Niche activities like marble racing, table tennis and Swedish trotting are gaining popularity among gamblers forced to drop mainstream sports due to the coronavirus, the Financial Times reports.
Why it matters: Sports betting, which was set for a banner year before the COVID-19 crisis, is expected to take an 11% hit in overall gambling revenue this year, per estimates from H2 Gambling Capital.
The XFL suspended its operations and laid off almost all of its staff Friday with no plans to return in 2021 after its inaugural season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN reports.
Why it matters: The football upstart, which was the second attempt to upend the sport's market by WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, would be the first major sports league to be felled by the coronavirus-driven economic shutdown, despite saying last month that it remained "committed to playing a full season in 2021 and future years."
MLB team valuations have risen yet again, capping a decade of growth during which the average team's value has increased four-fold, per Forbes.
Why it matters: With team profits also reaching record highs — an average of $50 million per team for a 25% increase YoY — the league is confident it will be able to weather whatever economic downturn a shortened season might cause.
Premier League players have launched an initiative called #PlayersTogether, which will funnel part of their salaries to the National Health Service to support the U.K.'s front-line workers during the coronavirus crisis.
Why it matters: This decision came at the conclusion of a protracted argument between players, clubs and even government officials over who should bear the brunt of lost revenue in the midst of the pandemic.
