Sports · Thursday, 29 October 2026

01 Briefing what happened

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 for the first World Series title in the club's history, weeks before baseball's likely lockout

Milwaukee, the smallest market in the major leagues, won on a $155 million payroll against the Dodgers' $433 million, as the owners push for a salary cap that a lockout from 1 December is expected to fight over.

$155m vs $433m

the Brewers' payroll against the Dodgers', as baseball's luxury tax counts it

the Dodgers will also owe $183m in tax on top [2]

58th

season for the club, and its first title

it began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 [1]

$223m to $1.9bn

what Mark Attanasio paid for the Brewers in 2005, and what Forbes says they are worth now

he owns about 45% of the club [3]

1 Dec

when the owners' labour deal with the players runs out

a lockout is widely expected the moment it ends [10]

The lead story — what happened

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Wednesday to win the World Series. [1] The World Series is baseball's final, between the champions of its two leagues. [6] It is a best-of-seven series, and Milwaukee won it 4 games to 1. [6] It is the first title in the club's history, in its 58th season. [1]
The club began in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots and moved to Milwaukee in 1970. [1] Its only other World Series, in 1982, ended in a Game 7 defeat by St Louis. [1] Thousands of Brewers fans filled the seats behind their dugout at the Rays' ground in Florida. [1]
Jacob Misiorowski, 24, pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up no runs. [1] He left the game with a cramp in his right calf. [1] Cooper Pratt, a 22-year-old rookie, had two more hits and drove in two runs. [1] Catcher William Contreras was named the series' most valuable player, after batting .381. [5] Contreras also won 10 of 13 challenges to the new robot umpire's calls. [5] Milwaukee's 11-2 playoff record ties for the second-best ever by a champion, Sporting News says. [12]
Milwaukee is the smallest media market in the major leagues. [1] The Brewers' payroll ranked 19th of baseball's 30 teams this season, Forbes reports. [3] Baseball has no cap on pay, but a luxury tax charges teams that overspend. [8] Counted the way that tax counts it, the Brewers spent $155 million on players. [2] The Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time champions, spent $433 million. [2] The Dodgers will also owe $183 million in luxury tax on top. [2] The Rays, who lost, have not ranked above 22nd in luxury-tax payroll since 2018. [14] The Brewers still swept those Dodgers in the semi-final round. [2] It is the first final this century without a team from the top half of payrolls. [2]
The team does not chase the most expensive free agents, players free to join any club. [4] Instead it finds players through trades, scouting and coaching its young ones. [4] Its staff grew from about 130 to more than 400 people under owner Mark Attanasio. [3] In April it gave Pratt $50.75 million over eight years, before his first major-league game. [11]
Attanasio bought the Brewers for $223 million in 2005. [3] He made his fortune at Crescent Capital, a firm he co-founded that lends to companies. [3] Forbes now values the club at $1.9 billion, and he owns about 45% of it. [3] An early count shows about 13.5 million people watched Game 4, which went 12 innings. [13] A title usually lifts crowds and ticket prices the next season. [2] After Atlanta's 2021 title, the Braves' crowds were 18% above 2019. [2]
Baseball's labour deal between owners and players runs out at 11:59pm on 1 December. [9] The owners are widely expected to lock the players out the moment it ends. [10] In a lockout, players cannot be signed or traded, or use team buildings. [10] The owners want a salary cap, a fixed limit on what each team spends on players. [8] Attanasio, on the owners' labour committee, says a cap 'not only will help us compete'. [2] The players' union says a cap holds pay down to push team values up. [8] It says this final between two low-payroll teams undermines the owners' case. [7]

Who is involved

Mark Attanasio

the Brewers' owner since 2005, who made his fortune lending to companies; he sits on the owners' labour committee and backs a salary cap
William Contreras

the Brewers' catcher; named the series' most valuable player
Jacob Misiorowski

the Brewers' 24-year-old starting pitcher; gave up no runs in the deciding game
The MLB Players Association

the baseball players' union; it opposes a salary cap and faces a lockout from 1 December

How it unfolded

1969 the club is founded as the Seattle Pilots [1]
1982 its only other World Series ends in a Game 7 defeat [1]
2005 Mark Attanasio buys the club for $223 million [3]
28 Oct 2026 the Brewers win the title, 4-1 in Game 5 [1]
1 Dec 2026 the labour deal runs out; a lockout is expected [10]

Where this points

Watch 1 December: with no new deal by then, the lockout starts and all signings stop. [9] Next season is due to open on 24 March, if owners and players agree in time. [7]

Signals on this beat

The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing, and the arrow is where it is heading.

