Off the Book: October 17th, 2025
- Nick Berezowski
- Oct 19
- 3 min read
Sports never sleep... and apparently, neither do the people signing all these multi-million-dollar deals. From fresh partnerships & licensing deals, to global expansions, we cover the bulk of what went down this week in the business of sports.
Expansion
NFL bets big on Saudi Arabia with Tom Brady-led flag football showcase
"The showcase event is expected to serve as a major lead-in to flag football’s debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where the NFL hopes the sport’s inclusion will accelerate its growth worldwide. Produced by OBB Media and Fanatics, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic will feature a round-robin tournament with three teams composed of former NFL greats and current stars, including Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers), Sauce Gardner (New York Jets), Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders), Maxx Crosby (Las Vegas Raiders), Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins) and Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns)." (The Guardian)
Northern Super League says it is launching expansion process to add a team in 2027
"The Northern Super League is looking at adding a seventh team in 2027, with plenty of ownership interest from overseas, according to league co-founder Diana Matheson.
The fledgling women's pro soccer league, which launched this season with franchises in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, had initially talked about increasing by two teams in 2027. But Matheson, the league's chief growth officer and part owner of the Ottawa Rapid, says that view has changed." (CBC Sports)
WNBA Expansion & Investment: What New Teams Mean for Media Rights and Sponsorships
The WNBA is entering a defining moment. With expansion teams set to join the league for the first time in nearly two decades, women’s basketball isn’t just experiencing growth—it’s commanding mainstream attention in once unimaginable ways. Attendance records are being broken, broadcasts are drawing millions, and athletes like Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu are becoming household names.
Media
Apple is the exclusive new broadcast partner for Formula 1® in the U.S.
The partnership builds on Apple’s deepening relationship with Formula 1 following the global success of Apple Original Films’ adrenaline-fuelled blockbuster F1 The Movie, the highest-grossing sports movie of all time. United by a commitment to innovation and fan experience, the partnership sets the stage for Formula 1’s continued growth in the U.S.
Blackhawks viewership triples on CHSN following Comcast carriage agreement
Blackhawks Chair & CEO Danny Wirtz said that in the franchise’s first two Chicago Sports Network games this season, viewership has been “about three times higher than last season” following the Hawks’ carriage agreement with Comcast this past summer, according to Ben Pope of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Leadership
Penn State fires head coach James Franklin after 12 seasons
Franklin is owed more than $49 million, according to his contract. It's the second-biggest buyout in college football history behind only Jimbo Fisher's $76 million buyout from Texas A&M.Franklin is owed more than $49 million, according to his contract. It's the second-biggest buyout in college football history behind only Jimbo Fisher's $76 million buyout from Texas A&M.
Leiweke’s continuance motion granted, felony bid-rigging trial pushed from December to May ’26
Leiweke’s attorney, David Gerger, filed the motion on Oct. 10, citing a mountain of discovery evidence being provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. The DOJ criminal antitrust division brought a single charge against Leiweke, the co-founder and former CEO of Oak View Group, in July.
On Aug. 13 alone, the government produced 6.9 million pages of discovery, representing about a million separate documents. Another 18,548 pages were produced on Sept. 15, and a third round was expected imminently by Leiweke’s defence team. Each piece of evidence is uploaded into a database and catalogued, let alone read and examined for utility in Leiweke’s defence.
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A Sports Thanksgiving
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Dawg Pound Podcast
On Monday, October 13th, the Dawg Pound Podcast host, Nick Berezowski, had the unique honour to sit down with Jonathan Becher, President of Sharks Sports & Entertainment.
Tune in to learn about Jonathan's start-up companies, his time with SAP & his move into the sport and entertainment industry, where he aims to revolutionize the fan experience.
How did you spend Thanksgiving?
With Family
Relaxing
Over Eating
Monday Night Football
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