Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

NBA and streaming, rising rents and the college football national title game

In today’s newsletter, I discuss the NBA and streaming, rising rents and the college football national title game.

MEDIA: NBA and Streaming

Sinclair Broadcasting, owner of many regional sports networks, appears close to a deal to stream some NBA games on its nascent streaming service, according to a report in Bloomberg.

According to that report, the streaming service could begin to stream NBA games as soon as the first half of this year.

Pink's Bottom Line

This potential deal has a number of implications, but it is important for two key reasons.

First, it suggests owners of regional sports networks, which have struggled as consumers abandon their cable and satellite subscriptions, need alternative revenue streams.

Second, this potential deal shows that streaming of premium content like NBA games is gaining traction in the marketplace.

MONEY: Rising Rents

Rents on one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in this country increased sharply in 2021, according to Zumper’s 2021 Annual Rent Report.

According to that report, the median rent of a one-bedroom apartment jumped 11.6% in 2021 while a two-bedroom apartment cost 13.6% more in 2021 than in 2020.

Pink's Bottom Line

Notably, three cities in Florida — Miami, Tampa and Orlando — showed the biggest jump in rents last year among all cities.

In Miami, for example, the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment soared 38.2% in 2021, after falling 10.1% from March 2020 to January 2021.

As such, much of the Zumper data suggests that while rents did decline sharply at the onset of the pandemic, they have already rebounded sharply.

SPORTS: College Football National Title Game

Alabama plays Georgia tomorrow night for the college football national championship.

The game is a rematch of the SEC title game last month when Alabama soundly beat Georgia 41-24.

For tomorrow’s national title game, though, Georgia is a 2.5 point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Pink's Bottom Line

The Bulldogs simply couldn’t stop the Crimson Tide offense in the SEC title game, but Alabama is playing that national title game without one of its top playmakers, wide receiver John Metchie III, who is injured.

Additionally, Georgia’s defense has been dominant in every other game against every other opponent this season, and the unit will rebound in the national title game against Alabama.

As such, look for the Bulldogs to avenge their loss in the SEC championship game and to beat the Crimson Tide for their first national title since 1980.

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Jeremy Pink is currently an advisor to media and fintech companies around the world. He is the former CEO of private-equity backed Broadcast Sports International where he helped lead the company to a successful sale and exit during his tenure there. He is also a former CNBC television executive in New York, London and Singapore.

The information contained in this communication is strictly for general informational and entertainment purposes and is not meant to be construed as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. This communication is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. I am not a financial advisor or offering professional advice of any kind. Users should not act upon the content or information found within this communication without first seeking professional advice appropriate for their individual situation. Decisions based on information contained in this communication are the sole responsibility of the user, and use of this communication and its contents constitutes an explicit understanding and acceptance of the foregoing disclaimers.

(Newsletter Editor: Karina Pink)