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Afternoon Edition

July 24, 2025

The Commanders have restructured their $3.8 billion RFK Stadium site pact with D.C., agreeing to redirect nearly $1 billion in new revenue to the city and expand community benefits in a last‑minute bid to lock in council approval ahead of next week’s hearings.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], and Colin Salao [[link removed]]

Commanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead of Council Vote [[link removed]]

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

In the urgent push [[link removed]] to complete the Commanders’ $3.8 billion stadium deal with the District of Columbia as soon as possible, the NFL team has agreed to a series of substantive changes that improve the pact for the public sector.

The Josh Harris–owned Commanders agreed to a series of deal revisions for the project at the RFK Stadium site that will redirect as much as $950 million back to the D.C. over a 30-year period—particularly through venue-related parking and sales taxes and non-game parking revenue that now will flow to the local government. Additionally, a new funding plan will restructure some of the debt financing and save D.C. tens of millions in interest costs.

The changes arrive just before two days of scheduled public hearings on the deal on July 29 and 30. D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson said Thursday morning he will bring the matter to a full council vote on Aug. 1, just after those hearings. Approval by the full body is now expected, particularly in the wake of the changed deal terms.

“We feel we have a much-improved agreement,” Mendelson said. “It’s clear that the Commanders showed through their negotiations their commitment to the District, and their willingness to consider what’s in the best interest of our citizens.”

The reworked pact additionally includes a specified $50 million in community benefits, with the team helping fund local youth sports programs, and a plan to build about 6,000 housing units on the stadium campus, up from a prior minimum of 5,000. As a result, the overall deal expands materially beyond what was originally agreed to in April [[link removed]]. The plan to construct a domed facility at the RFK Stadium site, where the team previously played from 1961 to 1996, remains the single-largest private investment in District history.

The frenetic sprint to complete the stadium agreement arrives as U.S. President Donald Trump last weekend said he wants the Commanders to revert to their prior nickname [[link removed]], and threatened to kill the stadium deal should they refuse. Trump’s power to actually do so remains limited [[link removed]], but his comments appear to have sparked a heightened urgency among the deal principals.

“The team was willing to improve the deal considerably in return for the earlier vote,” Mendelson said.

Widespread Agreement

After staying silent through this week’s nickname saga, the Commanders applauded Mendelson’s latest move.

“Through this process, we’ve seen firsthand how committed our city’s leaders are to building a strong future for the District,” said Commanders president Mark Clouse. “With the Council’s announcement today, the opportunity to bring the team back to its spiritual home and revitalize a critical part of the nation’s capital is now one step closer.”

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who previously sounded alarms over perceived delays [[link removed]] in the approval process, similarly cheered the move to get a council vote scheduled.

“We’re not trading housing for a stadium—we’re using the momentum of the stadium to build more housing,” she said. “It’s a win for our team, our city, and our residents.”

As the Commanders’ situation has developed, other federal officials have pressed D.C. leaders to complete the deal. Rep. James Comer (R., Ky.), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, wrote to Mendelson last week, imploring him to complete the deal as soon as possible. Comer was a key part of a prior agreement to transfer control of the RFK Stadium property from federal authorities to the D.C. government.

An opening of the new facility remains targeted for 2030.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS LIVE

2 Commissioners, 5 Networks, Big Names

Tuned In [[link removed]], Sept. 16 at The Times Center in NYC, is the only event where you can hear from all of the biggest leaders in sports media.

Commissioners Adam Silver and Rob Manfred will join Front Office Sports’s editorial team to discuss the latest moves in media and what’s on the horizon.

On-air talent, including the legendary father-son duo of Ian and Noah Eagle, will sit down for an exclusive one-on-one conversation on the Tuned In stage, and NBC Sports’s Maria Taylor will speak about her legendary career and the exciting future of the network.

Top executives including Brian Rolapp of the PGA Tour, Jimmy Pitaro from ESPN, Jay Marine from Amazon, Eric Shanks from FOX Sports, and Luis Silberwasser from TNT Sports will take the stage.

This must-see lineup is worth tuning in for. Rates increase soon, register today [[link removed]].

‘Unusual’: NBCU’s Surprise Interest in a New Cable Sports Network [[link removed]]

Nick King-Imagn Images

In a surprise twist, NBCUniversal is eyeing the launch of a new sports cable network less than four years after shutting down NBCSN, according to The Wall Street Journal [[link removed]].

