GALAXY

California-based hospital operator Dignity Health has signed a 10-year deal with AEG to become the naming-rights partner of the Galaxy’s stadium. The multi-use complex currently known as StubHub Center will be called Dignity Health Sports Park as of Jan. 1. The stadium is the temporary home for the Chargers, while the XFL announced its L.A.-based team will play at the venue when league launches in '20. The previous six-year naming-rights agreement with StubHub expired following the MLS season. AEG earlier this year ended its relationship with StubHub as the official ticket reseller for its venues, naming its ticket subsidiary AXS in its place.

Financial terms of the deal were not available, but sources speculated that the Dignity Health deal could be worth more than $6M annually. MLS naming-rights deals typically average $4-4.5M annually. Dignity Health also will become the official health care partner of the Galaxy, It will support various team initiatives, from providing in-stadium first aid stations and a mobile wellness clinic onsite at games to working with the Galaxy’s foundation and hosting viewing parties with patients at Dignity Health hospitals.

Tonight's Chargers-Chiefs game marks the final "TNF" contest of the '18 NFL regular season, and the two teams "vying for the AFC West title makes for a riveting season finale" (NEWSDAY, 12/13). Fans who "dislike" the Thursday night games can "rejoice that this is the final game of the season on such short rest." It is also "one of the best matchups of the year, with hefty implications in the standings" (AP, 12/12).

Meanwhile, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins will provide his "own live commentary" on the game via a "co-streamed" feed on the Amazon-owned Twitch. Other Twitch gamecasters include Jericho, TimTheTatman and GoldGlove. Blevins is Twitch’s "most popular live-streaming gamer," with more than 12 million followers on the site (VARIETY.com, 12/13).

Nielsen "plans to host management presentations for interested private equity buyers in January," according to sources. Blackstone, working in tandem with Hellman & Friedman, and Bain Capital are "planning to meet" with newly appointed CEO David Kenny to "discuss a potential deal" next month, said the sources. Other private equity firms reportedly "will be invited as well." If Nielsen "does go private, it will be one of the largest leveraged buyouts in recent years" (CNBC.com, 12/13).

FINA approved a "new series of meets called the FINA Champions Swim Series," featuring a "long course, 3-leg competition between March and May that will be on an invitation-only basis." The series will award more than $3.9M in prize money, "making it the richest swimming event in FINA history." Athletes will be "grouped into teams -- on a continental or sponsor basis -- with each team comprising 24 athletes (12 men, 12 women)." The series "seems to be in direct response" to the Int'l Swimming League, which was "planning a similarly-formatted series for 2019, though FINA has continued to block those efforts" (SWIMSWAM.com, 12/13).

Mariners Exec VP & GM Jerry Dipoto late last night finalized a trade with the Indians "from a Las Vegas hospital bed" with Assistant GM Justin Hollander "standing in the room." The three-team trade, which also included the Rays, sent DH Carlos Santana "back to the Indians in exchange" for DH Edwin Encarnacion. Dipoto "had been feeling ill since Tuesday evening, and after being relegated to his room for most of Wednesday, the Mariners staff in Las Vegas decided to take him to a hospital out of 'an abundance of caution'" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 12/13).

The NBA unveiled a new spot promoting its Christmas Day games, depicting players from different matchups as holiday light displays. The ad will begin its TV run tomorrow night during ESPN's NBA doubleheader (THE DAILY).

Pop Warner and Riddell have renewed their partnership under a new three-year agreement (Pop Warner).

The AAF Memphis Express "has its first radio partner" in locally-based KWNW-FM, an iHeartMedia station. The station will carry all 10 regular-season games and postseason games (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/13).

Fanatics and printing manufacturer Jakprints have reached a five-year partnership deal. Additionally, Jakprints will also begin construction on a 140,000-square-foot facility in Eastlake, Ohio (Fanatics).

"We have wait-lists to get boxes. They really drive our business. We are running out of real estate" -- PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open Chair Chance Cozby, on the demand for corporate and luxury seating at the '19 event (BIZJOURNALS.com, 12/13).

“They are not necessarily a model of how to do this right. They are a model of how to do it aggressively” -- The Undefeated’s Domonique Foxworth, on how the NFL handles investigations into player conduct issues (“OTL,” ESPN, 12/13).

UPDATE: LaDainian Tomlinson, Dan Fouts and Lance Alworth are all OUT for tonight. #LACvsKC https://t.co/0nw4diFKB0

— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) December 13, 2018

Story will be up later, but WEEI is going ahead with plans to do the talk-show format during its Red Sox broadcast. Saw the job posting sent to staatalentDOTcom subscribers last night.

— Chad Finn (@GlobeChadFinn) December 13, 2018

Some exciting news: The @NHLCanes plan on playing Brass Bonanza as their goal song Dec. 23 vs. Bruins when they wear their Hartford Whalers third jerseys. Giddy-up !

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) December 13, 2018

Local news crews are outside Amalie Arena in Tampa interviewing folks about the ESPN disgusting concessions story. I would assume this is happening all over the country

— brant james (@brantjames) December 13, 2018

According to @TickPick the secondary market for Giants-Cowboys game has an average listing ticket price of $307. Why so high for what could very well be a meaningless game for both teams?

Because of the possibility it will be Eli Manning's last with the Giants, the company says.

— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) December 13, 2018

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

The AAF Salt Lake Stallions will hold a team meet-and-greet for fans at Rio Tinto Stadium at 5:30pm MT.

ESPN offers a behind-the-scenes look at its Centennial Olympic Park set location for Super Bowl LIII, 53 days out from the big game in Atlanta.

NBCSN at 9:00pm ET will air the "Sports Illustrated Sportsperson Of The Year Awards" for the second straight year.

81% -- Percentage of U.S. consumers "across all age groups" who use a "digital device while watching TV," according to Nielsen's Q2 Total Audience Report. In addition, 71% use a digital device "while watching TV to look up information on what they are watching" (USA TODAY, 12/13).