Bloomberg Business of Sports

Join hosts Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo and Randall Williams for a look at some of the latest headlines and stories in the business of sports.
The 2026 World Cup final is set, capping off a tournament that’s delivered plenty of memorable moments for football fans around the globe. The tournament, which concludes on Sunday with the final between Argentina and Spain in New Jersey, has been a success by just about any measure. The expanded field of 48 teams has helped push ticket sales to a record of more than 6 million, without diluting the quality of the competition. TV viewership in the US has hit record highs for both Fox and Telemundo, with the US team’s loss to Belgium in the round of 16 bringing in 46 million viewers on the networks combined, making it the most-watched soccer telecast in the country’s history.
This week's show features:
Joe Lemiere, senior reporter for Sports Business Journal
Jessie Diggins, four-time Olympic cross country skier
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Join hosts Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo and Randall Williams for a look at some of the latest headlines and stories in the business of sports.
Team USA’s run in the World Cup came to an end on Monday as it failed to make the quarterfinals, while outrage over FIFA’s decision to allow striker Folarin Balogun to play continued to simmer. Belgium pounced early with a goal about nine minutes into the match in Seattle. The US tied it later in the first half, but Belgium quickly grabbed the lead back for good to win 4-1 and will face Spain in the next round.
A total of 42 million viewers watched the men’s USA-Belgium World Cup match on US media outlets, setting records for the sport. About 30 million people tuned in to Monday night’s game on Fox Corp. channels, making it the most watched soccer telecast in US history, according to the network.

This week's show features:
Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026 World Cup host committee on building Kansas City into a soccer hub
Mike McCabe, Esports Foundation deputy CEO and chief operating officer on the future of esports
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Join hosts Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo and Randall Williams for a look at some of the latest headlines and stories in the business of sports.

Mike McCarley, founder and CEO of TMRW Sports, discusses the intersection of sports, media, and technology, detailing how the company is redefining the fan experience with high-tech ventures like the TGL golf league. McCarley talks about what it takes to build a new sports league from the ground up and how elite athlete investment is shaping the future of sports entertainment.

This week's show also features:
• A full sports roundup chat covering the major ripple effects of a massive week in sports, including the business impact of LeBron James leaving the Lakers, the commercial power of Serena Williams making a highly anticipated return, and a breakdown of the financial and cultural momentum behind the latest US national team win over Bosnia.

• Ashley Klam, professional flag football player, discusses the rapid growth and commercialization of the sport ahead of its Olympic debut. She talks about what it means to compete at the professional level and the building blocks required to sustain a viable, long-term pro league for flag football athletes.
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Join hosts Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo and Randall Williams for a look at some of the latest headlines and stories in the business of sports.

Ali Curtis, President of MLS Next Pro, discusses how MLS Next pro is going to try to build off the momentum of the World Cup once it ends.

Curtis talks about how MLS Next Pro will help get the next generation ready to compete at the highest level.

This week's show also features:

- Matthew Savage, Chairman of Dorilton Capital and Atlassian Williams F1 Team, discusses their philosophy for how to invest and where to invest in the team to get the best results.

- Chad Bronstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Real American Freestyle, discusses how popular the wrestling community. He talks about how he wanted to give the athletes who compete in this sport their whole lives a place to do it at the professional level.

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On this special edition of the Bloomberg Business of Sports, host Vanessa Perdomo-Maglione is reporting from Cannes, France for the Cannes Lion festival. Over the last few years it has become a hotbed for athletes, teams and leagues to come and get some face time with brands in the hopes of increasing brand deals and partnerships to grow revenue.

New to the scene this year was Major League Baseball, due to the fact they are one of the only leagues in season at the moment. Along with the league’s CMO Uzma Rawn Dowler, a handful of former players accompanied the league to get in front of as many brand executives as possible to help grow the game and business of baseball.

We spoke with MLB legends CC Sabathia, Jimmy Rollins and Dexter Fowler about their role in representing the league in the front office while in Cannes as well as Major League Baseball Chief Marketing Officer Uzma Rawn Dowler.
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