Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight! With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line in each of this weekend’s NFL Conference Championship matchups, and the NFL’s playoff television ratings reaching levels not seen since the ‘90s (oh, how I miss you) I’d be willing to bet that tens of millions will be tuned in After all, with the arctic temperatures and impending winter storm in the U.S., many will be staying indoors, so what *else* are you going to do? Talk to each other?!?!

I’d also be willing to bet that the number of dollars bet on the games will be at least equal to the number of viewers of said games. Some might even call that a “sure thing” particularly because of the proliferation and soaring popularity of legal sports gambling. In case you haven’t noticed from the ubiquity of sports betting advertisements before, during, after, throughout and [insert your favorite preposition here], a sporting event—including by current and former athletes. Interestingly, a recent YouGov poll observed that such advertisements don’t have a material impact on gamblers’ decisions to gamble, but instead make brands seem less authentic. Not only that, but I would surmise that athletes’ peddling gambling platforms call into question the integrity of their sports. In that regard, it’s not particularly helpful that there have been so many betting schemes that have been uncovered in just the past 24 months across all levels of competitive sports. Still, there seems to be little appetite for messing with the formula. Changes on the horizon? Don't bet on it.

• • The Sphere is Las Vegas has raked in $260 million for its “The Wizard of Oz” show, because well…there’s no place like dome.

• • Duke University sues its Quarterback Darian Mensah to enforce its revenue-sharing agreement and keep him from transferring to another school – just the latest instance of schools and athletes duking it out in the NIL era.

• • Ryan Coogler’s blues-y horror film Sinners may pull off a laugher at this year’s Academy Awards, having earned 16 award nominations – the most in history for a single film. In other news, the folks behind Saints are shedding tears as they were not nominated.

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