With NBC returning to live NBA game action for the first time in 23 years, the proposed channel would “primarily carry sports that are streamed on NBCU’s Peacock platform,” says the WSJ. It could debut as early as the fall, when NBC will start splitting NBA game packages in the U.S. market with Disney’s ABC/ESPN and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon Prime Video. However, discussions are ongoing—and no final decision has been made.

The development is a head-scratcher in some ways.

For one, it would run opposite NBCUniversal’s recent strategy to spin off most of its cable networks [[link removed]] into a new company dubbed Versant. Why NBCUniversal, or any media company, would want to launch a new network in today’s struggling cable TV ecosystem is also a legit question.

Cord-cutting, and the emergence of streaming video, have slashed the number of U.S. homes with cable TV to under 70 million from a high of 110 million in 2010.

In May, streaming’s share of total television usage outpaced the combined share of cable and broadcast TV for the first time, according to Nielsen [[link removed]]. Streaming generated 44.8% of TV viewership in May vs. a combined 44.2% for cable (24.1%) and broadcast (20.1%).

But what’s old is new again. After producing what many believe to be the golden era of NBA TV coverage from 1990 to 2002, NBC is going all out to make its return to hoops a big success. It has recruited Michael Jordan as a special contributor, and viewers will once again listen to John Tesh’s driving soundtrack “Roundball Rock.”

NBC will pay an eye-popping $2.5 billion a year annually for the NBA. The new cable network would mostly simulcast sports on Peacock. The strategy could provide NBCUniversal with a tool to further monetize its existing sports programming on the streaming platform, which will include the NBA, the NFL’s Sunday Night Football, WNBA, golf, and college football. It could also appeal to consumers who are satisfied with their cable bundle and reluctant to cut the cord.

Also, the network would probably not be available under broad cable packages that include rival ESPN and FS1, per the WSJ. Instead, it would likely be offered via more specific cable packages [[link removed]] that provide consumers more choice and financial flexibility.

“Starting a network for skinny bundles seems unusual, but it could be a way to further monetize/distribute rights they already own,” Bob Thompson, the former Fox Sports executive, tells Front Office Sports.

Thompson also tweeted Wednesday night [[link removed]] when the news dropped, “Not sure Peacock owns enough exclusive sports streaming rights to program a linear cable network.”

Patrick Crakes, another former Fox executive, added it’s hard for media companies to make money on sports solely through streaming. The potential channel is “not going to hurt Peacock, it’s a pay-TV product for people who are stubborn about leaving the bundle,” Crakes told the WSJ.

Due to low ratings, NBCUniversal shuttered the former NBC Sports Network in December 2021. Parent company Comcast could provide more news on the nascent network during its second-quarter earnings report on July 31.

Peacock, meanwhile, added 5 million subscribers during the first quarter of this year, reaching 41 million [[link removed]], but that figure remains smaller than many of its top competitors. The service also just introduced a $3 monthly price increase across its primary tiers.

NBC declined to comment.

ACC’s Phillips on FSU, Clemson: ‘It Can Never Be About a School or Two’ [[link removed]]

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

CHARLOTTE — ACC commissioner Jim Phillips remains confident that the new exit-fee structure for Florida State and Clemson will deter the schools from leaving the conference—and potentially kick-start another wave of realignment.

“As far as an exit fee, I mean, it’s still a really significant number, and higher than most conferences,” Phillips told Front Office Sports at ACC media days. “So, I don’t really look at that piece of it, but it’s been talked about so much that I feel like I have to answer that.”

In 2026, exit fees for FSU and Clemson will cost $165 million and will decrease by $18 million every year until 2030–31, when they will level off at $75 million per school until 2036. Those were negotiated as part of the ACC settling lawsuits [[link removed]] with the disgruntled universities in March.

Naturally, as Phillips referenced, that’s led to speculation that FSU and Clemson could try to bolt to the SEC or Big Ten once those exit fees reach their lowest point.

“I don’t look at it that way at all,” he said. “At the end of the day, we got to a place that the entire league felt good about, and it can never be about a school or two. It has to be about what’s in the best interest of the ACC.”

