Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: ESPN, How the NFL took over America in 100 years

The sport's influence and power have led the NFL to touch almost every part of life: TV, politics, food, gaming, business, fashion and on and on. And it took 100 years to get there. History usually requires a long lens to truly assess empires and influence, but as pro football in this country reaches the century mark, it has grown and expanded along with America.

When factories ruled the Midwest landscape, pro football came, too. When Americans moved to the West and Baby Boomers spurred the economy, football grew and reaped many of those same benefits. When cities like Atlanta, Houston, Nashville and Seattle became major urban centers, the NFL expanded to include them. And as televisions arrived in most every home, the NFL gave viewers what would eventually be the year's biggest television event: the Super Bowl.

How did the NFL take over the United States? Here's where the NFL began and how it spread to every corner of the nation.

And here we are.

In 2020, the Raiders are planning to move to Las Vegas. The map of the NFL cities, if the league had its druthers, might have a decidedly international future.

The league began hosting international, regular-season games in 2005. So far, Mexico City, Toronto and London have hosted games. London has always been talked about as a presumptive international favorite to get a team. Pro football in Mexico has developed a strong fan base and the NFL has an office in Mexico City. The San Francisco 49ers are also in discussions for a game in China.

Beyond the hypothetical, the NFL has reached a bit of a crossroads. It is still incredibly popular. According to the league, 46 of the top 50 telecasts in 2018 were NFL games. Not just sporting events. NFL games were watched more than almost anything else on TV, no matter the network. Furthermore, commissioner Roger Goodell is targeting $25 billion in revenue by 2027. But injury and long-term health issues drive the perception of the league's future. It also remains to be seen if international popularity goes beyond the novelty and revenue could be produced to sustain a home team away from the United States.

References: 

ESPN, How the NFL took over America in 100 years, Anthony Gulizia and Jeremy Willis, Aug 14, 2019.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: Fox Business, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow set for big NFL payday: Here's how much

Burrow is the consensus choice for the first overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft. The top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft received a four-year contract worth an estimated $35 million, including a $23.4 million signing bonus. Compensation for the first overall pick rises by about $2 million to $3 million each season, which would put Burrow’s deal into the $37 million range.

• NFL rookie contracts are pre-determined by a scale tied to the league’s salary cap for the upcoming season. While the 2020 salary cap has yet to be finalized, the contract signed by Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, provides a glimpse at what Burrow can expect to earn.
• Burrow, who completed his master’s degree at LSU in December, is considered a virtual lock to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Cincinnati Bengals hold the first pick and are in the market for a franchise quarterback after a dismal 2-14 season.
• The possibility of endorsement deals, which were forbidden for college players during Burrow’s time at LSU, will vastly increase his earning potential at the professional level.

References: 

Fox Business, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow set for big NFL payday: Here's how much, Thomas Barrabi, Jan. 14, 2020. 

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: CBS Sports, Ryan Tannehill joins Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw as only NFL quarterback to own unique playoff record

In the winning effort, Tannehill completed seven of his 14 throws for 88 yards and two touchdowns, which isn't exactly a Herculean effort by any means.   According to NFL Research, Tannehill joins Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw as the only players in the Super Bowl era to win consecutive playoff games with one or more touchdown passes and fewer than 100 yards passing. Bradshaw did so in the 1974 AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl IX.

Titans vs. Ravens Divisional Round Highlights | NFL 2019 Playoffs 

• While Tannehill hasn't lit the world on fire with his numbers, he's rising to the occasion when Tennessee calls his number. In this win over Baltimore, Tannehill threw two touchdown passes in the first half that quickly got the Titans out to a 14-0 lead. His first throw was a tremendous effort by tight end Jonnu Smith, but his second touchdown pass was a stellar 45-yard dime to receiver Kalif Raymond.
• The veteran quarterback also ran for a touchdown in this game as a part of Tennessee's back-breaking third-quarter run out of halftime, which only adds to his value. Through this run, Tannehill is simply converting the plays he needs to make, largely isn't putting his team behind the eight-ball with critical turnover and opens things up for star running back Derrick Henry to turn in historic performances. That's all you can really ask for around this time of year.

References: 

CBS Sports, Ryan Tannehill joins Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw as only NFL quarterback to own unique playoff record, Tyler Sullivan, Jan. 12, 2020. 

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: Media, Lamar Jackson es un FUERA DE SERIE

Lamar Jackson es un GENIO del fútbol americano que acaba de cumplir 23 años. Lamar hace pases fabulosos o corre como un extraterrestre para avanzar o para marcar goles (touchdowns) extraordinarios. Lamar Jackson debe convertir la NFL en una industria global porque este jugador hace amar el futbol americano. Es un espectáculo maravilloso verlo jugar. Y Lamar Jackson tiene un comportamiento excepcional como deportista coherente con su talento gigantesco. Lamar Jackson cumple la fórmula de "El Big Picture del Deporte" para un FUERA DE SERIE. 

FUERA DE SERIE = 

TALENTO EXCEPCIONAL + COMPORTAMIENTO EXCEPCIONAL.


Every Lamar Jackson Throw During Workout! | NFL Combine Highlights

Les comparto un recorrido por varios medios expertos que destacan el talento excepcional de Lamar Jackson. 

