The NFL averaged 43.4 million viewers for championship weekend (NFC and AFC title games), up 3% from 41.9 million last year, but down from 49.2 million two seasons ago. The two games had an average minute audience of 1.5 million viewers on streaming properties, up 47% from '20 and up 86% from '19. With TV and streaming combined, the weekend averaged 44.3 million, up 3% from '20. Buccaneers-Packers led the way, with Fox averaging 44.8 million viewers. That marks the best NFC title game since Falcons-Packers averaged 46.3 million in the afternoon window in ’17. Last year, 49ers-Packers in the primetime window averaged just under 43 million. Bucs-Packers also is up from 44.1 million two seasons ago in the afternoon window on Fox (Rams-Saints).

CBS averaged 41.8 million for Chiefs-Bills in primetime, up from 41.1 million for Chiefs-Titans last season. Two seasons ago in primetime, the Patriots-Chiefs game that went into overtime averaged 53.9 million -- the second-best AFC title game on record.

In terms of Tom Brady’s 14 conference championship appearances since he entered the league, Bucs-Packers (44.77 million) ranks No. 9, just behind Patriots-Chargers from '08 (44.84 million). Brady’s best AFC title game with the Pats was that '19 game, followed by two matchups against the Peyton Manning-led Broncos in ’16 and ’14.

NBA owners unanimously approved a measure to expand private equity investment in minority stakes of teams. According to sources, an institutional investment fund now can take up to a 20% stake in a single team. Funds can buy minority stakes into a maximum of five teams, and they must take a minimum five-year hold in their stakes. The new measure comes after last year’s vote to approve Dyal Capital Partners, a division of Neuberger Berman, to take passive, minority positions across multiple teams.

Teams are looking to increase liquidity after a meteoric rise in franchise values over the past decade. Private equity firm investment also offers a new source of liquidity, giving owners an easy path to realizing profits on their investments -- and, amid the pandemic, a potentially critical injection of capital for controlling owners looking to sell down or limited partners who want to exit their positions. The owners' approval was first reported by Sportico.

Oak View Group and the Islanders are making solid progress on UBS Arena season-ticket and premium sales, despite the difficulties of the COVID reality. Currently, 60% of the arena’s club spaces and 50% of its premium suite inventory are already sold, according to UBS Arena President of Commercial Business Operations Tom Pistore. The venue's Senior VP/Sales, Service & Business Intelligence Michael Cosentino added that season tickets in the upper bowl are down to the hundreds and should sell out in the next two weeks. UBS Arena, set to open in advance of the '21-22 season, has 56 suites, two premium clubs that hold 530 total and two other premium clubs that seat about 1,500 fans.

See more in this evening's SBJ Unpacks.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has signed Cowboys QB Dak Prescott to a long-term marketing deal even though his future with the team remains murky. Prescott missed 11 games this past season with an ankle injury, and the Cowboys can either sign Prescott to a lengthy contract or keep him for another year with a franchise-tag designation. One source quipped, “He’s signing a long-term deal with America’s beer, before he signs one with America’s team." Nonetheless, the addition of Prescott to A-B InBev’s marketing artillery is significant, especially given rival Molson Coors' longstanding ties with the Cowboys.

Restrictions on the use of active athletes in beer advertising have loosened up in recent years. Active players can now appear in beer ads, but not in uniform, nor can they “directly endorse” the product, which is certainly open to interpretation. Activation plans for Prescott and A-B InBev behind Bud Light and possibly some of the brewer’s rapidly expanding portfolio of hard seltzer brands are very much TBD. Social media rights for active players touting beer are considered “in transition,” a source said. Prescott's other sponsorship deals include Beats, Dannon (Oikos), Pepsi, Sleep Number and PlayStation.

See more in SBJ Marketing.

The Kraken and Root Sports signed a "multiyear partnership that will see about 75 of the NHL expansion team’s games broadcast annually by the regional sports network." In addition, the Kraken "hired NBC Sports commentator John Forslund as its television play-by-play man for all Root Sports games." Forslund until last season worked Hurricanes TV and radio broadcasts for decades after joining the organization in '91. The Kraken become the second major Seattle sports team with the "majority of games carried by Root Sports, which will pay an undisclosed annual rights fee to the NHL club." The network also serves as home to the Mariners (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/26).

