A city whose sole major league representation was the WNBA at the start of 2017 is quickly becoming one of the biggest U.S. sports hubs.

Las Vegas now boasts NHL and NFL teams and several marquee events — and could gain MLB, NBA, and MLS teams by the end of the decade.

The NCAA also announced last week that Las Vegas will host its first Final Four in 2028.

• Sin City will host its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in November 2023.
• Las Vegas, which added the Raiders from Oakland in 2020, was awarded the 2024 Super Bowl and hosted the 2022 NFL Draft in April.
• There’s a good chance the city eventually hosts the College Football National Championship.

So Many Possibilities

The Oakland A’s have scouted land in Las Vegas, should they fail to reach a deal on a new waterfront ballpark with the Oakland city government.

If the A’s stay in Oakland, Las Vegas could be an expansion target for MLB, which is expected to add two teams once the A’s and Tampa Bay Rays resolve their stadium situations.

LeBron James wants to own an NBA team in Las Vegas — and while league commissioner Adam Silver has been wary of expansion, he has also said that adding teams is “inevitable.”

Oak View Group purchased 25 acres of land in Las Vegas with plans to build a $3 billion entertainment district centered on a $1 billion NBA-ready arena.

Las Vegas is also vying with San Diego to be the home of MLS’ 30th team.

Manchester United’s owners announced plans last week to explore strategic alternatives for the club — but at a $4.6 billion valuation, the number of potential bidders could be limited.

The team will consider “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company.”

If the Glazers, who purchased the team for around $1.5 billion in 2005, decide to offload the entirety of the 19th-most valuable team in the world (tied with the Miami Dolphins), only a few parties have the wealth to make the acquisition, according to Forbes.

Manchester United appointed The Raine Group as the exclusive financial adviser on the process, potentially indicating America as a market for a new owner. The Raine Group also advised this year’s Chelsea sale to a consortium led by U.S. businessman Todd Boehly.

Other potential ownership groups: sovereign wealth funds. Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Paris Saint-Germain are all owned by funds. 

Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe could be one of the few individuals who could afford the team.

• He has a net worth of $13 billion and has publicly expressed interest in Manchester United. 
• Ratcliffe previously told the Financial Times he met with the Glazers, who at the time didn’t want to sell.
• He also made a late bid for Chelsea.

Amancio Ortega, worth $61.3 billion and owner of the conglomerate behind fashion retailer Zara, is also reportedly interested in the club. So is tech giant Apple. David Beckham is open to talks with potential bidders, as well.

Glazers Gone?

The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have been called on to sell for years.

Fans most recently protested what they see as misguided management and a lack of investment in the team and stadium.

A track “marked for Formula 1 greatness” will lie dormant for at least another year, at least according to one report.

According to the BBC, F1 is reportedly prepared to remove Shanghai from its 2023 calendar, bringing clarity to one of the series’ major outstanding questions.

An F1 spokesperson, however, maintains that the race is still on and told the French news agency AFP that “China has been included in the 2023 calendar and, until we announce otherwise, this remains the case.”

• F1 hasn’t raced in China since 2019, due to the pandemic. It was scheduled to make its return in April.
• The country refused to grant an exception to F1 on its quarantine policies, which could have forced team staff to be detained in the country if they contracted COVID-19 there.
• The country currently requires anyone who tests positive for the virus to quarantine at an isolation center for five days, plus an additional three at home.

Shanghai’s $450 million track hosted 16 F1 Grand Prix races from 2004 to 2019.

Revamped Schedule

Las Vegas joins Austin and Miami as Formula 1’s third U.S. race in 2023, and F1 has purchased $240 million of land in Sin City to create a permanent paddock and event area.

Qatar will rejoin the series next year after debuting in 2021 and taking a one-year break while it hosts the World Cup.

The French Grand Prix will drop off the schedule but has hopes to return on a rotating basis. Monaco was at risk to be removed but will stay on for an additional three years.

The list of European soccer teams weighing new stadium options is getting longer.

Paris Saint-Germain is reportedly considering moving from the 48,000-capacity Parc des Princes — its home since 1974.

“My first option is we don’t move,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said. “But the city of Paris is pushing us to move.”

“We spent 70 million euros upgrading the Parc de Princes, but it’s not our stadium,” he added, clarifying that the club had offered to purchase the stadium, but Paris’ asking price was too high.

Other stadium options reportedly include buying the 80,000-capacity Stade de France — the national stadium — from the government or moving to unidentified greenfield sites.

Several other clubs are also looking at a move or renovations.

• Last year, Everton broke ground on a $694 million stadium set to open in the 2024-2025 season.
• AC Milan and Inter Milan announced plans to build a new $1.3 billion stadium slated to open in 2027.
• Chelsea is reportedly looking to build a new stadium on the Stamford Bridge site.
• In April, Manchester United appointed the architects of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to create redevelopment plans for Old Trafford.
• Newcastle United is considering either moving from St James’ Park or expanding.

American Investment

Along with a potential new stadium, PSG has a potential new investor.

An unnamed American investment fund is reportedly interested in acquiring a 10%-15% stake in the club — which Forbes last valued at $3.2 billion — from Qatar Sports Investment.