Today marks the “one-year countdown” to the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada are all continuing their preparation for the event. L.A. World Cup Host Committee co-Chair Larry Freedman “acknowledges there’s still a lot of tidying up that has to be done.” The 2026 World Cup will be the “largest and most complex sporting event in history,” with 48 national teams playing 104 games in 16 cities spread across the U.S., Mexico and Canada over 39 days. FIFA says the economic impact to the three countries “could top” $40B. But the “number of obstacles host cities will have to negotiate are almost as large and complex as the tournament itself” — with Freedman pointing to “transportation, communications, ticketing, security, the fan fest.” And “hovering over it all like a black cloud are uncertainties over visas” for those attending (L.A. TIMES, 6/11).

The 2026 World Cup “will be the most lucrative sports event ever staged,” with FIFA’s revenues “set to top” $10B, according to a new report from London-based agency Pitch Marketing Group. FIFA itself has said it “expects to bring in” $13B “over the four-year 2023-2026 cycle, although that includes revenues from the 2023 Women’s World Cup, this summer’s Club World Cup and its annual licensing and sponsorship income.” That would be “more than double” the amount FIFA earned in the four-year cycle that ended with Russia 2018 and almost 75% more than the $7.5B FIFA brought in over the Qatar 2022 cycle (THE ATHLETIC, 6/11).

The first game is still one year away, but Boston’s 2026 World Cup experience “already has turned into a big deal.” The $1.1B in “event-related spending from 2 million-plus visitors that organizers are projecting” over the course of three weeks and the seven soccer games to be held at Boston Stadium “would dwarf any previous event held in Boston.” City organizers “will continue to chip away at a formidable to-do list.” A few items, such as “festooning South Station with ‘Boston 26’ paraphernalia and unveiling a countdown clock at Faneuil Hall Wednesday morning, are being activated at one year away.” The “biggest pieces of the puzzle, such as security, transportation, funding, and FanFest specifics, are still being hammered out.” Other items, such as “many of the stadium modifications, have to wait for the Patriots’ upcoming season to end” (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/11).

Countdown clocks will be “unveiled to mark the occasion in Toronto, Vancouver and Niagara Falls.” On Wednesday, the two Canadian host cities “will also release anniversary videos with actor Will Arnett featured in Toronto’s and former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc in Vancouver’s.” While the clock counts down, the city of Toronto is “still looking for funds to help pay for its end of the tournament.” The cost of hosting six games in Toronto “has been pegged at” $380M, with the federal government contributing $104M and Ontario, including services, $97M. Toronto’s tab is $178.7M (47% of the total cost) (CP, 6/10).

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The Atlanta World Cup Host Committee has signed The Home Depot, Cox Enterprises, Georgia-Pacific (paper products) and Southern Company (gas and electric utility) as its first four Host City Supporters. The committee will formally announce the four corporate backers today at an event marking one year to go until the 2026 World Cup. Atlanta also has additional supporter deals pending.

FIFA introduced the Host City Supporter program for the first time to help cities cover the costs associated with hosting in 2026. It allows each of the 16 markets to designate up to 10 companies as supporters. The designation allows supporters to use city-specific IP in marketing materials within a designated geographic region, activate within local FIFA Fan Festivals and access tickets and hospitality for matches in that city. Each city is also bolstering its supporter packages with additional local assets related to legacy programs and community events.

For The Home Depot, which is headquartered in Atlanta, the host city supporter deal supplements its tournament-level sponsorship agreement with FIFA. The brand, which began its World Cup marketing as part of its Memorial Day TV ad campaign, is also a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, MLS and the Mexican National Team.

Atlanta will host eight matches during the 2026 World Cup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including one of the two semifinals.

NCAA President Charlie Baker told hundreds of collegiate athletics administrators during a keynote address Tuesday that the recent multibillion-dollar House settlement approval creates “a far better future” for the organization, one that “comes with choices, instead of bankruptcy.” In his address in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the NACDA & Affiliates Convention in Orlando, Baker said, “No one in this room needs to hear me say that this is one of the biggest changes ever in college sports. I hope you also understand that it’s a far better future than virtually every other alternative that could have been in front of us.” Schools have until June 15 to opt in to participate in the settlement, though Baker said there “has been discussion among conferences to push that date back to July 1” (ESPN.com, 6/10).

Sessions for SBJ’s annual Brand Innovation Summit get underway today at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. A private, invitation-only workshop and breakfast gets things rolling, followed by a structured networking and information-sharing session open to the first 100 attendees who check in onsite. Panels begin after lunch, with speakers including Chicago Sports Network’s Jason Coyle, Monumental Sports’ Jim Van Stone, American Express’ Shiz Suzuki, Angel City’s Julie Uhrman and Aflac’s Garth Knutson.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League and Commissioner Kim Ng hosted a group of over 100 BIS attendees at Parkway Bank Sports Complex near O’Hare Airport on Tuesday evening to kick off the conference. The festive atmosphere started on the bus ride over, with a pregame playlist pumping people up that included “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang and “You Dropped A Bomb on Me” by The Gap Band. There was even a “golden ticket” placed under one lucky attendee’s seat, and Unrivaled’s Kirby Porter won an AUSL swag bag.

