Latest news with #sportsleague
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
East Nashville's Darrell Downs talks about what inspired him to run a youth sports league
Darrell Downs reflects on what he finds rewarding about running a youth sports league in East Nashville
CNA
22-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Shooting-New league aims to lift Indian shooters out of cricket's shadow
NEW DELHI :Indian shooters, like most Olympic athletes in the country, are accustomed to being the poor cousins of their cricket counterparts but a new franchise-based league wants to change that. The Shooting League of India (SLI) will start on the outskirts of Delhi in November with six to eight teams, each an eclectic mix of the sport's global stars and local talents. "Despite our consistent performance in the Olympics and other events, shooting does not have the kind of visibility it should have here," National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Singh Deo told Reuters. "The league will, hopefully, give some visibility to our shooters, popularise shooting overall and increase our mass appeal." Each franchise will have a 12-member squad - six men and six women - with up to four foreigners in their ranks. More than 70 shooters from 25 countries have registered for next month's auction, Deo said without disclosing any names. "This is a first of its kind league in shooting and we'll ensure that the best shooters come here and put up a great show," he said. Similarities with the Indian Premier League (IPL) are uncanny and Deo acknowledged the influence of cricket's most lucrative T20 competition. "Of course, IPL is a major, successful league for any sport and we've borrowed certain elements from it. But we understand that shooting is different from cricket," Deo said. "We are not competing with cricket, but we believe that shooting needs to be recognised for being one of the most successful sports in the country. "It's a long-term venture and it's going to be fast, fun, and exciting. We'll make sure our franchises and our sponsors get a bang for their buck." MINOR FORCE India remains a minor force at the Olympic Games but shooters have enjoyed consistent success, winning three of the country's six medals in Paris last year. The league, which requires franchises to include at least two shooters aged under 21, should go a long way to establishing India as a shooting powerhouse, Deo said. "We have identified the youngsters, who will potentially compete in the 2032 and 2036 Olympics," he said. "This league will give the opportunity to all those shooters, who may not be part of the current national squad, to compete with the best and learn from them." The NRAI will announce the league's franchises and broadcast partners in due course. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has thrown its support behind the league. "Innovative formats like this have the potential to bring Olympic shooting to new audiences, offer more competitive opportunities for athletes, and enhance the visibility of our sport on a national and international level," ISSF secretary general Alessandro Nicotra di San Giacomo told Reuters.
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
New league aims to lift Indian shooters out of cricket's shadow
NEW DELHI, July 22 (Reuters) - Indian shooters, like most Olympic athletes in the country, are accustomed to being the poor cousins of their cricket counterparts but a new franchise-based league wants to change that. The Shooting League of India (SLI) will start on the outskirts of Delhi in November with six to eight teams, each an eclectic mix of the sport's global stars and local talents. "Despite our consistent performance in the Olympics and other events, shooting does not have the kind of visibility it should have here," National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Singh Deo told Reuters. "The league will, hopefully, give some visibility to our shooters, popularise shooting overall and increase our mass appeal." Each franchise will have a 12-member squad -- six men and six women -- with up to four foreigners in their ranks. More than 70 shooters from 25 countries have registered for next month's auction, Deo said without disclosing any names. "This is a first of its kind league in shooting and we'll ensure that the best shooters come here and put up a great show," he said. Similarities with the Indian Premier League (IPL) are uncanny and Deo acknowledged the influence of cricket's most lucrative T20 competition. "Of course, IPL is a major, successful league for any sport and we've borrowed certain elements from it. But we understand that shooting is different from cricket," Deo said. "We are not competing with cricket, but we believe that shooting needs to be recognised for being one of the most successful sports in the country. "It's a long-term venture and it's going to be fast, fun, and exciting. We'll make sure our franchises and our sponsors get a bang for their buck." India remains a minor force at the Olympic Games but shooters have enjoyed consistent success, winning three of the country's six medals in Paris last year. The league, which requires franchises to include at least two shooters aged under 21, should go a long way to establishing India as a shooting powerhouse, Deo said. "We have identified the youngsters, who will potentially compete in the 2032 and 2036 Olympics," he said. "This league will give the opportunity to all those shooters, who may not be part of the current national squad, to compete with the best and learn from them." The NRAI will announce the league's franchises and broadcast partners in due course. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has thrown its support behind the league. "Innovative formats like this have the potential to bring Olympic shooting to new audiences, offer more competitive opportunities for athletes, and enhance the visibility of our sport on a national and international level," ISSF secretary general Alessandro Nicotra di San Giacomo told Reuters. "We commend NRAI for taking this initiative and wish the league every success in its inaugural season."
