Chinese sportswear may be hard turf to defend 11 Jul 2018 As Nike and Adidas duke it out at the World Cup in Russia, a bigger matchup looms. China’s market for sneakers and kit is growing quickly, and local rivals like $14 bln ANTA have had a good run. Younger and richer consumers, though, could start giving foreign brands an advantage.
World Cup Soccernomics 29 Jun 2018 A Breakingviews calculator predicted 14 of the 16 teams that made the soccer tournament’s knockout stage. But the analysis of player values, home support and participation did not foresee defending champion Germany’s early exit. The data now points to Brazil lifting the trophy.
Winner’s curse defeats numbers game at World Cup 29 Jun 2018 A Breakingviews calculator predicted 14 of the 16 teams that made the soccer tournament’s knockout stage. But the analysis of player values, home support and participation did not foresee defending champion Germany’s early exit. The data now points to Brazil lifting the trophy.
AC Milan’s UEFA loss is Elliott’s gain 28 Jun 2018 The Italian soccer club has been excluded from next year’s Europa League given doubts over its finances. The ban likely curbs its struggling Chinese owners’ ability to resell it. But it boosts the chances that creditor Elliott ends up taking on the team at a rock-bottom price.
European TV ends self-destructive soccer splurge 26 Jun 2018 The financial balance of power is shifting from clubs to groups like Sky, Telefonica and Canal Plus. The sport gets less money. But halting rights inflation gives telecom companies cash to invest in mobile networks while media groups can better compete with Netflix and Amazon.
Viewsroom: Disney, Comcast go from zero to berserk 21 Jun 2018 The Magic Kingdom and the cable company are driving up the price for parts of Twenty-First Century Fox in a global M&A battle that throws financial logic out the window. But does it make sense strategically? Plus: India’s cricket league takes a few pages from the NFL playbook.
FIFA’s $25 bln backers could end up on losing team 14 Jun 2018 Soccer’s governing body may tap investors like SoftBank to fund two new tournaments. They’d have to be almost as lucrative as the World Cup before the backers see a return. Like SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s other bets, it hinges on creative thinking and generous assumptions.
India Insight: IPL bats for global sports crown 11 Jun 2018 More people may have tuned in for the final of the 11th season of the Indian cricket league than the NFL’s Super Bowl. Salaries are starting to rival English soccer’s Premier League, and advertising dollars are rising fast too. It’s a stunning Indian growth story with room to run.
Amazon’s softly-softly UK soccer move is smart 7 Jun 2018 The e-commerce group made its first foray into UK football rights. But it won’t screen as many games as Sky and BT. The restraint means the group run by Jeff Bezos should easily break even, and suggests it’s more interested in scoring tactical goals than tackling rivals head-on.
Viewsroom: Who will win the World Cup? 31 May 2018 Germany may not be the bookies’ clear favorite to lift the trophy. But a data dive into player values, population and other factors predicts the team will emerge victorious. Meanwhile, Italy stages an economic and political comic opera. Plus: Ant Financial’s $10 bln kitty.
Vivendi’s soccer loss may be winning tactic 30 May 2018 Chinese-owned Mediapro beat the media conglomerate’s pay-TV group Canal Plus in a 1.2 bln euro auction for rights to show France’s top matches. The winner is taking a gamble since the value of those rights leapt 60 percent. Vivendi avoided overpaying and can withstand the loss.
World Cup Soccernomics 29 May 2018 Who will lift soccer’s ultimate trophy in Russia this summer? Breakingviews ranked the 32 contenders according to player values, population, home support, and participation in the sport. Put them all together, and Germany is best placed to successfully defend its crown.
Numbers add up to Germany retaining World Cup 29 May 2018 Who will lift soccer’s ultimate trophy in Russia this summer? Breakingviews ranked the 32 contenders according to player values, population, home support, and participation in the sport. Put them all together, and Germany is best placed to successfully defend its crown.
Football is imperfect hedge for hedge fund mogul 24 May 2018 Appaloosa’s David Tepper brings a winning attitude to Carolinas' Panthers, which he’s buying for $2.3 bln. America’s biggest sport is all about active management and performance - a welcome break from the pressures squeezing hedge funds. But data geeks are targeting the NFL too.
Paddy Power turns M&A into a fantasy sport 23 May 2018 The Dublin-based group is merging its U.S. assets with fantasy-sports business FanDuel. If a recent Supreme Court ruling leads to nationwide legal sports betting, loss-making FanDuel’s users could become valuable punters. The catch is that payback could be a while in coming.
WWE is a leading contender for content champion 22 May 2018 Vince McMahon’s wrestling kingdom may be close to inking a deal with Fox for its popular "SmackDown." The agreement would bring more than $1 bln for the rights to broadcast the program, much more than NBC has been shelling out. WWE deserves a champion’s belt for savvy partnerships.
Get ready to gamble – on U.S. sports betting 15 May 2018 The Supreme Court ruled that the feds can’t stop states legalizing wagers on basketball and other games. It will push a $150 bln black market into the light and gives firms like DraftKings and Paddy Power, sports leagues and media outlets like ESPN a grab at the revenue pot.
Videogame-watching IPO magnifies clash of clans 11 May 2018 Huya is set to list at a $2.6 bln valuation, or nearly eight times revenue. The startup gives investors a shot at a market whose audiences for "League of Legends" and other games exceed the NBA's. Backer Tencent's stake in Chinese e-sports rival Douyu also offers a useful hedge.
Bookie investors misjudge odds in political casino 24 Apr 2018 William Hill, Paddy Power Betfair and GVC collectively lost 1 bln stg in value on reports Britain may cap betting-machine stakes and hike levies. That’s worse than feared, but not unimaginable given low UK gambling taxes. Smarter investors would have seen the writing on the wall.
Poker group bets $5 bln on Sky-high sports growth 23 Apr 2018 Canada’s Stars Group is buying UK online sports-gambling specialist Sky Bet. The price is more than current owners CVC and Sky would have got in a mooted IPO. For Stars, the debt-heavy punt only works if Sky Bet’s rapid growth continues - or the U.S. relaxes sports-gambling laws.