U.S. women's national soccer team F Abby Wambach is getting "her own star commercial turn" in a new ad from LED lighting company Cree. In the 90-second spot breaking Friday ahead of the start of the Women's World Cup Saturday, Wambach is "literally shooting the lights outs" on a darkened indoor field. When all her shots have "exploded the old lights, she reaches into her gym bag for a clicker and turns on the new Cree LED lights." The tagline reads: "Time to End Bad Lighting." The ad is tied to Cree's #LightABetterWay social media campaign (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 6/5).

The Warriors set an NBA record for arena merchandise sales tied to Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The per cap was in the range of $20, producing about $392,000 in retail sales from attendance of 19,596 at Oracle Arena. League officials said those numbers are 32% higher than the previous Game 1 record, established during the '09 Finals at Staples Center. Gameday Merchandising runs Oracle Arena’s team store, as well as the Warriors’ online retail operation. For the NBA playoffs, the vendor also opened a store in Westfield S.F. Centre, an upscale downtown mall.

Pocono Raceway on Friday announced that two new video screen towers will be installed at the track, each featuring two HD displays. The towers are being designed, installed and operated by ANC Sports Enterprises, making Pocono the first major NASCAR track to feature ANC's technology. Each of the four screens will measure about 24 feet high by 30 feet wide. The double-sided displays will stand at either side of pit row (Pocono Raceway).

NFL owners prefer that if two teams move to the L.A. area, they do so simultaneously and are equal partners in a new stadium, said Carmen Policy, who is overseeing the Chargers' and Raiders' efforts to potentially build a stadium in Carson, Calif. By contrast, Rams Owner Stan Kroenke has already by himself bought the land to build a stadium in Inglewood, Calif. While he could at this stage bring on another team on as an equal partner, he already is working with a real estate developer.

A source said that at the NFL L.A. Committee meeting next Wednesday in N.Y., a key issue will be the terms of a potential lease for a second team in a building. The committee will take a look at all the possible permutations of which teams work best together. Policy emphasized that the owners do not want one team as a tenant in a building with another in control.

The IOC on Sunday kicks off three days of meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland. Among many other issues, the program for the '18 PyeongChang Games is up for final approval, and that could mean synchronized figure skating will be added for the first time. Synchronized skating is a radically different form of the sport, with 16 skaters on the ice simultaneously. Adding the discipline would more than double the size of the figure skating team and impose new costs on the NGBs, but also create potentially lucrative new revenue opportunities.

Supporters believe synchro could be a TV ratings hit and a massive sponsorship opportunity, because it adds visual complexity and a team dynamic without sacrificing the grace and artistry that make the core disciplines so popular with viewers. U.S. Figure Skating Dir of Communications Barbara Reichert said,  "In America, synchronized skating is one of our fastest growing disciplines. It’s an exciting sport to watch, and the team aspect of it really makes it popular right around that age group, in college and coming out college."

The IOC also will detail the process by which Toyko Games organizers will nominate a new sport for inclusion in the '20 program. After the board meets, the full IOC will hear presentations from the two candidate cities to host the '22 Games – Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan. The IOC will choose a winner during a meeting in Malaysia on July 31. Embattled FIFA President and IOC member Sepp Blatter will not attend.

Watkins Glen Int'l will promote upcoming race events by sponsoring the NWSL Flash during Saturday's home game against the Red Stars. The jerseys will feature logos for the track and Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen event. Track staff will be at Sahlen's Stadium to greet fans and promote the June 25-28 event, which features the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and five other racing series. Watkins Glen also will sponsor halftime activities. Saturday's activation is promoted on the team's landing page (THE DAILY).

The film "United Passions," which "received 90% of its funding from FIFA," makes its U.S. theatrical debut Friday. The movie aims to show how FIFA under presidents Jules Rimet ('21-54), Joao Havelange ('74-98) and Sepp Blatter ('98-present) "fostered international good will as it spread their love of the beautiful game." But in the wake of the FIFA indictments and Blatter's resignation, "the story sounds downright laughable" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/3).

