Bloomberg Business of Sports

Sheltering in place means not going out to work. It also means not going to work out. So how does fitness come back? Limited hours, expanded sanitation, personal protective equipment… getting fit is going to look a lot different, at the club, and in your home. We talk with two of the largest names in industry, Planet Fitness CEO Chris Rondeau and Equinox Executive Chairman Harvey Spevak. Plus our panel discusses the tale of 3 sports… NASCAR is back. Plus the NBA is on the verge of a restart while America's pastime deals with an economic showdown between players and owners. Our shake and bake team, Jason Kelly, Michael Barr and Mike Lynch dissect it all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Kelly sits down with Bloomberg Opinion Columnist Joe Nocera to talk NCAA athletics and the reopening of educational intuitions. He's the host of megahit soon to be a movie podcast The Shrink Next Door, Author, Indentured: The Battle to End the Exploitation of College Athletes, Also "All The Devils are Here: The Hidden History of the Financial Crisis" and many other books. Joe tells us why he believes, many universities might be open for business this fall.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Major League Baseball inching toward something resembling a season, we check in with agent Rachel Luba to see how top players are taking stock of their options. Luba’s been a notable disruptor in the world of representation -- her deft handling of Trevor Bauer’s $17.5 million contract with the Reds brought her notice, as did her certification as the only female MLBPA agent. She talked with Jason Kelly about the latest in talks between players and owners about the proposed season, public pressure to play and the lasting effects of this upside-down year. Luba, a former competitive gymast, also spoke about building her reputation in the largely male world of baseball, using the shift to algos to her advantage and creating a new business model in the talent world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He negotiated a contract with Sammy Sosa and helped grow AOL into a juggernaut. Now Donn Davis -- a co-founder of private equity firm Revolution Growth with his old boss Steve Case -- is the chairman of the Professional Fighters League, as well as a backer of an e-sports team and a media investor. He tells Jason Kelly, Michael Barr and Mike Lynch how the PFL is working through its hiatus and its plans for returning in 2021 (hint: it involves cameras on the cage on the ref's hat). Plus, our panel discusses the latest XLF legal Smackdown between CEO Oliver Luck and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, Florida opening itself to sports and ESPN’s upcoming Tiger Woods documentary.Hosts: Jason Kelly, Michael Barr and Mike LynchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Kelly, Michael Barr and Mike Lynch discuss the latest in the business of sports, including the negotiations behind getting baseball back on the diamond. MLB owners and the players union are at odds over, you guessed it, money. Is it a question of economics, fairness, or patriotism? Also: the trials and tribulations of the sports agent in the age of coronavirus as Endeavor falters, and why George Soros is betting on DraftKings.Hosts: Jason Kelly, Michael Barr and Mike LynchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eben Novy-Williams, Jason Kelly and Mike Lynch discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including new developments in Zion Williamson's legal battle with his one-time marketing agent. New filings have added to the suspicion around the former Duke star's adherence to NCAA rules, and is also reigniting a broader conversation around college athletes and their compensation while in school. Also discussed is the return of UFC and what it might say about other sports, and the surprising results of an antibody study across Major League Baseball.Hosts: Eben Novy-Williams, Jason Kelly and Mike LynchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E, joins Eben Novy-Williams, Michael Barr and Jason Kelly to discuss how the electric car racing circuit is handling the cancellation of events due to the coronavirus pandemic. Formula E held a handful of races earlier this year before its season was put on hold. In the meantime, the circuit has been organizing virtual races with drivers and celebrities. A long-time sports executive who's worked for Manchester United and the Los Angeles Rams, Reigle discusses similarities across sports, and some of the unique aspect of the car-racing world. He also talks about Formula E's mission to advance the conversation around climate change and help speed up the adoption of everyday electric vehicles.Hosts: Eben Novy-Williams, Michael Barr, Jason KellySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr are joined by Bloomberg’s New York City bureau chief Jason Kelly to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including an NFL memo to all 32 teams laying out its refund policy should the 2020 season be disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The league will allow fans a full refund, or future credit, for any game that is cancelled or held without spectators because of public health concerns. Alongside the cancellation of this season's international games, and pay cuts at the league office, the refund policy shows increased contingency planning by the country's richest sports league. Also discussed is the Premier Lacrosse League's plan to hold a 15-day, fully-quarantined event at the end of July, and the Walt Disney Co.'s much-anticipated earnings report, which provided the first glimpse of how ESPN is handling this period without live sports.Hosts: Eben Novy-Williams and Michael BarrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eben Novy-Williams and Michael Barr are joined by Bloomberg’s New York City bureau chief Jason Kelly to discuss a host of issues related to the business of sports, including details about how the NFL’s Miami Dolphins may change Hard Rock Stadium to have it ready for fans this fall. The plan includes specific entrance times on tickets, and a new sequence for emptying the stadium, row by row, to avoid a crunch of crowds before and after games. The stadium, which seats 65,000 might be down to just 15,000 with all of the guidelines, according to the team, raising all sorts of difficult questions about how to price a much smaller assortment of tickets, and how to keep fans interested in a very different in-game experience. Also talked about is the growing number of colleges that say they expect to have students on campus this fall -- a prerequisite for college football -- and a shocking legal ruling in the U.S. national women’s soccer team’s equal pay lawsuit.Hosts: Eben Novy-Williams and Michael BarrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angela Ruggiero, co-founder and CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, joins Eben Novy-Williams, Michael Barr and Mike Lynch to discuss how leagues and teams should re-think their engagement with their fans. Ruggiero works a number of the biggest brands in sports, and discusses not only how teams should be using technology to reach fans during lockdowns, but also how they can use the quiet period to ready their stadiums or arenas for the new reality once sports resume. That includes a thorny discussion that's likely to arise over privacy, as teams and leagues think about what's needed to secure the health and safety of fans in their buildings. A four-time Olympian and former IOC member, Ruggiero also discusses the postponement of the 2020 Summer Games, how athletes helped drive that discussion and the viability of the games taking place next summer in Tokyo.Hosts: Eben Novy-Williams, Michael Barr, Mike LynchProducer: Charlie VollmerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.