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No surprises for guessing who has the most popular jersey in MLS, but who else is moving merchandise? 
 

Southampton are back in the Premier League, but how much is winning the Championship playoff final worth?

Women’s sport is now getting the eyeballs it deserves, but will the money follow? Here are some key stats to make the case…

What do the numbers reveal about women’s soccer fans? take a closer look…
 

founder Brittany Gropp has identified areas that will make or break sport’s quest for gender equality. Swipe through to reveal them all ☝️

No shock as Cristiano Ronaldo topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes for the fourth time, largely thanks to his huge $200m annual wage for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, but were there any surprises in the top ten?

Want more to learn more about athlete marketability? Explore our 50MM Hub, which is packed full of data and insights into our annual ranking of the most marketable athletes in the world. 

| NorthStar Solution Group

What are Premier League clubs doing in sustainability?
 
A new report from says Premier League clubs have ‘markedly improved’ on their sustainability commitments, but how? Swipe through for the details.
 

The Emirates Stadium will become the main home for Arsenal’s women’s team from the 2024/25 season.

 
The WSL have announced plans for 11 games to be played at the ground next term – eight in the league and three Women’s Champions League games, should qualification for the group stages be secured.
 
Home legs in any Champions League knock-out ties would also be staged at the Emirates.
 
Remaining fixtures, including all domestic cup matches, will take place at Arsenal’s Meadow Park ground in Borehamwood.
 
Six WSL games played at the Emirates this season saw an average crowd of just over 52,000, which included two sell-outs and three WSL attendance records.
 

The NFL draft continues to draw huge ratings! 🏈
 

The Chicago Bears have chosen quarterback Caleb Williams as the #1 pick in the NFL Draft! 🏈 But where does he rank among the world’s most marketable athletes?

Which sports properties are brands currently targeting for sponsorships?
 
One in two brands are looking to sponsor women’s sports, but there’s less appetite for emerging sports like padel and pickleball.
 
That’s just one of five takeaways we’ve picked out from Kore Software’s latest State of the Industry report, which is based on an analysis of more than 56,000 sponsorship deals and over 19 million social media posts, as well as a survey of brands and rights holders. 
 
You can find out more about the latest sports sponsorship trends identified in Kore’s report via the link in our bio.
 

How do the tops prospects rank in the 50 most marketable athletes list?

How do the top prospects rank in the 50 most marketable athletes list?

Calling all women and non-binary sports executives!
 
Join us next week for SportsPro NEW ERA CONNECT, where we’ll be joined by Class of 2023 member Jiao Li and Steering Group advisor Melissa Soobratty to navigate the cultural landscapes in APAC’s sports realm.

Talking points include:

✅ How different cultural landscapes impact women’s participation and advancement in sports.

✅ Strategies and initiatives aimed at fostering inclusivity and diversity within APAC’s sports industry.

✅ The importance of building networks and alliances to support women in the sports industry.

Plus more!

Don’t miss the chance to connect with other community members, learn from diverse voices across the industry and walk away inspired.

Register via the link in our bio 🫶🏼

As Caitlin Clark led Iowa to a 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight, fans tuned into watch women’s college basketball like never before. 
 
ESPN’s broadcast set the record for most-watched women’s college basketball game in history, averaging 12.3m viewers and a peak of 16.1m, to surpass last year’s NCAA title game between the same teams which drew an average audience 9.9m for ESPN.
 

Which is the most valuable IPL team?
 
Investors wanting to buy into the IPL are now looking at spending more than a billion dollars. What do you get for that? Well, increasingly you get a team with huge global marketing value. Mumbai Indians lead the pack here with a brand value of $87m, according to .finance.
 
Find out more about cricket’s preeminent T20 competition and its ten teams in the IPL 2024 commercial guide via the link in our bio.
 

👀 JioCinema hit 590m IPL video views on the opening day of the 2024 season!
 
📈 Streaming platform sees 51% audience growth from start of last year’s campaign
 
🇮🇳 More than 111m viewers logged in to JioCinema for IPL’s opening day
 
🤳 6.6bn minutes of watch time recorded for match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings
 
Click the link in our bio for a full breakdown of all the commercial details you need to know about cricket’s T20 competitions and its teams
 

Who watches MotoGP?
 
According to , MotoGP is the second most popular series among motorsport fans across all markets - and the most popular in Indonesia and India.

🔗Access more data and insights in our dedicated commercial guide via the link in our bio.

Transforming the Game ✊ Under Jessica Berman’s leadership, the NWSL didn’t just aim for a bounceback, it set a new standard for what a sports property can represent. Now, thanks to data .platform, we’re able to measure the league’s key marketing strengths...
 