Team prices far above income High↑

An IPL cricket team sells for about 22.9 times its yearly income. [17] Forbes says lost local TV money slows the rise in NBA team values, because teams are priced on income. [19] Baseball's players' union says the owners want a salary cap to push team values up. [8]

Sport asking governments for help Building↑

Owners of US sports teams gave at least $100 million to this year's congressional races. [20] British racing says it will urgently talk to the UK government after a tax rise on betting-shop machines. [28]

Games moved for other events High↑

The WNBA moved a Finals game to 12:30pm so it could use an arena booked that night. [62] UEFA moved a Europa League match away from a general strike day in France. [38] A Scottish club must play two cup ties on one afternoon because no opponent would move. [78]

Top players out hurt High→

Tyrese Haliburton is out with a hamstring strain, four games into his return. [74] Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko is out until at least January. [54] Oklahoma City lost for the first time this season without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. [73]

The rest of the day

41 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

02
Cricket teams priced at 23 times their income

Sportico values the Mumbai Indians, a team in India's IPL cricket league, at $2.1 billion. [16] The IPL, launched in 2008, plays a short form of cricket and has just 10 teams. [18] The cheapest, Lucknow, is put at $1.5 billion, and the average at $1.7 billion. [16] Each team takes in about $74.4 million a year, mostly from shared TV money. [16] So an IPL team sells for about 22.9 times its yearly income. [17] The NBA's figure is 14.6, the WNBA's 13.6 and the NFL's 12.7. [16] The first eight teams were sold for about $90 million each. [16]

Why it matters — Sportico says scarcity helps: there are only 10 teams, and none can be relegated. [16] In March a group led by Blackstone, a US investment firm, paid $1.78 billion for Bengaluru. [16] Bankers price teams on income because their profits jump around, or do not exist. [17] So each extra dollar of yearly income adds many dollars when the team is sold. [17]
03
NBA teams lose $453 million of local TV money

NBA teams took in about $33 million each from local TV last season, Forbes estimates. [19] Two seasons earlier the average was $48 million. [19] Across 30 teams, that is about $453 million a year gone. [19] Local channels used to be paid by cable firms for every home, watched or not. [19] Main Street Sports, the biggest of those channels, went bankrupt in 2023 and shut in September. [19] The Dallas Mavericks' local TV money fell 84%, from $96 million to $15 million. [19]

Why it matters — The NBA's national TV deals still pay each team nearly $150 million a year. [19] Forbes says the loss slows the rise in team values, since teams are priced on income. [19]
04
Team owners give $100 million to US election races

Owners of major US sports teams gave at least $100 million to this year's congressional races. [20] Most of it went to Republicans, Front Office Sports found in federal filings. [20] Miriam Adelson, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, gave at least $67 million. [20] No other team owner gave more than $10 million. [20] Adelson's fortune comes from the casino business of her late husband, Sheldon Adelson. [21] NFL owners gave more than $18 million, nearly all of it to Republicans. [22] Vinod Khosla, new owner of the Seattle Seahawks, gave $2 million to the Democrats. [22]

Why it matters — The elections for the US Congress are on Tuesday. [22] Three former sports stars, all Republicans, are running for the US Congress. [20]
05
Ernie Johnson to leave Inside the NBA

Ernie Johnson will leave Inside the NBA at the end of this season, after 37 years. [23] Inside the NBA is a US studio show about basketball that has won 19 Sports Emmys. [24] Johnson, 70, had heart bypass surgery 14 months ago. [24] He said his heart problems were one reason he chose to go. [23] Johnson said: 'Totally my decision. It's just time.' [23] He is not retiring, and will still cover March Madness for TNT and CBS. [23] The show moved from TNT to ESPN in 2025, after TNT lost its NBA rights. [23]

Why it matters — Charles Barkley, one of its analysts, has said he will also leave after this season. [24] ESPN, which licenses the show from TNT, will lose its host after this season. [23]
06
Chiefs sign Justin Tucker despite misconduct ban

