The NBA is expanding its playoff field, and while it’ll likely make for great TV ratings, it’s anything but a hit with some of its biggest stars. 

“Whoever came up with that s*** needs to be fired,” said LeBron James, referring to the league’s play-in tournament, which is in its second year. His fifth-seed Lakers could end up in the tournament.

Instead of the top eight teams in each conference making the playoffs, only six are guaranteed a spot. The next four play a series of single-elimination games for the final two seeds.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called the change “an enormous mistake.”

However, after the 2020 playoffs averaged 3.04 million viewers across ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV — down 37% from 2019 — it’s clear why a play-in is attractive to the NBA. It creates more games, more possible marquee matchups and that should, in turn, create better ratings.

“I do see this as something we would embrace going forward,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

The play-in tourney kicks off May 18, capping off a year where the league has tried to recover from a 2019-20 season that saw revenue drop 10% to $8.3 billion, per ESPN.

The NBA isn’t the only league adding more action to its schedule, either.

• In March, the NFL changed the regular season schedule for the first time since 1978, adding a 17th game. In 2020, the league expanded its playoffs to 14 teams.
• MLB expanded its playoffs from 10 to 16 teams in the shortened 2020 season, and team owners have asked to expand playoffs going forward in collective bargaining negotiations.

Per league rules, the NBA’s play-in tourney is only guaranteed to happen this season.

Better Collective, a developer of educational platforms within the iGaming industry, is acquiring the Action Network for $240 million. The deal was announced on Monday.

By acquiring Action, Denmark-based Better Collective gains presence and leadership within a U.S. sports betting market that is forecasted to generate $4 billion in revenue — and significantly more in wagers — in 2022. 

Better Collective will acquire 100% of the shares in Action on a cash and debt-free basis. Action will continue to operate as a separate business with its current organizational structure. 

“Under Better Collective’s ownership, we become part of a company with many years of experience and all the resources necessary to further grow our position and develop our offering,” said Action CEO Patrick Keane.

Since its launch in 2018, Action has emerged as the leading U.S. sports betting media platform. The company is expected to generate approximately $40 million in revenue in 2021, an increase of more than 100% year-over-year. 

Better Collective’s acquisition is one of several recent high-profile transactions by major players in the sports betting industry: 

• On May 3, Genius Sports agreed to acquire F2P sports gaming platform FanHub. 
• DraftKings purchased rights to former ESPN host Dan Le Batard’s podcast for $50 million last week. 
• Bally’s finalized a plan to acquire U.K. gambling platform Gamesys for $2.7 billion. 

Better Collective expects to surpass $100 million in revenue in the U.S. by 2022 thanks to Action, its largest acquisition to date.

As Apple and Epic Games duel in court over the future of gaming revenue, Microsoft may render the final verdict.

Last week, the Xbox maker rattled the gaming industry with its announcement that it would reduce the cut it takes from game developers who sell on the Microsoft Store from 30% down to 12% — a drop from Apple and Steam’s rate down to Epic’s.

Last year, “Fortnite”-creator Epic implemented a workaround to dodge Apple’s 30% fee, triggering a legal battle that began its trial on Monday.

Microsoft’s move is part of a broader push to attract users and developers.

• The company is revamping its online store to allow more apps, third-party commerce within apps, and address complaints about speed and usability. 
• Microsoft had been in talks to buy Discord, a popular instant messaging and video platform popular with gamers. Those talks have ended for now, and Discord is considering going public.

The looming question: Will Microsoft make the same move for console games? Like Sony and Nintendo, it charges developers a 30% fee for console game sales. 

Leaked documents related to the Epic v. Apple trial suggested that Microsoft was planning on dropping the console games fee to 12%, but the company told The Verge it has “no plans” to do so “at this time.”

If Microsoft does make that switch and brings in a new wave of game developer talent to its platform, it could pressure the other big market players to follow, radically altering the economics of game development.

After more than a year of quiet stadiums filled with cardboard faces, sports are returning to normal — fans are back, many stadiums are at full capacity, and business is booming.

In a new $10 million campaign, Bud Light said it will pay for and give away 100,000 tickets for baseball, hockey, football, and basketball games. Fans of legal age will even get a free beer.

The promotion and others like it come as more venues announce their full-scale returns.

• Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, is opening its doors on May 15 with a full capacity of 71,000. 
• Massachusetts will allow 100% capacity on Aug. 1, including at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots.
• Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, plans to open on May 7 with a full capacity of 41,084.
• The Texas Rangers allowed full capacity (40,300) on Opening Day this year, the only MLB team to do so.

Fans play a massive role in the success of a team or league’s business. Without them, MLB teams lost $1 billion in revenue in 2020, for example.

In March, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he expects full capacity at stadiums next season, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the same for football.

Silver has also said that 40% of NBA revenue comes from game nights with fans in attendance.