Front Office Sports

MLB enters the 2026 season with momentum after gains in attendance, TV viewership, and a strong World Series and WBC. But looming labor battles, uncertainty about the sport’s future economic framework, and a shifting media landscape could define the year ahead.

Bill Raftery remains a March Madness staple at 82, sounding as sharp as ever behind the mic. From “Onions!” to “With a kiss,” his signature calls still define the tournament as he handles a full slate of marquee games.

When I attended my first @TGL match in January, Tiger Woods was in attendance and mic'd up at SoFi Center—itself a treat for @MattBarrie and the ESPN broadcast team. Tonight, they'll finally get to call TGL with Tiger in action again. More @FOS ⬇️ frontofficesports.com/tgl-golf-broad…

The Thunder have released a new look at their planned $900M arena in Oklahoma City. It will be called Continental Coliseum and is targeted to open in 2028.

UConn has announced $99M in upgrades to its home basketball arena, Gampel Pavilion. • New locker rooms • Recruiting and coach lounges • Post-game press conference room • New premium spaces, concessions

COLUMN: Bill Raftery didn't get chance to call first Final Four on TV until age 72. His catchphrases like 'Onions' are language of March Madness. He's a legendary bon vivant who parties w/Bill Murray. Why Raft is my Most Interesting Man in the World. frontofficesports.com/onions-and-all…

Hornets owner Rick Schnall is leading a $15M Series A funding round for the Pro Padel League. “Padel is becoming something of a new type of golf in terms of its networking and business value,” PPL CEO Mike Dorfman tells FOS.

Frank Thomas is suing Nike, Fanatics, and the White Sox over claims they illegally sold his jerseys without his consent. The Hall of Famer seeks at least $50,000, plus attorneys fees and punitive damages, from the sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys with his name and number.

NEW: The 'Big Hurt' is big hurt about the White Sox, Nike, and Fanatics selling his jerseys without his consent. Frank Thomas sued over claims that trio was “unjustly enriched” through the sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys bearing his name and number. frontofficesports.com/white-sox-fran…

The struggles of local TV are now hitting NBA players in their pockets. The NBA salary cap is rising $1M less than projected, largely because of lost revenue from the collapse of Main Street Sports, which operated local networks for 13 teams and missed multiple rights payments.

INBOX: Cleveland WNBA announced the addition of minority partners this AM. The expanded ownership group—subject to league approval—will include Monarch Collective, Liz Yee, Ted Coons, Lauren Spilman, Steve Demetriou, Michael Petras, John Morikis, Chris Hyland and A.J. Murphy. This is Monarch's first WNBA investment.

Exclusive: Former ESPN soccer analyst and MLS MVP Taylor Twellman is joining Yahoo Sports as a contributor for the outlet’s World Cup coverage, the sides confirmed to FOS. Twellman will regularly appear on Yahoo Sports shows, including Yahoo Sports Daily and The Cooligans.

Glass Break: @TaylorTwellman is joining Yahoo Sports for the World Cup in a reunion with fellow ESPN ex-pats Ryan Spoon and Matt Ufford Details on his role at @FOS frontofficesports.com/taylor-twellma…

Full episode of Portfolio Players with Reddit cofounder Alex Ohanian: youtu.be/tbo9L-1jMR8?si…

"I called up, I said hey, I want to make UVA a contender, let me know what to do." Reddit cofounder @alexisohanian spoke on Portfolio Players about his major NIL donations to the UVA WBB program. Just a few months later, the 10-seed Hoos upset 2-seed Iowa to make the Sweet 16.

First at @FOS: Warren Buffett's March Madness contest for Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary employees has a $1 million winner. The person works for OxyChem and called 31 of the first 32 games correctly. Last year's winner picked 30 right: frontofficesports.com/warren-buffett…

The NCAA has filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against DraftKings for the use of trademarked phrases like "March Madness," "Elite Eight," "Final Four," etc in sports betting products. Hearing for the TRO will begin at 10 a.m. ET today. frontofficesports.com/ncaa-sues-draf…

The Sweet Sixteen is highlighting how veteran coaches are mastering the NIL era. While some of the game’s top coaches retired over the portal and NIL, those who stayed are still finding ways to win.

Spotify has laid off about 15 people in its podcasting division—about 3% of total $SPOT employees. The layoffs included at least two talents at The Ringer, the sports and pop culture platform that Bill Simmons founded in 2016 and sold to Spotify in 2020.

March Madness tipped off with the most-watched opening day in men’s NCAA tournament history. The 16 games averaged 9.8 million viewers across CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV—up 6% from last year’s record.