World Sports

Whistle Sports has hired Paul Kelly, previously AwesomenessTV’s chief partnerships officer, as the digital video network’s first chief revenue officer. Kelly will report to president and co-founder Jeff Urban, joining the New York-based company in early September. Kelly will work with Whistle’s sales, brand and business development teams to connect with agencies, marketers, partners and platforms. In 2015, Kelly joined Awesomeness — the Gen Z-centric digital media company majority owned…

The image of an Olympian is associated with physical prowess, a sculpted body chipped into perfection by years of careful maintenance and preparation. We expect these people to perform great feats of physicality better than the rest of us. That is why so many are scornful of the notion that competitive video gaming, or eSports as it’s come to be known, should stand alongside other Olympic sports. But this requires…

EA Sports’ push to put more women in its sports games didn’t begin with FIFA 16. Back in 2011, the company announced that its then-upcoming hockey game NHL 12 was getting its first female playable character. This decision came after 14-year-old Lexi Peters penned a letter to EA asking why there weren’t any girls in NHL, and why her brother could make a character that looked like him but she…

This summer, the athletics World Championships, men’s and women’s cricket, the Lions tour of New Zealand and Wimbledon have shown that the British public has an enduring passion for top level sport. We have the richest football league in the world, more major stadiums per capita than anywhere on Earth, and are widely credited with having staged the greatest Olympic Games of the modern era. Sport is a massive part…

(This is the second installment of a three-part series on the gambling aspect of the “The Money Fight” between boxer Floyd Mayweather and UFC champ Conor McGregor. Check out Part 1.) If Conor McGregor, a man who despite a championship MMA career, has never been paid to put on boxing gloves, somehow manages to beat undefeated, five-division boxing world champ Floyd Mayweather at his own game on Aug. 26, it…

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Spieth began his quest for the career Grand Slam by not making a putt longer than 5 feet. What helped was that Quail Hollow punished just about everyone at some point Thursday in the PGA Championship. Kevin Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark emerged as the top survivors on a course with some of the fastest, scariest putting surfaces the PGA Championship has…

Philippe Coutinho started 31 Premier League games for Liverpool last season, scoring 13 goals Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has submitted a transfer request, hours after the Premier League club released a statement saying he is not for sale. Coutinho stated his desire to leave via email. The club rejected the request. On Wednesday, the Reds rejected a 100 million euros bid (£90m) from Barcelona for the 25-year-old, who is out…

This summer, the athletics World Championships, men’s and women’s cricket, the Lions tour of New Zealand and Wimbledon have shown that the British public has an enduring passion for top level sport. We have the richest football league in the world, more major stadiums per capita than anywhere on Earth, and are widely credited with having staged the greatest Olympic Games of the modern era. Sport is a massive part…

Neftalie Williams was 16 when he met two pro skateboarders outside of a summer camp he wasn’t able to attend. It was after hours, and the pair skated with him. They taught Williams that the sport wasn’t out of reach to anyone. “Even though I didn’t have the chance to attend the camp, they still made sure to provide me the opportunity to skate with them,” Williams told NBC News….

In the last year alone, the nation’s biggest airlines have collected more than $4 billion in fees to check bags and other personal items. So, it may come as a surprise that one airline is giving up at least some of that revenue. Alaska Airlines has cut its fees for checking most sports equipment, such as bicycles and golf clubs, to $25 from $75. To qualify for the discount, the…

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Spieth began his quest for the career Grand Slam by not making a putt longer than 5 feet. What helped was that Quail Hollow punished just about everyone at some point Thursday in the PGA Championship. Kevin Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark emerged as the top survivors on a course with some of the fastest, scariest putting surfaces the PGA Championship has…

Sport remains key to Sky as tech rivals plot pitch invasion

Two-sport athletes are rare today. Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry made headlines last weekend when he shot consecutive rounds of 74 at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic — The Web.com Tour is the PGA Tour’s equivalent of baseball’s Triple A. While Curry missed the weekend cut by 11 strokes, he still managed to beat a few full-time tour pros. Much of the golf…

Amazon has held talks directly with the owners of major venues in the US about potentially entering the business of ticket sales, according to a report from Reuters. If Amazon were to proceed, it could significantly disrupt an industry that is largely dominated by Ticketmaster. But as an alternative to competing, Amazon has also considered partnering with Ticketmaster on a ticketing effort. Those discussions “have stalled over who would control…

The Walt Disney Co. finally unveiled its plan to offer an over-the-top video streaming edition of ESPN for the growing number of fans who want live sports — but not the big cable bill that a previous generation paid. Now the question is whether the revenue generated by the new service to be launched in 2018 will be enough to offset the subscriber dollars that go away every time a…

Ethan Skolnick, a well-known figure in South Florida sports reporting, has been arrested on battery charges. Skolnick, most recently the host of “The Ethan Skolnick Show” on 790-AM radio, The Ticket, is accused of beating up someone identified only as a 70-year-old man, according to a Boca Raton police arrest report. Skolnick, 44, who lives in Miramar, was taken into custody shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, records show. He faces…

The Walt Disney Co. finally unveiled its plan to offer an over-the-top video streaming edition of ESPN for the growing number of fans who want live sports — but not the big cable bill that a previous generation paid. Now the question is whether the revenue generated by the new service to be launched in 2018 will be enough to offset the subscriber dollars that go away every time a…

A well-known figure in South Florida sports reporting and commentary, Ethan Skolnick, has been arrested on battery charges. He allegedly beat up someone identified only as a 70-year-old man, according to a Boca Raton police arrest report. Skolnick, 44, who lives in Miramar, was taken into custody shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, records show. He is facing a charge of battery on a person 65 years or older and was…

With the start of school nearing and thus the beginning of fall sports, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) offers these key questions to ask schools to ensure the best training practices are in place. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our student athletes as they prepare for fall sports and activities,” NATA President Scott Sailor, EdD, ATC., said “Ask the right questions of your child’s school. Ensure…

Call this our Pawl of Fame, I guess. On Wednesday night, a feline ran on to the field during a Cardinals-Royals tilt in St. Louis, and on the very next pitch, Cards catcher Yadier Molina hit a grand slam. 🎶 Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur … 🎶 pic.twitter.com/DNoBCKmDJI — MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2017 That means we absolutely must rank the greatest cats to invade pro sports…