August 24, 2021

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With four of the Power 5 conferences making moves and forming alliances, the Big 12 is now left with with eight schools — and an uncertain future.

Three Power Conferences Align

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

The Big Ten, Pac-12, and ACC made it official on Tuesday: The three college conferences are forming an alliance.

The Power 5 conferences said they would “remain competitors in every sense” but will coordinate on a host of issues:

  • Future structure of the NCAA
  • Federal legislative efforts
  • Postseason championships and future formats
  • Gender equity, social justice, and the mental and physical health of its athletes

The group plans for inter-conference games in football and basketball, including annual events featuring marquee matchups. It also wants “Olympic sports programs to compete more frequently and forge additional attractive and meaningful rivalries.”

The conferences said that the “scheduling alliance will begin as soon as practical while honoring current contractual obligations.”

The alliance could be a controlling force in next month’s meeting between those three conferences and the SEC — which will add Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 in 2025 — on expanding the College Football Playoff. The expanded SEC will have 16 teams. The alliance will combine for 41.

The shifting balance of power comes at a time when college athletes are newly allowed to earn money through sponsorships, and the next round of media rights deals looms on the horizon. 

ESPN holds the rights to the College Football Playoff on a 12-year, $5.6 billion deal that runs to 2025.

Peloton Releasing New Treadmill, Linked to Rowing

Peloton/Design: Alex Brooks

Peloton is ready to evolve after a year of setbacks.

Following the recall of its Tread and Tread+ treadmills over safety concerns, the company announced it will launch a revamped treadmill next week. 

  • At $2,495, the new Tread model is far less expensive than the original $4,300 version.
  • Users will still need to sign up for a monthly $39.99 Peloton membership to access all of the company’s offerings.
  • The redesign includes a passcode lock, safety key, and relocation of the controls.

It’s not clear when the Tread+ will be available for sale again.

The treadmill news comes amid signs that Peloton is moving into connected rowing. Last month, the company listed an engineering job that mentioned work on a Peloton rower.

9to5Google spotted updates to Peloton’s Android app that also imply an impending rower reveal. The global rowing machine market is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2031.

Peloton reports fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2021 earnings Thursday. Its shares are down 29% year-to-date.

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‘Nike of China’ Pockets $3.52B in H1 2021

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Anta Sports, “the Nike of China,” generated $3.52 billion in revenue during the first six months of the year, a 55.5% increase year-over-year. 

The company’s e-commerce business was responsible for 27% of total H1 2021 revenue, with online sales up 61% compared to the same period in 2020. 

After going public in 2007, Anta made its first big splash on the global stage with its footwear marketing campaigns during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Since then, Anta has become one of the leading sportswear brands in the world and is gaining traction in the U.S. 

  • Hall of Famer and NBA champion Kevin Garnett signed with Anta in 2010 after leaving adidas. 
  • Anta is the official sponsor of NBA players Klay Thompson, Gordon Hayward, and James Wiseman.
  • Thompson inked a 10-year, $80 million deal with the brand in 2017. 
  • Filipino boxer and politician Manny Pacquiao also has a deal with the company.

Anta sponsored 22 Chinese national teams at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will be the official sponsor of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The company currently has a market cap of about $59 billion.

Conversation Starters

Conversation Starters

  • If you haven’t read Front Office Sports’ morning edition, you can always give it a listen. The Leadoff covered today’s AM newsletter about Blue Owl’s plan to buy a stake in CVC, Caesars’ betting ventures, college conference realignment, and a new venture firm from the Atlanta Falcons’ ownership group. Click here to listen.
  • The next installment of the FOS College Live Interview Series will feature Arizona State sports history professor Victoria Jackson, who’s been studying ways to rethink the college sports model for years. Sign up here to join the event on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. ET!
  • WWE recorded the most-viewed and highest-grossing SummerSlam in the company’s history, a 55% increase from 2020.
  • Seize the Breakfast … and the day. Get a Sausage or Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant at Wendy’s for $1.99. Order breakfast today.* 

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Market Movers

Market Movers

U.S. stocks experienced gains across all three major indexes for a second-straight session. Here’s a look at how sports-related stocks performed:

Up:

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME) gained 27.85%

Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) gained 7.68%

Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ: WYNN) gained 7.01%

Down:

Gravity Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRVY) dropped 1.08%

Visa Outdoor Inc. (NYSE: VSTO) dropped 1.05%

Ferrari N.V. (NYSE: RACE) dropped 0.95%

(Note: All as of market close on 8/24/21)

What to Watch

What to Watch

The San Diego Padres (68-58) host the Los Angeles Dodgers (78-47) tonight at Petco Park. 

How to Watch: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN

Betting Odds: Dodgers -1.5 || ML -130 || O/U 8*

Pick: The Padres have had success against Julio Urías. Take San Diego to cover.  

Who ya got? Reply to this newsletter with your prediction for the Dodgers-Padres winner, final score, and home run hitter(s). 

*Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.

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