The Bleacher Report, How Lamar Jackson Will Change the NFL in the 2020s, Mike Tanier, Jan. 3, 2020.

The NFL has never seen anything quite like Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Even if a team finds a Jackson-caliber talent and develops him properly, it takes organization-wide buy-in to replicate the Ravens' success. The personnel and scouting departments must commit to prioritizing tight ends over receivers and athletic offensive linemen over widebodies. That sort of organization-wide paradigm shift can be hard to accomplish.

• Instead of simply dabbling or creating some "package" of quarterback runs, the Ravens rebuilt their entire roster, playbook and identity to make the most of Jackson's talents, and he rewarded them with 36 passing touchdowns, a 113.3 passer rating, 1,206 rushing yards, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and an all-but-certain MVP award.
• For most of modern NFL history, running was something a great quarterback grew out of as he matured. Coaches feared that designed quarterback runs (other than the occasional one-yard sneak or goal-line bootleg), per conventional wisdom, would only lead to fumbles and injuries. Meanwhile, college football became dominated by wide-open, option-heavy offensive systems by the mid-2000s. Top college quarterbacks won bowl games and awards by both passing and running the football, only to be forced to abandon half of what made them special the moment they turned pro.
• There's little doubt that teams around the NFL will try to copy some components of the Ravens' success.  
• Baltimore offensive coordinator Greg Roman and his lieutenants will be lured away to other teams over the next few days or years. College coaches with option-friendly systems like Urban Meyer are likely to get NFL offers. And when prospects like Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, who can both throw and run, are labeled the "next Lamar Jackson" in the years to come, it won't mean that they are due for a career change to wide receiver.
• But that doesn't mean we are going to see 31 Ravens impersonators led by Jackson cosplayers come next September. "I don't think it's going to take over the league," Banner said. "Will there be five or six teams? That may be a little high."
• Doing what the Ravens did this year takes much more than simply drafting a fast college quarterback and drawing up some options for him. Jackson is a rare talent, on par with Vick or the pre-injury Griffin. And his development into a consistent pure passer is what makes the Ravens offense so successful: Take that away, and Baltimore would be running some Tebow-esque gimmick that opponents could quickly figure out. (See last year, when the still-developing Jackson was stymied in the playoffs).
• Even if a team finds a Jackson-caliber talent and develops him properly, it takes organization-wide buy-in to replicate the Ravens' success.
• We probably won't see a league dominated by Ravens imitators. But Jackson's success will still change the NFL in subtle ways, starting with a change of mindset. Evaluators in both the media and scouting departments will think twice about dismissing a dual-threat quarterback as someone who should move to wide receiver just because his footwork or comfort with playbook jargon needs work.
• Banner and other experts also believe that some NFL teams will find a middle ground somewhere between remaining traditional and becoming full-fledged Ravens copycats. 
• Jackson's success is the continuation of an evolution that began at the dawn of the 2010s with Vick, Kaepernick and the others. 

ESPN, Seeking Lamar Jackson impersonators! How NFL teams prep for the Ravens' playmaking QB, Jamison Hensley, Jan. 7, 2020.

The pursuit of finding someone, anyone, to mimic Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for their scout team has spurred NFL teams to audition everyone from the leader in touchdown passes in the Alliance of American Football to the college roommate of the All-Pro quarterback's cousin. One team even went as far as to contact an ice fisherman in South Dakota.

• Nobody can remember whether the Steelers have ever brought in a free agent just to simulate one opposing player in practice. Then again, unique measures are required for a unique playmaker like Jackson, the MVP front-runner who can make a defense look foolish with a spin in the open field or a pass to the end zone after leaping off one foot.
• "No one has a quarterback that moves and throws like Lamar Jackson, so we are not alone in that," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
• Heading into Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game, the Tennessee Titans will probably find out what many Ravens opponents have come to realize. The challenge to defend Jackson goes beyond game days. It starts in the practices leading up to the showdown with the NFL's best quarterback/running back/superhero.
• Defensive coordinators can come up with strategic ways that, on paper, should put their players in position to stop Jackson from getting to the edges and getting comfortable in the pocket. What everyone has struggled to do is find any human who can replicate Jackson's running and throwing abilities to properly prepare defenders for the whirlwind of history-making talent that awaits.
• The New England Patriots never revealed who their Lamar Jackson was in practices because, well, even the NFL's all-time most successful coach was stumped.
• In an attempt to prepare their defense for Jackson, the Texans went with practice squad quarterback Alex McGough. The 49ers opted for returner Richie James. And the Rams picked Wolford, who, like Jackson, led a league in touchdown passes, albeit the AAF, after giving up a job on Wall Street to pursue professional football.
• The problem with prepping for Jackson is that locating someone as athletic and strong-armed as him is only the first step. In order to run the Ravens offense as Jackson, you have to get down the precision of the system, from the snap to the option handoff and all the motions and fakes that go with it. It's all about timing and ballhandling. It's based on deception and misdirection.
• There's just a shock to the system when a defender goes from preparing for Jackson against a scout team to trying to get a hand on him during a game.
  Why is that?
  "There's no other Lamar Jackson in the NFL," Patriots safety Duron Harmon said.

