Stories by Michael Sykes

Michael SykesJul 19, 2019

The next big esports battleground: player contracts

A lawsuit from esports star Turner "Tfue" Tenney against the Faze Clan — alleging the organization takes 80% of his sponsorship revenue — has put a spotlight on how contracts in the industry are structured.

Why it matters: Tenny's situation could become a benchmark for the industry.

Go deeper132 Words

How it works: It's common for esports teams to bring in sponsors for individual players, take a percentage and block players from working with other competing sponsors.

Imagine LeBron James paying the Lakers a percentage of every Nike check and being blocked from making that money up elsewhere. That's why players are fighting it.

Reality check: The industry is projected to make $460 million in sponsorships and advertising in 2019. Most esports teams make a majority of their money from sponsorships and they're going to fight hard to keep it that way until they find new revenue streams.

What's next: We've already seen some unionization efforts around the industry with CounterStrike and the Overwatch league. Expect to see more as this battle plays out.

Go deeper: Industry veterans fear an esports bubble

Esports

Michael SykesJul 18, 2019

The WNBA's offensive drought

Data: Basketball-Reference; Chart: Axios Visuals

Last season, the WNBA's 105.6 offensive efficiency rating was its highest in 20 years. This season, that number has dropped all the way down to 99.2.

Go deeper152 Words

What's happening:

Dying by the three: Just like their male counterparts, WNBA teams are shooting a ton of threes (19.3 attempts per game). Problem is, they're only making 33% of them — the fourth-worst percentage ever.
Stars are missing: Six All-Star starters from last year have either missed time (Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi), are out for the season (Breanna Stewart, Angel McCoughtry, Sue Bird), or are taking the year off (Maya Moore). In a 12-team league, missing that much talent has a huge impact.

Why it matters: Offense and star power are the two things we know put butts in seats. The WNBA is lacking a bit of both right now, which isn't ideal for a league trying to grow its audience.

Yes, but: Basketball is a make-or-miss sport, and the spikes in offensive efficiency that the WNBA has seen in recent years suggests that this season could just be a blip.

Women in sports

Michael SykesJul 3, 2019

Medical marijuana and sports betting are top issues for NFL's CBA talks

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director Demaurice Smith after signing a new 10-year CBA in 2011. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director Demaurice Smith after signing a new 10-year CBA in 2011. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images

The NFL and NFLPA will sit down at the negotiating table later this month to begin negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

Why it matters: The current CBA doesn't expire until after the 2020 season, but both sides seem optimistic that they can secure a new deal relatively quickly.

Go deeper245 Words

In fact, ESPN reports that the owners appear motivated to get a deal done as early as the start of the 2019 season because of their planned "NFL 100" marketing campaign and the impending end of their TV rights deals.

The big issues:

Medical marijuana: Pot is one of the nation's latest booming businesses. Players think it has a place in football medicinally, and owners say they're willing to discuss a new drug policy.
Season length: Owners have broached the idea of an 18-game regular season, despite player safety concerns. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell discussed the issue in May, along with the idea of adding more playoff teams as a tradeoff.
Guaranteed money: The push for more guaranteed money across the life of contracts has picked up steamover the past few seasons, especially as players look across the aisle at their NBA counterparts.
Sports betting: The NFL's next big cash cow will be the data and marketing partnerships that it forms with sports betting operators (like the one it already has with Caesar's Palace). Which brings us to...
Athlete data: Player-tracking data is worth loads of money in today's sports betting age and quite literally powers some in-play bets. Naturally, players will want a cut of that money.

The bottom line: The vibe is completely different than it was at the tail end of the previous CBA, which resulted in a brief lockout in 2011.

Go deeper: Where the major sports leagues stand on weed

National Football League (NFL)