The New York Times debuted a new ad spotlighting its investigations and coverage of the impact of brain injuries to football and other sports. Jason Stallman, Sports Editor at The New York Times, joins Cheddar on a special episode of "The Business of Sports" to discuss what he's seeing in the push for more safety concerns.
Stallman says The New York Times takes a special interest in this topic because it doesn't just impact NFL players. More and more young kids are getting into the sport. He calls it a public safety issue if it is the case that repeated head injuries can lead to cognitive damage later in life.
So are we at a turning point in the quest for head injuries to be taken more seriously in sports? Stallman says as the science has mounted over the past decade many people wonder when it will become more of a talking point among players. Although he does cite that certain parts of the country have taken steps to address the risk of head injuries. Some schools have stopped having full contact practices. However, Stallman is unsure when NFL players will start addressing the issue. He says the dynamics are much different when you're being paid millions of dollars to play a sport.
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.
Sponsored by BetMGM
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!
