The Premier League has "reinforced its position as the richest domestic league in the world" after announcing new U.K. TV deals with Sky Sports, TNT Sports and the BBC worth $8.4B over four years from 2025-29. Sky are the "biggest winners from the TV rights auction," as the net will show a "minimum of 215 matches a season, 100 more than at the moment, while TNT Sports has held on to the 52 matches it shows." The BBC "will continue to show highlights through Match of the Day." Meanwhile Amazon "will stop showing live Premier League matches after the 2024-25 season." The EPL said the new deals represented a 4% "increase in the value of live rights -- no other major European league has managed to secure an increase in their latest domestic deals" (London TIMES, 12/4).

CONMEBOL, the South American soccer federation, announced the 14 U.S. venues that will host matches as part of next summer’s Copa América from June 20-July 14. The group includes 11 NFL stadiums and three soccer-specific MLS stadiums.

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Each venue will host 2-3 matches as part of the 32-match event. The federation previously announced that Mercedes-Benz Stadium would host the opening match and Hard Rock Stadium would host the final. MetLife Stadium and Bank of America Stadium will each host one semifinal match on July 9 and 10, respectively, with the latter also hosting the third-place game on July 13.

The Copa América 2024 field will include all 10 national teams from CONMEBOL, plus six guests from Concacaf, the soccer federation for North America, Central America and the Carribean. The U.S. and Mexico, the two largest draws in the U.S., have already qualified. Thursday's draw, which is scheduled to be held in Miami, will determine which teams play in each city during the group stage.

Concacaf, which is co-organizing the event as part of a broader collaboration with CONMEBOL announced earlier this year, led the negotiation process with the venues and host cities. Several stadiums will be required to install temporary natural-grass fields for the competition.

The International Ice Hockey Federation is "making neck guards mandatory for all levels of competition in the tournaments it runs, including the Olympics and men’s and women’s world championships." The exact date for the IIHF neck guard mandate to go into effect "is still to be determined, based on the supply of neck guards available." The organization that governs hockey around the world made the move "based on the recommendation of its medical committee." The mandate "would not apply to professional leagues," including the NHL, which currently does not have any cut-proof safety requirements for players. The IIHF’s move comes after the death of Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England in late October (AP, 12/4).

MLBer Chris Archer is "starting a job with the Dodgers as an assistant in their baseball operations department." Archer, who last pitched for the Twins in 2022, spent the 2023 season "taking business classes at Harvard and learning plenty about the inner-workings of college baseball" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 12/4).

Despite never playing for the Dodgers, Archer has "plenty of ties to the current regime." He was acquired in 2011 "by a Rays front office led by" current Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman, and he "came up to the big leagues the following spring as part of a pitching staff that already included" current Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes in their bullpen. Archer and Gomes were teammates from 2012-15 (THE ATHLETIC, 12/4).

The V Foundation for Cancer Research tonight will host its annual Voices for Victory -- Boo-Yah! event at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in N.Y. to honor late ESPN personality Stuart Scott. Bristol Myers Squibb and Disney are the presenting sponsor of the festivities. Coming off the heels of Sunday’s Jimmy V Women’s Classic, tonight’s event supports the Stuart Scott Memorial Cancer Research Fund, which has awarded over $16M through 54 grants to help efforts focused on racial disparities in cancer outcomes. The men’s Jimmy V Classic will take place tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden. The V Foundation closes out its 30th anniversary year which has featured a record-setting $43M awarded to 73 research teams. Since its establishing, the foundation has granted over $353M in its initiatives.

The annual Voices for Victory -- Boo-Yah! event honors late ESPN personality Stuart ScottV Foundation

December 4, 1961 -- Syracuse RB Ernie Davis becomes the first African American to be taken No. 1 in the NFL draft. Davis was selected by the Redskins but was traded to the Browns. He was diagnosed with leukemia the same year and died shortly after at 23 without playing a game in the NFL. He was inducted into the College Football HOF in 1979. Davis was also the Heisman Trophy's first African American recipient in 1961.

