AI Messi coming to Chicago | Steph Curry named Assistant GM

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Can Bears be wooed by Michael Reese stadium plans? Here's the developer's pitch. Ever pour your heart into something, like a work presentation or a marriage proposal, only to be ignored or met with a blank stare? That’s what this piece of news feels like. Chicago-based real estate firm Farpoint Development decided to throw its idea into the mix as the Bears continue playing musical chairs with the location of a proposed new stadium. The group unveiled renderings of its proposal to keep the Bears on the South Side by developing a stadium on the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital. It would be domed and near the lakefront, satisfying the Bears, not require as much public funding, which the state wants, and feature a 20-acre park bridging over Lake Shore Drive, which advocacy group Friends of the Parks would possibly like. Farpoint Development CEO Scott Goodman argues their plans would make everyone happy. The Bears have been dealing with major opposition on multiple fronts, preventing construction either on the lakefront or in Arlington Heights. The problem is the Bears don’t seem to be paying any attention to the ambitious plans and have even refused to publicly acknowledge their feasibility. I’ll give it to Farpoint Development for trying, but it appears they will be left hanging at the altar. Check out the full details of the proposed plans and what the new stadium would look like.

Chicago one of three cities picked to host Premier League soccer tournament this summer Chicago made the shortlist of cities selected for the popular Premier League Summer Series tournament. Soldier Field will welcome four teams, including two with some of the biggest fanbases in the U.S. in Manchester United and West Ham United. As the most popular soccer league in the world with over 3.2 billion regular viewers, the event is set to draw crowds that rival or even surpass Bears games. The first year the Premier League Summer Series came to the U.S., it drew 225,000 fans in the six cities that hosted. Chicago is no stranger to the Premier League, despite never hosting a match until now. Lincoln Park hosted Premier League Mornings Live, a match day pregame show, and had 15,000 fans turn out. The tournament is set for July 30th, well before the Bears will get a fresh shot at reviving some of the glory Soldier Field is best known for. See more of the details about the Summer Series here.

AI + Messi = Magic. Immersive exhibit on the soccer star coming to Chicago this summer If you hate soccer, it’s not a good summer to be in the city. In addition to the Premier League, international soccer star Lionel Messi has an immersive, AI-powered exhibit coming to Bucktown on W Logan Blvd. It will feature a 75-minute captivating experience that takes you through his training routine and some of the biggest moments of his career. Chicago will be the first U.S. city to host the exhibit as it takes “The Messi Experience” worldwide. For those unfamiliar with his impact, the MLS is up 14% in fan attendance and up 13% in sponsorship revenue since Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023. Even though he won’t personally be at the exhibit this summer, he will play at Soldier Field next month when Inter Miami takes on the Fire. The Fire have enjoyed some of the Messi benefit as the team’s valuation has increased by $35 million since last year. It’s still 22nd in the MLS, but hey, it’s progress. We’ve already discussed the Fire’s new training facility and plans for a new stadium, in the South Loop or between Lincoln Park and Bucktown. Crain’s talks more about what the Fire is worth and when you can catch Messi in person or through his exhibit.

Chicago Sports Network and Marquee included in new DirecTV streaming package Bulls, Sox, and Hawks fans may have something to finally celebrate, although like their collective luck lately, it’s a minor win. Fans anxious about how to catch their favorite team amid the CHSN-Xfinity fiasco can tune in through a new package called MyHome Team on DirecTV. It will give them access to three of the four major teams in the city, but as an add-on package for $19.99/mo. Xfinity serves far more customers than DirecTV (Xfinity has about a million customers in Chicago), so it’s hard to even call this a win for the fans. Negotiations still continue between Marquee Sports, CHSN, and Xfinity but there’s no evidence either side is any closer to a deal. See how CHSN is exploring additional revenue options to sustain its partnership with DirecTV.

CBS, TNT sell out March Madness ad inventory While you’re getting your March Madness bracket ready, hoping to win big this year, CBS and TNT are busy counting up all the dollars they’ve already won. According to the head of sports sales at Paramount Advertising, March Madness ad inventory sold out earlier this year than it has historically. Although they declined to give specifics, ad numbers have surpassed over $1 billion for the last couple of years. The range of prices goes from a couple hundred thousand dollars to over $2 million for a 30-second spot. Advertisers are just as wide ranging as the prices, coming from industries like insurance and banking. Learn more about how many sponsors March Madness attracts based on this info from Sports Business Journal.

Stephen Curry joins alma mater Davidson as assistant GM for basketball Apparently, Steph Curry isn’t busy enough with his full-time job. The NBA All-Star has signed up for a role his coach hopes is mostly ceremonial. Curry, by far Davidson’s most famous alumnus, will help the small school outside of Charlotte navigate the tricky landscape of NIL in college sports. In accepting the role, Curry becomes the first active player in a U.S. professional sport to take on an admin role with a college team. He’ll serve as an advisor and use his wealth of resources, including his major sponsor Under Armour, to help the men’s and women’s basketball teams attract top talent. If you’re familiar with Steph’s affinity for his alma mater, it’s less of a surprise he’s taking the role as it is that Davidson didn’t offer it to him sooner. He’s the ultimate underdog success story as a somewhat normal-sized man playing in a league of giants. Curry wants nothing more than to catapult his underdog alma mater into the national spotlight again like he did while there. Here are all the details of what his role is and who else will be serving in the role with him.

NFL teams flex spending power, shell out over $1 billion in one weekend NFL teams took the cliche, “it takes money to make money” to a whole new level. Over the weekend of March 7th, NFL players were rewarded with $1.12 billion in new contracts. The highlight came from the Buffalo Bills, who gave their MVP quarterback Josh Allen the most guaranteed money ever in an NFL contract at $250 million. Myles Garrett became the highest-paid non-QB ever over that weekend, but he could be surpassed soon since it’s still early. Ja’Marr Chase and Micah Parsons are two candidates for that title and have both been itching for new contracts to reset the bar at their positions. Free agency officially began last Wednesday, so teams are only just getting started on their spending. It does show a glimpse of how much cash has been flowing into the NFL’s coffers. Read more about how many players got new deals and the numbers behind them.

Sports Businesses Brace for Far-Reaching Impact of Tariffs Trump’s tariffs have sports businesses spooked but not for the reasons you might be thinking. Yes, tariffs would lead to higher direct costs on imported goods, in particular from China. Thinking about how much we import from China as a country, it would make sense that sports businesses are most worried about this. But it’s not what’s keeping them up at night. Brands like Topgolf Callaway Brands (maker of golf equipment with some parts coming from China) and Amer Sports (parent company of Chicago-based Wilson Sporting Goods, which gets some of its balls and racquets from China) are expecting minor hits in revenue from the tariffs compared to their annual revenue projections. The real issues are with enacting tariffs with a weakened U.S. dollar and how the tariffs could impact consumer spending. Consumers have seen less of an impact on sporting goods, but with everyone squeezed thanks to rampant inflation the last few years, experts wonder if there’s a breaking point coming. If so, it could drastically impact what people are willing to spend on their favorite sports teams. In other words, sports team owners with loyal fanbases but have been underperforming could see a hit in ticket sales or other related sporting goods when the tariffs hit (looking at you, Sox and Hawks). Sportico takes a deep dive into concerns with the tariffs relating to sports businesses.