PANORAMA: TNT says 1.2 million saw USA women win FIBA Women’s World Cup; Kenyan government in for $78 million for World Athletics Champs!

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≡ THE 5-RING CIRCUS ≡

● Olympic Winter Games: Alpes 2030 ● Amid the change in the leadership of the Alpes 2030 organizing committee, the International Olympic Committee Coordination Commission met in Lyon (FRA) and approved the venue plan.

There was no concern voiced over the exit of President Edgar Grospiron, with Belgian IOC member and Commission Chair Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant telling reporters that there is confidence in Director General Vincent Roberti as the interim head:

“With this nomination work can go on. It is a sign of confidence that stakeholders have put in Vincent Roberti. We have seen a project that continues to grow. We know that there is still a lot to be done. But the project is well anchored. The decision taken provides stability and continuity.”

● Athletics ● Elijah Mwangi, principal secretary at the Kenyan State Department for Sports, told the BBC that the government’s current estimate of its contribution to the staging of the 2029 World Athletics Championships – awarded Tuesday – is $78 million.

This is most of the budget, and although sponsorships will be sold, it is not clear how much ticket revenue can be generated.

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NBC will have coverage of the World Athletics World Road Running Championships from Copenhagen (DEN) this weekend on the Peacock streaming service only, with the road miles starting at 4:10 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday and the road 5 km races starting at 8:10 a.m. Eastern.

On Sunday, the Half Marathons will go off at 3:10 a.m. Eastern for the women and 3:45 a.m. for the men.

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USA Track & Field announced its 2027 Indoor Tour, with six stops:

● 22-23 Jan.: NYC Indoor Grand Prix (New York)
● 29-30 Jan.: PNC Lenny Lyles Open (Louisville)
● 29-30 Jan.: K-State Deloss Dodds Invitational (Manhattan)
● 31 Jan.: ASICS Sound Invite (Winston-Salem)
● 06 Feb.: New Balance Indoor Grand Prix (Boston)
● 13 Feb.: Millrose Games (New York)

These will lead into the USATF Indoor Championships, in Indianapolis on 19-21 February.

● Basketball ● TNT Sports posted viewership figures for the U.S. games at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin (GER), with 938,000 average for the Saturday semifinal with Spain on TNT and HBO Max and 1.2 million average for the Sunday final against France.

The American games on TNT, truTV, TBS and HBO Max had a total of 12.3 million viewers across the tournament (six games), well up on all prior years and had the top five most-viewed U.S. FIBA Women’s World Cup games ever.

● Football ● At the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Poland, the U.S. was eliminated in the round-of-16, losing to Brazil on penalty kicks, 5-4, after a 1-1 draw. It was 0-0 at half and after Sofia Couto gave Brazil the lead in the 59th, the Americans equalized with Ainsley McCammon in the 63rd.

The Brazilians made all five of their penalties, after the U.S. missed its first try, but made the last four.

● Softball ● At the 2027 WBSC women’s Softball World Cup qualifying in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the U.S. won Group C with a 7-0 win over China on Wednesday.

It was over in the first as the Americans pushed across four runs, then added one in the second and two in the sixth, while Karlyn Pickens and Rachel Garcia combined on a no-hitter (!), handling three innings each and striking out 10 between them. Left fielder Maya Brady went 3-4 with a home run and five runs batted in.

The U.S. finished 5-0 in the group, outscoring its opponents by 52-0 and advancing to the finals to qualify for the 2027 World Cup. The 7-0 final-game win was actually its closest of the tournament. The World Cup finals will be held from 5-11 April 2027 in Australia.

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