None
LOS ANGELES — Until he sustained a season-ending knee injury last week in the Western Conference final, Galaxy playmaker Riqui Puig was having a tremendous season. So I heard. I watched Puig play only twice this year, once in the Galaxy's season-opening 1-1 draw with Inter Miami and a second time in his team's Fourth of July defeat to LAFC at the Rose Bowl. Outside of short highlight clips on social media, I never saw the former Barcelona prospect, not even when he assisted on the goal that sent the Galaxy to the MLS Cup final. That wasn't a reflection of my interest. Some of my friends will make fun of me for publicly admitting this, but I like Major League Soccer. I covered the league in my first job out of college and have casually kept up with it since. I take my children to a couple of games a year. My 11-year-old son owns Galaxy and LAFC hats but no Dodgers or Lakers merchandise. People are also reading... When flipping through channels in the past, if presented with the choice of, say, college football or MLS, I usually watched MLS. But not this year. While the MLS Cup final between the Galaxy and New York Red Bulls will be shown on Fox and Fox Deportes, the majority of games are now exclusively behind a paywall, courtesy of the league's broadcasting deal with Apple. MLS Season Pass subscriptions were reasonably priced — $79 for the entire season for Apple TV+ subscribers, $99 for non-subscribers — but I was already paying for DirecTV Stream, Netflix, Amazon Prime, PlayStation Plus and who knows what else. MLS became a casualty in my household, as well as in many others, and the possibility of being out of sight and out of mind should be a concern for a league that is looking to expand its audience. Which isn't to say the league made a mistake. This was a gamble MLS had to take. Now in the second year of a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple, MLS did what Major League Baseball is talking about doing, which is to centralize its broadcasting rights and sell them to a digital platform. Regional sports networks have been decimated by cord cutting, making traditional economic models unsustainable. The move to Apple not only increased the league's broadcast revenues — previous deals with ESPN, Fox and Univision were worth a combined $90 million annually, according to multiple reports — but also introduced a measure of uniformity in the league. The quality of the broadcasts are better than they were under regional sports networks. Viewers know where to watch games and when, as every one of them is on Season Pass and most of them are scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. local time either on Wednesday or Saturday. "That's been fueling our growth and driving our fan engagement," MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Friday at his annual state of the league address. Apple and MLS declined to reveal the number of League Pass subscribers, but the league provided polling figures that indicated 94% of viewers offered positive or neutral reviews of League Pass. The average viewing time for a game is about 65 minutes for a 90-minute game, according to Garber. In other words, the League Pass is well-liked — by the people who have it. The challenge now is to increase that audience. The launch of League Pass last year coincided with the arrival of Lionel Messi, which presumably resulted in a wave of subscriptions. But the league can't count on the appearance of the next Messi; there is only one of him. MLS pointed to how its fans watch sports on streaming devices or recorded television than any other U.S. sports league, as well as how 71% of its fans are under the age of 45. The league also pointed to how it effectively drew more viewers to the Apple broadcast of Inter Miami's postseason opener with a livestream of a "Messi Cam' on TikTok, indicating further collaborations with wide-reaching entities could be in its future. Garber mentioned how Season Pass is available in other countries. The commissioner also made note of how Apple places games every week in front of its paywall. "What we have, really, is a communication problem," Garber said. "This is new, and we've got to work with Apple, we've got to work with our clubs and we've got to work with our partners to get more exposure to what we think is a great product." The greatest benefit to the league could be Apple's vested interest in improving the on-field product. MLS insiders said Apple has not only encouraged teams to sign more high-profile players but also pushed the league to switch to a fall-to-spring calendar more commonplace in other parts of the world, reasoning that doing so would simplify the process of buying and selling players. The on-field product is what matters. The on-field product is why MLS continues to face competition for viewers from overseas leagues. The on-field product is why the league hasn't succeeded in converting every soccer fan into a MLS fan. And ultimately, if casual viewers such as myself are to pay to watch the Galaxy or LAFC on a screen of some kind, the on-field product will be why. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Tulisa 'goes missing' as she's accused of 'screaming match' with friends over I'm A Celebrity experience
NoneILU ASX: Iluka shares crash 9 per cent on taxpayers’ refinery rescue - The Australian Financial Review
Bitcoin breaks $100,000, outshining wavering stock markets
Chaikin scores 20 as Lafayette takes down Mercyhurst 77-73
Seahorse Freight Association Launches Mentoring Program And Rewards Excellence In Journalism
