The College Football Playoff committee meets on Thursday to decide whether to triple the amount of teams competing for a national championship.

Rather than earning a ticket to the playoffs by winning a conference title, the new 12-team proposal includes the six highest-ranked conference champions, as well as the other six highest-ranked teams.

There would be no limit to teams from one conference.

The new format could be a huge source of revenue for broadcasters and the schools themselves. 

• Navigate Research predicts the proposed playoff could be worth about $1.9 billion annually in TV rights.
• Teams from the Pac-12, which receive roughly $9 million annually from the playoff, would receive about $27 million per school.

In line with the usual 25% viewership increase with each playoff round, Navigate projects total viewers for the new playoff could reach 183 million. 

Alabama’s triumph over Ohio State in January brought in just 18.7 million viewers — the least-watched title game in CFP history. Each previous year saw an average of 28 million.

At this point, it’s unclear where media rights for the new games would land or how revenue would be directed among stakeholders.

“It’s the first step in a long process that won’t end before September,” said CFP executive director Bill Hancock.

Even as pandemic restrictions ease, gamers are increasingly enamored with playing on their phones.

Weekly global spending on mobile games hit $1.7 billion in the first quarter, up 40% from last year, according to industry analyst App Annie. Prior to the pandemic surge, spending in the sector had remained roughly flat from the start of 2019 through the first quarter of 2020 at around $1.2 billion per week.

Mobile gaming was about equal in consumer spending to other types of gaming in 2014 but has emerged as the runaway winner.

• The category is expected to see $120 billion in consumer sales this year.
• That’s around triple the projections for PC and Mac gaming ($41 billion) and console gaming ($39 billion). Handheld consoles lag behind at $4 billion.
• The mobile gaming industry is projected to grow 11% annually on average to $272 billion by 2030. 

The top grossers in Q1, per App Annie, were Roblox and “Genshin Impact.” Roblox, a gaming platform, went public via a direct listing in March. “Genshin Impact” is a roleplaying game published by Shanghai-based miHoYo.

Analytics firm GlobalData noted the rise of 5G and the technological parity that mobile games have with other types of gaming platforms as reasons for optimism regarding its ongoing projected growth.

Though its fans are among the oldest in sports, golf is getting new life from its rising stars. 

A report by financial advisory firm Duff and Phelps projects that 18 golfers will make over $100 million in future earnings before they turn 50. 

• Rory McIlroy, 32, was far and away the top future earner at $400 million.
• Justin Thomas, 28, was a distant second at $299 million, followed by Bryson DeChambeau, 27 with $225 million. All three saw their future earnings shoot up over $60 million from the previous analysis in 2020.
• Tiger Woods, 45, who is recovering from a harrowing car accident in March, still brings in tens of millions annually in endorsements and is projected to earn $150 million over the next five years.

DeChambeau currently sits atop the PGA Tour’s 2021 money leaders list with more than $5.8 million in winnings.

Woods’ $60 million haul from the one-year period ending May 1 placed him first among golfers and 12th overall in Forbes’ report on the top earning athletes. Phil Mickelson, 49, and Dustin Johnson, 36, were the only other two to make the top 50. 

While the PGA Tour is the most prestigious golf organization, two similarly structured upstart leagues are trying to entice top players with a new model. 

The Premier Golf League is recruiting players to sign on for 18 tournaments annually, each with a $20 million prize pool. The league, which hopes to launch in 2023, would be partially owned by players, course operators, and fans.

The similar but unrelated Super Golf League is also seeking to lure top players with entry bonuses of $30 million to $50 million.

Nintendo put the world on notice: It’s taking things to a new level. 

On Tuesday, the Japanese-based video game company showcased a slew of new offerings during E3, the planet’s premier video game trade event. 

E3’s Nintendo Direct presentation marked the last show of the four-day, all-virtual event and a big moment for the Nintendo’s best-selling console ever, the Switch. 

Released in March 2017, lifetime sales of the Switch have reached 84.59 million units with 587 million units of software sold.

Things do not appear to be slowing down for the portable console, either. 

Nintendo sold 4.7 million Switch units in fiscal Q4 and expects to sell another 27 million by March 2022. 

The “Mario” and “Legend of Zelda” publisher has plenty in store for the fall season. 

• Revealed the latest installment in the “Metroid” series. “Metroid Dread” is set for release Oct. 8 on the Switch. 
• Announced the release of “Mario Party Superstars” on Oct. 29.
• Revealed a “Legend of Zelda” game and watch device that will feature three classic “Zelda” titles, scheduled to release Nov. 12. 

For its fiscal year spanning April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, Nintendo reported $16.1 billion in revenue, a 34% increase year-over-year. The company generated $3.2 billion in fiscal Q4 with the help of 3.6 million Switch units sold during the quarter. 

Nintendo is also slated to release a new Switch model during the 2021 holiday season.