The N.Y. TIMES' Daniel Gold writes "United Passions" is "one of the most unwatchable films in recent memory, a dishonest bit of corporate sanitizing that's no good even for laughs." The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Andy Lewis calls it the "most boring sports movie of all time," and "nothing short of propaganda." IGN.com lists the film's "19 most ridiculous moments." At presstime, the movie has a ROTTEN TOMATOES score of 0% and a METACRITIC rating of 1 out of 10.

Nike has settled “a contentious and high-profile lawsuit against three former shoe designers” who left to join adidas. Terms of the settlement, which was “reached somewhat suddenly,” were not disclosed (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/5).

Energizer EcoAdvanced Batteries will serve as the primary sponsor of Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Verizon IndyCar Series No. 9 Chevrolet driven by Scott Dixon during Saturday’s Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway (Target Chip Ganassi Racing).

Sporting KC and Boulevard Brewing Company unveiled the latest activation of their partnership: a line of co-branded apparel to be sold at Sporting Park and the brewery's Dry Goods store. Also, a new limited release beer called Sporting Saison will debut at the July 18 Impact-Sporting KC match (Sporting KC).

"USA Track & Field has not made any changes or updates to Bruce's name, nor have we received any request from Caitlyn Jenner to change or add any name references, but we will be discussing it" – USATF Chief Public Affairs Officer Jill Geer, on whether the NGB had any plans to change the name on any of Bruce Jenner's historical records (Ben Fischer, SportsBusiness Journal).

“Haven’t won enough races or championships” – NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson, on being left off the newly formed drivers’ council (AP, 6/4).

"You win the Super Bowl, and I'll call Bill Ford Jr. and tell him to give you one" – NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, to Lions WR Golden Tate, on the Ford Mustang GT pace car for the Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 race at Michigan Int'l Speedway (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 6/5).

"When I came to Indy Car, I felt, 'I’m home. This is really American.' But when I came to NASCAR, it made Indy seem European. It’s totally American" – Driver Danica Patrick, in a story for PARADE magazine, which put NASCAR on its list of "National Treasures" (PARADE.com, 6/5).

"These evolutions will allow us to put more things on live TV, to reach more people with the events they care about. That’s what we want to do” – ESPN senior coordinating producer Amy Rosenfeld, on using new technology to utilize smaller and more dispersed production crews (USATODAY.com, 6/5).

Jeff Gordon says drivers council is one of "top-10" things he sees happening in the sport right now. #nascar

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 5, 2015

I have little faith in the NFL on domestic violence. All eyes on Roger Goodell & Co. with John Bowlen.

— Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) June 5, 2015

No better moment in TV than @andrewperloff Belmont Stakes vignettes. @dpshow

— Dan Cahill (@dancahill_cst) June 5, 2015

Just saw Pat Venditte's promotion on ESPN's "Bottom Line", under the sport header "Switch Pitcher". Dude's got his own category, already.

— Rob Anderson (@_robanderson) June 5, 2015

American Pharoah barn branded by @MonsterEnergy @jazz3162 @JustinZayat pic.twitter.com/UuWsvq8GXM

— Ben Sturner (@leverageagency) June 5, 2015

Saturday

Vikings Exec VP/Football Operations Rob Brzezinski and his wife Leah will host a fundraiser for the Arete Academy for Exceptional and Gifted Children at the team's training site at Winter Park.

This trailer for "NBA 2K16" eschews gameplay footage in favor of highlighting director Spike Lee's involvement in the video game franchise.

250,000 – Approximate number of paying subscribers for over-the-top service Sling TV, according to industry execs. If the "vast majority of those subscribers are paying the service’s base rate of $20 a month," it is generating more than $5M a month (RECODE.net, 6/5).