Why Ted Leonsis Is Bullish on Women's Sports
Monumental Sports & Entertainment CEO, Ted Leonsis, sat down with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua during the Qatar Economic Forum to talk about his potential sports investments. Leonsis praised women's sports, particularly the WNBA. "The quality of the game in the way the game is being presented looks like the NBA," he told Lacqua as he recommended that investors should buy a professional women's soccer or basketball team. (Source: Bloomberg)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rosenberg Sees a 'Slowing-But-Still Strong Labor Market'
Jeffrey Rosenberg, portfolio manager at BlackRock Inc., says the May jobs report means the Federal Reserve can take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to interest rates. "The big takeaway is a slowing-but-still strong labor market," he said on "Bloomberg Surveillance." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
38 minutes ago
- Engadget
The head of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot program leaves the company
Milan Kovac, who leads Tesla's Optimus humanoid robotics program, is leaving the automaker. In a post on X, Milan talked about how he joined Tesla as an engineer for the core Autopilot team in 2016 and how he started leading the Optimus group in 2022. He explained that he's leaving his position, because he's "been far away from home for too long and will need to spend more time with family abroad." Kovac stressed that it was the only reason he's leaving and that his support for Elon Musk and the Tesla team was "ironclad," perhaps insinuating that his decision had nothing to do with Musk's politics or recent fallout with the president. Tesla first announced that it was working on a humanoid robot in 2021, though it wasn't able to debut an actual prototype until a year a later in 2022. Musk said back then Optimus will be able to move at 5 mph and carry loads up to 45 pounds. He also said that he expects it to sell for $20,000 each when built at volume and claimed that the machines can give the company a $25 trillion market cap. Since then, Tesla has demonstrated Optimus' ability to handle an egg, cook meals, fold the laundry and throw the trash. The robot doesn't have a solid release date yet. Musk said back in April that the robot's production had been affected by China's export restrictions of rare earth magnets, so it's most likely not going to be anytime soon. Bloomberg , which reported Kovac's departure first, said he's leaving the company immediately. Ashok Elluswamy, who's leading the company's Autopilot group, is taking over his responsibilities. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Well done, Illinois! State gives women's sports teams access to public funding
Well done, Illinois! State gives women's sports teams access to public funding Show Caption Hide Caption In baseball, women will soon have a league of their own For women passionate about the sport, the launch of the Women's Pro Baseball League next year is great news. After decades of making do with leftovers and scraps, women's sports teams now officially have a seat at the table in Illinois. The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act was amended last weekend to ensure women's teams are included in any conversations about public funding. The bill now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who intends to sign it. 'That codification is everything,' Karen Leetzow, president of the NWSL's Chicago Stars, which led the push for the change, told USA TODAY Sports. 'When you look at history, so many examples (of inequities) exist and, absent legislation, nothing changes. To have it codified and to bring attention to past inequities and make sure that those don't happen in the future, is huge.' The Stars aren't asking for money. Not yet, anyway. Neither are the WNBA's Chicago Sky. That's not the point. OPINION: New York Liberty value soars. Time for WNBA owners to invest or get out of the way No women's team has ever gotten public funding for a facility in Illinois. Or most other states, for that matter. The idea they'd dare even ask is met with incredulousness — and, let's be honest, a healthy dose of condescending misogyny — while no one is surprised when a men's team puts its hand out. By making this change, the Illinois legislature is sending a strong message that, in this state at least, women's teams are of equal value and worth to men's teams. That if the state has resources, the Stars and the Sky have as much right to them as the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox and any other team. Now, before the Neanderthals start howling that women's teams don't make money or that men's teams should get preference because they do, let's remember that men's professional sports have at least a half-century head start on women's teams. And for much of that existence, they've been bolstered by public support. That means the public built or helped build the stadiums and arenas in which they play and the infrastructure that made them accessible to fans. The same stadiums and arenas that are a significant source of their wealth. Take the White Sox. While they technically are tenants at Rate Field, they own the stadium for all intents and purposes. They reportedly pay less than $2 million a year in rent for a ballpark built with public funds and, in return, get to keep the revenue from ticket sales, concessions, parking and merchandise. The team also gets the bulk of the profits from the naming rights deal. The White Sox signage is permanent. So, too, the spaces used by the players. Oh, the White Sox also get to set the calendar at Rate Field. If there's a concert or some other non-baseball event at the ballpark, it has to work with the White Sox's schedule and wishes. WOMEN'S PRO SOFTBALL IN ILLINOIS: Schedule, how to watch 2025 AUSL games The Stars, meanwhile, are basically house guests at SeatGeek Stadium in suburban Bridgeview — as they were not so subtly reminded last summer. After the season had begun, the Stars learned that village officials planned to stage Riot Fest, a three-day punk, rock and alternative music festival, on the stadium grounds the same weekend the Stars had a home game. Nothing says professional like the sweet, sweet sounds of St. Vincent and Beck drowning out the P.A.! Riot Fest wound up being moved, but that's immaterial. The Stars have no control over their facility, financially or otherwise, which makes it hard — not impossible, but really, really hard — to build valuation. OPINION: Homes of their own critical for continued growth of women's sports. Stadiums equal revenue Still not convinced? According to Forbes, the Kansas City Current's $36 million in revenue last season was the most in the NWSL, more than $10 million more than the third-place San Diego Wave and triple that of eight clubs. Why such a gap? Because the Current last year opened the first purpose-built stadium for a women's team and is now reaping the benefits. This year, in fact, Forbes estimates the Current will generate $45 million in revenue. 'As women's sports grow, we ought to have facilities of our own that we can monetize so hopefully we can grow,' Leetzow said. 'Without those resources, we are literally being starved. That is not going to help us move forward.' The Stars have already said they are planning to leave the geographically undesirable SeatGeek Stadium when their lease expires at the end of this season. The team prefers to train and play in the city, and is exploring its options. This doesn't mean the Stars will ask the state for money. But for the first time in their existence, it's an option. And that is another sign of progress, to have access to what men's teams have always had. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
