Sports, in brief

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]

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]

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The multiple holds only while buyers expect the income to keep coming.

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 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]

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.

He paid $223 million in 2005 for a club Forbes now values at $1.9 billion, and he owns about 45% of it. [3]

In a lockout they cannot sign, be traded or use team buildings and doctors. [10]

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]

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.

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]

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]

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.

Their teams sell for about 22.9 times a year's income, the highest multiple Sportico has measured in any league. [17]

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]

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]

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.

The Dallas Mavericks' local TV income fell 84%, from $96 million to $15 million. [19]

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]

The elections for the US Congress are on Tuesday. [22]

Three former sports stars, all Republicans, are running for the US Congress. [20]

Most of the $100 million that team owners gave to this year's races went to them. [20]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Its shares rose 8% after the Budget raised machine tax to 25% rather than the 40% a think-tank wanted. [28]

It says it could lose £57 million a year as betting shops, which pass on money through a levy and TV fees, close. [28]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Their Europa League match moved to a 4:30pm weekday start because of the strike. [39]

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]

Australia have 6 wickets left to build a lead on day three. [41]

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]

Their manager, Renee Slegers, said: 'She leads the way as a role model.' [43]

Alessia Russo scored three goals against Benfica and became the highest-scoring English player in the history of the Women's Champions League.

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]

Next she defends her WTA Finals title at Indian Wells, from 8 to 15 November. [44]

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]