The Kansas City Chiefs signed kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad, their reserve players. [25] 16 massage therapists in the Baltimore area accused Tucker of sexual misconduct in the 2010s. [27] He denied it and was never charged, but the NFL banned him for 10 games. [26] Their own kicker, Harrison Butker, has missed 5 of his 16 field goal tries this season. [27] Tucker has made 89.1% of his career kicks, second-best in NFL history. [27] On the practice squad he can earn $18,350 to $22,850 a week. [25]

Why it matters — Coach Andy Reid said only: 'He's done his suspension.' [27] Asked about female fans, Reid said the club had done its homework, and said no more. [26]
07
Betting-machine tax rise could cost British racing

The UK Budget raised tax on profits from betting-shop gaming machines from 20% to 25%. [28] Betting shops help pay for horse racing, through a levy and fees for TV pictures. [28] Each of the UK's 5,500 shops gives racing about £25,000 a year. [28] Racing's ruling body says it could now lose £57 million a year as shops close. [28] Its chief, Brant Dunshea, said the rise 'could still prove devastating for our sport'. [28] A think-tank had wanted the tax doubled to 40%, to cut harm from machine gambling. [28]

Why it matters — Shares in Entain, which owns the Ladbrokes betting shops, rose 8% after the speech. [28] Racing says it will urgently talk to the UK government about softening the blow. [28]
08
Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties again

Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties on Wednesday to reach the League Cup quarter-finals. [30] The game finished 1-1, with both goals scored from the penalty spot. [30] Chelsea have now lost all 5 of their shoot-outs against Liverpool. [30] Wesley Fofana sent Chelsea's last kick high over the bar. [30] Valentin Barco also missed for Chelsea, hitting the post after a stuttering run-up. [31] Takers stutter to make the goalkeeper move first, but it fails if he waits. [31]

Why it matters — Liverpool, managed by Andoni Iraola, now play Bournemouth, his old club. [30] Stuttering run-ups are now under debate after two such misses in two nights of the cup. [31]
09
Manchester City through as the last eight is set

Manchester City beat Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. [32] City's goalkeeper, Geronimo Rulli, saved two of Brighton's kicks. [32] Bournemouth beat Aston Villa 3-0, reaching the last eight for the first time in eight seasons. [34] Sunderland scored three goals in 10 minutes and beat Brentford 3-2. [34] Fourth-tier Fleetwood will play Everton or Newcastle, who meet on Thursday. [33] City will play Bradford City, a third-tier club. [33] The other ties are Crystal Palace against Sunderland and Liverpool against Bournemouth. [33]

Why it matters — The quarter-finals are played in the week of 14 December. [33] 2 of the 8 clubs left come from outside the Premier League. [33]
10
Neymar banned for covering his mouth

Brazil's sports tribunal banned Neymar for 2 matches on Wednesday for covering his mouth. [35] He did it while arguing with Bahia's Rodrigo Nestor in a league game on Saturday. [36] In April football's law-makers made covering your mouth during an argument a red-card offence. [36] It came after Vinicius Junior said a Benfica player abused him from behind his shirt. [35] Nestor said Neymar's words were highly disrespectful. [37] Neymar said: 'I was wrong to put my hand over my mouth.' [37] But he said he had not said anything yet when Nestor raised his hand. [37]

Why it matters — Adding a ban for yellow cards, Neymar will miss 3 matches. [36] He is not expected to play again until late November. [36] He and Santos can appeal. [35]
11
A French strike moves a Europa League match

UEFA moved Rennes against Olympiacos from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday afternoon. [38] French unions have called a general strike for 5 November. [38] France has seen protests across the country over the cost of living. [38] France's authorities told UEFA they could not promise normal security that day. [39] The 4:30pm start avoids two Champions League games that kick off at 6:45pm. [39]

Why it matters — Some Rennes fans called it a disgrace, saying a Wednesday afternoon is hard to attend. [39] One fan said he had paid for a match he will now be unable to attend. [39]
12
Australia edge ahead in the deciding Test

Australia closed day two on 330 for 4, one run ahead of South Africa's 329. [40] The teams shared the first two Tests, so this game in Cape Town decides the series. [40] Steve Smith pulled out with a neck injury just before the toss. [40] His replacement, Josh Inglis, was 85 not out, with Alex Carey on 51. [40] Matt Renshaw made 74 and Cameron Green 65. [40] Marnus Labuschagne was out for 0, and his place is now in doubt. [42]

