Former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell is "in advanced talks" to join private-equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, "leading its sports and entertainment investment business." A formal announcement about Shell’s appointment is "expected in the first quarter of next year." RedBird has "expanded its media holdings in recent years" and owns stakes in the production companies Skydance Media and Artists Equity. It also "has partnerships with several sports leagues," including the NFL, and "ownership positions in regional sports networks," including YES. Shell had been "serving as an informal consultant" to RedBird before entertaining talks to take a permanent position. The post Shell is taking is "similar to the one" RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale discussed with Bob Iger before he opted to return to Disney as CEO (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/27).

The Professional Women’s Hockey League will hold the opening game of its inaugural season on New Year's Day 2024. The league’s Toronto-based club will host the New York-based club at Mattamy Athletic Centre. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:30pm ET, offering hockey fans a game to watch prior to that afternoon’s NHL Winter Classic between the Kraken and Golden Knights at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. 

The league has yet to announce its full schedule or broadcast information for the inaugural season. Each of the league’s six teams -- based in New York, Boston, Minnesota, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa -- will play 24 games during the abridged opening season, including some at neutral-site venues. The league, which was announced in August following Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter’s purchase and dissolution of the rival Premier Hockey Federation, plans to wait until its full-length second season to reveal official team names, logos and jerseys.

The NHL is "going back to a player draft and adding a 3-on-3 women’s game" as part of "an expanded NHL all-star weekend." This year's event in February in Toronto "will include Thursday events in addition to Friday’s skills competition and Saturday’s all-star tournament" at Scotiabank Arena. The televised "All-Star Thursday" lineup will see "team captains -- accompanied by celebrity captains -- select players to fill out four rosters, a game featuring members of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, a tribute to the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs and the announcement of the NHL Alumni Man of the Year." The league used a player draft at the All-Star Game for a two-team format in 2011, 2012 and 2015 before going to a division-based setup in 2016. NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer said going back to hockey’s biggest market "was the right time to add more events" (CP, 11/27).

NHL

Gold Medal-winning U.S. skier Mikaela Shiffrin has signed with WME. The agency will work with Shiffrin to expand her presence in entertainment and impact off the snow, including non-scripted opportunities, marketing opportunities and extending her philanthropic initiatives focused on providing youth with opportunities for access in sports. Shiffrin is a two-time Olympic champion, seven-time World Champion and five-time overall World Cup champion. She has the most World Cup wins (currently 90) of any alpine skier in history. Shiffrin will continue to be repped by Kilian Albrecht across skiing and her endemic business, and Megan Harrod for communications (SBJ).

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FTX investors suing the cryptocurrency exchange’s celebrity promoters for allegedly "helping to facilitate" an $11B fraud "have some new targets," including MLB, F1 and Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s racing team. Investors' lawyers sued MLB -- the first major sports league to sign a promotional deal with FTX in 2021 -- and the other entities in federal court in Miami yesterday. At one point, MLB umpires "wore FTX patches on their sleeves." FTX investors allege MLB, F1 and the Mercedes F1 racing team "helped push the sale of unregulated securities through promotional deals with the cryptocurrency site" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 11/27).

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Indian vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra is renewing the NASCAR team sponsorship that it uses to promote its U.S. tractor business, a multiyear agreement with Stewart-Haas Racing. The deal will be announced later this morning with terms undisclosed, but Mahindra Ag North America brand Mahindra Tractors will be the primary sponsor of SHR’s No. 14 Ford driven by Chase Briscoe for the majority of the 38-race 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The company first aligned with SHR in 2022, and it’s well-known in global motorsport circles through its factory Formula E team, Mahindra Racing. Mahindra & Mahindra in India is a publicly traded company that, on top of farming equipment, also sells cars plus an array of financial and IT services. The U.S. division is based in Houston. Mahindra Automotive North America President & CEO Viren Popli said his company renewed the deal because NASCAR's fanbase overindexes in tractor owners, “so it gets to where we want to be” from a consumer marketing perspective. He said the spend in the renewal period is about the same as what it spent on an average basis in the first two years of its deal.

The four-car SHR struggled this season, with Kevin Harvick finishing 13th in the points standings in his final season but the other three drivers all finishing lower than 20th. Popli noted those struggles but said: “Chase is an amazing guy, he’s so good to the fans and genuinely a nice guy and that reflects our values, so it made sense to keep working with the team. I know they had a tough year, but I’m confident they’ll hopefully look better next year.” Popli said the company judged whether it got a proper return on investment based on factors including on-track performance, PR impressions and on-air screentime.

The brand tracks awareness and brand recall, and checks in with its dealers to see how they feel about the sponsorship. It has done multiple national TV advertisements leveraging the NASCAR relationship, typically shooting light-hearted spots that see Briscoe and SHR co-owner Tony Stewart tease each other while sitting in tractors. Competitors to Mahindra in the tractor space include John Deere and Kubota, the latter of which is in NASCAR with Trackhouse Racing.