The NFL unveiled plans for fan cutouts at the Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium via the league's Fans in the Stands program. Cutouts cost $100, with a "portion of the proceeds going to Feeding Tampa Bay." Anyone who buys a cutout "will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of tickets" to Super Bowl LVI in L.A. To participate, fans "can upload a photo of themselves on the NFL's website." The cutouts are "first come, first served." The NFL is limiting in-person capacity to 22,000 people (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/26).

The Boston Athletic Association set a tentative date of Oct. 11 for the '21 Boston Marathon, saying that it "depends on if road races are allowed in Massachusetts this fall amid the state’s coronavirus reopening plan." The race, traditionally held in April, was "pushed to at least this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic." Last year, the in-person April race was initially delayed to September, but later canceled and replaced with a virtual race. The BAA will "offer a virtual race option this year" (BOSTON HERALD, 1/26).

The CFP named five new selection committee members today, replacing five members whose terms have expired. Also, the CFP management committee -- comprised of the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick -- extended the term of Iowa AD Gary Barta as "selection committee chair for a second season" (ESPN.com, 1/26).

Download the CFP Selection Committee

GMC

GMC's Hummer EV vehicle will enter the Extreme E electric off-road racing series under a new partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, a longtime partner of General Motors. Extreme E will start its inaugural season in April, racing five times in far-flung places like the Amazon, the Arctic and the Sahara desert. The series was founded by Alejandro Agag and is owned in part by Formula E. LeBron James is also helping promote the Hummer EV in the new series, which will promote green initiatives. Ganassi's entry in the series will have a Hummer-branded decal and will be driven by Kyle LeDuc and Sara Price.

AUSTIN CINDRIC

Verizon will run its first paint scheme in the NASCAR Cup Series in nearly a decade with longtime partner Team Penske at next month’s Daytona 500. Verizon will be the primary partner of the No. 33 Ford driven by Austin Cindric. Verizon had halted sponsoring NASCAR rides during the time when Sprint was Cup Series title sponsor (Adam Stern, THE DAILY).

FanDuel will begin providing real-time highlights of PGA Tour events to FanDuel Sportsbook app users, starting this week with the Farmers Insurance Open. FanDuel has been an official betting operator of the Tour since August (FanDuel).

“You’re not waiting for those big releases to get that big burst of revenue. There’s a subscription aspect to all of these games now. ... If you like gaming, you should be in this name because there are very few players that have the true depth and breadth that the EA portfolio does” -- Boston Private Wealth Chief Investment Officer Shannon Saccocia, on shares of Electronic Arts being up 15% in the last three months (“Fast Money Halftime Report,” CNBC, 1/26).

“He literally changed the game and how this started. He’s a revolutionary kind of person and I love him to death” -- Venus Williams, on the film “King Richard,” which chronicles the efforts by her father, Richard Williams, portrayed by Will Smith, to shape his daughters into tennis superstars (“The Kelly Clarkson Show,” 1/26).

The deal that J.T. Realmuto gets with the Phillies is the highest for any free-agent catcher, by far. Joe Bauer, Buster Posey and some of the other significant deals for that position were done when the player was under team control.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 26, 2021

This morning I was negotiating a TV deal w/ an international broadcaster. I apologized that I was making breakfast for my 2 kids while we spoke. He then apologized that he was dealing with his FOUR kids (under the age of 11) who were just done w/ school. #COVIDWorkLife

— Eric Winter (@elwinter) January 26, 2021

The Henry Louis Aaron Fund is being launched today, starting with a $2 million donation from Atlanta, #MLB and the #MLBPA.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 26, 2021

NFLPA's De Smith on the NFL being one game from completing its season amid the pandemic: "We're not there yet.... It's great to be one game away.... We're actually counting the days until that game kicks off."

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) January 26, 2021

“The weight of history in your hands is heavy.”

Tom Verducci takes you through his @baseballhall ballot… and the honor and responsibility that comes with it. pic.twitter.com/U6bnUfDiiE

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 26, 2021

Texans DE JJ Watt will be a guest on NBC's "The Tonight Show" at 11:35pm ET.

$420,420 -- Amount Michigan-based cannabis brand Ooze partner George Sinishtaj bet on the Bills to beat the Chiefs in the AFC title game during the first weekend of Michigan online sports betting. The losing bet, made via Barstool Sportsbook, was "intended as a philanthropic gesture," as Penn National Gaming pledged to match Michigan players' first-time deposits on the Sportsbook app with an equal donation to The Barstool Fund (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 1/26).