Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! Since we are in the midst of the holiday season, for my last post this year, I thought it would be fun to try something different and do a holiday-themed recap the year that was. After all, it is the most wonderful time of the year—and given my Jewish heritage, writing Christmas songs is practically in my blood. So here goes…
 
In the first month of ’24, the Spotlight gave to me, Wrexham winning four Emmys and the year’s first act of dad jokes that were all too cheesy!
In the second month of ’24, the Spotlight gave to me, a Super Bowl for the Swift-ies and a Universal Music boycott of TikTok over AI music and some paltry royalties!
In the third month of ’24, the Spotlight gave to me, one Caitlin Clark-ing, Madness a-Marching and Beyonce chart-topping Country!
In the fourth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, more Caitlin a-Clarking, Rashee Rice a-speeding, Jontay Porter a-gambling and a solar eclipse for us all to see!
In the fifth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, a playoff loss by the Knicks and some brand new Cristiano Ronaldo NFTs!
In the sixth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, a Joey Chestnut hot dog ban and a DUI for JT!
In the seventh month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, FIVE OLYMPIC RINGS!!!!!!!!!
In the eighth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, a haul of US Olympic Medals—including for Simone Biles, who was all smiles, Steph Curry a-napping and swimming dominance from Katie Ledecky!
In the ninth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, two Levys Emmy hosting, two Mannings-casting and the 50-50 club for Shohei Ohtani!
In the tenth month of ’24 the Spotlight gave to me, more music catalogues a-selling, broadcast booth and owner’s suite for Tom Brady and a world championship for the New York Liberty!
In the eleventh month of ’24, the Spotlight gave to me. Americans a-voting, Wrexham a-brewing, Shaq NFT lawsuit settling and a crushing defeat for my Yankees ☹
In the twelfth month of ’24, the Spotlight gave to me, Juan Soto in Flushing, trying to finish quick I’m rushing, Travis Hunter in adidas, did you truly read this? Thank you for a-coming, for-singing along or humming! Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a New Year that is Happyyyyy!
 
See you in 2025!

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn. 

Welcome back to the Spotlight! Just one more installment on the way next week before this dog and pony show packs it in for the rest of the year (pause for groaning, protests and/or sighs of relief). Unlike Juan Soto, I promise to be back next year—it won’t even take $765 million to make it happen. Though, for the record, I certainly would not turn down $765 million. While I’m on the subject, I’m not going to talk about the dynamics between the New York Yankees or Mets, I’ll save that for another time. Instead, if Soto is to receive $765 million (or more) over the next 15 years—the most lucrative professional sports contract—how much higher can players’ salaries go before we’re talking about equity compensation (in the form of options to purchase a piece of a team after retirement—so as to avoid apparent conflicts of interest) rather than cash? Such a shift might level the playing field so to (Soto?) speak for owners that are not worth $21 billion dollars (like the Mets’ Steve Cohen).  We’ve seen it most recently with Lionel Messi’s Major League Soccer deal with Inter Miami CF, so maybe it is just a matter of time before we see it in one of the Big Four professional sports leagues. 

• • Authentic Brands Group strikes a stadium naming rights deal to rebrand the home of MLS’ New York Redbulls, Sports Illustrated Stadium.  Perhaps that means we can expect the team to play in swimsuits one match per year.
     
  • The Writers’ Guild of America wrote (obviously) a scathing letter to Hollywood studios criticizing their allowing their intellectual property from being used for training generative AI models. In fairness to the studios, they didn’t have anything to say because the WGA didn’t write anything for them.
     
  • University of Colorado star Wide Receiver/Cornerback and Heisman Trophy frontrunner, Travis Hunter signs an endorsement deal with Adidas ahead of the draft. As part of their pitch, Adidas gave him two hats.

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn. 

Welcome back to the Spotlight! Hard enough as it is to believe, but as sure as I am incessantly refreshing my web browser for stories about Juan Soto’s free agency, we’re nearly at the end of the year. Indeed, if the cold weather and manufactured deadlines that overlook that the calendar rolls over to a new day (granted, an increasingly questionable proposition in this crazy world…) were not evidence enough, people are receiving and gratuitously posting their Spotify Wrapped highlights from 2024. If I had the budget to support it, I’d do a version of my own that tracked the number of dad jokes and sports and entertainment business headlines but there’s always next year (I think). Although tomorrow may not be promised, a cringe, eye-roll and/or smile is on the below:

• • Alex Cooper -- host of the second most streamed podcast on Spotify, “Call Her Daddy” – becomes the latest celebrity to wade into the beverage industry, launching “Unwell,” an electrolyte-infused drink marketed to women. With her following, the brand may just do better than its name suggests.  
     
  • The Washington Commanders make something of an unconventional hire for their front office, bringing in the former CEO of the Campbell Soup Company to serve as the team’s President. In so doing, the team is one step closer to a souper bowl. 
     
  • Speaking of soup, the traditional Jewish soup dumpling that is a matzo ball may soon be taking a more oblong shape, as Brigham Young University’s first Jewish quarterback Jake Retzlaff unveils his NIL sponsorship with kosher food company, Manischewitz. Now that’s something to kvell at!

For inquiries and/or unabashed compliments, please feel free to contact me at josh.bloomgarden@foster.com or add me on LinkedIn.