Mahindra is preparing a new line of products it will soon release and will utilize the NASCAR relationship to promote it. The renewal for SHR, co-owned by Stewart and F1 team owner Gene Haas, is particularly crucial after it lost two other big sponsors this year, Smithfield Foods and Anheuser-Busch.

Stewart-Haas Racing x Mahindra

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Photo: Stewart-Haas Racing

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Photo: Stewart-Haas Racing

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Sports Illustrated responded to a report alleging the magazine published AI-generated content, "denying the claims but acknowledging that some articles were published under fabricated names." A spokesperson for The Arena Group, the magazine’s publisher, said the articles in question "were licensed from a third-party company," AdVon Commerce, which "has assured us that all of the articles in question were written and edited by humans." Some of the stories, however, were "published by authors who used a 'pen or pseudo name in certain articles to protect author privacy.'" The issue was first brought to public attention after Futurism published a report that "documented some of the author pages on Sports Illustrated’s website that represented people who did not seem to exist outside of the magazine’s website" (THE HILL, 11/27).

Social media reaction poured in following the news, including from some employed by SI and those in the Sports Illustrated Union:

• SI Senior Writer and SI Union Chair Emeritus Michael Rosenberg: "Our staff works so hard to carry on Sports Illustrated's tradition of great journalism. It's so disappointing when people* in our own company undermine our work."
• SI college football writer and SI Union member Richard Johnson: "I called a source earlier who answered the phone by asking if they were speaking to the real Richard Johnson or the AI version. What is detailed in the @futurism story is antithetical to everything SI should stand for and it is deeply embarrassing." 
• SI Senior Editor Jason Schwartz: "Beyond irate. I work every day with (real) journalists who bust their asses to produce great work that adheres to the highest standards. We deserve better."
• SI staff writer Emma Baccellieri: "Along with basic principles of honesty, trust, journalistic ethics, etc. -- I take seriously the weight of a Sports Illustrated byline. It meant something to me long before I ever dreamed of working here. This report was horrifying to read.
• SI writer and editor Mitch Goldich: "The practices described in the story published today do real damage to the credibility of the hardworking humans I have been honored to work with for the past 9 years."
• Former SI writer Jeff Pearlman: "This isn't Sports Illustrated. It's some bull***t company picking off the last pieces of rotted fat from the carcass of something that was truly great."
• Boston Hockey Now writer Joe Haggerty: "This is a sad commentary on the current state of sports journalism and for people of my age a sad reminder of how far Sports Illustrated has fallen as a brand in recent years. That used to be 'the place' to work as a sportswriter."

Nike and former track coach Alberto Salazar have settled a $20M lawsuit filed by distance runner Mary Cain that "alleged emotional and physical abuse at the hands of the coach" and a "lack of oversight" by the company. Terms of the settlement "were not disclosed," and the lawsuit "had been scheduled for an important hearing" yesterday before the settlement was reached. The resolution of the lawsuit "ends one of Nike’s highest-profile legal battles," as Cain’s lawsuit "came on the heels of explosive news reports about an alleged 'boys' club' culture at the company and a doping scandal involving Salazar," whose deep ties to Nike included having a building on the company’s campus named after him. In 2019, Cain revealed she was "emotionally and physically abused by a system designed by Alberto and endorsed by Nike" (Portland OREGONIAN, 11/27).

The V Foundation for Cancer Research has awarded nearly $43M in grants to 73 research teams in its 30th anniversary year, marking the highest amount the foundation has granted in a single year. This year’s figure brings the organization’s total to over $353M granted since its founding in 1993. V Foundation CEO Shane Jacobson applauded the milestones as “extraordinary” while noting that 25% of the money the foundation has raised since it began has been generated “in the last three years alone.” 

Notable accomplishments over the past year includes the V Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Gala raising $2.8M in support of therapeutic resistance research and the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund granting over $16.9M -- bringing the V Foundation’s total to more than $84M awarded to pediatrics. A new partnership with the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation was formed as $3M was awarded as part of an All-Star Grant program to three V Foundation-funded pediatric researchers.

Additionally, a new grant program -- A Grant of Her Own: The Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research -- was launched with $8M invested in supporting the efforts of 11 women scientists. In July, the V Foundation announced a partnership with the NHL and NHLPA to expand the league’s Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. “There's more we can do to engage fans, to engage the cancer community, and to compel them to lean in through the storytelling,” said Jacobson. 

The foundation’s annual V Week begins today starting with GivingTuedsay. ESPN platforms will also feature a “roadblock” that will include messages from the late Basketball HOFer Jim Valvano and others. Additional festivities extend the spotlight. The Jimmy V Women’s Classic takes the stage on Dec. 3 along with N.Y. hosting the Boo-Yah event that honors late ESPN host Stuart Scott on Dec. 4. Madison Square Garden will host the men’s Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 5. Heading into 2024, Jacobson said the V Foundation strives to “engage more donors, have a more diverse donor community, engage our partners, [and] new partners” with the foundation’s aspirational goal to become a “$100 million per year cancer fighting charity.”

