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Year End

2014 sports business timeline

A month-by-month stroll through the year

Jan. 1
The Bridgestone Winter Classic, featuring the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, draws a record crowd of 105,491 at Michigan Stadium.

Jan. 8
The LPGA and CME Group announce they have partnered to create the Race to the CME Globe, a seasonlong points competition that will debut during the 2014 LPGA season.
World Wrestling Entertainment announces the creation of WWE Network, a full-time, over-the-top digital network combining live and on-demand content.

Jan. 14
The Professional Bull Riders and AEG announce they have partnered to create the PBR Velocity Tour, a new bull riding series that will begin its inaugural season in March.

Jan. 16

Photo by: Getty Images

MLB owners unanimously approve a new instant replay system that will allow a variety of on-field plays to be challenged by managers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and pitcher Clayton Kershaw announce they have agreed to a seven-year, $215 million contract. At $30.7 million a season, the average annual value of the contract is the highest ever for a player at any position.

Jan. 21
Notre Dame and Under Armour announce they have agreed to the most valuable shoe and apparel contract in college sports history. Sources say the value of the deal, in cash and merchandise combined, is about $90 million.

Photo by: Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images
Jan. 22
NASCAR unveils its qualifying format changes for 2014, switching to a group “knockout” qualifying process in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series.
ESPN and the Aspen Skiing Co. announce a deal that will keep the Winter X Games at Aspen’s Buttermilk ski area for another five years through 2019.

Jan. 24
Fox says it is taking a majority stake in the YES Network, a little more than a year after Fox first invested in the regional sports network.

Jan. 28
College athletes for the first time ask to be represented by a labor union, as a group of Northwestern University football players takes formal steps to begin the process of being recognized as employees.

Jan. 29
Notre Dame announces it will move ahead with its $400 million Campus Crossroads project to add three academic and student life buildings on the exterior of Notre Dame Stadium. The project also includes premium seating options for fans and a hospitality area.

Jan. 30
The NFL announces plans for an over-the-top service called NFL Now that will debut in the summer. The service will provide highlights, news, features, archival material and on-demand programming.

Jan. 31
David Stern serves his final day as NBA commissioner, ending a 30-year tenure and clearing the way for Adam Silver to assume the post.

Feb. 2
Super Bowl XLVIII on Fox draws the largest audience in U.S. television history despite the Seattle Seahawks’ blowout win over the Denver Broncos. The game averages a 46.7 final rating and 112.5 million viewers.

Feb. 4

Magic Johnson and former Spark Lisa Leslie
Photo by: NBAE / Getty Images

Magic Johnson and Los Angeles Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter partner to buy the WNBA Sparks.
Learfield Sports acquires Nelligan Sports, a deal that will move all of Nelligan’s 41 college properties under the Learfield banner and further consolidate the college sports marketing space.

Feb. 5
The NFL awards CBS a Thursday night package of games, selecting the network over competing bids from ABC, Fox, NBC and Turner. Sources say the deal is worth at least $275 million.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber announces that David Beckham will get an expansion franchise in Miami if Beckham and his investors can secure a new stadium.

Feb. 7
The Winter Olympics get underway in Sochi, Russia, with the opening ceremony.

Feb. 13
Comcast agrees to buy Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion in stock, in a deal that would combine the nation’s two biggest cable operators.

Feb. 20
Several major sports properties, Time Inc. and Campus Insiders announce a digital joint venture called 120 Sports. The concept behind the 24-hour digital network is providing video content in two-minute segments.

Feb. 27
ESPN gives 15 college conferences their own dedicated, national TV channels stocked with live events and on-demand replays, streamed over the Internet, initially to Apple TV and Roku devices.

March 5
The Buffalo Bills announce they are postponing their scheduled regular-season home game in Toronto this year and moving it back to Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills use the year to evaluate opportunities to enhance future games played in Toronto, but eventually decide to abandon the series.
Wasserman Media Group’s talks to acquire NFL player representation firm Athletes First end with no agreement.

Photo by: Getty Images
March 7
Verizon nears completion of a 10-year, $100 million deal to become the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series. Sources say that under terms of the deal, Verizon would commit to spend about $10 million a year in rights, activation and media.

March 17
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler files a class action lawsuit in federal court against the NCAA and the five richest college conferences on behalf of college football and men’s basketball players. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent the enforcement of NCAA rules limiting the amount of financial aid players can receive.

March 19

Photo by: Getty Images

Texas Motor Speedway lights up as track officials unveil the world’s largest high-definition LED video board. Dubbed “Big Hoss TV,” the video board stands 12 stories high.

March 24
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant forms Kobe Inc. and announces an investment in sports drink company BodyArmor. His new company intends to start businesses and evaluate investing in others.