Why it matters — Australia have 6 wickets left to build a lead on day three. [41]
13
Russo's hat-trick sets an English record

Alessia Russo scored three goals as Arsenal beat Benfica 3-0 in the Women's Champions League. [43] Russo is now the highest-scoring English player in the competition's history. [43] The win lifted Arsenal to 2nd in the league stage table. [43] Russo, 27, has 10 goals in her last seven games for club and country. [43] Arsenal's season had started slowly, with missed chances and mistakes. [43]

Why it matters — Their manager, Renee Slegers, said: 'She leads the way as a role model.' [43]
14
Rybakina sure to end the year as number one

Elena Rybakina will finish 2026 as the world No 1 in women's tennis. [44] She made sure of it by beating Yulia Putintseva 6-2 6-3 in Tokyo. [44] Both players represent Kazakhstan. [44] Rybakina, 27, won the Australian Open and the US Open this year. [44] She beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in both of those finals. [44] Her title in Ningbo last week was her 4th of the year. [44]

Why it matters — Next she defends her WTA Finals title at Indian Wells, from 8 to 15 November. [44]
15
Osaka's season ends against a teenager ranked 144th

Naomi Osaka lost 6-3 7-5 to Mia Pohankova of Slovakia in Tokyo on Thursday. [45] Pohankova is 18 and ranked 144th in the world. [45] Osaka, 29, has won 4 Grand Slam titles and was once ranked first. [45] She came back after a 15-month break when her daughter was born in 2023. [45] She has not won a title this year, and her season is now over. [45]

Why it matters — On winning a Grand Slam again, Osaka said: 'I'm going to keep attempting it.' [45]
16
Djokovic keeps his Turin hopes alive

Novak Djokovic, 39, beat Ugo Humbert 4-6 6-3 6-4 in Basel. [46] He won the Basel title in 2009 and had not played there since 2011. [46] Only the year's top 8 players qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. [46] Djokovic is 11th in that race, so he needs more wins this autumn. [46] A place would be his record 19th appearance at the season-ending event. [46]

Why it matters — Of his first indoor match of the season, Djokovic said: 'a win is a win.' [46]
17
Kompany home from hospital as Bayern win 6-1

Bayern Munich's coach, Vincent Kompany, left hospital on Wednesday, five days after collapsing at training. [48] Bayern said the cause was meningeal irritation, inflammation of the lining around the brain and spine. [47] He will rest and take medicine, and no return date has been set. [47] Bayern have said his absence will be 'weeks, not days'. [47] Under his assistant Aaron Danks, Bayern beat second-tier Magdeburg 6-1 in the German Cup. [48] Harry Kane, this week's Ballon d'Or winner, was rested. [48]

Why it matters — Bayern's Max Eberl said: 'That is the biggest and best news for all of us.' [47]
18
Milan lose at home to Bologna before the derby

AC Milan lost 4-2 at home to Bologna on Wednesday, after leading 2-1 at half-time. [49] Bologna's Samuel Mbangula scored 3 of their goals. [49] It was Milan's first defeat of the season in Serie A, Italy's top league. [50] Milan are 7 points behind the leaders, Inter and Lazio. [49] Their coach, Ruben Amorim, used to manage Manchester United. [49] Milan are in talks to keep Christian Pulisic, the US forward, beyond next June. [50]

Why it matters — Milan play their city rivals Inter at San Siro on Saturday. [49] CBS says the pressure on Amorim is growing before that derby. [49]
19
Rangers draw at Hearts as Celtic are held

Rangers drew 2-2 at Hearts, with Olwethu Makhanya scoring in the 89th minute. [51] Hearts fans booed Rangers' manager, Derek McInnes, who left them for Rangers in June. [51] He left weeks after Hearts finished just behind the champions. [51] Leaders Celtic were also held 2-2 at home by Dundee United. [51] Rangers stay 4 points behind Celtic and 4 ahead of Hearts. [51]

Why it matters — The race at the top of Scotland's league stays close. [51]
20
Perez stays at Cadillac until 2029

Sergio Perez has signed a new deal with Cadillac, a new Formula One team, until 2029. [52] This weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, his home race, is his 300th. [53] Perez, 36, has won 6 races: 5 for Red Bull and 1 for Racing Point. [52] Red Bull dropped him at the end of 2024, with two years left on his contract. [52] Neither Perez nor his team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, has scored a point for Cadillac. [52]