MLS expansion fees have risen significantly in recent years, with the new San Diego franchise paying $500m to join the league.

The addition of new teams splits central MLS revenue into smaller shares and commissioner Don Garber said after San Diego were confirmed as the league’s 30th team: “I don’t think sitting here today that we have any plan in the near future to go beyond 30 teams.”

For more on the commercial business of MLS and its teams, check out the league guide via the link in our bio.
 

Who watches Nascar? 🏆

There is plenty data on the US stock car racing series in in our dedicated commercial detail, which you can find the via the link in our bio.

 

How do the Super Bowl teams match up off the field?

Here’s all you need to know about the businesses behind the 49ers and the Chiefs.

🔗 For more check out SportsPro’s NFL commercial guide via the link in our bio.
 

Can live sport work on Netflix? Thanks to the WWE we’re about to find out... 

🤼 Netflix and TKO, WWE’s Endeavor-owned parent company, have agreed a huge ten-year deal worth a reported $5bn for live rights to Raw in the US and for all WWE programming, including PPVs such as Wrestlemania, internationally. THIS IS GENUINELY GROUNDBREAKING.

🤔 Interestingly, a consumer survey carried out by Ampere Analysis shows that Netflix is already the leading streaming platform used to watch sports content – even without any live action.

📈 Plus, as the bubble chart on slide two illustrates, Netflix ranks higher than any of its competitors for the quality of its sports documentaries. This is only set to increase with the addition of WWE’s content library.

📺 The combination of quality titles and ones which generate interest has helped Netflix engage sports fans without having to pay huge rights fees or make significant multi-year commitments. 

🤔 Now that this is all about to change, will this have the desired impact Netflix is hoping for?

🔗 Check out all of our coverage on Netflix’s first push into live sports via the link in our bio.

Saudi Arabia officials have revealed designs for a high-tech stadium atop a 200m high cliff near the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where the kingdom plans to stage games at the 2034 World Cup.

 
The 45,000-seat venue, which will be named Prince Mohammed bin Salman Stadium, will feature a retractable roof and field, plus an LED wall with hundreds of meters of screens to create an immersive experience for fans.
 
The stadium is a centerpiece of the Qiddiya City project that aims to create an entertainment, gaming and sports hub 45km from downtown Riyadh. The new stadium is intended to become the home venue of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, the Riyadh clubs who last year signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, respectively.
 
The Qiddiya Investment Company is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, which is chaired by the crown prince. 
 
Fifa is set to officially confirm Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup, with the kingdom the sole bidder, later this year. The 48-team tournament will require 14 stadiums and the futuristic new city Neom is also likely to stage matches.
 
The architect attached to the new Saudi stadium project is Populous, a global firm with main offices in Kansas City and London. It has worked on Olympic stadiums in Australia and Russia and designed the acclaimed home of Premier League club Tottenham that was also purpose-built for NFL games.
 

Who is winning the battle of the brands at Afcon 2023?

🔗 Find out more via the link in our bio

and have ended their long-running partnership after more than 27 years together.

 
The 15-time major golf champion has been with the US sportswear giant since turning pro back in 1996, initially penning a five-year deal worth a reported $40m. Woods is estimated to have pocketed around $500m over the course of the relationship.
 
The 48-year-old last signed a ten-year extension with Nike in 2013, said to be worth about $200m, but rumours started swirling towards the end of last year that he could be parting ways with the company amid links to the On Running brand that retired tennis great Roger Federer is an investor and ambassador for.
 
Woods has continued to wear Nike apparel but has been playing with TaylorMade golf clubs and Bridgestone golf balls since Nike exited the golf equipment business in 2016. He has also been wearing FootJoy shoes since returning to action following a car accident back in 2021.
 
Now, Woods has released a statement confirming his partnership with Nike was over.
 
‘Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,’ said Woods. 
 
‘The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever. Phil Knight’s passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way.
 
‘People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter.’
 
‘Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking,’ read the post. ‘You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful.’
 
🔗 For more analysis on Woods’ departure from Nike check out the link in our bio.

Is the sports rights bubble about to burst? The data suggests the game might be up.
 
For more read 's latest on the market dynamics via the link in our bio. 
 

🇺🇸 How well do you know the US media market?
 
Whether it’s in-depth or novice, our new Media Hub has you covered. The US market is one of eight currently profiled for SP+ Premium members.
 
Have a flick through to get an idea of the data and business intelligence on offer.
 
Sign up to access the Media Hub via the link in our bio and take advantage of our limited-time offer for 25% off SportsPro+ Premium annual membership. This expires on Black Friday, November 24th, just enter code SP25 at checkout.