PGA of America’s decision to begin paying players on the U.S. Ryder Cup team a $200,000 stipend, in addition to an increase in money for charity.
Since 1999, American Ryder Cup players have received $200,000 to allocate to a charity of their choice. This year, that will increase to $300,000, and they will also receive an additional $200,000 that they keep or donate.
“Would I like them to play for just the flag, so to speak? Absolutely,” Sprague says. “But, at the end of the day, they are giving up a week. They are coming and playing this great event.”
The Ryder Cup is a moneymaking mission. NBC pays the PGA of America $55 million for the U.S. media rights to each edition of the biennial team event, as part of a $440 million deal running through the 2031 edition. Meanwhile, the cheapest tickets for this September’s Ryder Cup in New York started at $750—and sold out in no time.
“When you take it over a 25-year period, to go from $200,000 to $500,000, I didn’t make a lot of it,” Sprague says of the stipend increase.
Charities could still be the big winners of the changes—U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley has already said he will donate all of his $200,000. “Hopefully some other players will follow suit,” Sprague says.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
NFL in Brazil ⬆ The league is in talks with Brazilian officials about a long-term contract for the country to host up to two NFL games a year, according to The Athletic. The Eagles defeated the Packers in São Paulo on Sept. 6, the first time the league played a game in South America.
Madison Keys ⬆ The American upset world No. 2 Iga Świątek to reach her first Grand Slam final since the 2017 US Open. That result was also her single-biggest payday ($1.8 million), though she is already guaranteed about $1.2 million for making the final in Melbourne. Keys, who turned pro in 2009 when she was 14 years old, has earned more than $19 million in her career. The world No. 19–ranked player would be the first American to win a tennis Grand Slam title since Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open.
Mike Tirico ⬆ The NBC Sports announcer already held a lofty position at the network, including serving as the primetime host for Olympics coverage and handling play-by-play duties for Sunday Night Football. Now he’ll add a role as the lead play-by-play voice for the network’s NBA coverage beginning this fall. Tirico previously called NBA games at ESPN from 2002 to 2016.
Rays ⬇ The planned renovations to the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, previously pegged to be done for the start of the 2026 season, could very well miss that timetable. The city of St. Petersburg, Fla., wrote a letter to the MLB club, saying it is not under a formal or legal obligation to meet that target, even as it intends to “diligently pursue” the one-year repair schedule.
SPONSORED BY COCOAVIA
In the fast-paced world of sports, where fractions of a second define greatness, VO2 max stands out as the gold standard for measuring endurance and performance. But it’s not just for the pros—VO2 max is a key indicator of overall health and longevity for everyone.
It measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise, linking it to endurance, fitness capacity, and long-term health. Improving your VO2 max can boost performance, support heart health, and help you stay strong over time.
Learn more about two proven strategies to enhance it: heart-healthy habits supported by CocoaVia™ Cardio Health and targeted exercise routines. Use code FOS2025 for 20% off CocoaVia Cardio and Memory products.
If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.
Copyright © 2025 Front Office Sports. All rights reserved.
460 Park Avenue South, 7th Floor, New York NY, 10016
Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletters
