On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including the Super Bowl matchup. The Kansas City Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
It’s a dream matchup for the NFL. The 49ers are one of the league’s most storied franchises, and they play in the 10th largest media markets in the country. The Kansas City Chiefs are led by star Patrick Mahomes, one of the game’s most recognizable names, and tight end Travis Kelce is dating pop star Taylor Swift, one of the world’s most recognizable celebrities. The Swift-Kelce relationship was a dominant storyline in the back half of the NFL season, and it will continue through the end of the season.
It’s also a dream matchup for Kristin Juszczyk. The wife of 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Kristin has been making custom jackets for the past few weeks, an endeavor that drew a lot of attention when Swift wore one. She’s been in talks with the NFL on a possible partnership, but the tandem storylines of Kyle and Taylor could pay off for her as well.
Next they talk about the PGA Tour. The golf circuit is set to take investment from a number of prominent sports owners as early as this week, according to sources. They’re investing in a newly formed non-profit called PGA Tour Enterprises, and the talks come alongside the broader merger negotiations between PIF, the PGA Tour and the main European tour.
Lastly the hosts talk about the latest with TKO, the parent of the UFC and WWE. Last week a former WWE employee filed an sex trafficking lawsuit full of ugly allegations against TKO chairman (and WWE founder) Vince McMahon. McMahon denied the allegations and abruptly resigned from the TKO board. The lawsuit also raises questions about whether WWE, which was a standalone public company at the time of the alleged activity, beached its fiduciary duty to shareholders in its handling of some of those allegations.
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