March 31
Under Armour moves into NASCAR, signing multiyear sponsorships with Hendrick Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing.

April 4
The Chicago Cubs’ home opener launches the centennial celebration for Wrigley Field, one of only two major league ballparks to reach its 100th birthday.

April 14
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has signed a new deal with Adidas that will make him one of the highest-earning endorsers in the NBA. Sources said the deal is for up to 10 years and could be worth up to $100 million.

April 16
New York-based Fortress Investment Group co-founder Wesley Edens and Avenue Capital Group Chairman and CEO Marc Lasry agree to buy the Milwaukee Bucks for $550 million from Herb Kohl.
MLS announces that Atlanta will be the 22nd team in the league. The team will begin play in 2017 in the new $1.2 billion Falcons stadium scheduled to open that year.
Nike and USA Track & Field announce a 23-year sponsorship extension that is valued at more than $400 million.

Photo by: Getty Images
April 21
The 118th running of the Boston Marathon is staged without incident under tight security. The event begins after a moment of silence honoring the victims of last year’s bombing.

April 29
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issues a lifetime ban to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling as punishment for racist comments made by Sterling. The NBA would later force the sale of the team.

May 1
Ground is broken for Las Vegas’ first major new arena in 30 years. MGM Resorts and AEG are partnering to build the $375 million, 20,000-seat arena that is slated to open in 2016.

May 5
The Big East and Big Ten conferences announce the formation of the Dave Gavitt Tipoff Games, a four-day, eight-game season-opening challenge between the conferences beginning in 2015-16.
Camping World has extended its title sponsorship of NASCAR’s truck series through 2022. The deal is valued at more than $5 million a year in rights fees and media commitments.
The Dew Tour will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this year with a return to Portland for the first time since 2011. The tour also will expand from three to four events.

May 7
NBC signs a $7.65 billion deal with the IOC to keep the rights to the Olympic Games through 2032.

May 12
MLS signs new eight-year media rights deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision. ESPN and Fox are paying a combined average of $75 million for English-language rights to MLS and U.S. Soccer matches. Univision’s Spanish-language deal averages $15 million per year.

May 14
The USTA unveils plans for a $60 million training and tournament center at Lake Nona, Fla., that will become the new home of American tennis by the end of 2016.

May 16
WWE clinches an agreement with NBCUniversal to bring its popular wrestling shows, “Raw” and “Smackdown,” back to the NBC family.

May 20

Photo by: NBAE / Getty Images

The Charlotte Hornets formally execute their transition away from the Bobcats brand.
The Sacramento City Council approves the construction of a $477 million downtown arena for the Kings, ending years of effort to get the project started.

May 29
The LPGA and PGA of America are teaming up to create a new major championship for women’s golf. Accounting firm KPMG will be the title sponsor of the event, which will be played in June 2015 at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y.

May 30
Los Angeles Clippers co-owner Rochelle Sterling agrees to sell the team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for $2 billion, which is the second-highest price ever paid for a sports team in North America.

June 6
The Jacksonville Jaguars turn heads with the development of 20 cabanas as part of the team’s $63 million renovation at EverBank Field. The party cabanas are a first at an NFL stadium and feature larger units that are tied to two swimming pools.

Photo by: Getty Images
June 12
The FIFA World Cup gets underway as host nation Brazil comes back and defeats Croatia 3-1.
The U.S. Open gets underway at Pinehurst Country Club. It’s the start of a historic back-to-back moment that will see the resort host the men’s tournament immediately followed by the U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

June 16
The USOC narrows the list of potential bid cities for the 2024 Summer Games to Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

June 18
The Breeders’ Cup announces plans to return to Kentucky after what will be a four-year absence. The 2015 event will be at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington.
Lexington Mayor Jim Gray announces that he is scuttling the $350 million proposed renovation project for Rupp Arena and an attached convention center after the University of Kentucky told city and state officials that it was interested only in a scaled-back Rupp Arena renovation.

June 23
JMI Sports makes its first multimedia rights client a big one, winning the University of Kentucky’s multimedia marketing rights with a 15-year, $210 million agreement.

June 26

Photo by: Getty Images

Oakland A’s co-owner Lew Wolff surprises Oakland and Alameda County officials with an announcement that the team has reached a 10-year lease agreement to stay at O.co Coliseum and will consider remaining in Oakland even longer if a new stadium is built at its current site.

July 1
Twelve Division I programs officially change conference affiliations today, meaning that more than 40 percent of the 128 schools to play at the FBS level this coming season will have made at least one move over the past decade.

