The week after Thanksgiving 2019, Giants owner Jonathan Tisch went on CNBC’s Power Lunch and said something that, 18 months earlier, would have sounded remarkable. When asked about the NFL’s ratings bump this season, Tisch credited, among several factors, the rise of legalized sports betting. 

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the NBA’s oldest and most tradition-bound franchises. But with an aggressive ownership group and boundary pushing CEO, the Sixers are getting into the VC game and changing what it means to be a sports team.

We’re past the point of debating whether esports is “here” or not. It’s time to take a look why and how virtual sports games will drive the next phase of growth of this global phenomenon.

Despite introducing North America's first major league salary cap, the NBA now boasts its most complex and least effective payroll model. At the heart of this is the luxury tax, a 2003 addition that delivered superficial improvements but widened the gap between rich and poor teams. To retake its leadership position, the league has to accept a hard truth: the soft cap + luxury tax model isn't working.

The debate about the validity of eSports as sports misses the point. Like it or not, eSports have millions of passionate viewers and their momentum can no longer be ignored. Given its unique economics, a network looking to build a sports empire need look no further.