The Information

Art by Clark Miller.

The New Ballgame

The Next Frontier for Sports Betting: Your TV

By Daniel Kaplan · Aug 11, 2023 11:00am PDT · 4 comments

For all the ways sports gambling has infiltrated American life since the Supreme Court legalized the industry five years ago, there was one area where betting still did not exist: within actual sports broadcasts. Bettors couldn’t watch a game on Fox or ESPN and point their remote at an on-screen button to place a wager. But all that is... For all the ways sports gambling has infiltrated American life since the Supreme Court legalized...

Art by Mike Sullivan

The New Ballgame

American Cricket, Anyone? Behind a New Pro Sports League, a Lineup of Elite Tech CEOs

By Daniel Kaplan · Jul 14, 2023 10:00am PDT · 2 comments

Ordinarily, a new joint venture backed by executives from Microsoft, Adobe, Meta Platforms, Akamai and Accenture would grab major headlines in the U.S. tech press. But when that venture is a pro cricket league, well…it’s crickets. Still, this week’s launch of Major League Cricket marks a seminal moment for American cricket... Ordinarily, a new joint venture backed by executives from Microsoft, Adobe, Meta Platforms,...

Photo-illustration by Clark Miller. Photos by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images (Victor Wembanyama), Megan Briggs/Getty Images (Cavinder sisters), Bob Levey/Getty Images (Shohei Ohtani)

The New Ballgame

The Messi Model: How One ‘Extraordinary’ Contract Could Shift the Power Balance in Sports

By Daniel Kaplan · Jun 23, 2023 11:00am PDT · 7 comments

Former National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts has never attended a soccer game. She says with a laugh that if Lionel Messi appeared in her Harlem living room, she’d call the police to report an intruder, because unlike most people on the planet, she has no idea what he looks like. But Roberts is... Former National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts has never...