July 2
Mandalay Baseball Properties has sold the Class A Midwest League Dayton Dragons, owners of the longest sellout streak in U.S. pro sports, to Palisades Arcadia Baseball, led in part by Memphis Grizzlies investor and veteran minor league team operator Michael Savit. Sources said the deal is for nearly $40 million, a record sum for a Minor League Baseball team.

July 7
The top teams in NASCAR have united to form the Race Team Alliance, a business association designed to improve revenue and reduce costs for Sprint Cup teams.

July 14
LeBron James has signed a two-year, $42.1 million deal with the Cavaliers, marking his return to Cleveland.
AECOM has announced plans to buy rival URS Corp. in a $6 billion deal that will turn the merged company into one of the world’s largest construction and engineering firms. Also this month, AECOM announces its acquisition of Hunt Construction.

Photo by: Olympia Development
July 20
The Ilitch family unveils plans for a new Red Wings arena and surrounding entertainment district in downtown Detroit, including as many as 2,000 new residential units and dozens of shops.

July 23
Pat Bowlen, one of the most iconic owners in NFL history, is giving up control of the Denver Broncos as he acknowledges he is dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sporting Kansas City unveils plans to build a $75 million-plus, 190-acre National Training & Coaching Development Center that will serve as a home base for the U.S. Soccer Federation and its national teams.

July 28
The NBPA makes history by electing Michele Roberts the first female executive director of a sports union in North America.

Aug. 2
The Guinness International Champions Cup Manchester United-Real Madrid match at Michigan Stadium attracts 109,318 fans, the most ever to watch a soccer game in the United States.

Aug. 3

Photo by: Getty Images

Computer tablets are allowed on NFL sidelines for the first time as the New York Giants play the Buffalo Bills in the Pro Football Hall of Fame game.

Aug. 5
Michael Phelps will launch his own swimwear brand ahead of the 2016 Rio Games through a partnership with Aqua Sphere.

Aug. 7
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors votes 16-2 to grant the power five conferences more freedom to pass legislation without the approval of the full NCAA membership.

Aug. 8
U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken rules in favor of a group of plaintiffs led by Ed O’Bannon, saying that the NCAA’s limits on what major college football and men’s basketball players can receive for playing sports unreasonably restrain trade in violation of antitrust laws.

Aug. 14
The SEC Network launches with a three-hour “SEC Now,” which will be the network’s signature news show.
MLB owners elect Rob Manfred as the league’s 10th commissioner after an all-day meeting that required a half-dozen votes to break an impasse.

Aug. 17
Levi’s Stadium plays host to its first NFL game as the San Francisco 49ers take on the Denver Broncos.

Aug. 19
HOK has acquired 360 Architecture, combining two of the most active design firms in the sports facility industry.

Jonathan Ledecky (left), Charles Wang and Scott Malkin
Photo by: Getty Images
Aug. 20
New York Islanders owner Charles Wang agrees to sell a minority stake in the team to former Washington Capitals co-owner Jonathan Ledecky and London-based investor Scott Malkin, who will assume majority control of the Brooklyn-bound team in two years.

Aug. 28
Comcast and NASCAR are set to announce a 10-year sponsorship agreement that will turn the sport’s secondary circuit into the Xfinity Series. The deal is valued at close to $200 million.

Aug. 31
A sellout crowd of 45,733 turns out to see Baylor open its new McLane Stadium against SMU.

Sept. 7
Atlanta Hawks managing partner Bruce Levenson says he will sell his controlling interest in the franchise because of an offensive internal email sent two years ago regarding, in part, the lack of white fans at Philips Arena.

Sept. 8
The NFL is rocked as TMZ releases video showing Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City casino elevator.

Sept. 10
Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula have submitted a reported $1.4 billion winning bid for the Bills.

Sept. 15
Wasserman Media Group has received a $100 million investment from Silicon Valley-based Madrone Capital Partners.

Sept. 16
Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks has signed a 25-year naming-rights deal for the new Braves ballpark in Cobb County, Ga., which will open in 2017. Sources say the deal is worth more than $10 million per year.

Sept. 24
The Chicago Cubs’ home finale against the St. Louis Cardinals marks the last time Wrigley Field does not feature a giant video board in left field, as work is set to begin on the club’s four-year, $575 million renovation project.

Oct. 1
The NFL and DirecTV announce a multiyear agreement to extend and expand exclusive rights to carry NFL Sunday Ticket and its package of every Sunday afternoon, out-of-market game. A source said that DirecTV agreed to pay an average price of $1.5 billion a year.
Derek Jeter announces he will launch a digital media venture called The Players’ Tribune, which aims to provide an outlet for athletes to connect directly with fans through first-person stories, podcasts, videos and other content.