V Foundation

Gillette is bringing back its gaming-focused marketing effort -- the Gillette Gaming Alliance -- and will activate around a roster of international streamers/influencers as part of the brand’s new “Hit Reset with Gillette” campaign. Popular streamers in the effort include AJ3 (U.K.), Sidney Eweka (Germany), Elded (Mexico), PizFN (Italy), Xiuder (Italy), Tvander (Spain) and Idreau (France). There is notably no U.S. streamer as part of the activation, which is being handled by agencies Ketchum and Kairos. Also not returning for this effort is Lando Norris, the F1 driver for the McLaren team who was part of the Gillette Gaming Alliance in past years.

The extension of the effort comes just ahead of the Esports Awards in Las Vegas this week, which Gillette also sponsors. The brand will have a “Reset with Gillette” pre-show feature, a GilletteLabs product integration and attendance from brand ambassadors. Gillette has been a mainstay in esports and gaming in recent years. Most recently, Gillette and peripherals brand Razer partnered for a limited-edition series of Razer-branded grooming products. In the streaming space, Gillette also sponsors Dude Perfect, per info from SBJ Atlas.

March of Dimes is set to host its annual Sports Luncheon and awards presentation today at Cipriani 42nd Street in N.Y. from 11:30am-2:30pm ET, and four awards will be handed out -- the Corporate Leadership Award, the Sports Leadership Award and two recipients of the Sports Achievement Award. Hosted by CBS' James Brown and ESPN's Elle Duncan, the event's sponsors included Amazon Prime Video, CAA Sports, CBS Sports, Fanatics Foundation, the NBA, the NFL and the WNBA (Platinum Level), as well as MLB, ESPN, MLS, the NHL, WME Sports, the Wasserman Foundation, the PGA Tour, the PGA of America and many more (Gold Level) (SBJ).

The WTA said that "while it does not support" an exhibition event being held in Russia this weekend, players who take part in it "will not be sanctioned." The second edition of the Northern Palmyra Trophies tournament will be held from Thursday-Saturday in St. Petersburg and "features players from both the WTA and men's ATP Tour" (REUTERS, 11/28).

The A's "will take part in Big League Weekend at Las Vegas Ballpark" for a two-game series against the Brewers on March 8-9. It's the third time the A's will play a portion of their exhibition schedule at Las Vegas Ballpark (LAS VEGAS SUN, 11/27).

Estimates from Adobe Digital Insights projected U.S. shoppers would spend $12B-$12.4B on Cyber Monday, "the biggest U.S. online shopping day." At the top end, this would "represent an 9.7% increase" compared to the $11.3B spent on Cyber Monday last year (REUTERS, 11/28).

THE ATHLETIC dives into the deep history of Anne Meyers Drysdale's incredible basketball career under the header, "Ann Meyers Drysdale’s legacy: A basketball trailblazer driven by competition." Drysdale "still remembers making her way to Hinkle Fieldhouse" at Butler Univ. in a car consisting of her and three male basketball players. The Pacers were holding three-day tryouts to fill roster spots and Drysdale "made history simply with her presence, as she was the first woman chosen to participate in tryouts for an NBA team." In 1979, she signed a $50,000, no-cut contract with the Pacers -- "another first for a woman." Since then, she became the first player to make the U.S. national team while still in high school; a gold medalist at the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1979 FIBA World Championship; and a silver medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Drysdale attended UCLA and "became the first American woman with a four-year athletic scholarship." Off the court, Drysdale is "an accomplished broadcaster," calling the WNBA, NBA and Olympics as a color analyst. She served as the GM of the WNBA’s Mercury before becoming VP, "a role she still holds."

Also:

• How does soccer become more sustainable amid climate change?

"The point differential thing, I'm not the biggest fan of it"

Jayson Tatum talks about the In-Season Tournament, and how he doesn't like it incentivizing teams to run up the score on the final possessions pic.twitter.com/oMYfnaIeCA

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) November 27, 2023

"He's the leader we need for America." @ScottHanson reacts to fans' hilarious responses to yesterday's fire alarm moment on #NFLRedZone 🚨😂

Catch the full episode of RedZone OT on #NFLPlus Premium: https://t.co/5E5epwkRzL pic.twitter.com/IpTRkv7m39

— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2023

Buyout is 75% of contract if fired in first three years; 80% of contract if after that.
Unlike Jimbo, he has a duty to mitigate (find other employment). That implies offset. https://t.co/NgFu8syGmz

— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) November 27, 2023

"And then every player on the ice has a 10-minute misconduct" 😂🔊 pic.twitter.com/K3M78EdO29

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) November 28, 2023

What a WILD finish for @ElonMBasketball!

Here's a snippet of what was going on behind the scenes in the control room during the big moment 🎥 pic.twitter.com/UvzS1YgLLU

— Elon Sports Vision (@ElonSportVision) November 28, 2023

“Over the motto, ‘Fortis est Veritas,’ the coat of arms of this city features a beast of burden crossing over some water.”

“What is Oxford?”