Tag: follow

Liverpool could follow Man City in ‘multi billion’ stadium decision

Bella

Manchester City are seeking to be the first football club to truly embrace the power of the metaverse by constructing the world’s first virtual football stadium.

In a bid to engage with fans around the world and better monetise that relationship with a global audience, City are working with virtual reality experts at Sony to create a virtual Etihad in the metaverse that would allow fans to watch games through virtual reality, according to inews.

The report claims City have inked a three-year deal with Sony to develop the software with the goal being to fill the Etihad virtually and create another potentially lucrative revenue stream into the club, who became the first Premier League club to outstrip Manchester United for revenues when they posted their 2020/21 financial results last month that saw them generate £569.8m in revenues despite the impact of the pandemic and a season of fans being unable to attend games.

It is the latest move from City to add to their commercial portfolio and create new avenues to bring money into the club in a bid to try and create greater distance between themselves and the rest when it comes to financial power, leveraging their position as English football’s team to beat.

Finding ways to better monetise global fan bases is something that clubs have toiled with for some time.

READ MORE: Luis Diaz signing hints at Liverpool’s next big transfer target

READ MORE: Liverpool’s controversial transfer stance explained by Ibrahima Konate

Liverpool have one of the sporting world’s most passionate, and large, global fan bases and the Reds have been seeking ways to try and use that to aid their own revenue generation and, in turn, aid their chances of investing in success on the field.

The Reds operate as one of European football’s

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Notable MLB free agents are signing in Japan and South Korea during lockout; will bigger names follow?

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Back in 1987, with Major League Baseball’s owners colluding against the players to suppress salaries, Bob Horner took matters into his own hands. Horner, a former All-Star and Rookie of the Year Award recipient, had homered 54 times and posted a 121 OPS+ for the Atlanta Braves in the 1985 and 1986 seasons, making it all the more jarring when he agreed to a one-year contract with the Yakult Swallows. The Swallows, part of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, were willing to do what no MLB club would deign itself to do: pay Horner what he believed he was worth, or nearly $2 million. 

“The Japanese called and made a good offer,” he said, according to a Los Angeles Times article. “I was at the point of thinking I was going to sit out the whole year.”

Horner didn’t enjoy his time in Japan. He later turned down a multi-year offer from the Swallows to return to the majors, where he suffered a career-ending shoulder injury a year later. Still, fans of a certain age might have thought about Horner once or twice already this offseason. With MLB’s franchise owners locking out the players on Dec. 2, the hot stove has been snuffed out. (“Any contact with major league players or agents on any topic is prohibited,” is the league’s instruction to front-office personnel.) The only transaction news to devour in the time since has been the steady drumbeat of MLB players pushing off America’s shores for more certainty in Japan’s NPB or the Korean Baseball Organization, the world’s No. 2 and 3 leagues.

The holiday weekend alone saw third baseman Rio Ruiz, a veteran of parts of six big-league seasons, and Chris Gittens, who appeared in 16 games with the New York Yankees, sign with Asian league teams.

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Sun Belt expansion: Southern Miss, Old Dominion join conference with Marshall, FCS power expected to follow

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The latest domino in the realignment bonanza has fallen, and the future of Conference USA is severely in doubt. Old Dominion announced Wednesday that it has accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference with the move coming no later than July 1, 2023. The Monarchs join Southern Miss, which announced its move to the Sun Belt on Tuesday.  

“While C-USA has proven to be an excellent home for ODU Athletics during our transition from FCS to FBS, and we thank the C-USA membership and leadership for such an outstanding partnership, the chance to enhance the overall athletic experience for the student-athletes, fans and alumni of ODU in the SBC with regional rivalries represents the perfect opportunity for the continued growth and evolution of ODU athletic programs in our pursuit of national prominence,” Old Dominion athletic director Wood Selig said in a statement. 

Old Dominion joined Conference USA as it transitioned to the FBS level during the 2014 football season. The program played football for a brief period in the 1930s, but ultimately folded before restarting a football team at the FCS level in 2009. Bobby Wilder led the program from inception until 2019, posting a 77-56 record between FCS and FBS, including a 10-win season in 2016. 

The program has struggled since the breakout season, however, posting an 11-32 record since 2017. Former Penn State offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne took over the program in 2020, but ODU opted not to play football during the pandemic season. A move to the Sun Belt — along with the potential rise of James Madison from the FCS ranks — gives the Monarchs significantly more regional partners in the Carolinas and Georgia. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Old Dominion University to the Sun Belt. ODU brings a host of strengths to our

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