The American Athletic Conference will get $1B for its media rights from ESPN over 12 years, according to sources. The average of $83.3M per year is about four times what the AAC was making in its previous rights agreement with the net, which paid the league just over $20M annually. The new agreement begins in '20-21 and runs through the '31-32 academic year.

The annual per-school average of $6.94M provides each AAC school with nearly $5M more in annual revenue. They did not sign a grant of rights, which would have restricted them from jumping to a conference in the Power Five. SBJ reported in December that the AAC was considering a grant-of-rights, which effectively turns over a school’s media rights to the conference.

The comprehensive deal provides ESPN with rights to all of the AAC’s live programming, except for a small package of basketball games on CBS and some Navy football games on CBS Sports Network. The new contract also calls for some Saturday football games to be broadcast on ABC. Football, along with men's and women's basketball, will remain on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, but the majority of basketball games and a significant number of the football games will go to ESPN+. Other live sports including baseball, softball and soccer also will air on ESPN+. Renewal talks with CBS have not begun.

Adidas today signed a multiyear partnership with Astros 3B Alex Bregman. As part of the deal, Bregman will be featured in upcoming brand marketing campaigns and collaborate on the creation of future Adidas baseball products. Bregman joins an Adidas baseball roster that includes Yankees RF Aaron Judge, Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez, Cubs 3B Kris Bryant and Astros SS Carlos Correa (Adidas).

Heat G Dwyane Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, are starring in the "inaugural campaign for Gatorade Zero," the beverage brand's sugar-free label that launched last year. This is the "first campaign the couple has been in together," and for Gatorade, Union's appearance marks "one of the few times the brand has used someone who isn’t an athlete by profession in creative elements." In a new TV spot from TBWA/Chiat/Day, L.A., Union and Wade try to "one-up each other at the gym" to the tune of Missy Elliott’s “Pep Rally.” Gatorade will be "rolling out extensions of the campaign" in digital, print, mobile and social (ADWEEK.com, 3/19).

It was a good weekend at the The Players Championship for Optum, one of three sponsors of the PGA Tour event with the Proud Partner designation. Optum also counts Rory Mcllroy as the company’s health ambassador, and this marks the first time that a brand sponsored both The Players and its winning golfer. Optum began backing the event in '15 and McIlroy in '18. “It was significant for us,” said UnitedHealth Group Senior VP/Sponsorships Allen Hermeling, who works for Optum's parent company. “We launched a new campaign the week of The Players. It couldn’t have come together any better."

Richmond Raceway is continuing to find new revenue streams and ways to innovate with its real estate. The ISC-owned track announced that locally-based G-Force Karts is leasing land on the raceway grounds to build a new 2,400-linear-square-foot karting venue. Meanwhile the track also is expanding on its esports platform by hosting a Rocket League tournament at the track on the day of its spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race. These developments come as the track is in talks with local government to have a mixed-use arena also built on its grounds.

USA Skateboarding, along with sponsors Nike and Toyota, will name the country’s first national skateboarding team this afternoon ahead of the '20 Tokyo Games. The 16 athletes to be announced will receive full support and funding from USA Skateboarding as they attempt to qualify for the Olympics. After today's announcement in Vista, Calif., the new national team members will practice with the El Camino High School Skate Club and endemic skate industry representatives.

The Capitals "will join President Trump" on Monday at the White House to celebrate last season's Stanley Cup victory (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 3/19).

Boxer Deontay Wilder will defend his heavyweight title May 18 at Barclays Center against mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale. The fight will be televised by Showtime after Wilder "turned down a lucrative offer from streaming service DAZN to show this fight and several more" (AP, 3/19).

Logo Brands has signed on as the exclusive supplier for Arizona State-branded chairs, canopies, coolers, tables and seating products, effective April 1 (Logo Brands).

"We are not just a sports team, we are now an entertainment organization. And we want to be just as good at that" -- Warriors co-Owner Joe Lacob, touting the upcoming Chase Center as a multipurpose venue (S.F. CHRONICLE, 3/19).

“Don’t overlook ESPN+, which has only been in the market for a year but has gained surprising traction considering the kind of content they have” -- CNBC’s Julia Boorstin, on Disney integrating Fox’ assets into their media empire (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 3/19).

“China is huge in Nikes, and they buy expensive Nikes. ... (Nike Chair, President & CEO) Mark Parker is so non-promotional, you would never see him, but they’re doing it” -- CNBC’s Jim Cramer, on what to look for as Nike reports earnings Thursday (“Squawk on the Street,” CNBC, 3/19).

Jeff Passan with a grand slam for ESPN
1. Broke story
2. While story didn’t come out of nowhere, it was unexpected
3. Wrote and reported story for ESPN platforms (they pay him), not just Twitter
4. I don’t really have a fourth point, but grand slam sounds better than 3-run HR

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 19, 2019

Why would Brooks Koepka, one of the fittest golfers on tour, go on a diet and lose 24 pounds? Some speculate for an upcoming ESPN body issue. Just made the cut on the number last week, and lost 10-12 yards off the tee, dropped from ninth in strokes gained off the tee to 46th.

— Ron Mintz (@MintzGolf) March 19, 2019

Trout and Angels are in agreement on the reported 430M deal (counting 1st 2 years already in place for 66.5M) for 12 years. 4 of 7 biggest MLB deals were agreed to this winter. The 7 biggest: Trout 430, Harper 330, Machado 300, Stanton 325, Cabrera 292, ARod 275, Arenado 260.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 19, 2019

Looks like Barstool Sports had to change its top college bar bracket promotion from 'Barch Madness' to 'Barstool Best Bar'. The NCAA strikes again.

— Mark J. Burns (@markjburns88) March 19, 2019

Kudos to our ESPN bracketologist @CharlieCreme his record this year:
64/64 teams
16/16 host schools
61 of 64 teams within one seed line
42 teams exactly seeded correctly
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

— Steffi S. Sorensen (@SteffiSorensen) March 19, 2019

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

[Caption This]#BamaFactor#RollTide pic.twitter.com/MVqDF3Tzs2

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) March 19, 2019

CBS Sports and Turner Sports on-air personalities talk about the net's instantly recognizable March Madness theme music, and some attempt to hum the tune.

Kobe Bryant will appear on NBC's "The Tonight Show" at 11:35pm ET.

$829.6M -- Ad spend for AT&T during NCAA Tournament coverage from '09-18, making it the top advertiser for the "entire tournament" in that time period. Other spenders in the top five are General Motors ($791.2M), Coca-Cola ($399.1M), Capital One Financial ($361.1M) and A-B InBev ($294.7M) (FORBES.com, 3/18).