Cuban will keep a smaller ownership stake, but is turning over the controlling interest to AnthemNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN has "sold the majority ownership in his cable TV networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies to Anthem Sports & Entertainment." Cuban will "keep a smaller ownership stake in the company, but he is turning over the controlling interest" to the Toronto-based company whose entertainment holdings "focus heavily on fighting sports and gaming." Terms of the deal "were not disclosed." Cuban has acted as CEO, President & Chair of the "male-oriented HDNet and AXS TV" since '01 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/9).
ON WHAT GROUNDS? Rhode Island Superior Court Judge BRIAN STERN yesterday "threw out on technical grounds a lawsuit aiming to halt legal sports betting" in the state. Stern ruled that DR. DANIEL HARROP "wasn't personally harmed by the state's move last year to legalize sports betting any more than any other Rhode Islander, giving him no standing to sue." In "dismissing the case for lack of standing, Stern left open the underlying question of whether the state" was "bound by the Rhode Island Constitution to seek voter approval before getting into the sports-gambling business" (PROVIDENCE JOURNAL, 9/10).
NAMES: Magic CEO ALEX MARTINS was named to Florida Trend magazine's "Florida 500," which names the state's most influential business leaders. This marks the second consecutive year Martins has made the list (Magic)....Pistons F BLAKE GRIFFIN, who "has comedic aspirations after his NBA career is over," was "on the dais" for Comedy Central's roast of ALEC BALDWIN, which airs this Sunday (L.A. TIMES, 9/10)....U.S. Open mixed doubles champions BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS and CAROLINE WOZNIACKI have "enrolled at Harvard Business School" (ESPN.com, 9/10)....SERENA WILLIAMS "rented out the entire top floor of Mexican restaurant Vida Verde" in N.Y. on Sunday after losing to BIANCA ANDREESCU in the U.S. Open final (N.Y. POST, 9/10)....GUY FIERI was "on the sidelines" for Broncos-Raiders last night, and was "approached by Raiders head coach JON GRUDEN right before Gruden took the field" (SFGATE.com, 9/9).
IN MEMORY: JIM MCCARTHY, the founder of Boston-based WUNR-AM's "Sports Huddle" radio show, died Aug. 28 from "cardiac-related complications." He was 91. "Sports Huddle" for a period was broadcast from Foxwoods Resort Casino (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/10).
