Sources said that Twitter is "in talks" with the NBA, MLS and Turner about "acquiring digital streaming rights for content related to live sports and events." That "could include things like actual game footage similar to the deal Twitter struck with the NFL to stream some of its Thursday Night Football games later this fall." But it could also be "fringe content, pre- or post-game material similar to the live interviews and analysis Twitter streamed around Wimbledon earlier this week" (RECODE.net, 7/8).

The UFC "took it to the last minute" yesterday before announcing that Anderson Silva would "step in to replace" Jon Jones against Daniel Cormier on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena at UFC 200. UFC President Dana White said that the fight "wasn’t formally made" until 7:30pm PT. White said that the UFC "switched the bout order, moving the women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes to main event status." Heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Mark Hunt "will be the co-main, with Cormier-Silva as the third bout on the main card" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/8).

The Heat yesterday announced that it will sell all merchandise of G Dwyane Wade, who announced his intentions to sign with the Bulls, today “for $13 for the 13 years he spent in Miami.” The Heat “also will take out full-page color ads featuring Wade in the three major South Florida newspapers as part of a Flashback Friday” in honor Wade, whose nickname is “Flash.” The franchise’s social media platforms “will post galleries, videos and graphics of Wade” throughout the day (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/7).

Meanwhile, the Warriors sold over 1,000 Kevin Durant jerseys on warriors.com the first two hours they were available yesterday upon making his signing with the team official. The franchise also has seen a 1,019% increase in deposits for its season-ticket priority wait list this week over the same week last year. The wait list currently has over 31,500 members (THE DAILY).

Roger Federer and Milos Raonic are playing in the first Wimbledon men’s semifinal matches this morning, and the fact John McEnroe, who coaches Raonic, is calling the match for the BBC does not sit well with some Twitter users. The N.Y. Times’ Christopher Clarey: “Don't know how much Milos Raonic is paying John McEnroe but if he's paying him anything McEnroe shouldn't be commentating his matches on BBC.” Freelance writer Ben Rothenberg: “Surely BBC could have found a commentator not on a player's payroll for this match. Surely.” The Chicago Tribune’s Dawn Rhodes: “BBC on a roll, guys. First they question Serena on equal pay, then they let McEnroe commentate a match of a man he coaches” (TWITTER.com, 7/8).

MLB has hired former Fox Sports Dir of Communications Ileana Pena as the league’s new Senior Dir of Business Communications. Pena had been with the network for 17 years, and earlier this year accepted a buyout package. Pena will start during next week’s All-Star Game events in San Diego, and will report to VP/Business PR Matt Bourne. She will in particular handle communications efforts in areas such as TV, marketing, player promotion and with Spanish language media outlets.

The MLB All-Star FanFest today "begins a five-day run" at the downtown San Diego Convention Center. It "encompasses 500,000 square feet of convention center space." The average amount of time "spent by fans at FanFest is 3 1/2 hours." The event includes giveaways, 128 artifacts from the Baseball HOF and interactive exhibits, which involve "running, throwing or hitting" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 6/8).

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft yesterday afternoon were "seen strolling around" the mountain resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, that is home to Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley Conference, "chatting and relaxing." Kraft was "spotted from the first day" of the event "chatting with media titans" like Discovery Communications President & CEO David Zaslav (N.Y. POST, 7/8).

Beau Hossler, the '15 NCAA player of the year for men's golf, has "forgone his senior season at Texas and turned pro." He "signed with Dallas-based Hambric Sports Management and will be represented by David Winkle" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 7/7).

AHL Syracuse Crunch Owner Howard Dolgon on Thursday said that he has "begun preliminary planning for the team to host another outdoor game" in the '17-18 season at NBT Bank Stadium, home of the Triple-A Int'l League Syracuse Chiefs (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 7/8).

The crowd at Day 1 of the U.S. Women's Open at CordeValle Golf Club outside of S.F. was "consistent through the late afternoon with a steady stream of fans watching each hole" (GILROY DISPATCH, 7/8).

“I don’t want to go through this again. I plan on being here. I’m committed” – Warriors F Kevin Durant, on possibly facing free agency again as soon as next offseason (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/8).

“If the owners weren’t making this kind of money they wouldn’t be handing out these types of contracts” – NBCSN’s Dave Briggs, on NBA teams’ free-agent spending after a salary cap increase from the league’s new TV deals (“Power Lunch,” CNBC, 7/7).

For national broadcasts, the network often "blows into town and kicks the local affiliate to the curb," but Fox instead will be "working in concert" with FS San Diego and KSWB-Fox on its MLB All-Star Game coverage. FSSD's studios are "actually inside Petco Park," and Fox will "use sets inside the FSSD studios" for the ASG.

Also:

• The possibility of a Trump presidency has "raised concerns" among foreign MLBers.
• Golfer Se Ri Pak "opened the world of the LPGA to Korean players."

Thing about equal pay warriors in tennis, I never hear them say Olympic marathon runners should earn more than Usain Bolt

— Ian Prior (@ianprior) July 8, 2016

Anderson Silva will spend next 2 days "going to mall & having ice cream" w/his kid. That means I've been in UFC training for 10 years now.

— Jason Smith (@howaboutafresca) July 8, 2016

European telecom company Altice and Newsday yesterday said that Patrick Dolan, Charles Dolan's son and brother of Knicks and NHL Rangers Owner James Dolan, has led a group that "has bought back" 75% of the newspaper. Patrick Dolan "will be president, while Charles Dolan will have a 'small financial interest'" and serve on Newsday's board. Altice keeps a 25% stake (AP, 7/7).

Last night’s “Final Jeopardy!” was “British Literary Characters.”

“In an 1887 novel this narrator’s old wartime injury is in his shoulder; in an 1890 novel by the same author, it’s in his leg.”

Comedy Central’s Larry Wilmore said the Rio Games were going to be the “nastiest Olympics ever” and "The Nightly Show" kicked off its Olympic coverage with a segment called “Hell-ympics 2016 The Final Olympiad.” The broadcast aired several news reports on the water quality around Rio, with Wilmore noting, "Normally when I think of the dangers of Brazil, I usually think of gangs” (“The Nightly Show,” Comedy Central, 7/6).

“Who is Dr. Watson?”