Why it matters — Perez said: 'Building a Formula One team from the ground up takes time.' [52] Before the race he will drive a show run on Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma. [53]
21
Sesko out until January

Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko will be out until at least January with a shin injury. [54] He has not played since 16 September. [54] United signed him from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £73.7m in August 2025. [54] The same shin problem made him miss all of pre-season and the end of last season. [54] He has scored twice this season. [54]

Why it matters — Without him, manager Michael Carrick has no other recognised centre-forward. [54]
22
London Broncos may join Super League for no money

London Broncos agreed to join rugby league's Super League in 2027 with no central money. [55] Each of the 14 existing clubs gets about £1.3m a year from that pot. [55] The clubs set the condition, and the sport's governing body is expected to approve it soon. [55] The Broncos won the second tier easily this year. [55] A deal with Australia's NRL league, worth tens of millions of pounds, now waits until 2028. [55]

Why it matters — The NRL wants a London team in the league when that deal starts. [55] Super League would grow to 15 teams. [55]
23
English rugby says no to Welsh clubs, for now

A report said 2 Welsh rugby clubs could join England's top league, the Prem. [56] The Prem and England's rugby union said: 'Resources are currently focused on supporting English clubs.' [56] The Prem plans to grow from 10 clubs to 12 by the 2029-30 season. [56] Joining could cost a club up to £23.5m, including running a women's team. [56] The Welsh Rugby Union lost £18.1m in 2025-26. [56]

Why it matters — It says the loss strengthens its case to cut its pro teams from 4 to 3. [56]
24
England's women rugby team make six changes

England have made 6 changes for Friday's game against the USA in New Jersey. [57] The Red Roses, as England are called, lost twice to Canada, a first in a decade. [57] The first of those defeats ended a run of 41 Tests without a loss. [57] Scrum-half Flo Robinson gets her first start, and Zoe Harrison drops to the bench. [57] It is England's last game in the WXV Global Series this year. [57]

Why it matters — Coach John Mitchell said England's next Test after this is six months away. [57]
25
Jordan's football chief faces a review over Infantino

Prince Ali bin Hussein heads Jordan's football association. [58] He accused FIFA's president, Gianni Infantino, of taking over an Asian football meeting for politics. [58] He said delegates at the meeting in Tokyo were not allowed to speak or debate. [58] He called its last day 'pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino'. [58] The head of the Asian Football Confederation had backed Infantino for re-election there. [58] The confederation said nobody asked to speak, and sent his words to its judges. [58] Prince Ali said he will cooperate fully. [58]

Why it matters — He said Jordan will vote freely in FIFA's coming presidential election. [58]
26
Inter Miami held as the playoffs near

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami drew 2-2 with Cincinnati in Major League Soccer on Wednesday. [59] Luis Suarez scored first for Miami, before Cincinnati scored twice. [59] Substitute Riquelme Fillipi saved a point for Miami late on. [59] The draw hurt Miami's chase for second place in the Eastern Conference. [59] New England moved ahead after beating the New York Red Bulls 3-2. [59]

Why it matters — Cincinnati could still miss the playoffs, with 2 games left. [59]
27
Big Riyadh shows go ahead under missile fire

Canelo Alvarez fights Christian Mbilli for a world title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, on Saturday. [60] Missiles from the Houthis, a Yemeni armed group, keep striking Saudi Arabia. [60] Alvarez, 36, brushed off the security fears: 'I love to be in Riyadh.' [60] It is his first fight in 13 months, the third of four on a Riyadh deal. [60] WWE, the wrestling company, has moved its 7 November Crown Jewel show to another Riyadh arena. [61] Every ticket holder gets a refund, and tickets will be sold again. [61]

Why it matters — WWE is estimated to make about $50 million from each Saudi show. [61] The United States ordered its diplomats to leave Saudi Arabia last week, Forbes reports. [61]
28
A WNBA title game at breakfast time

Game 6 of the WNBA Finals starts at 12:30pm on Thursday in Atlanta, not 8pm. [62] The move lets the Atlanta Dream play in a 17,000-seat arena instead of their 3,500-seat home. [62] The bigger arena's own team, the NBA's Hawks, plays there that evening. [62] The cheapest resale ticket fell to $32, from $246 for Game 4. [62] Game 3's cheapest seat had been $166. [62] The Golden State Valkyries are 1 win from their first title. [63]

