Axios

Major League Baseball could be coming to North Carolina.

Driving the news: A group of consultants and state officials have been working behind the scenes for about six months on a pitch to bring an MLB team to the Raleigh market, a source with knowledge of the work tells Axios.

• The group has highlighted the state's standing as best for business and its low corporate tax rate, which will shrink to 0% by 2030.
• And it's emphasized Raleigh's strong market viability, pointing to its ranking as No. 2 in the NHL for attendance and the second fastest growing metro in the country.

Boston University professor and author Ibram X. Kendi has kicked off an ESPN+ series that focuses on racism in the sports world.

Why it matters: Kendi, whose bestselling books on racism and its history in America have been banned by some schools after complaints by conservatives, is jumping into streaming with the sports project and an upcoming Netflix documentary.

Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker has agreed to acquire a stake in newsletter startup Front Office Sports, and will serve as co-chair of the newsletter startup's board.

Why it matters: This is Zucker's splashiest deal since launching RedBird IMI, a $1 billion investment fund focused on media, entertainment, and sports.