The Toronto Blue Jays have gained fresh momentum with the recent free-agent signings of Anthony Santander last week and future Hall-of-Famer Max Scherzer this week. The off-season narrative that once centered on the team being the “bridesmaid” has quieted, possibly shifting to a “mission accomplished” storyline—especially if they manage to secure a contract extension for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before spring training begins.
Meanwhile, women’s sports, and particularly women’s basketball, are seeing positive growth, with a recent Morning Consult poll showing a significant rise in the WNBA’s popularity. Over a quarter of U.S. pro sports fans now follow the league, with 8% identifying as “avid” fans and 18% as “casual” fans.
A recent survey has nudged the WNBA ahead of MLS, securing the fifth spot among major sports leagues in terms of popularity. With 8% of U.S. fans identifying as “avid” and 16% as “casual,” the WNBA now ranks just behind the NFL (34% avid/28% casual/62% overall), MLB (19%/30%/49%), NBA (21%/26%/47%), and NHL (11%/20%/31%).
The NFL continues to dominate the sports landscape, with its two conference championship games attracting massive TV audiences. The Kansas City Chiefs’ 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills drew an average of 57.7 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched AFC Championship Game ever and the second-largest non-Super Bowl NFL broadcast in history.
The NFC Championship between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders pulled in 42.2 million viewers on FOX, even though the game was a blowout by the third quarter.
In Canada, the Chiefs-Bills game set a record for conference championship viewership, averaging 4.5 million on CTV and TSN. This figure surpassed the most recent Grey Cup, thanks in part to the Bills’ strong following in southern Ontario, the growing rivalry between quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and the star power of Taylor Swift, who was in attendance.
Bears of the week
Among the unusual sports business stories making waves this week is Joel Embiid’s 400th missed game for the Philadelphia 76ers. The star center has sat out nearly as many games (446) as he’s played, turning the concept of load management into an extreme example. It’s a ridiculous stat that raises questions about the balance between player health and team performance.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays remain in limbo regarding their proposed $1.2 billion stadium. The team sees the new venue as crucial to keeping them in Central Florida, but like the Oakland Athletics, their stadium future remains uncertain. It’s a frustrating situation for owner Stu Sternberg, and something will need to be resolved soon.
Despite the NFL’s dominance in so many areas, it’s almost mind-boggling that a $22 billion industry still relies on manual methods—three individuals with yardage markers and two line judges—to determine critical first downs. With digital technology so advanced, it’s hard to understand why a more accurate and reliable system hasn’t been introduced to ensure calls on the field are unquestionably correct.
Poor officiating remains one of the few vulnerabilities of the NFL, and with millions of dollars on the line during the playoffs, it’s a major Achilles’ heel.