Why it matters — In San Francisco the game starts at 9:30am, so Valkyries bars are opening hours early. [63] One bar manager said she has no idea how many fans will come. [63]
29
More US children take up golf and tennis

Tennis among US children aged 6 to 12 grew 72% from 2019 to 2025. [64] Golf grew 73% among teenagers aged 13 to 17, and 55% among younger children. [64] Tennis among teenagers grew 46%. [64] The figures come from a report by the Aspen Institute, a US research group. [64] Flag football, played without tackling, grew 26% among younger children. [64] Tackle football fell 7% among those children. [64]

Why it matters — Baseball, ice hockey and track and field all lost young players. [64]
30
Women set to fill the New York City Marathon

Tens of thousands of runners start the New York City Marathon on Sunday. [65] Last year more than 27,000 of the runners who finished were women. [65] Kathrine Switzer said about 58% of US runners are now women. [65] In 1967 an official tried to tear Switzer's race number off during the Boston Marathon. [65] She finished that race anyway, and later helped win women the right to race long distances. [65]

Why it matters — Switzer and another runner told Forbes that safety fears and dark streets still hold women back. [65]
31
Online sleuths check marathon times for cheats

About 60,000 people run New York's marathon on Sunday, The Athletic reports. [66] An Australian Instagram account checks the times runners post online after big races. [66] It compares watch and app times with the official chip times recorded on the course. [66] In Berlin it exposed a Chinese influencer photographed getting a lift on a bike. [66] She was disqualified and lost her sponsor, Brooks China. [66]

Why it matters — It says many of those it flags want more followers or sponsors. [66] It says only official chip times are a true measure of a race. [66]
32
Utah turns hockey's outdoor game into four days

The owner of Utah's NBA and NHL teams is making the Winter Classic a four-day event. [67] The Winter Classic is the NHL's showcase outdoor game, this time at the University of Utah. [67] The Mammoth play the Colorado Avalanche there on 31 December. [67] Around it go two Jazz basketball games, a Post Malone concert and another Mammoth game. [67] Each event is sold separately but marketed as one weekend. [67]

Why it matters — Owner Ryan Smith wants 'something people will travel to Utah to experience'. [67]
33
Baseball players' union loses its finance chief

Tatia Mays-Russell, the finance chief of baseball's players' union, has left, Sportico reports. [68] Why and when she left is not clear, and the union does not comment on staff. [68] Michael White, from the union's business arm, is now interim finance chief. [68] She leaves weeks before the players' labour deal runs out on 1 December. [68]

Why it matters — The owners are expected to lock the players out the next day. [68] Sportico calls it a critical time for the union. [68]
34
NFL made Barkley sell his Polymarket stake

Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles running back, had to sell his stake in Polymarket. [69] Polymarket is a prediction market, where people bet on events, sports included. [69] NFL rules bar players from investing in or promoting betting or prediction-market firms. [69] Barkley said: 'I am not allowed to be in that.' [69] The NFL confirmed the ban on Wednesday but would not discuss Barkley. [69]

Why it matters — The NFL has official betting partners, but no prediction-market partners. [69] Other big leagues already have deals with prediction markets. [69]
35
FBI guarded McAfee on college football's travelling show

ESPN's Pat McAfee confirmed the FBI has protected his College GameDay appearances since September 2025. [70] The protection began days after the activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a Utah university. [70] Last week University of Utah students mocked him online before his show there. [71] McAfee regularly receives death threats, Front Office Sports reported. [70] He said of the Tennessee show: 'FBI snipers were sent down there.' [70]

Why it matters — ESPN has given McAfee and the show's presenters their own security. [70] ESPN is reportedly in talks on a deal worth $60 million to $65 million a year. [71]
36
Dybantsa scores 19 on debut; Thunder lose at last

AJ Dybantsa, the 2026 draft's first pick, scored 19 points on his NBA debut. [72] He made 8 of his 12 shots for the Washington Wizards against Cleveland. [72] The Wizards still lost 121-111, after he had missed four games with an ankle injury. [72] The Dallas Mavericks handed the unbeaten Oklahoma City Thunder their first defeat of the season. [73] The Thunder were without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso. [73] Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams are likely out for the season. [73]

