Major League Baseball (MLB)

SportBusiness' US editor details how Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred displayed a notably changed tone following the completion of a hard-fought collective bargaining agreement with the MLB Players Association.

Moves to serve as forerunner for potential MLB implementation in 2023

League extending its presence further on direct-to-consumer streaming platforms

Billionaire club owner says he is comfortable with still-expanding payroll

In this week’s episode, podcast co-hosts Eric Fisher and Chris Russo interview Lou DePaoli, managing director at global sports consulting and management firm General Sports Worldwide. Fisher and Russo also discuss the new collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, MLB’s streaming rights agreement with Apple, continued developments with the Premier League’s Chelsea and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, the National Football League’s season-long suspension of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for gambling offenses, and ownership moves for the Premier Hockey Federation’s Toronto Six and Boston Pride.

Wide-ranging collective bargaining agreement ushers in wave of dramatic changes

New disagreement over international draft slows progress toward labor deal

Exclusive package of games to air on Apple TV+ streaming service

Players, owners remain at odds on key economic issues

In this week’s episode, podcast co-hosts Eric Fisher and Chris Russo interview Julie Uhrman, Angel City FC co-founder and president. Fisher and Russo also discuss Major League Baseball’s cancellation of the first week of the 2022 regular season and further impacts from the ongoing labor dispute with the MLB Players Association, the move of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich to sell the Premier League’s Chelsea FC, a $1.5bn fundraising by Fanatics that now values the company at $27bn, and rising political pressures surrounding National Hockey League star Alexander Ovechkin.

Financial strength of management lends support to hardline positions

League move marks first games formally lost to labor dispute since 1995

Marathon day of bargaining brings new levels of movement by management

Daily bargaining sessions in Florida fail to produce significant progress

In this week’s episode, podcast co-hosts Eric Fisher and Chris Russo interview Jessica Berman, National Lacrosse League interim commissioner. Fisher and Russo also discuss ongoing labor negotiations with the MLB Players Association, heightened turbulence in the United States sports betting market impacting entities such as DraftKings and Churchill Downs Inc.’s TwinSpires, a new funding round for digital sports media company Wave Sports + Entertainment, the sports industry’s response to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, and the state of spring leagues for American football.

Labor talks take darker turn as league sets deadline for a new agreement

Operator of Bally Sports RSNs issues downbeat earnings report

Move marks first formal disruption of games in ongoing labor dispute