MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday appeared together at a sports business forum organized by Turner Sports at the '16 CES in Las Vegas, each giving another strong endorsement for daily fantasy sports. Both commissioners said they remain convinced that DFS represents a strong and legal form of fan engagement despite the ongoing political pushback. "It’s important that this industry has transparency and appropriate regulation," Manfred said. Silver went further, calling the skill-versus-chance debate surrounding DFS and fueling many of the ongoing lawsuits a "distraction" from a needed conversation around appropriate guidelines for the industry. "It’s a healthy form of entertainment," he said of DFS. "It’s frankly a lot healthier than the alternative, which is illegal sports betting." MLB is formally aligned with DraftKings and has equity in the company, while the NBA holds a similar relationship with FanDuel (Eric Fisher, Staff Writer).
TALKING TECH: In Las Vegas, Steve Carp notes both Manfred and Silver agreed that technology "is something their leagues need to continue to embrace." At the same time, they "emphasized the need to ensure an in-person experience isn't compromised at the expense of streaming a game on a tablet." Silver: "Going to major league sporting events are like modern town halls. People crave being around other people." Manfred said that going to the ballpark "is generational, and that a kid who goes with his dad to his first major league baseball game will remember that experience for a lifetime." Carp notes both commissioners "have concerns that because of the proximity fans have to players that there is a danger for something inappropriate that gets said or done and leads the league to apply disciplinary measures." Manfred: "These are very different times. Fans have never been closer to the game than they are now." Silver added, "We have to be incredibly careful. Anything you say can get picked up. I've told our players they need to be more aware and cautious as to what they say and do" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 1/8). MLB.com's Richard Justice wrote Manfred and Silver "represent a new generation of sports leadership" in that they "understand that technology has made sports better in ways no one could have imagined not long ago" (MLB.com, 1/7).