Why it matters — Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving led Dallas in their first home game of the season. [73]
37
Haliburton hurt again, four games into his return

Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers has a hamstring strain and is out week to week. [74] His coach, Rick Carlisle, said he is unlikely to play in the next 2 weeks. [74] Haliburton missed all of last season after tearing an Achilles tendon in the 2025 Finals. [74] In his first four games back he averaged 21.8 points and 9.5 assists. [74]

Why it matters — Carlisle said: 'It's not good news, but it could be worse.' [74]
38
Sam Houston sacks its football coach

Sam Houston State, a Texas university, sacked football coach Phil Longo on Wednesday. [76] He won 3 games and lost 17 in under two seasons. [76] The team lost 24-3 to Missouri State on Tuesday, a ninth straight loss to top-tier teams. [76] Longo was hired weeks after Wisconsin sacked him as its attacking coach. [76] Two assistants will run the team for the rest of the season. [76]

Why it matters — CBS says Longo was a cheap hire for a young top-tier programme. [76]
39
UTSA suspends its basketball coach after arrest

UTSA, a Texas university, suspended coach Austin Claunch after his arrest on suspicion of drink-driving. [75] The season starts in less than a week. [75] Assistant Nick Bowman will coach the team while the university reviews the case. [75] Claunch was an assistant at Alabama under Nate Oats before taking the UTSA job in 2024. [75] Claunch said: 'I made a grave error in judgment.' [75]

Why it matters — He has won 17 games and lost 44 in two seasons. [75]
40
Kiffin says the league is punishing LSU

The SEC, the college conference both teams play in, set LSU against Alabama for mid-afternoon. [77] The game is on 7 November. [77] The game had been played at night for 6 seasons in a row. [77] LSU's coach, Lane Kiffin, said it would not shock him if the league were punishing him. [77] Kiffin and LSU have been in legal fights with the SEC. [77]

Why it matters — His old team, Ole Miss, got the prime-time slot against Georgia. [77]
41
A Scottish club must play two cup ties at once

Johnstone Burgh, a fifth-tier Scottish club, must play 2 cup ties on 21 November. [78] The kick-offs are at 2:30pm and 3pm, at grounds 65 miles apart. [78] No opponent would move its Saturday afternoon game. [78] Burgh offered to give up its share of the ticket money to get a game moved. [78]

Why it matters — The club must now find 2 teams for 1 afternoon. [78]
42
Mayo's All-Ireland winners take six awards

6 players from Mayo's All-Ireland winning team were picked for Gaelic football's 2026 All-Stars awards. [79] Mayo ended a 75-year wait for the All-Ireland title this year. [79] 11 players won their first award, the most since 2022. [79] Armagh's Jarly Og Burns, son of the president of Gaelic games' ruling body, is among them. [79] Kerry's David Clifford won his 7th award. [79]

Why it matters — Players from 8 counties were picked, the most since 2010. [79]

02 Lesson why it matters

Why a dollar of yearly income adds many dollars when a team is sold

A buyer pays for many years of a team's income at once, so each extra dollar it earns a year can add many dollars to what it sells for.

The twist

An owner can take little out of a team each year and still get rich, because the team's price is its yearly income multiplied many times.

The picture

IPL22.9 x a year's income

NBA14.6 x a year's income

WNBA13.6 x a year's income

NFL12.7 x a year's income

How many years of income a buyer pays for a team in each league, by Sportico's count. The longer the bar, the more each extra dollar of income adds when the team is sold.

How it works

Many teams make little profit in a year, so buyers price them by their income instead
A buyer pays for many years of that income at once
An NBA team sells for about 14.6 times a year's income; an IPL team for 22.9
So one more dollar of yearly income can add many dollars to what a team sells for
So owners fight hardest over anything that moves income or costs: TV money, a salary cap

The same force, elsewhere today

Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

Cricket teams priced at 23 times their income

An IPL team takes in about $74.4 million a year, and Bengaluru sold for $1.78 billion in March, because buyers pay for many years of that income at once.
NBA teams lose $453 million of local TV money

Each team lost local TV income, and Forbes says that slows the rise in what teams are worth, because a lost dollar a year is multiplied when a team is sold.
Baseball's coming lockout

A salary cap would cut what owners pay players each year, and the players' union says the owners want it because it pushes the price of their teams up.

