$1.3 billion
 |
Kyle Field’s renovation project was the costliest ever in college sports.
Photo by: Matt Sachs |
Amount spent on construction for college stadiums, the most ever in one year. One-third of that total came from Texas A&M’s expansion of Kyle Field.
$1.16 billion
The amount committed in new, extended and amended naming-rights deals in professional and college sports venues.
$231.2 billion
Value of the year’s biggest corporate mergers to affect the U.S. sports landscape. Anheuser-Busch InBev’s planned merger with SABMiller followed AT&T’s acquisition of DirecTV, H.J. Heinz and Kraft Foods joining forces, and Marriott International’s move for Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
53
Division I athletic director positions that have been filled in 2015, the most ever in a year. Looked at another way: That’s 15 percent of the schools.
4.6 million
 |
| Photo by: Getty Images |
Pay-per-view buys for Floyd Mayweather’s May 2 fight against Manny Pacquiao.
$40,955
Record StubHub set for a floor seat for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
103
Number of days it took the NFL to issue a conclusion on Deflategate.
243
Number of pages in investigator Tom Wells’ report.
$266.6 million
Combined ad spending, through September, by DraftKings ($183.5 million) and FanDuel ($83.1 million), according to Kantar Media.
$217 million
Value of David Price’s new seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, the richest ever given to a major league pitcher.
A really big deal
Here’s a sampling of some of the major deals that were cut in 2015
■ Verizon signs a $400 million deal to provide daily highlights, original programming and subscription-based
access to live out-of-market games via NBA League Pass.
■ The University of Texas signs a 15-year licensing and apparel deal with Nike worth $250 million, the biggest contract ever signed between a school and an apparel company.
■ Pepsi signs a five-year deal that ends Coca-Cola’s 30-year association with the NBA.
■ Leading daily fantasy sites complete major rounds of funding: FanDuel ($275 million) and DraftKings ($300 million).
■ Anheuser-Busch InBev finalizes details of its $106 billion plan to acquire rival SABMiller, which would create a company responsible for nearly 30 percent of all beer sales worldwide.
■ MLB agrees to pay $100 million annually for the rights to all of the NHL’s digital platforms; the NHL gets up to 10 percent in equity in BAM Tech.
■ Mercedes-Benz agrees to a 27-year, $324 million naming-rights deal for the future home of the Atlanta Falcons,
scheduled to open in 2017. Overall, nearly $1 billion in naming-rights agreements were signed in 2015 in the major leagues.
■ China-based Dalian Wanda Group buys World Triathlon Corp. (owner of the Ironman brand) from Providence Equity Partners for $650 million.
■ WME-IMG acquires a majority interest in the Professional Bull Riders from Spire Capital Partners; sources value the deal at more than $100 million.
■ A group led by Tony Ressler completes its purchase of the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena; sources value the deal at $750 million.
■ The English Premier League agrees to a record domestic TV deal with Sky and BT starting with the 2016-17 season through 2018-19 worth more than $7.8 billion.
■ The University of Alabama extends its licensing agreement with Collegiate Licensing Co. in a 10-year deal worth $100 million.
■ Anheuser-Busch InBev signs a massive renewal with the NFL.
Source: SportsBusiness Journal research
