WGN eyeing local sports deal | $4.71 Billion spent on Sports Tourism

Get up to speed with latest news impacting the sports business landscape in Chicago and beyond. 🗞️ 

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WGN-TV is eyeing a deal with Chicago Sports Network: report WGN-TV could become ‘The People’s Champ’ if it pulls a deal off to bring Chicago sports back to its fans. Since Comcast is still unwilling to budge from its demands in negotiations with CHSN, WGN is offering a solution. WGN has been an OG of local sports broadcasting since it began in 1948, but lost its share of broadcasting rights starting in 2019. It’s itching to get back in and help CHSN at the same time. Since WGN is available to just about anyone locally through OTA (over-the-air) broadcasts, fans could watch Sox, Hawks, and Bulls games without Comcast. The move would potentially soil any chances of CHSN getting a deal done with Comcast, but at this point, it doesn’t seem like that was very likely anyway. Comcast still wants our local fans to pay premium prices for catching games, which CHSN is rightfully against. And just recently (which we discussed), Bulls President Michael Reinsdorf basically called Comcast scumbags for being unreasonable and acting in bad faith. WGN-TV is offering CHSN some leverage, even if it can’t pay a substantial broadcasting rights fee to CHSN. The Sun Times discusses WGN’s full pitch to CHSN.

Construction of new Chicago Sky training facility in Bedford Park delayed into 2026 to accommodate expansion The Sky want to get their new training facility just right before officially opening. As one of just six teams without their own dedicated training facility, getting it right will be crucial in attracting future free agents. The initial plans for the facility include two full-length basketball courts, a training room, a player’s lounge, and more. Final plans for the expansion are expected to be announced next month, but as a result, they will increase the size of the project by 33%-50%. Already at $38 million, it will require more funds and time to complete. It was scheduled to open in October of this year, but is now projected to open next Spring. The most significant downsides of the project delays are that it won’t be open this October, a perfect time to attract free agents, considering a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) will increase wages for all players. And second, uncertainty in the financial markets makes it a potentially risky venture. But the Sky are practicing in a public facility right now that has only one court and restricts their usage. The delay is worth it if it helps them get the best bang for their buck on the facility. Here are additional details about the Sky’s training facility push.

The Adidas Superstar Suits Up for Chicago Sports Teams There are finally shoes for the Chicagoans who represent the very best of what our sports teams offer the city. DTLR and Adidas collaborated to bring a one-of-a-kind ‘Chicago Edition’ shoe to shelves near you. In a nod to the legacy and pride that Chicago sports bring to the city, the sneaker collaboration blends style with culture. The shoes feature a design that shouts out the blue bloods of Chicago sports: the Bears, Bulls, Hawks, Sox, and Cubs. It features each team’s colors along with red, green, and yellow on the trim to pay homage to the CTA train lines. They are available in limited quantities at DTLR stores and online. It’s coming out at a perfect time: in the Spring, when four of the five teams featured have played recently. See more details on the shoes' unique design and how much they cost here.

Bears' Arlington Heights stadium push hits 'significant milestone' Arlington Heights has never been the Bears’ top choice for their new stadium. It’s further away from downtown and lacks the scenic views Soldier Field or any new lakefront stadium would offer. But with progress stalled at City Hall for a new lakefront stadium downtown, Arlington Heights looks more attractive. Its board of trustees approved an updated agreement from Hunden Partners last week. Hunden Partners is a consulting firm hired by Arlington Heights to assess the project's economic impact. The Bears have been sitting on a 326-acre site in Arlington Heights since 2022, weighing their options in building a potential entertainment district and domed stadium. Approval of the agreement brings the Bears closer to realizing their goals, but both the Bears and Arlington Heights are being cautiously optimistic. It is a $5 billion plan with significant implications in property taxes and construction-related traffic among many other factors. It’s still the first substantial update from anyone following the stadium plans closely in months. Crain’s talks about the estimated economic impact of the project and includes a rendering of the completed structure.

Sports tourism: Fans spent $47.1B traveling in 2024 What’s the price of loyal fandom? Many hardcore fans would say it’s priceless. For the first time, there’s a number we can look at to know just how much fans are spending on travel for their teams. In 2024, fans took a record 204.9 million sports-event related trips and generated $8.5 billion in tourist tax revenues. The study even includes international travelers, who made 1.8 million visits last year to the U.S. to attend a game. That number, $4.7 billion, seems enormous, but will probably be nothing compared to what’s to come. The U.S. will host major international events like the FIFA World Cup next summer and the 2028 LA Olympics. We’ve touched on how Chicago is in the mix, too. Chicago is hosting a major rugby match and the Premier League Summer Series this summer, both at Soldier Field. When you look at the big money generated from sports, it’s no wonder the Bears are adamant about getting a new domed stadium. It wants to be a year-round host of significant events, not just during the warm months. Read the full scope of the impact of sports tourism here.

Topgolf and Puttshack founders to launch new concept bringing tech to the game of pool This story is a classic case of looking at things from a glass half-full perspective. Instead of being put off by its own shaky performance recently, Topgolf’s founders are working to create Poolhouse, which they describe as “revolutionizing the game of pool”. Building on concepts they’ve used in Topgolf and Puttshack, founders Steve and David Jolliffe want a tech-enabled venue that caters to pool fanatics. It will feature world-class food and beverage options and a Vegas-style set-up. Poolhouse has raised $34 million, including funds from the Chicago-based investor group Emerging Funds. It sounds great until you dig into how this asset class has performed lately. Food-and-games chains have struggled, with Topgolf itself announcing home-office layoffs last year and preparing for a potential spinoff or sale. However, Poolhouse focuses on the positives, such as Topgolf’s 85% market share of the off-course golf/eatertainment niche. It’s an ambitious undertaking that they are willing to put their chips in on. Restaurant Business details how Poolhouse would be set up and its expansion plans.

How Gatorade, with a boost from Kendrick Lamar, and Bodyarmor are refueling sports-drink marketing Pepsi and Coca-Cola have been duking it out for supremacy way before the Bulls and Knicks had their heated rivalry in the early 90s. Both have taken every chance to expand their drink empires into other arenas like sports drinks. And both are attempting to capture more of the market through revamping their marketing strategies. Pepsi’s Gatorade came out with a commercial featuring appearances from sports superstars like Jayson Tatum and a cameo from Kendrick Lamar, the first musician cameo for a Gatorade commercial. Coca-Cola’s Bodyarmor is redesigning its entire branding and has created a commercial to illustrate its evolution. After last year's sales volume decline in sports drinks, both companies are battling to revitalize the category, but from different market positions. Gatorade has been the dominant force for decades among sports drink brands. Bodyarmor came onto the scene in 2011 and was acquired by Coca-Cola in 2021 to compete with Gatorade. Both plan to spend millions more in marketing this year, aiming to reverse a bad year for sports drink brands. Check out a closer look at the marketing campaigns and numbers for Bodyarmor and Gatorade.