NFL, Lamar Jackson ready to earn postseason redemption, Nick Shook, Jan. 7, 2020.

Lamar Jackson's Ravens tenure arrived with a bang that has since transformed into a wonderfully frightening masterpiece. Now, though, Jackson's Earth has formed, and life is in full bloom. Jackson will get his first chance to earn postseason redemption Saturday when his Ravens host the Tennessee Titans. We're in a new era now -- the Lamar Jackson era. We'll see if the Titans can send him home early, or find themselves as the latest addition to Jackson's list of victims.

• Like the Big Bang, the initial explosion took a little bit of time to sort out. Jackson's MVP candidacy didn't immediately form, and it required a rookie-year run to the playoffs that included a bitter postseason loss.
• Baltimore owns the league's No. 1 rushing offense, while the Titans finished third in the regular season in rushing (138.9 yards per game) and racked up 201 rushing yards in their wild-card win over the Patriots. Baltimore and Tennessee also rank in the top 12 in rushing defense, though the Ravens are allowing 15 less yards on the ground per game.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: NBC Sports, Tom Brady: “I’m motivated to get back to work”

Brady made it clear to Peter King of NBC’s Football Morning in America, that he did plan to keep playing, even if the where is unknown.

“Yeah,” Brady said. “I think I’m just . . . I’ll explore those opportunities whenever they are. If it’s the Patriots, great. If that doesn’t work, I don’t know. I just don’t know. I love playing football. I still want to play football. I think I still can play at a championship level. I’ve just got to go do it. I’m motivated to get back to work and training.”

References: 

NBC Sports, Tom Brady: “I’m motivated to get back to work”, Darin Gantt, Jan. 6, 2020. 

Complementary content:

NFL, Titans vs. Patriots Wild Card Round Highlights | NFL 2019 Playoffs, NFL, Jan 4, 2020.

Opinion: The game was won by the Tennessee Titans not lost by the New England Patriots

One image to summarize my point of view.

Some sentences to go to the essential:

1. The game was won by the Tennessee Titans not lost by the New England Patriots.
2. The match was extraordinarily closed. The Patriots had opportunities to win but the Titans strategy triumphed thanks to Derrick Henry.
3. The game is a triumph of the NFL, how wonderful and complex an NFL game is. Anyone could win. A Thriller of excellence. Derrick Henry was FABULOUS.

Titans vs. Patriots Wild Card Round Highlights | NFL 2019 Playoffs

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: The Washington Post, For Tom Brady and the Patriots, playoff loss to Titans sure felt like the end of an era

Outside before the game, the longtime Patriots faithful hunched in the rainy parking lot trying to coax a flame out of damp charcoal. You got a similar feeling watching Tom Brady try to get points out of his offense, trailing by 14-13 point deep in the fourth quarter, unable to make a big play. Meanwhile there wasn't a thing anybody could do to stop the Titans' Derrick Henry, 6-foot-3, 247-pounds and a fresh-legged 26-years-old. When the final score of 20-13 was posted on Saturday night, ending the Patriots' season and possibly an era, it felt like many things all at once — flat, sudden, yet inevitable, and a long time coming, too.

• He completed 20 of 37 passes for 209 yards and no touchdowns, a performance in keeping with a season in which he declined statistically, perhaps because he didn't have as strong as supporting cast as in other years. His contract will expire March 18, and whether the Patriots and Coach Bill Belichick will make a large commitment to a 42-year-old who struggled to connect with young receivers remains to be seen. "Right now we just finished the game," an all but inaudible Belichick said, refusing to address the issue.
• Only this much was certain: a long great run was over and it was a stale, painful ending. "No one needs to make choices at this point," Brady said.
• Brady and the Patriots have made winning such an expected outcome over two decades that we, and perhaps they themselves, became a little numb to it. Think about the physical and mental toll of reaching eight consecutive AFC Championship games and four of the last five Super Bowls, winning three of them. It was an insane rate of success in a sport that is brutal and constantly shifting given free agency. In retrospect, it was unsustainable. They had to have a letdown eventually, and this was it. If nothing else, they had to be worn out from all that winning.
• Other than the neat sleight of hand from Brady to Julian Edelman that went for a five-yard scoring run, the Patriots simply could not get in the end zone. Take the way they were stymied with a first and goal on the 1-yard line late in the second quarter. It loomed ever larger as the game went on. So did the way the Titans replied, with an absolute punch in the mouth in the last two minutes of the half, with Henry chewing up whole sections of the field with his legs and accounting for 75 yards and a score, on his way to 182 rushing for the night.
• What remained naggingly unclear was how much of the Patriots' struggles were because of a decline by Brady — who still throws a rope — and how much because of other players.

References:

The Washington Post, For Tom Brady and the Patriots, playoff loss to Titans sure felt like the end of an era, Sally Jenkins, Jan. 5, 2020.

Noticiero El Big Picture del Deporte: The Washington Post, Tom Brady and the Patriots appear vulnerable. Do you want to bet against them?

