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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Sources: OpTic Gaming Finalizes Investment With Group Led By MLB Rangers Co-Owner

OpTic Gaming has "finalized an investment deal" with a group led by MLB Rangers co-Owner Neil Leibman, according to sources cited by Jacob Wolf of ESPN.com. As a result, the team "acquired the Overwatch League slot in Houston -- where Leibman is based" -- for $20M paid over time. Sources said that OpTic has also "expanded its reach by applying for a spot in the North American League of Legends Championship Series and has advanced to Phase 2 of the application process." Leibman is the second Rangers co-Owner to invest in an esports team and "pursue a slot in the Overwatch League." In August, Rangers board member Kenneth Hersh reportedly invested $35M into Team EnVyUs and obtained rights to an Overwatch League slot in Dallas. Chaney Sports Group "advised on the Leibman deal." Sources said that Overwatch developer Blizzard Entertainment "sought other options for the league" -- including the Rockets -- but "was turned down." Should OpTic be accepted into the LCS, it will have to pay $13M in franchising fees for a "permanent spot in the league" (ESPN.com, 9/12).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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