Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis told ESPN on Monday that he had “reached an agreement” with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to join the ownership group. organization, pending NFL approval. Sports Illustrated also confirmed Brady’s minority stake. Here’s what you need to know:
- Davis was looking for a sponsor and was in talks with Magic Johnson a year ago. Johnson ended up being part of the new Commanders ownership group.
- Brady has previously purchased stakes in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and an expansion pickleball team in the MLP. Davis is also the primary owner of the Aces.
- Brady, 45, retired in February after a historic 23-year career, winning seven Super Bowls.
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What does this mean for the future of Brady’s broadcast?
Sports television entities long ago floated the idea that their broadcasters could not have any kind of stake in teams. The question usually comes down to optics: are you comfortable with your broadcaster calling games or discussing said team? Usually the answer is yes.
In Brady’s case, as ESPN originally reported, Fox blessed the supply-based arrangement. This follows historically with all networks. If you’re a tennis fan, for example, you’ve long watched broadcasters analyze matches while actively coaching other players on tour. Brady, if he lands in the broadcast booth in 2024, will be Fox Sports’ highest paid and most famous staff member. The company isn’t going to derail this just because of an obvious conflict of interest.
My rule of thumb, and you don’t have to follow it, is this: if someone has a financial stake in something, you have to proceed with caution, not necessarily about what they say, but about what he does not say. If Brady ends up with a piece of the Raiders, I’m going to bypass anything he says about the franchise outside of game analysis. But as to whether that will be a problem for Fox, no way. — German
Davis and Brady deepen their connection
The origin of Davis and Brady’s business relationship began last May when the former NFL quarterback attended an Aces game. to buy a partial stake in the Aces in March.
“I think he’s been really impressed with how far women’s basketball has come,” Davis said. Athleticism in March. “And he was also impressed with the excitement and the enthusiasm of the crowd in Las Vegas. He knew I was in it, and I think he just felt he wanted to be a part of it. And so his people contacted me, and we talked about it, and he became a partner of the world champion Las Vegas Aces.
This eventually evolved into Brady pursuing a minority stake in the Raiders as well. Davis was open to selling part of the franchise when Johnson expressed interest in the property last October, but the deal fell through and the NBA Hall of Fame point guard ended by buying a stake in Commanders instead in April. . Rather than dismiss the idea altogether, he agreed to speak with Brady, who he’d been building a stronger relationship with in recent months, and that’s the highlight.
It’s an ironic turn of events considering Brady was frequently linked with the Raiders this offseason as a potential replacement for Derek Carr. Brady eliminated that possibility when he chose to retire, but he ended up becoming a Raider after all. — Reed
Pass
With the Aces and future pickleball team, Brady has already been tied to NFL ownership. In 2022, after his initial retirement, there were multiple reports that Brady was in talks with the Miami Dolphins to become a minority owner.
The Dolphins were then sanctioned by the NFL for this inadmissible contact with Brady, as he was still under contract with the Buccaneers. Miami was forced to give up its first-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft and a third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Brady reportedly signed a 10-year, $375 million deal to join Fox as a broadcaster shortly after his retirement.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)