Maybe this is really it for those flat-voweled, hard-shelled New England Patriots. Maybe. Go ahead and mark it as the end of an era in pro football if you're sure, absolutely sure, that 42-year-old Tom Brady is finished defying normal cellular degeneration and 67-year-old coach Bill Belichick can't muster enough steel and nerve from his guys for one more postseason run. What shall we call their two decades of dominion, if it is indeed complete? An age?

• You don’t win 78 percent of your games over 10 years by studying yesterday’s scores or tomorrow’s predictions or by listening to the skeptics who have been saying you’re past it for a decade. 
• “I don’t know what we are or aren’t,” Belichick said. “We’re past last week. We’re past every week.”
• “One play could lead to another good play,” Brady said, “which could lead to another good play, which leads to a good series, which leads to a good quarter, which leads to a good half, which leads to a good game.”
• “A lot of plays come up over the years when I think about playoff football,” he added. “And if you’re on the wrong end of one of them, it’s your season. And if you’re on the right end, you move on. You don’t know which plays those are going to be, and you can’t take anything for granted. So guys are working hard and trying to do the right thing.”
• “There’s nothing in the past that matters,” Brady declared. “Obviously, I think knowing what to expect can be a little bit helpful if you use the experience wisely, but it’s not going to help me complete a pass this weekend. I think what’s going to help me complete a pass is making a right read against a right coverage and throwing to the guy that I feel like gives us the best chance to win.”
• They usually get that chance. Think about all the times they were supposedly done.
• The skeptics who pronounce Brady done do so at their peril. He was brilliant in a division-clinching victory over the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago, completing 79 percent of his passes. For the season he was 373 for 613 for 4,057 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions, numbers some would envy. Since he turned 40, his regular season record is ­36-12, and on Saturday he will play in a breathtaking 41st playoff game.

References: 

The Washington Post, Tom Brady and the Patriots appear vulnerable. Do you want to bet against them?, Sally Jenkins, Jan. 3, 2020. 

The Big Picture of Sport News: Total Sportek, 25 World’s Most Popular Sports (Ranked by 13 factors)

Sports journalists have been facing this conundrum of ranking sports for some time now.  For ranking any sport’s popularity it is imperative that we set the criteria for ranking first. For us (Total Sportek) TV viewership isn’t the only criteria for a sports popularity rather it should be the number of other factors combined to get the best popularity ranking.

• These are the factors we consider in ranking the top 25 sports in the world. So lets begin our countdown for the biggest, most popular sports in the World.
• CRITERIA USED.
1. Global base & audience
2. TV  Viewership numbers
3. Number Professional leagues around the world
4. TV rights deals
5. Endorsement & Sponsorship deals
6. Average athlete salary in top league
7. Biggest competition & (number of countries represented)
8. Social media presence
9. Prominence in sports headlines on media outlets (websites, tv)
10. Relevancy through the year
11. Regional dominance
12. Gender equality
13. Accessible to general public worldwide

#1. Football/Soccer

With over 4 billion followers of football, it is by far the most popular sport in the world. Football is one of the most accessible sport in the world and there is hardly anyone in this world who has not kick a ball at some point in their life. Football dominate sports headlines in some of the major countries in the world including almost all European nations like United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain etc. In South America football is more than just a game, it represent dreams and joy for kids in Brazil, Argentina and other latin countries.

Most watched competition in the world: Football World Cup is by far the most watched sports competition in the world. 3.9 billion people tune in at some point during the FIFA World Cup 2014 making it by far the biggest sport competition. While the final of 2014 world cup was watched by as many 700 million people all around the globe.

Highest paying sports competitions: $1.5 Billion is awarded in prize money and bonuses every year in UEFA Champions league, which is the european elite club competition where clubs from 54 countries participate. in fact four of the top 5 competitions with highest prize money are football events (Champions League, FIFA World Cup, Europa League, UEFA Euro).

Most expensive sports TV rights deal: English Premier League (English top football division) is the most watched professional sport league in the world. it broadcast in 212 territories across the world with over 5 billion viewer tuning in to live action at some point every season. SkySports and BT Sports paid over £5.3 billion to get premier league rights in the UK for three years while another £3 billion will be generated from international rights.

Highest Paid Athletes: Top players like Ronaldo and Messi are paid around £300,000 a week in salary by their respective clubs while Ronaldo and Messi also feature in the top 5 of the most endorsed athletes in the world.

Richest Sports Teams: If we talk about the richest sports team in the world, around 30 clubs feature in the top 50 list of most valuable sports teams.

#2. Basketball

Basketball has over 1 billion followers. Its a major sport in USA with NBA generating over $4.75 billion a year in revenue. Established Professional leagues in Spain, Greece, Turkey, Italy, France, Argentina, China and more leagues getting setup every year makes it the fastest growing sport in the world.

Third most powerful sports league in the world: NBA (American basketball league) is the third biggest professional league in all sports behind NFL (American football) and Premier League (Football/Soccer) in terms of revenue over $4.75 billion was generated in 2014 in terms of revenue.

Highest Average Salary: NBA average yearly salary for athlete is around $4.4 million a year, thats second highest average wage of any sport league in the world. While top 40 players in NBA earn more than $13 million a year in salary while top 10 earn more than $22 million a year with Kobe Bryant earning as much as $25 million a year.

