BNN Business of Sports

When it comes to money in sports, the past 11 months did not disappoint, featuring exorbitant valuations for North American teams, record-setting contracts for athletes and broadcasters alike, and a media rights deal that got a basketball league paid.

The global sailing competition capped off its most successful event in history at the inaugural 2024 ROCKWOOL Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax, Nova Scotia a month prior - selling out within 12 minutes of tickets going on sale. It was attended by a record shoreside crowd of 50,000 spectators along the Halifax and Dartmouth waterfronts.

In the midst of launching its first In Season Tournament in 2023, the National Basketball Association was negotiating a long-term media rights package that would ultimately make even the most hardened financial analyst stand and applaud.

News and notes from across the world of sports.

It can be shocking to some that the MLSE basketball team surpassed the hockey team in value but there actually should be no surprise. NBA media rights money dwarfs that of the NHL, and the appeal of NBA superstars rivals those of the most popular sports and leagues in the world, including soccer and F1.

While NBA salaries dwarf those in the NHL, both leagues reward their top performing superstars. But the teams with the most stars don’t always win. Similarly, the highest payrolls never assure a championship. Crafting the right roster isn’t simply about doling out the most money.

As the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) playoffs approach, a new wave of rookie talent has injected excitement and anticipation into a highly awaited postseason.

To say that Steph Curry is an international sensation would be an understatement. One of the world’s most recognizable athletes, he has revolutionized the sport of basketball over 15 seasons in the NBA with three-point shooting, by winning championships and exhibiting a joy for the game that resonates with casual and fanatical viewers of the sport in North America and around the globe.

The top athletic programs would be the envy of many professional teams in North America and the world over. Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio came in at number 1 for the fiscal year 2023, reporting revenue of over $279.5 million USD.

The primary objective of the league has always been to enhance Canadian soccer, elevate the prominence of homegrown talent, and boost visibility, with the top priority being to expand the national team pool and foster competition to help Canada qualify for and compete in the FIFA World Cup.

A 2022 report says that only two Summer Olympic Games have ever produced a financial surplus - The Los Angeles Games in 1984 and the Sydney Games in 2000.

Wimbledon confirmed back in June that a record 50 million euros in prize pool money is on offer at this year's championships, an 11.9 per cent increase from 2023.

The national team is led by perhaps its most dynamic player ever, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a 25-year-old guard out of Toronto who recently led the Oklahoma City Thunder to 1st place in the NBA’s Western Conference and finished in 2nd place in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting.

For Edmonton, this season’s Stanley Cup playoff push by the Oilers means a free advertisement for the city.

The opportunity to revolutionize curling, a sport its traditionalist system has long held back, is at hand. A new venture backed by entertainment industry veterans and elite curlers aims to grow the sport by making cosmetic and structural changes.