Oct. 3

Photo by: Getty Images

Philadelphia-based hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway is in advanced negotiations to buy 51 percent of the Arizona Coyotes. Sources say the deal is based on a $305 million valuation of the franchise.
The 2015 NFL draft will move to Chicago’s Roosevelt University Auditorium Theatre, marking the first time the event has been held outside New York in 50 years.

Oct. 6
The NBA, ESPN and Turner formally announce nine-year media-rights extensions worth a massive $24 billion through the 2024-25 season. The new deals begin with the 2016-17 season.

Oct. 27
MLS folds the troubled Chivas USA franchise after 10 seasons. The league awards an expansion franchise to a group headed by Vietnamese-American businessman Henry Nguyen, Los Angeles Dodgers and Golden State Warriors co-owner Peter Guber, and U.K. soccer club Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan. The group pledges to build a soccer-specific stadium for the new team and begin play in Los Angeles in 2017.

Oct. 29
For the second time this year, ground is broken on a new arena in Las Vegas. This time, former NBA player Jackie Robinson plans to develop a $690 million, retractable-roof arena and 500-room non-gaming hotel.

Oct. 30
NBC Sports Group announces it is extending its Breeders’ Cup contract for 10 years, ensuring that the races will stay on NBC and NBC Sports Network through 2025.

Nov. 3
The NHL is quietly testing virtual advertising technology that would allow broadcasters to replace ads on home team dasherboards with their own electronic signage.

Nov. 10
The NHL has signed a two-year North American partnership with DraftKings that makes the company the league’s official daily fantasy game. Two days later, it is announced that the NBA has signed a four-year deal with FanDuel that makes the company the league’s exclusive one-day daily fantasy partner and gives the NBA an undisclosed equity stake in the company.

Photo by:Pro Football Hall of Fame
Nov. 12
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is moving forward with plans to reshape the campus into a Hall of Fame Village that is likely to entice the NFL to hold more events, including the annual draft. Plans call for a hotel, conference center, restaurants and residential units. A renovated Fawcett Stadium, one of the cornerstone pieces to the village concept, will be named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium after the New Orleans Saints owner donated $11 million to the expansion efforts.

Nov. 14
The NCAA announces the Final Four sites for 2017-21, and stadiums currently under construction in Minneapolis and Atlanta will host the 2019 and 2020 Final Fours, respectively. Phoenix will host the event for the first time in 2017. The NCAA awarded the 2018 event to San Antonio, and 2021 to Indianapolis.

Nov. 18
The IOC is ready to allow some Summer Olympic sports events to be held outside the host country. The new option is among 40 recommendations released as part of IOC President Thomas Bach’s reform agenda. The recommendations also include measures to revamp the bidding procedure, make the games less costly, revise the sports program, and create an Olympic television network. The IOC would adopt several of the recommendations at its December meeting.

Nov. 28
Arbitrator Barbara Jones overturns the NFL’s indefinite suspension of Ray Rice, calling the penalty arbitrary.

Dec. 3

Photo by: Getty Images

Reebok signs a $70 million partnership with the UFC to become the exclusive apparel outfitter of the mixed martial arts property. Starting in July, all UFC fighters will be wearing Reebok gear during fight week and inside the octagon.

Dec. 4
The University of Florida hires Colorado State football coach Jim McElwain, and as part of CSU’s contract with him, the school receives a buyout of $7 million, the largest in college football history.
The SEC is deep into negotiations toward a 10-year deal to play the league’s football championship game in the new Atlanta Falcons stadium, starting in 2017 and remaining there through 2026.
NYRA has said it expects to end the year in the black for the first time in 13 years, with a $1.5 million surplus from its horse races and other operations.
NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, announces it is expanding its business of co-branded merchandise featuring active NFLers and their colleges. Efforts include a new ecommerce initiative with Fanatics and a new agency relationship with The Brandr Group.
U.S. senators from both parties warn the NFL to get rid of its four-decade-old TV blackout rule or risk congressional action to restrict the league’s lucrative antitrust exemption.

Dec. 7
The College Football Playoff selection committee awards the fourth spot in the inaugural playoff to Ohio State over either TCU or Baylor, sparking a debate within the Big 12 on how it picks it champion and whether the conference should expand back to 12 teams.

Photo by: Getty Images
Dec. 9
The WTA Tour has signed a 10-year extension to license to London-based Perform all live international media rights of the circuit’s 54 tournaments beginning in 2017. The deal is valued at a minimum of $525 million over the 10 years.
ESPN will begin selling some ads for “SportsCenter” through a Web-based auction, with 30-second spots airing during telecasts on a giant video wall on the show’s new set.
NBCUniversal announces the launch of Radius, a new fitness brand that offers access to a variety of workout and lifestyle programming, viewable on-demand on multiple platforms.

Sources: SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily archives

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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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