Endorsement Deals: Lebrone James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant features in the top 10 list of highest paid athletes with their massive salaries and endorsement deals with take their yearly income well over $50 million a year.

Fastest growing sport: Basketball is also the fastest growing sport on every scale from revenues, to competitions/leagues. More and more professional leagues are getting established in countries across the world, specially in easter european countries like Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Serbia, Lithuania where basketball is easily the second favorite sport.

#3. Cricket

Estimated 2 billion+ followers makes cricket one of the most popular sport mainly in commomwealth countries like England, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, Carribeans and South Africa.

Cricket is a dominating sport in many countries specially from indian-sub continent. Pakistan, Indian, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh while England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are other big cricketing nations with cricket as second favorite sport. Cricket is also very popular in Caribbeans with international team callled West Indies is comprised of players from different countries across Caribbeans. Cricket also has its roots in countries like Ireland, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Holland.

#4. Tennis

A global reach and over a 1 billion followers makes Tennis the most popular individual based sport. It comes up triumph in many of our criteria factors.

Highest prize money in individual sport: All four grand slams, Australia Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US offer huge prize money and the prize money given to winners mens and women singles event is the highest in any of the individual sport.

The most global calendar year: Tennis events divided in four categories (ATP 250, ATP 500, ATP Masters and Grand Slams) takes place around the world throughout every years. Only football has more global venues than Tennis which is coverage in almost every part of the world.

Most prestigious sport event: Wimbledon is not only the most prestigious tennis event but also in all sport. Over 1 billion people tune in at some point during Wimbledon 2015 and 2014. While 17.3 million viewers tuned in to BBC One only in UK in 2013 Wimbledon final.

#5. Athletics

Athletic is by far the most global sport of them all which include several disciplines of course with Running, long jump and other track/field events. Athletics is also the high point of Olympic games as Athletics based sports are the most watched during any Olympic event.

Most countries represented in Athletics: Athletics is the most represented sport in the olympics with athletes from almost all countries participating in some form of the diciplines in Athletics.

Most watched single olympic event: 100m final gold medal sprint race in 2012 Olympics was the most watched event in Olympic history with over 1 billion tv views across the world.

#6. Rugby

Rugby is a major sport in some of the most economical developed countries like All four home nations of United Kindom (England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland) in souther hemisphere countries like Australia, New Zealand and South africa also boost huge popularity in Rugby.

Second most lucrative Sports World Cup: 2015 Rugby World Cup was the biggest Rugby event in history which took place in England and Wales. It generated in access of £250 million in revenue which was alot more than what was expected.

Second most watched & Attended competition: Rugby world cup 2015 was the most attended sports event behind FIFA World cup 2014. Over 2.47 million tickets were sold with around half a million (480,000) fans traveling from oversees (24 countries).

Highest ever TV ratings in UK: ITV’s coverage of opening ceremony and opening England match was watched by 8.7 million UK viewers on average making it the most watched sports event in UK.

#7. Formula 1

550 million people tune in every year at some stage of Formula 1 season which runs from March to November. F1 is by far the most popular motoSport in the world.

Most lucrative motor-sport: As far as the yearly revenue is concerned Formula 1 generate somewhere between $1.5 to $2 billion a year. Which is soundly distributed among 10 f1 teams who in return spend between $100 million to $500 million a season on elite level motor engineers, research & development and of course on driver salaries.

Massive driver contracts: On formula 1 drivers makes around $5 million a year while the top drivers like Sebastian Vettel who has a $50 million a year contract with Ferrari, current world champion Lewis Hamilton who signed a new deal worth $40 million a year two of the highest paid athletes around.

#8. Boxing

Only combat sport in the list, boxing is truly global just like Tennis and Athletics. Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao has dominated the rich list in last 10 years while boxing also boost some of the greatest athletes to have ever lived. Boxing is major sport in countries like USA, Mexico, Latin America, United Kingdom, Philippines, Japan, Russia and some eastern European countries like Ukrain, Poland, Romania.

Highest grossing fight of all times: Floyd Mayweather vs Many Pacquiao was the highest grossing boxing fight of all times generating over $400 million in revenue. While Mayweather took home record $250 from nights work while Pacquiao earned $120. Both fighters has kind of dominated forbes athlete rich-list for best part of last 8 years.

#9. Ice Hockey

By far the biggest winter sport in the world and although it is popular or played in specific countries like Canada, Russia, USA, Scandinavian countries like (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden) some easter european countries like Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic it can still boost huge popularity specially during the world championships and european championships.

#10: Volleyball

With no intricacies involved, this sport is as simple as you like. And probably it is the simplicity of this sport that makes it so famous among its fans. Take a trip to the hunger struck African countries or try going to the beaches of Australia, you will find people playing this sport everywhere. On professional level, players with tall heights are preferred because of the extra reach they have so if your height is somewhere to the north of 6 feet, you should fancy your chances in this sport.

Most popular in developing countries: It is quite popular in some of the developing countries with the likes of Brazil, Turkey, South Korea, some easter european nations like Poland, Ukrain other european countries like France, Italy and even in Asian region like China, Japan.