SAN FRANCISCO , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlsquare announced its role as exclusive financial advisor to Boomi, the intelligent integration and automation leader jointly owned by Francisco Partners and TPG, on its acquisition of Rivery, an advanced data integration provider offering cutting-edge Change Data Capture (CDC) for real-time, efficient data movement. Founded with a mission to streamline data management, Rivery enables organizations to deploy data pipelines efficiently by utilizing ELT capabilities. With its innovative solutions, Rivery has established itself as a leader in simplifying data management through real-time data integration and advanced CDC technology. The acquisition represents a significant milestone for Boomi as it accelerates its vision to simplify data management, allowing customers to consolidate on fewer vendors and address evolving data management needs in the age of data-driven decision-making and AI. "This acquisition marks an important milestone for Boomi as we expand our platform to address the evolving data management needs of businesses in the age of data-driven decision-making and AI. Carlsquare's expertise and dedication through the entire process was a critical success element. Their deep understanding of the automation and data sectors enabled them to be true champions of our success," said Steve Lucas , Chairman and CEO of Boomi. Susan Blanco , Managing Partner at Carlsquare, added, "Boomi's acquisition of Rivery underscores the growing importance of advanced data integration solutions. We are proud to have delivered an exceptional outcome for Boomi and its stakeholders as they continue to lead in the intelligent integration and automation space." About Boomi: Boomi is the intelligent integration and automation leader, helping organizations around the world streamline critical processes to achieve business outcomes faster. The Boomi Enterprise Platform harnesses advanced AI capabilities to seamlessly connect systems and manage data flows with API management, integration, data management, and AI orchestration in one comprehensive solution. For more information, visit www.boomi.com . About Carlsquare: Carlsquare is a global technology investment bank with over 20 years of experience advising companies and their shareholders on M&A, capital markets, and strategic matters. With 170+ bankers across 8 countries, Carlsquare provides unparalleled access to investors, private equity partners, and strategic buyers. For more information, visit www.carlsquare.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carlsquare-advises-boomi-on-acquisition-of-data-integration-provider-rivery-302336746.html SOURCE Carlsquare, LLC
7.0 Earthquake Shakes Northern California: Initial Tsunami Warning CancelledNoneZelensky calls Putin a ‘dumbass’ for challenging a missile ‘duel’ | CNN
NoneStock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow recordGames and Thrones - QuilletteSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Damari Monsanto's 22 points helped UTSA defeat Southwestern Adventist 117-58 on Thursday. Monsanto added six rebounds for the Roadrunners (6-5). Sky Wicks scored 20 points while shooting 8 for 12, including 4 for 7 from beyond the arc and added eight rebounds and three steals. Amir "Primo" Spears shot 5 of 10 from the field, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 6 from the line to finish with 16 points. Domonique Wilkins and Orlando Gooden each scored 19 points for Southwestern Adventist. Jason Garcia had 13 points, four assists and two steals. Monsanto led his team in scoring with 16 points in the first half to help put them up 61-24 at the break. UTSA extended its lead to 87-38 during the second half, fueled by a 13-3 scoring run. Wicks scored a team-high 10 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by and data from .
33 best Lego gifts for master builders of all agesATLANTA — A month after the November election, a series of major developments has shaken up Georgia’s political landscape as Donald Trump prepares his return to the White House. The president-elect’s announcement Wednesday that he will nominate former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to his Cabinet was his second appointment that will have broad implications for Georgia’s 2026 races. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a “saw” putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. “I’m always looking for ways to improve,” Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. “But it was really our first time working together and it’s something that’s different than what I’ve done in the past,” Scheffler said. “This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let’s table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. “Figured this is a good week to try stuff.” He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. “I really enjoyed the way it felt,” he said. “I felt like I’m seeing some improvements in my stroke.” Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. “The wind wasn’t blowing much so it was relatively stress-free,” Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. “Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more,” Thomas said. “I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back.” Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. “It’s very specific for courses, but gave it a try,” he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Brazilian police formally accuse former President Bolsonaro and aides of alleged 2022 coup attemptMercurity Fintech Announces Unaudited Financial Results for First Half 2024
Vast Updates Shareholders at Annual General Meeting on Significant Progress Towards Delivering ...