In April, MLB said that it would move its All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s controversial new voting law. Now, an advocacy group is seeking a billion-dollar payback.

The Job Creators Network, a conservative small business advocacy group, filed a lawsuit against MLB seeking the return of the All-Star Game or $1 billion in punitive damages, plus $100 million in damages to local businesses.

Prior to filing the suit, the group launched a pressure campaign on MLB that included a billboard in Times Square, a full page ad in the New York Times, a small demonstration outside MLB headquarters, and a petition calling on the league to move the game back to Atlanta.

The Job Creators Network was started by Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who is worth an estimated $8.8 billion. Marcus founded the successful home improvement chain with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

• Data provided by MLB shows that the midsummer classic regularly brings in between $60-$89 million in economic activity to its host city.
• The two played in New York in the last two decades generated more than $140 million each.

The most recent All-Star Game in Atlanta, in 2000, brought $48 million to the region.

In 2017, the Atlanta Braves moved from Atlanta’s Turner Field to Truist Park, which is outside city limits but within the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Cobb County government contributed over $350 million to help fund the new stadium.

Jake Paul served former MMA champion Ben Askren with a first-round knockout back in April.

Next up? Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

Paul will face his most experienced opponent yet on Aug. 28 in his fourth pro boxing match. Woodley, a seasoned MMA fighter, will be making his boxing debut.

The PPV bout will air on Showtime as part of a multi-fight deal Paul signed with the network in May after launching his boxing career under the Triller platform.

“I certainly respect his career, but I will be sending Tyron into a permanent siesta,” said the 24-year-old Paul.

Woodley, 39, was once considered the best 170-pound fighter in the world and earned the UFC welterweight title in 2016. He recently parted ways with the promotion after fighting out his contract and finished with a professional MMA record of 19-7-1.

The matchup is expected to be lucrative for both parties, considering Paul’s blockbuster bout with Askren.

• Total earnings for the Paul-Askren fight reached $75 million.
• It sold over a million pay-per-views worldwide.
• Paul reportedly pocketed more than $10 million after a guarantee of $690,000.

Get the popcorn ready as Woodley looks to avenge the loss of his former teammate Askren.

“Easiest fight of my career and biggest purse of my career all in one night,” Woodley told ESPN. “This is getting done for the culture, the whole MMA community and boxing community, to rid this guy of combat sports.”

The WNBA’s 25th season is off to a roaring start.

After the league’s “Wubble” season last year, WNBA viewership is up 74% on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 through the first five games of the 2021 season — an average of 357,000 viewers per game.

Opening weekend saw a 325% increase in Canadian viewership — and that’s without a Canada-based team.

While the league saw a slight dip in overall viewers last year, interest spiked during the Finals, with the WNBA recording a 15% year-over-year increase in viewership, compared to the 49% decline for last year’s NBA Finals.

The jump in numbers across the three Disney-owned networks comes more resources are being devoted to women’s sports. Currently, only 4% of sports coverage is dedicated to women’s sports, but 84% of sports fans are interested in them, according to Bleacher Report.

• Amazon received exclusive streaming rights to 16 WNBA games each season in a multiyear deal.
• In May, Google joined Nike, Deloitte, and AT&T as a WNBA Changemaker.
• Kevin Durant recently backed a $3.5 million funding round for Just Women’s Sports, a multimedia company focused solely on women’s athletics.

Last year, the WNBA claimed just over 3% of sports coverage. This season’s spike bodes well for the league, which has lost more than $10 million per year since its inception.