Where you've seen this

A flat for rent

a buyer pays for many years of rent at once, so a small rise in the rent lifts the price a lot

A company's shares

the share price is often many times a year's profit, so a better year can move it a long way

A small shop for sale

the buyer pays for several years of takings, not just this week's

The catch

The multiple holds only while buyers expect the income to keep coming. When a TV channel collapses, as Main Street Sports did, the lost income is multiplied in the price too.

And the whole of it

Every fan who buys a ticket, a shirt or a TV package adds to a team's yearly income, and that income is what a buyer multiplies. The fans pay each year. The owner is paid for many of those years at once, on the day he sells.

03 Truth what's really going on

What is really going on

The Milwaukee Brewers won baseball's title on a $155 million payroll, against $433 million for the Dodgers they beat on the way. [2] Their owner, Mark Attanasio, still backs a salary cap, and the owners are expected to lock the players out on 1 December to get one. [2][10] The players' union says a cap is about pushing team values up, and it points to this final as proof that the system already works. [8][7]

Why it works on us — One underdog title is easy to hold up as proof, so owners and players are both pointing at the same final to argue opposite things.

Who gains

Mark Attanasio, the Brewers' owner — He paid $223 million in 2005 for a club Forbes now values at $1.9 billion, and he owns about 45% of it. [3]
Owners of IPL cricket teams — Their teams sell for about 22.9 times a year's income, the highest multiple Sportico has measured in any league. [17]
Entain, owner of the Ladbrokes betting shops — Its shares rose 8% after the Budget raised machine tax to 25% rather than the 40% a think-tank wanted. [28]
Republican candidates for the US Congress — Most of the $100 million that team owners gave to this year's races went to them. [20]
Atlanta Dream fans with a free weekday lunchtime — The cheapest resale ticket for Game 6 fell to $32, from $246 for Game 4. [62]

Who pays

Baseball players, from 1 December — In a lockout they cannot sign, be traded or use team buildings and doctors. [10]
British racing — It says it could lose £57 million a year as betting shops, which pass on money through a levy and TV fees, close. [28]
NBA teams whose local TV channel collapsed — The Dallas Mavericks' local TV income fell 84%, from $96 million to $15 million. [19]
Valkyries bars in San Francisco — They are opening hours early for a 9:30am start without knowing how many fans will come. [63]
Rennes fans who work on Wednesdays — Their Europa League match moved to a 4:30pm weekday start because of the strike. [39]

What nobody knows yet

Open questions from across today’s stories — ours included.

01

Whether baseball's 2027 season starts on 24 March.

No new deal exists, the lockout is expected on 1 December, and there is no official deadline for a new one. [9][7]
02

How long a lockout would last.

CBS says it could take days, weeks or months, and could reach spring training or the season. [15]
03

What Neymar said to Rodrigo Nestor, and even the score of the game.

Nestor says the words were highly disrespectful and Neymar says he had said nothing yet. ESPN reports a 1-0 Santos win and Al Jazeera a 1-1 draw. [37][35][36]
04

How many betting shops will close after the tax rise.

Racing's £57 million loss is a model shared with the Treasury, not a count, and the industry's warning of up to 4,000 closures was for a rate doubled to 40%. [28][29]
05

When Vincent Kompany returns to Bayern's bench.

Bayern have set no date and say only weeks, not days. [47]
06

What the Chiefs' 'homework' on Justin Tucker found.

Andy Reid said he did homework and talked to a lot of people, and would not say more. [27]
07

Whether Welsh clubs will join England's Prem.

A report says talks are advanced; the Prem and the RFU say their priority is English clubs. [56]

04 Hope carry this

The Milwaukee Brewers won the first World Series title in the club's 58 seasons. Thousands of their fans were in the stands in Florida to see it.

Also true today

Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich's coach, went home from hospital five days after he collapsed at training.
Tennis among US children aged 6 to 12 grew 72% from 2019 to 2025, and golf among teenagers grew 73%.
More than 27,000 women finished last year's New York City Marathon. In 1967 an official tried to pull Kathrine Switzer out of the Boston Marathon for being a woman.
Alessia Russo scored three goals against Benfica and became the highest-scoring English player in the history of the Women's Champions League.