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
With Deadline Approaching, Grand Slam Track Still Owes Facility Rental Fee For Miami Meet
MIRAMAR, FL - MAY 2: Michael Johnson is pictured on the field during Grand Slam Track at Ansin ... More Sports Complex on May 2, 2025 in Miramar, Florida. (Photo by Michael Pimentel/) Another deadline is fast approaching for Grand Slam Track, and this time it's in the form of an unpaid facility rental fee at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida. The startup track and field league currently owes the City of Miramar $77,896 for its facility rental from its Miami Slam, which took place from May 2-4 at the complex, I have learned from a public records request, and the first of three payments from the rental agreement is due on July 18. Originally, the binding terms of the event-host agreement signed on April 10, 2025, by the City of Miramar and Grand Slam Track indicated that one-half payment of the fee was due 30 days before the event on April 2, while the second-half was to be finalized 30 days after the event on June 2. However, the bill is still unpaid after 72 days. The City of Miramar rewrote a new payment plan that indicates Grand Slam Track now owes $30,000 on July 18, another $30,000 on August 18 and the third and final payment of $17,896 on September 18. It marks a stark turn of events for Grand Slam Track, which you could argue had its most successful event in Miramar, hosting a nearly sold-out crowd over three days at the Ansin Sports Complex, filling the 5,000-seat stadium to the brim as an American record went down in the women's 100 meter hurdles and various other world leads took place on one of the nation's fastest tracks. In this screenshot of the host event agreement between the City of Miramar and Grand Slam Track, the ... More league agreed to pay two installments of its facility rental 30 days before and 30 days after the meet. Current Concerns Plaguing Grand Slam Track The news follows concerns indicating cash flow issues with the track league, which canceled its fourth and final meet in Los Angeles on June 28-29 at Drake Stadium, with sources telling Runner's World the league had issues with its venue deal. Grand Slam Track also made adjustments to its race schedule in Philadelphia, eliminating the 5,000 meter race from the schedule entirely and removing one-half of the prize pool for the distance categories – a total of $525,000 between the men's and women's events. 'The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season,' Johnson said in a release, announcing his league's departure. He did maintain, however, that the organization was looking forward for a return to the track in 2026. When Grand Slam Track was announced in June 2024, it declared $30 million in 'financial commitments' from strategic partners and touted its partnership with Winner's Alliance, which was the 'lead investor in the first fundraising close for the new venture," an idea that seemed certain to revolutionize the sport and provide long-term growth equity for athletes. But in a search of the SEC's EDGAR database, no filing for Grand Slam Track is available. By season's end, sources told Front Office Sports that the league was considering postponing 'because of a new strategic partnership.' There are also alleged problems with prize money, with a reported $13 million in race winnings not paid following meets in Jamaica, Miami and Philadelphia. High-level staffers – Chief Live Event Officer John Porco, Chief Content Officer Rick Qualliotine and Vice President of Live Event Marketing Lou D'Angeli – have also been let go. Olympic Athletes Are Speaking Up USA's Gabrielle Thomas of team New Balance crosses the finish line in first place, in the women's ... More 200 meter dash long sprint during the Grand Slam Track competition at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica on April 4, 2025. (Photo by Ricardo Makyn / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images) 2024 Paris Olympian and three-time gold medalist Gabby Thomas, who is one of the league's centerpiece stars and earned $100,000 for her win in the women's long sprints category in Jamaica, along with $50,000 and $30,000 payouts for finishing second and third in the shorts sprints categories in Miami and Philadelphia, replied to a Grand Slam Track social media post on Tik Tok in early July, writing 'So dope!! Pls pay me'. In June, Norwegian outlet NRK also asked several of the league's athletes if they had been paid following their outings at the Diamond League's Bislett Games in Oslo. Alison dos Santos and Emmanuel Wanyonyi both confirmed they were still without their prize winnings from earlier meets. Forbes also independently verified at least one other account of a GST athlete not being paid. Grand Slam Track booked the Ansin Sports Complex, which included a 5,000-seat stadium with an FTX Mondo surface, for 14 days (April 22-28 and April 29-May 5), including a 'non-exclusive facility rental fee of $2,400 for seven days' and an 'exclusive facility rental fee of $8,000' for another seven days. Included within the signed agreement was also a promise by Grand Slam Track to pay ticket surcharge fees owed to the City of Miramar based on escalating ticket prices. Grand Slam Track owed the city $1.50 for tickets sold between $1 to $19.99; $2.50 for tickets sold from $20 to $29.99; $3.50 for tickets between $30 to $39.99; and $4.50 for tickets secured at $40 and over. The City of Miramar is owed another $14,928.50, according to public records. The event host agreement, signed by Grand Slam Track and the City of Miramar, outlets ticket ... More surchases owned by the event provider (Grand Slam Track).
