The N.F.L.’s New Play: Embrace Betting Ads, Watch the Money Pour In

By BY JOE DRAPE AND TIFFANY HSU from NYT Sports The placement of gambling ads during football game broadcasts shows how much the N.F.L. has changed in its approach toward gambling.https://nyti.ms/3kai5f8

Nike’s Shifts in Track and Field Are Top of Mind as Trials Begin

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports A series of contract changes, executive shuffling and internal responses to scandals have athletes and others wondering where the sport stands with Nike as it heads into the Olympics.https://nyti.ms/3zNhoOK

‘Vasectomy Mayhem’ Trademark Draws Complaint From N.C.A.A.

By BY JOHNNY DIAZ from NYT Sports The association accused a Virginia urology practice of trying to affiliate its brand with the March Madness tournament. It is the second dispute with the practice in five years.https://nyti.ms/2Oj5n0E

The Impact and Influence of Tiger Woods: Here. There. Everywhere.

By BY BILL PENNINGTON from NYT Sports From fitness trailers to fist pumps and golf’s global representation, the star, recovering in the hospital after a serious car crash, has a hefty presence at a PGA tournament even when he’s not playing in it.https://nyti.ms/3qXYmQC

As Sports Gambling Grows, So Do Appetite-Whetting Sure Bets

By BY JOE DRAPE from NYT Sports Online gambling sites are offering can’t-lose propositions, giving away easy money to attract new customers to a nascent multibillion-dollar industry. These come-ons should reach a crescendo just ahead of the Super Bowl.https://nyti.ms/3czJfsg

Advertisers Flock to N.F.L. Broadcasts as a ‘Safe Haven’

By BY TIFFANY HSU from NYT Sports Ad spending has slumped in the pandemic, in part over uncertainty about how sports seasons would proceed. With an on-time start, football is poised to capture “a greater share of a smaller pie.”https://nyti.ms/33gSVBR

Can It Still Be ‘Euro 2020’ in 2021? Sponsors Hope So

By BY TARIQ PANJA from NYT Sports The coronavirus pandemic pushed the European Championship to 2021. For companies with warehouses full of Euro 2020 merchandise, it may be better to pretend nothing has changed.https://nyti.ms/2WJutY0

The Super Bowl in 54 Seconds

By BY SOPAN DEB from NYT Sports All things considered, the game was swift. This summary of how it happened is swifter.https://nyti.ms/2u59UJZ

Barry Frank Dies at 87; Sports Agent, Negotiator and Programmer

By BY RICHARD SANDOMIR from NYT Sports Mr. Frank juggled several roles in a long career: He represented sportscasters, created TV shows and negotiated rights deals.https://nyti.ms/337shdv

Beer, Here. The Merchandising of College Sports Leads to Team-Branded Ales

By BY BILLY WITZ from NYT Sports The University of Louisiana at Lafayette and more than 20 universities license their own brands of beer. Those deals seem like no-brainers, but they come as the N.C.A.A. grapples with letting athletes strike their own.https://nyti.ms/36qxG10

What Makes Someone a Fan?

By BY KEN BELSON from NYT Sports It’s more than just ticket sales. Rich Luker, a social psychologist, studies fandom and why, for example, someone might get a tattoo of their favorite team.https://nyti.ms/2QiZwbM

Colin Kaepernick ‘Dream Crazy’ Ad Wins Nike an Emmy

By BY JULIE CRESWELL AND KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports The spot surprised the public, revealing that Nike extended its contract with the quarterback known for protesting social issues. Still, it’s unclear how much more there is to the partnership.https://nyti.ms/303bESD

Toronto Raptors Introduce Branded Hijabs

By BY MARIEL PADILLA from NYT Sports The hijabs were inspired by a group based in Toronto that promotes Muslim women in sports.https://nyti.ms/2I92QzI

Sports Betting Has Arrived to Transform the N.F.L. Or Not.

By BY KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports Unlike other professional leagues, the N.F.L. isn’t expecting a big bump from legalized gambling despite projections.https://nyti.ms/2N13jIr

M.L.B. Goes Black and White in Search of Green

By TYLER KEPNER from NYT Sports Teams will don monochromatic uniforms for Players’ Weekend, which has a columnist seeing red.https://nyti.ms/2Ywz5TM

NBC Will Lead Ad Sales for the Los Angeles Olympics

By KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports The Olympic media partner will dive into the sponsorship sales market usually handled by the local organizing committee to create one-stop shopping for advertisers.https://nyti.ms/2UqWxdW

Super Bowl Pitches That Aren’t ‘SOO Good!’

By KEVIN DRAPER from NYT Sports The marketing blitz of the Super Bowl, seemingly unending and often head-shaking, is an excuse to promote just about anything.https://nyti.ms/2G5KNeg

With Tobacco Revenue Now Forbidden, F1 Turns to High-Tech

By KATE WALKER from NYT Sports The sport was once synonymous with tobacco, with sponsorships bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. That money has been hard to replace.https://nyti.ms/2CVD3ec

How Many People Are Watching the Olympics? NBC Attempts a Tricky Head Count.

By KEVIN DRAPER and SAPNA MAHESHWARI from NYT Sports “Everybody in the digital video industry is pretty much in agreement that 30 to 40 percent of the ad impressions that are delivered out there don’t really exist.”http://nyti.ms/2Hf6RjS