#11. Golf

Just lagging by few million fans, golf is the 8th most famous game. A very docile sport involving no real physical competition and can be played by people of all ages. For too long American Golf Star, Tiger Woods, overawed all his competitors through his exquisite playing abilities but now the sport has got some more representatives who are spreading this game to the farthest of places.

Massive earning potential: Golf’s very own Tiger Woods dominated the athlete rich-list for best part of last 15 years largely down to his very lucrative sponsorship deals with Nike, EA Sports, Gillette and countless other endorsement deals. 

Most Popular Sports In The World (Countdown 11 to 17)

11 Baseball

Most lucrative sport in USA and Japan. MLB (US) and Nippon League (Japan) are two of the top 10 biggest pro league of all sports

12 American Football 

Biggest sport in USA and the most lucrative and powerful professional sport league of all sports is NFL which generates over $10 billion a year in revenue. Super bowl is the most watched sport event in US.

13 MMA 

Mixed Martial Arts is getting more and more popular with the emergence of UFC. Its a big sport in Brazil, USA while spreading across Europe slowly. It highly rewarding financially and might overtake Boxing in a few years.

14 MotoGP 

It is one of the motorcycle racing series. MotoGP is the premium class competition with huge TV following around the world. Mostly popular in Spain, Italy, Netherlands but growing in England, USA, Germany and Middle-east.

15 Field Hockey

Field Hockey has fallen from grace even where it was most popular India, Pakistan. It still has some varied interest but nothing like 20 years ago where it was major sport in India, Pakistan and fairly popular in Australia, Malaysia, Holland, Germany, England and South Africa.

16 Badminton

Huge popularity in Asia specifically countries like Malaysia, China, India, Korea etc. Its more of a hobby sport in Europe and Americas.

17 Cycling 

Very popular in some major european countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, England and Netherlands. Tour de France is one of the most watched competition in the world. Cycling is part of school games around the world.

References:

Total Sportek, 25 World’s Most Popular Sports (Ranked by 13 factors).

Business: Forbes, The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2019

The world’s richest sports teams are almost all swimming in cash these days. Barcelona, which lost $37 million due to excessive player costs, was the only top-50 team to post a loss on an operating basis, and every other team turned a profit of at least $25 million. More than half of the teams made more than $100 million, led by the Cowboys at $365 million.

Some of the most relevant information:

• NBA teams have made the most dramatic moves this decade. The New York Knicks headline nine hoops teams in the top 50 this year. Their $4 billion value, up 11%, ranks fifth among all sports teams. The Los Angeles Lakers ($3.7 billion) and Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion) also cracked the top 10. In 2012, the Lakers were the most valuable NBA team at $900 million and ranked 35th out of all sports franchises. The Knicks were the only other NBA team in the top 50 in 2012.
• Three NBA franchises have been sold for at least $2 billion since 2014 (Nets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers). The prior NBA-record sale price was $550 million for the Milwaukee Bucks, which closed three months before Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion blockbuster purchase of the Clippers.

The franchise values below are based on Forbes’ published valuations over the past 12 months by Mike Ozanian, Christina Settimi and Kurt Badenhausen. Team values reflect enterprise values (equity plus debt). No teams from the NHL, Nascar, MLS or Formula One made the top 50. The highest-ranking franchise outside of the NBA, NFL, MLB and European soccer was the New York Rangers at 72nd with a value of $1.55 billion.

• The NFL remains the most dominant sports leagues with more than half of the 50 most valuable sports franchises, but the other major sports chipped away at its dominance during the past year.
• The discount bin is empty when shopping for teams in the major sports leagues. Every NFL, NBA and MLB franchise is now worth at least $1 billion.
• Manchester United was the world’s only pro sports team worth more than $2 billion in 2012. Now there are at least 50, including almost every NFL team.

The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2019: Top 10

1 | Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

Value: $5 billion
1-Year % Change: 4%
Owner: Jerry Jones
Operating Income: $365 million

2 | New York Yankees (MLB)

Value: $4.6 billion
1-Year % Change: 15%
Owners: Steinbrenner family
Operating Income: $30 million

3 | Real Madrid (Soccer)

Value: $4.24 billion
1-Year % Change: 4%
Owners: Club members
Operating Income: $112 million

4 | Barcelona (Soccer)

Value: $4.02 billion
1-Year % Change: -1%
Owners: Club members
Operating Income: -$37 million

5 | New York Knicks (NBA)

Value: $4 billion
1-Year % Change: 11%
Owner: Madison Square Garden Company
Operating Income: $155 million

6 | Manchester United (Soccer)

Value: $3.81 billion
1-Year % Change: -8%
Owners: Glazer family
Operating Income: $238 million

7 | New England Patriots (NFL)

Value: $3.8 billion
1-Year % Change: 3%
Owner: Robert Kraft
Operating Income: $235 million

8 | Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)

Value: $3.7 billion
1-Year % Change: 12%
Owners: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz
Operating Income: $147 million

9 | Golden State Warriors (NBA)

Value: $3.5 billion
1-Year % Change: 13%
Owners: Joe Lacob, Peter Guber
Operating Income: $103 million

10 (tie) | New York Giants (NFL)

Value: $3.3 billion
1-Year % Change: 0%
Owners: John Mara, Steven Tisch
Operating Income: $149 million

10 (tie) | Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)

Value: $3.3 billion
1-Year % Change: 10%
Owners: Guggenheim Baseball Management
Operating Income: $95 million

References:

Forbes, The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2019, Kurt Badenhausen.