Also happening this week:

• December 5, 1943 -- The Eagles-Steelers merger, unofficially known as the "Steagles," dissolves after one season.
• December 5, 1974 -- The Seattle Seahawks form.
• December 6, 1960 -- The AL grants businessman Gene Autry a franchise -- the Angels.
• December 7, 1963 -- Instant replay is introduced for the first-time during the Army-Navy game.

NHL Power Players, a youth advisory board made up of young hockey fans, is back for the fifth straight year. The 26 members of the board, all aged 13-17 from the U.S. and Canada, will have a chance to have their voices heard by the NHL multiple times throughout this season (NHL).

Australia's Gold Coast, which hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2018, said it "would not be stepping in to take on the event again" -- dropping its bid to host the 2026 edition of the Games. Organizers have "dialogue currently ongoing with four potential hosts" and "hope to identify the location of their 2026 event early next year" after Victoria, Australia suddenly abandoned its plans to host back in July (London TIMES, 12/4).

USL Championship club Rhode Island FC has "secured a national airline as its inaugural front-of-jersey sponsor" after agreeing to a deal with Breeze Airways. The multiyear partnership also makes Breeze the club’s exclusive airline partner (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 12/4).

“You’ve got to understand big-market football. You’re not going to have a college football playoff without Nick Saban, the godfather, and the Alabama team … (which is) why I’m thankful that they’re extending the playoffs next year and we will be a part of it” -- Univ. of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders, on Florida State getting left out of the College Football Playoff and the Univ. of Alabama getting in (“GMA,” ABC, 12/4).

“It’s not credible playoff when you don’t have the teams that have achieved the most” -- CBS Sports’s Dennis Dodd, on Florida State being left out of the CFP (“CBS Mornings,” 12/4).

“What about team No. 13!?” -- ABC’s Robin Roberts, on the controversy surrounding the four teams selected for the CFP and how the 12-team expanded playoffs could help eliminate some of these discussions (“GMA,” ABC, 12/4).

🚨 BREAKING: I am demanding answers and transparency from the @CFBPlayoff Selection Committee following its unprecedented exclusion of @FSUFootball from the playoffs.

Read my letter to Chairman Boo Corrigan ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/D554J82c4S

— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) December 4, 2023

NFL is reviewing the sideline incident between 49ers’ LB Dre Greenlaw and Eagles Head of Security Dom DiSandro, per the league office. There is expected to be follow-up with the Eagles this week. pic.twitter.com/Wiw7phzv5r

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 4, 2023

I love how this almost makes sense in college football because the sport's format is so laugable.

Imagine the NBA dropping Golden State from the playoffs if Curry was hurt. Sorry Giants that SB you won when Simms was hurt? You don't qualify because your team is different now. https://t.co/p7K4KdHTdp

— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) December 4, 2023

Just for fun...here is my power ranking of where I think Shohei Ohtani eventually signs:

1. Dodgershttps://t.co/LKtN7o9Ny8 Jays
3. Cubs
4. Giants
5. Mets#Dodgers check all the boxes: history of winning, geography, organizational support, analytics, team leadership, farm…

— Jim Bowden⚾️🏈 (@JimBowdenGM) December 4, 2023

Random thought: If Florida State lied about the Jordan Travis injury, would the Seminoles be in the playoff?

— Steve Politi (@StevePoliti) December 4, 2023

Those who want to see the Steelers fire Mike Tomlin are short-sighted. If they really wanted to move on they can TRADE him . He has value

— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) December 4, 2023

No Laying Up's Chris Solomon joins PGA Tour players Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler for a deep dive on their approach to three different shots around the green -- with a healthy dose of competition mixed in.

100+ -- Number of free beers given away by Cedar Rapids, Iowa sports bar X-Golf during Saturday's Michigan-Iowa Big Ten Championship game due to a promotion where the bar gave out free beers until Iowa scored its first points. Iowa failed to score any points in the game, losing 26-0 (WASHINGTON POST, 12/4).