The Catch

Just here to talk about sports business and the intersection of sports, politics, policy, entertainment, and culture

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

If you’re interested in sports business, stadiums, arenas, tickets, premium seating, stadium construction and funding, television, and media, please read my new article on it!

https://t.co/rw4yuq1Ajn

[Derek Thompson @DKThomp]

New newsletter: AMERICAN SPORTS PLUTOCRACY IS BULLSHIT

A brief rant about Mark Walter, the Lakers sale, and the moral problem of US sports law turning professional-sports ownership into a kind of mystical machine for increasing billionaire wealth by billions of dollars.

American sports teams are among the most valuable assets in modern capitalism in part because we don’t treat them at all like capitalist businesses. The law raises the ceiling of team valuations by restricting competition while protecting the floor of valuations by collectivizing television revenue and limiting labor flexibility.

Then, we allow owners to use the fact of restrictive competition to ransom local governments to pay for their stadiums.

Finally, draw up the tax code to let billionaire owners minimize their checks to the IRS by amortizing team valuations.

https://t.co/GWWRKM25nY

[Phillips P. OBrien @PhillipsPOBrien]

The US is run by an organised crime syndicate that is destroying the evidence of their crimes

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@JoePompliano What people don’t realize is building this stadium at $2.2B is doing it for cheap - it’s gonna feel a bit more economical inside because it is. If they built what Chicago is looking to do, it would’ve been $3B+
The outdoor feel is good for football but also saves on roof costs

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@mktoon I think this is very very important

People won’t just see slop anymore because it has a familiar label on it

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@richard_normal The Rays are repeatedly in the mix despite spending little on everything. But give the other 29 owners a chance to change places with them and no one is doing it (except the Marlins)

Overall Ssuccess of a franchise monetarily shouldn’t be judged only by on-field performance

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@DKThomp

[Rep. Jim McGovern @RepMcGovern]

Trump says Democrats forgot to rig the election in 2016, successfully rigged it while *he* was president in 2020, then forgot how to rig it again in 2024. So the only election Democrats supposedly stole was the one he himself controlled.

You have to be a special kind of stupid to believe this bullshit.

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@lmcgaughy I can’t keep up with the pace of the horrible news
I honestly think that if you explained who Paxton was to an undecided voter, they’d think you’re a conspiratorial idiot
It’s unbelievable and exhausting

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@mavsmarie They’re building a Death Star

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

If my government isn’t going to fund basic tasks like Disease Tracking, why are we paying federal taxes?

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@HQNewsNow Donald Trump and MAGA: Pro Explosive Diarrhea

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@frankmikesmith I do think this is kind of a salary dump, but with many other factors
All 30 teams are subject to the apron rules and all 30 teams are gonna reel in their spending when they get too close to the second apron
This isn’t a PE issue as much as the CBA working as designed

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@PopBase Yes, this is what happens to criminals in office

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@JoePompliano Counterpoint: I’d rather the rich ticket buyers actually using the stadium to pay for hundreds of millions in its funding instead of taxpayers who would never get the chance to attend the expensive games

[Melanie D'Arrigo @DarrigoMelanie]

We have this, but kids cancer research was deemed wasteful spending.

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@KarliBell33 Just wait until you see the ticket prices!

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@AdamSchefter I’m sure there will be a lot of griping about billionaires taking the most government money but the Bears ownership is only wealthy through the Bears and they were already offering $2B to drop on this project. This really reflects how expensive these stadiums are now, pushing $5B

[Brian Cohn @bearcohn22]

I used to work as a consultant for tickets and premium seating in sports & entertainment.

Here’s what I’d recommend to AMC if I were hired to enhance their A-List offerings 🧵

—

AMC TICKET HIERARCHY
@AMCTheatres

1. Stubs
2. A-List
3. A-List Reserve (Silver, Gold, Diamond)

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

@ShamsCharania I hope the boos are so loud he gets so mad that his head explodes

[The Catch @TheCatchBiz]

I personally think buying a giant media conglomerate and then immediately beheading your flagship program is bad business but what do I know I’m not the billionaire