Once at the ballpark, reps from AUSL — including content creators and former players now working for the new league — circulated throughout the VIP area to talk about AUSL, its players and fans. Haylie McCleney, an Alabama softball legend who is now with AUSL in partnerships, showed off her silver medal won at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Attendees ranged from first-timers at any SBJ conference to event regulars to folks who were at BIS seven years ago and are now back for the first time since then. Bullseye Event Group’s Lindsey Bogan during the first inning jumped on FaceTime with her daughter, an eighth grade pitcher who was watching the game on ESPN2, and there were already planning a return trip to the ballpark.

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Fitch Ratings issued a series of ratings actions on Tuesday evening that revealed details around new or anticipated borrowing by MLB, the NBA and the USTA’s Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

MLB has expanded the MLB Trust credit facility to allow for up to $2.5B in total commitments, increasing from $1.75B, and it has issued $6.25M in new borrowing for an undisclosed team. MLB has also extended the maturity dates on revolving credit facilities for both MLB Trust and the league’s Facility Fund from July 2026 to July 2030.

The MLB Trust credit facility has total commitments of around $1.37B, while the $526M Facility Fund has $184M in current commitments. MLB’s debt limit rules enable teams to borrow up to a maximum $125M from the MLB Trust credit facility and $100M from the facility fund. Fitch maintained the strong ratings and stable outlooks for MLB’s borrowing that it issued last month, pointing to the league’s history of valuable media rights agreements as well as new growth initiatives.

Fitch also revealed that on Monday the NBA’s Hardwood Funding debt instrument sold seven series of notes totaling $1.384B in new debt. The league will use the funds to “refinance existing debt and for general corporate purposes,” per Fitch.

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Rank + Rally is taking charge of the Senators’ retail experience this summer in a new deal announced Wednesday morning. The Senators previously operated their merchandise business in-house but have handed it over to Levy-owned Rank + Rally. The deal also includes year-round operation of the NHL team’s online shop as well as the National Lacrosse League’s Ottawa Black Bears and non-tenant events at the Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators become Rank + Rally’s sixth NHL team partner, following the Blackhawks, Oilers, Kings, Blues, and Golden Knights; Levy also handles food and beverage service at those teams’ venues. Aramark Sports + Entertainment runs the Canadian Tire Centre’s F&B program.

Senators Sports + Entertainment will work with Rank + Rally to expand and redesign all in-arena and in-market flagship retails stores and the online Ottawa Team Shop. The upgrades will include a curated upscale premium club and suite retail experience with exclusive designs and lifestyle apparel, new retail tech in the arena, and mobile pop-up retail locations throughout Canada’s capital city.

The Sacramento City Council “voted unanimously” 9-0 Tuesday to “allow construction to begin on a new, privately-funded 12,000-seat soccer stadium for USL Championship club Sacramento Republic FC in the downtown Railyards this summer.” The passing votes mean Republic FC “can continue its plan to break ground in August in time to open in spring 2027.” The project “had two resolutions voted on” by the council. The first was to “finalize the agreements needed to begin construction on the project, including the comprehensive project agreement, land purchase and sale agreement and master funding agreement.” The second was the “expansion of an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District, or EIFD, to help fund infrastructure on the project” (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/10).

As she approaches 10 years at Wasserman, EVP/Global Insights Shelley Pisarra is being promoted to Chief Insights & Innovation Officer and will oversee a team working across divisions such as sports, music, entertainment and marketing consulting. Pisarra will be based out of N.Y. and will report to Wasserman COO Darrell Coetzee.

In her time at Wasserman, Pisarra has established insights frameworks to support accounts like AT&T and American Express, provided consulting for the NHL and spearheaded her team’s development and launch of the Unlock Relevancy Index, a tool that measures the marketability of talent. Her new role will expand her work throughout all of Wasserman to bridge the gap between brands and rights holders for how to make the most out of partnerships.

“Think back six years ago. The pie was big in terms of choice. We had to spend our money on our passions. Now there’s 100 more choices, and everyone’s slice is a little bit smaller, so you have to work that much harder to create that engagement and create that relationship,” Pisarra said. “Our whole goal is to be out in front of that and create experiences that tie the best of sports, music, entertainment together and teach each vertical about the other.”

Pisarra joined Wasserman in March 2016 after spending 20 years on the brand side at companies including PepsiCo, Nestle, Novartis Consumer Health and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The 2020 SBJ Game Changer honoree caught Wasserman’s attention amid the company’s push to build its research and insights practice.

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PrizePicks has secured a deal with the Dodgers to become their daily fantasy sports partner. As part of the multiyear partnership, PrizePicks will receive digital and in-stadium activation at Dodgers Stadium, receive in-venue branding such as banner displays through the stadium’s concourses, LED signage across the outfield pavilion, and promotion on the Dodgers’ social media, digital platforms and radio.

Financial details were not disclosed for the pact involving parlay pick ‘em games. But throughout the rest of the season, if the Dodgers score 10 or more runs at home, the team will host a social media contest for an opportunity to win a free PrizePicks lineup and tickets to a future Dodgers game.

PrizePicks has scored and renewed a number of partnerships within MLB with teams including the Braves, Padres, S.F. Giants and Astros.

Kim Damron of Learfield speaks with SBJ’s Ben Portnoy about how her organization is helping its college partners. They discuss new NIL deals and Learfield’s partnership with the University of Southern California.

“A character in ‘As You Like It’ and a soldier in the Seminole Wars are cited as possible origins for the name of this city.”