  

Business: Investopedia, How The NFL Makes Money

TV is the NFL's golden goose, but gambling and streaming show potential. 

• By any measure, the NFL is the most successful American sports league in history. For all the talk of North America’s “Big Three” sports (or for hockey fans, Big Four), the reality is that there’s pro football, and then there’s everything else.
• In 2015, in response to mounting criticism for its quickly growing revenue, the NFL gave up the tax-exempt status it had held since 1947. The league now exists as a trade association made up of and financed by its 32 member teams. 31 of these teams are owned individually, only the Green Bay Packers retains its non-profit status. 
• The NFL earns the lion’s share of its money with TV deals. According to Statista, more than 50% of the league’s revenue came from TV deals in 2015, a year when the league made about $12 billion. Other revenue streams include ticket sales, merchandising, and licensing rights and corporate sponsorships.
• Bloomberg estimates it earned around $15 billion during the 2018 season. This is up from estimates of $14.2 billion in 2017 and $13.3 billion in 2016. And the league is showing no intentions of slowing down. Commissioner Roger Goodell has targeted $25 billion in revenue by 2027, or 6% annual growth.

The NFL Business Model 

The NFL groups its revenue streams into two categories: “national revenue” and “local revenue.” 

National revenue consists of TV deals along with merchandising and licensing deals, which are negotiated at the national level by the NFL itself. This money is then divided evenly between the 32 teams regardless of individual performance. According to the Green Bay Packers’ 2018 annual report, the NFL earned over $8.1 billion in national revenue last year, meaning each team received about $255 million in national revenue from the league.

Local revenue, which consists of ticket sales, concessions, and corporate sponsors, is earned by the teams themselves. In 2018, the Packers earned $196 million in local revenue, 43% of their total revenue that year, which was $455 million.

Massive TV deals

Football is, hands down, the most-viewed sport in the U.S. Nineteen of the 20 most-viewed TV broadcasts in U.S. history are Superbowls of various years. In season, NFL games are broadcast live in the USA on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. These games are consistently the highest rated shows on TV, so media companies have shelled out big bucks for the rights to broadcast them.

Future Plans 

TV Growth

Contrary to some claims, TV isn’t dying, at least not when it comes to football. The value of the NFL’s TV deals has skyrocketed in the last few decades; by all accounts, it will likely continue to do so. As a result, the NFL’s biggest focus for reaching its aspirational $25 billion in revenue by 2025 is continuing to secure bigger and bigger TV deals.

Streaming

Although TV is still king when it comes to watching football, streaming is on the rise. In 2017, Verizon signed a new $2.5 billion deal with the NFL for five years of streaming rights. This is twice the size of the deal Verizon had with the NFL before. In April of 2018, Amazon signed a comparatively small deal of $130 million for two years of streaming rights. If the growth of TV deals in the last few decades are any indication, these deals will also continue to grow rapidly over the coming decades.

Gambling

Although the NFL has always officially been against sports gambling, that is likely to change soon. In May, the Supreme Court decided to let states determine whether or not to legalize sports gambling. As of July, eight states have already fully legalized the practice, while seven more have passed bills to do so. A legislative wave has begun. To capitalize on this, the NFL could set up betting parlors in stadiums, partner with established casinos, set up online sports gambling portals, etc. The possibilities are vast and there is no way the growth-obsessed NFL won’t explore as many as it can.

References:

Investopedia, How The NFL Makes Money, Jakob Eckstein,  Updated Jul 26, 2019.

Complementary content:

Business: 2018 PwC Outlook for the sports market in North America through 2022, Summary. 

Business: 2018 PwC Outlook for the sports market in North America through 2022, Opportunities. 

Business: Sports gambling opportunity in the North American market. 

Business: The future of sports media rights and the digital revolution impact according to PwC. 

Business: PwC, Next gen consumer demands— Graduating from toys to tools.

Business: Forbes, The World's Highest-Paid Athletes, 2019.

Business: Forbes, The Business of MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL

Forbes is an American business magazine. Published bi-weekly, it features original articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. Its headquarters is located in Jersey City, New Jersey. Primary competitors in the national business magazine category include Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek. 

The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings, including of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400), of the world's top companies (the Forbes Global 2000), and The World's Billionaires.

The major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada are the highest professional competitions of team sports in those countries. The four leagues universally included in the definition are Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and National Hockey League (NHL).

Big Four leagues

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play of baseball in North America. It consists of the National League (founded in 1876) and the American League (founded in 1901). Cooperation between the two leagues began in 1903, and the two merged on an organizational level in 2000 with the elimination of separate league offices; they have shared a single Commissioner since 1920. There are currently 30 member teams, with 29 located in the U.S. and one in Canada. Traditionally called the "National Pastime", baseball was the first professional sport in the U.S. 

National Basketball Association (NBA)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier basketball league in the world. It was founded as the Basketball Association of America in 1946, and adopted its current name in 1949, when the BAA partially absorbed the rival National Basketball League. Four teams from the rival American Basketball Association joined the NBA with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976. It has 30 teams, 29 in the United States and one in Canada. The NBA is watched by audiences both domestically and internationally. 

