Disney has "agreed to sell off" 21st Century Fox’s 22 RSNs to "secure Justice Department approval of its acquisition" of major Fox assets, as the DOJ today approved the $71.3B transaction. This gives Disney a "big leg up over rival Comcast in the battle to acquire the major portion of Rupert Murdoch’s TV and film empire." The Justice Department today "filed a complaint in federal court seeking to block Disney from acquiring" the RSNs, and it "announced a settlement agreement with Disney that calls for the divestitures." DOJ officials argued that Disney’s "ownership of the national sports powerhouse ESPN created anti-competitive conflicts if it were to also acquire Fox’ regional channels."

In a statement, Disney said the Justice Department settlement called for the company to have 90 days from the closing of the Fox deal to sell off the RSNs. It is expected that Disney "will seek a third-party buyer rather than structure a new agreement with Fox to take the RSNs out of the Disney sale." The New Fox entity "will house the remaining 21st Century Fox assets that are not part of the Disney sale" (VARIETY.com, 6/27).

Recycle Track Systems has reached a deal to help sustainability, recycling and waste reduction efforts at DC United’s Audi Field. The deal also includes helping with sustainability efforts in the final stages of construction of the new stadium, which opens next month. Audi Field opens next month. The stadium is already LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. N.Y.-based RTS will train Audi Field staff on waste and recycling separation best practices and provide real-time tracking technology for sustainability efforts. RTS also provides waste and recycling services at Nationals Park, Citi Field and Barclays Center.

NBC Sports named former NFL referee Terry McAulay an on-air rules analyst for its "Sunday Night Football," "Football Night in America" and Notre Dame football properties. He will be on-site for "SNF" and Notre Dame games, where he will move between the broadcast booth during play and the studio set for pregame and halftime shows (NBC Sports).

This follows other recent hires of former officials for on-air roles, such as Gene Steratore at CBS Sports and Jeff Triplette at ESPN (THE DAILY).

Boxing analyst Timothy Bradley Jr., who officially retired from the ring last year, has agreed to a new multiyear contract extension with ESPN. He will continue to appear on "Top Rank" alongside Joe Tessitore and Mark Kriegel. Bradley this Saturday will be onsite at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City for ESPN’s telecast of Gilberto Ramirez defending his title against Alexis Angulo (ESPN).

Overwatch League franchise holder Comcast Spectacor has made a strategic investment in N3rd Street Gamers, an amateur esports event organizer active in the Philadelphia area. Comcast owns the Philadelphia Fusion, a team in the Overwatch League that’s used N3rd Street to help organize local watch parties. Terms were not disclosed (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer).

Meanwhile, Magic Gaming and HyperX announced a deal making HyperX the official gaming peripherals partner of the NBA 2K League franchise (Magic).

For more coverage of the business of esports, visit our partners, esportsobserver.com.

"With everything going on, obviously a lot of guys feel very strong about what Mr. Richardson has done for us as players, as individuals. At the same time you can also be excited about what the future holds. We don't know what that is, but the early impressions are very positive” – Panthers TE Greg Olsen, on the team’s transition to new Owner David Tepper (ESPN.com, 6/27).

“Kids want this helmet. Kids want to wear the flap. Kids see stars wearing it and it’s like anything: They want to be like their heroes” -- Rawlings Exec VP/Marketing Mike Thompson, on helmets with C-flaps for protection, worn by MLBers such as Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/27).

“I hope she doesn’t want anything to do with racing. She's not going to see me race. She’s going to grow up post my racing career and it may be something to where it doesn't register with her" -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his newborn daughter (“Megyn Kelly Today,” NBC, 6/27).

"With everything going on, obviously a lot of guys feel very strong about what Mr. Richardson has done for us as players, as individuals. At the same time you can also be excited about what the future holds. We don't know what that is, but the early impressions are very positive” – Panthers TE Greg Olsen, on the team’s transition to new Owner David Tepper (ESPN.com, 6/27). 

“Kids want this helmet. Kids want to wear the flap. Kids see stars wearing it and it’s like anything: They want to be like their heroes” -- Rawlings Exec VP/Marketing Mike Thompson, on helmets with C-flaps for protection, worn by MLBers such as Mike Trout and Giancarlo Stanton (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/27).

“I hope she doesn’t want anything to do with racing. She's not going to see me race. She’s going to grow up post my racing career and it may be something to where it doesn't register with her" -- Dale Earnhardt Jr., on his newborn daughter (“Megyn Kelly Today,” NBC, 6/27).

NBA extends commissioner Adam Silver’s contract through 2023-2024 season.

— John Lombardo (@sbjlombardo) June 27, 2018

In a report published Tuesday, Goldman Sachs said it sees eSports surpassing Major League Baseball and National Hockey League viewership. According to data from NewZoo, an estimated 167 million people around the globe will watch eSports per month in 2018. #sportsbiz

— Dan Shuftan (@StateStSports) June 27, 2018

Continuing their tech emphasis, the @SacramentoKings have become the first team to mine cryptocurrency for charity. Partnering with @miningstore, the Kings will use mining machines for Ethereum currency, with proceeds going to a multi-year scholarship program. #sports4good

— Alicia Jessop (@RulingSports) June 27, 2018

Tiger said he’s been involved in the search for a new sponsor in DC and added, “It’s been frustrating.”

— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) June 27, 2018

we knocked out germany that means we retroactively won the 2014 world cup thems the rules

— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) June 27, 2018

If you see a tweet we will not want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

The Univ. of Arkansas' Baum Stadium will host a watch party for College World Series Game 2 against Oregon State.

Ole Miss athletics posted this video, in the style of ESPN's "This Is SportsCenter" ads, touting the protection ability of the football team's offensive line.

Fox Sports' Alexi Lalas will appear on Fox' "MasterChef" at 8:00pm ET.

NBC's "The Tonight Show" (11:35pm ET) will feature guest appearances by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Big3 co-founder Ice Cube.

Celtics G Kyrie Irving will appear on NBC's "Late Night" at 12:35am ET.

37 -- Number of U.S. pro sports facilities with some form of solar power, yielding a total of more than 46 megawatts of solar capacity, according to new research released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association. In the last five years, teams and facilities have installed nearly 34 MW of capacity across 16 installations, representing almost 75% of all the solar capacity currently in operation at sports venues (Solar Energy Industries Association).