19-year-old pitcher Carter Stewart has agreed to a six-year, $7+ million contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, a groundbreaking deal that could change baseball.
Why it matters: The MLB's financial model limits the bargaining power of amateurs, pays minor leaguers sub-poverty-level wages and keeps players locked into below-market contracts through their peak years.The only reason players put up with this is because there's no alternative. Stewart may have just created one.
After months of internal discussion, the NCAA has opted not to govern and hold championships for collegiate esports, Sports Business Journal reports.
The backdrop: The NCAA hired a consulting firm to research what esports would look like under their umbrella. Long story short, they don't really know.
The legalization of sports betting has opened up new business opportunities for some of America's biggest media companies, forcing them to decide just how far they want to wade into the world of sports books.
Why it matters: Striking the right balance between leaning into betting — and not alienating casual fans or compromising journalistic principles — will force the establishment of new media boundaries.
