REUTERS’ Stephen Lacey reported EPL club Manchester United is “expected to launch its IPO in New York as early as next week, for pricing in early August, after earlier attempts in Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK.” Sources said that the timetable “marks a change from the original schedule to proceed after the U.S. Labor Day holiday September 3.” In another change, ManU is “now looking to raise $300 million on the IPO, less than the $500 million previously contemplated.” The decision on timing and sizing “is still fluid and could change, depending on the regulatory review process” (REUTERS, 7/18).
WAITING GAME: In Phoenix, Sarah McLellan notes while the hockey world is waiting on Coyotes RW Shane Doan “to pick a team,” Doan is “waiting on potential buyer Greg Jamison to determine the likelihood his bid to purchase the Coyotes will be completed.” Doan’s agent Terry Bross said, "We're waiting to see what Mr. Jamison is going to do, now that it seems like the path has cleared to take ownership of the team.” Bross hopes to “hear from the Jamison group by Friday to receive some reassurance that a sale is coming.” And if that “doesn't happen, it's likely that Doan would begin to examine the list of 16 teams that have expressed interest” in him (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 7/19).
WON'T BACK DOWN: In Cincinnati, Joe Reedy noted it appears the Bengals “will join a number of teams who will not reduce their capacity to avoid blackouts.” The Bengals were one of the teams “who voted against the new rule, which allows teams to reduce its listed capacity down to as much as 85 percent, to lift blackouts.” The biggest reason “why the Bengals voted against it was that it ends up penalizing small-market teams because any sales over that percentage would mean a bigger cut of revenue to the visiting teams” (CINCINNATI.com, 7/18).
UNDER REVIEW: In Miami, Barry Jackson reported the Dolphins “have discussed cutting capacity at Sun Life Stadium, but now are re-evaluating that because they’ve sold 6,000 new season tickets, mostly since the draft.” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said that number is “the most in several years” (MIAMIHERALD.com, 7/18).