National Football League (NFL)

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league and was founded in 1920 as a combination of various teams from regional leagues such as the Ohio League, the New York Pro Football League, and the Chicago circuit. The NFL partially absorbed the All-America Football Conference in 1949 and merged with the American Football League in 1970. It has 32 teams, all located in the United States. 

NFL games are the most attended of domestic professional leagues in the world in terms of per-game attendance, and the most popular in the U.S. in terms of television ratings and merchandising. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is the most watched annual event on U.S. television, with Super Bowl XLIX being the single most-watched program in U.S. television history.

The NFL is the only one of the major leagues not to have a presence in Canada, where the Canadian Football League is the premier professional league in a similar but not identical sport.

National Hockey League (NHL)

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league and it is the only one of the major leagues to have been founded in Canada. It was formed in 1917 as a successor to the Canadian National Hockey Association (founded 1909), taking all but one of the NHA's teams. The NHL partially absorbed the rival World Hockey Association in 1979. There are 31 teams, with 24 in the U.S. and seven in Canada; the league will expand to 32 teams with the entry of a Seattle team in 2021. 

The most popular sports league in Canada, and widely followed across the northern and northeastern U.S., the NHL has expanded westward and southward in recent decades to attempt to gain a more national following in the United States, in cities such as Denver, San Jose, Dallas, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh, Tampa, Las Vegas with varying success.

For many decades prior to the 1990s, the only NHL team in the United States in the southern half of the country, or west of the Mississippi River, was the Los Angeles Kings. Hockey still remains much more popular in the northern states of the U.S. closer to Canada, such as the Upper Midwest, New England and the mid-Atlantic States of New Jersey, New York (the New York Metropolitan area has 3 NHL teams compared to 2 for each of the other 3 leagues) and Pennsylvania, than in the rest of the United States. The NHL has more Canadian teams (seven) than MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and Major League Soccer combined (five).

The Business Of Baseball (MLB), 2019 Rankings

The Business Of Basketball (NBA), 2019 Rankings

The Business Of Football (NFL), 2018 Rankings

The Business Of Hockey (NHL), 2018 Rankings

References:

Forbes, The Business Of Baseball List.

Forbes, The Business Of Basketball List.

Forbes, The Business Of Football List.

Forbes, The Business Of Hockey List.

Wikipedia, Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. 

Opinión: Las industrias deportivas son motores de crecimiento que necesitan estrellas

El Big Picture del Deporte como un motor de crecimiento es como un árbol gigante con unas raíces muy sanas y fuertes. Las estrellas del deporte forman una parte crucialmente importante de esas raíces. Ese árbol genera prosperidades de todo tipo, por ejemplo, salud física y mental. Esa prosperidad también es económica. Y gracias a la prosperidad económica todo se hace viable y sostenible. Como a todo árbol debe cuidársele. Protegerlo. Alimentarlo.

Las Industrias deportivas estadounidenses tan poderosas como la NBA, la NFL, la MLB y la NHL cuidan extraordinariamente a sus estrellas, porque sus estrellas forman una parte muy importante de la raíz de su éxito. 

Las estrellas en cualquier deporte atraen a los aficionados, los hacen soñar, les crean ilusiones.

Millones de aficionados en el mundo viven al tanto del desempeño de sus estrellas. Las siguen, las estudian y en algunos casos las idolatran.

Hay estrellas locales, nacionales y un selecto grupo son súper estrellas globales.

La prestigiosa revista de negocios Forbes ha seguido a las principales estrellas de los deportes para, por ejemplo, establecer el ranking de los que tienen los ingresos anuales más altos.

Forbes ha hecho ese seguimiento a las estrellas del deporte durante tres décadas, y sólo siete han aterrizado en el primer lugar desde 1990 (Tiger Woods tiene el récord con 12 veces en el No. 1). El icono del fútbol mundial Lionel Messi añade un octavo nombre a la lista de rollos este año y, después de su rival cristiano Ronaldo, es sólo el segundo jugador de fútbol en clasificarse en primer lugar.

El top 100 de las estrellas mejor pagadas en 2019 abarca 10 deportes e incluye atletas de 25 países. Sus $4 mil millones de dólares en ganancias combinadas de premios en metálico, salarios y endosos entre junio de 2018 y junio de 2019 se ha incrementado un 5% con respecto al año pasado, cuando Floyd Mayweather fue el primero con $285 millones.

A continuación contenido que hemos creado sobre la parte Business del Big Picture del Deporte.

Business: Forbes, The World's Highest-Paid Athletes, 2019 

Business: 2018 PwC Outlook for the sports market in North America through 2022, Summary

Business: 2018 PwC Outlook for the sports market in North America through 2022, Opportunities

Business: Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance 2019, Some key points

Business: PwC, Next gen consumer demands— Graduating from toys to tools

Business: The future of sports media rights and the digital revolution impact according to PwC

Business: Sports gambling opportunity in the North American market

Business: En España según El País (2015) el Big Picture del deporte es un motor de crecimiento que aporta riqueza y es inmune a la crisis