Times of Oman
14-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
IPL valuation hits $18.5 bn, up 12.9%, fuelled by media rights, sponsors, and fan engagement
New Delhi: The business valuation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has surged an unprecedented USD 18.5 billion, marking a 12.9 per cent increase over the past year. According to the latest edition of analysis by Houlihan Lokey, valued at Rs 1.56 lakh crore in Indian currency, this growth underscores the IPL's status as one of the most lucrative sports leagues in the world. The global investment bank listed on the NYSE stated that the brand value of IPL increased 13.8 per cent in 2025, reaching USD 3.9 billion (equivalent to Rs 32,721 crore, reflecting a 16.1 per cent increase year over year in INR terms). The firm's analysis added that the growth of IPL underscores the league's expanding commercial appeal, global reach, and deepening fan engagement, particularly in the digital domain. For perspective, brand value represents the monetary worth of an intangible asset, which typically encompasses elements such as the trade name, trademark, and associated goodwill. It is important to note that brand value is a subset of a company's or entity's overall business value, which includes tangible assets, operational revenues, and other intangibles. Since its inception in 2008, the IPL has evolved into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, consistently ranking among the most valuable sports leagues globally. Its influence extends far beyond the field, shaping broadcasting standards, fan engagement strategies, and franchise-based models that are now being emulated worldwide. The firm added that the 2025 IPL season exemplified the league's resilience and operational agility. Despite a temporary suspension due to geopolitical tensions in early May, the tournament resumed swiftly, backed by robust contingency planning and stakeholder coordination, the analysis added. The IPL continues to set benchmarks in sports business. Franchise valuations have soared, media rights deals have reached record highs, and brand partnerships have diversified across sectors. The top franchisees clock Rs 6,500 million to Rs 7,000 million in annual revenues, with up to 80 per cent visibility secured before the start of the tournament. On the cost side, the presence of a salary cap (Rs 1,200 million per team) functions as an embedded margin protector, preventing wage inflation (a major concern for global sports teams) and ensuring competitive parity among teams. Moreover, franchisees operate with minimal fixed-asset exposure, benefitting from ready access to stadium infrastructure already created by BCCI, translating into a capital-light model with structurally high return on employed capital. When benchmarked against global peers like EPL and NBA teams that wrestle with high player transfer fees, variable wages, and high stadium operating costs (including servicing stadium debt), IPL franchisees operate with an asset-light, revenue-guaranteed model, a structure that not only cushions downside risk but also amplifies operating leverage on the upside. "For institutional investors, this makes the IPL not just a sports league but a high-growth compounder in the entertainment space, catering to a fast-growing fan base with rising disposable income and a strong appetite for premium digital experiences," the study stated. Going further, the study observed that Bengaluru (RCB) triumphed over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a final that shattered viewership records. The title clash drew over 600 million views on JioCinema, reaffirming the IPL's status as not only India's premier sporting event but also one of the world's most-watched broadcast spectacles.
