NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon joined Cheddar News this week as the iconic racing league celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Gordon, who last raced in 2015, is now the fulltime owner of Hendrick Motorsports. He first became an equity owner in 1999. He told Cheddar's Kristen Scholer that his transition into ownership was relatively seamless.
"My perspective, now that I take all of that knowledge or experience and put it into being part of a co-ownership with Rick Hendrick and just focusing on the foundation that's been built there," he said.
Gordon said the next phase of his career is about helping grow the sport of NASCAR and exposing it to as many new demographics as possible.
Part of NASCAR's growth will be put on display this coming summer when the league has its first street race in Chicago.
"I think that's going to be a testing bed for what's ahead in the future of what kind of venues and racetracks – not just in the U.S. but broader areas. Maybe in North America. It could be Canada, it could be Mexico or beyond and see NASCAR really go global," Gordon told Cheddar News.
When it comes to overhauling the NASCAR experience with EVs, he said it will probably take some time for the league to get there. He noted that when the shift happens, the league will be ready but its primary goal is to maintain the hype and excitement around NASCAR.
Between Bells executive producer Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, and teaches Azia Celestino and Hena Doba a thing or two at the same time. It's This Week In Trivia!
Minty Bets, Sports Betting Analyst for Yahoo Sportsbook, joins Cheddar Bets to break down all of the latest trends from the first week of baseball season.
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The competition between streaming platforms is heating up as Apple TV+, HBO Max, and others acquire the rights to air live sports, oftentimes behind an exclusive paywall. While this is likely to entice some viewers, it also presents a risk that viewership will become fractured. Customers might steer away from subscription overload as content streaming options become seemingly endless. Jeff Agrest, deputy sports editor and media columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, joins Closing Bell to discuss what it means for the live sports industry when content is put behind a paywall on streaming platforms, how it could impact viewership, impact on sports betting, potential acquisition targets, and more.
The Dallas Cowboys have joined forces with cryptocurrency platform Blockchain.com as the NFL loosens restrictions on teams making such deals. The partnership won't open the door for crypto use at AT&T stadium but will provide for some exclusive fan experiences.
Ice Cube's 3-on-3 basketball league, the Big3, is introducing decentralized team ownership to fans with the chance to own a minority stake in the 12 teams through blockchain technology, a first for professional sports. The rapper, actor, and filmmaker joined Cheddar News to talk about the new ownership model using NFTs. "This is a perfect time to offer it to fans and not just wait for fat cats to come and want to buy the teams but for fans to be able to be a part of it,” he said.
McLaren displayed its all-electric, off-roading racing vehicle, the Odyssey, in from of the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, joined Cheddar News to discuss bringing the heavy-duty vehicle to a new racing series with an emphasis on sustainability — and even gender equity with a male and female team of two drivers required. "This is McLaren's first-ever Odyssey, which is an EV. Looks like an SUV — but not really much of an SUV — that we raced five times around the world in various locations where climate has impacted the world," he said.
Seth Schachner, a digital business executive and the managing director of the consultancy Strat Americas, joined Closing Bell to talk all about the mega-merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, combining to form Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq: WBD), and what it means for the streaming space going forward. “I think unlike some of the other mergers that you've seen out there. I think this one has actually got a real chance to be successful and to really further the cause of streaming," he said.
Between Bells executive producer Conor White recaps some of the biggest stories of the week, and teaches Baker Machado and Hena Doba a thing or two at the same time. It's This Week In Trivia!