Phillips proclaimed at his opening press conference that the ACC is “nicely situated” following the settlements [[link removed]] of the FSU and Clemson lawsuits.

When asked by FOS whether he feels comfortable with the ACC’s current 17-school makeup for football, Phillips said, “I really do, and I think everybody in college sports wants to see it settle down.”

CFP Expansion Update

As the Power 4 conferences struggle to agree [[link removed]] on a revised format for an expanded College Football Playoff, Phillips told FOS that the ACC and others “absolutely have a voice” in the decision-making process, despite the Big Ten–SEC duopoly’s power to green-light any format they want.

“I think we’re all trying to work together, along with the other six conferences and Notre Dame,” Phillips said. “I don’t want us to ignore them, and no one is, I mean, we all want them to be involved.”

There is a Dec. 1 deadline for the CFP leaders to agree on any changes to the 2026 postseason.

FRONT OFFICE SPORTS TODAY Michael Johnson on Grand Slam Track’s Future

FOS illustration

It’s been a challenging first year for Grand Slam Track, as the start-up league canceled its final slam event in June and reportedly still owes millions to its athletes. Michael Johnson, the league’s founder and former U.S. Olympian, exclusively told FOS Today the reason for the financial struggles—a key investor backed out—and discussed its future. Read the full exclusive here on FOS [[link removed]].

Meanwhile, on the heels of a Lionel Messi–less MLS All-Star Game, commissioner Don Garber met with team governors in Austin and says the league is still working on a potential “seismic” schedule change that would align MLS with the rest of the global soccer calendar, playing from fall to spring. FOS newsletter writer Eric Fisher explains why a future schedule change might not happen until 2027, plus he combs through data on how many fans are watching the games on Apple TV+.

And Big Ten media days wrap in Las Vegas, and FOS reporter Amanda Christovich tells Baker Machado and Dan Roberts about her conversation with commissioner Tony Petitti about the potential for private equity to flow into the conference.

Watch the full episode here [[link removed]].

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Jets ⬇ Quarterback Justin Fields was carted off the practice field Thursday morning with a toe injury during team drills. He limped to the sideline before being taken into the locker room, while the Jets paused 11-on-11 play following his exit. Tyrod Taylor stepped in for first-team reps as the newly signed starter awaited further evaluation.

Cincinnati Open ⬆ Venus Williams will continue her comeback tour next month after receiving a wild-card entry into the Cincinnati Open. The 45-year-old, fresh off a first-round singles and doubles win in D.C., is now the second-oldest woman ever to win a tour-level singles match. The event begins Aug. 5 as part of the lead-up to the US Open.

USC ⬇ Freshman shooting guard Alijah Arenas could be sidelined for six to eight months with a torn meniscus [[link removed]] that requires surgery, dealing a major blow to the Trojans’ backcourt. He had just returned to the court after recovering from a serious car accident in April. On the women’s side, star guard JuJu Watkins (ACL tear in her right knee) is also out indefinitely, leaving both programs without some of their top talents heading into the 2025 season.

Packers ⬆ Green Bay reported a record $719.1 million in revenue [[link removed]]—a 10% jump—for its last fiscal year, offering a clear showing of the NFL’s booming financial health. The league’s national revenue topped $13.8 billion in the same period.

Conversation Starters A group of Chicago kids ran a lemonade stand to help their friend get a Pete Crow-Armstrong haircut. Then the Cubs outfielder showed up. Check it out [[link removed]]. When asked which pro athlete he’d ask to borrow money from, content creator IShowSpeed picked Cristiano Ronaldo, and then he admitted the soccer star still hasn’t texted him back. Take a look [[link removed]]. The Indiana Fever are bringing back [[link removed]] their Stranger Things jersey just in time for their July 25 matchup with the Las Vegas Aces. Editors’ Picks WWE Legend Terry “Hulk Hogan” Bollea Dead at 71 [[link removed]]by Ryan Glasspiegel [[link removed]]He became a professional wrestler in 1977. Sophie Cunningham Fined $500 for Criticizing WNBA Refs on TikTok [[link removed]]by Colin Salao [[link removed]]The Indiana Fever star has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok. Sun Will Play in Connecticut Next Year Amid Relocation Rumors [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]The team told season-ticket holders they’ll stay for 2026. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Events [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Shows [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], Michael McCarthy [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]], Colin Salao [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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