TNT Sports Reaches Multi-Year Agreement to be Exclusive U.S. Distribution Partner, Televising & Streaming Players Era Festival Tournaments Across TNT, TBS, truTV & Max

Players Era, an EverWonder Studio company, today announced the format and complete schedule for the tournaments at the inaugural 2024 Players Era Festival, and a multi-year distribution partnership with TNT Sports, which will serve as the Festival’s exclusive U.S. broadcast partner, airing games on TNT, TBS, truTV and Max. The first edition of the Players Era Festival will take place Thanksgiving Week – November 26, 27 and 30 – at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Players Era Festival is the inaugural event for the groundbreaking college basketball showcase and NIL company, Players Era, aimed at captivating fans and providing college athletes with opportunities to engage in unique name, image and likeness (NIL) activities. The 2024 Festival will feature two distinct tournaments and introduce an entirely new structure for early season competition, coinciding with the opportunity for athletes on each participating team to engage in more than $1 million in NIL opportunities outside of competition. The Players Era Festival will feature at least 18 teams in 2025, adding several more preeminent men’s basketball programs and with international-style group play and championship matchups.

“We are honored to partner with three legends in the space – TNT Sports, Publicis Sports and MGM Resorts International – that will exponentially grow the impact Players Era can have for college basketball players and fans,” said Ian Orefice, CEO of EverWonder Studio. “TNT Sports is simply the world’s best when it comes to college basketball and must-see sporting events, Publicis is leading the innovation for how brands interact with the fanatic sports community, and MGM Resorts’ rich history of landmark moments in sports and first-class on location experiences provide an epic combination for college basketball and sports fans.”

TNT Sports, Publicis Sports and MGM Resorts Partnerships
TNT Sports will distribute all 12 of the 2024 Players Era Festival games, highlighted by the highly anticipated matchup between a pair of likely preseason top-five teams Alabama and Houston. The tournaments will air over TNT Sports’ linear networks, with all games available on Max.

The agreement between EverWonder and TNT Sports is being supported by Publicis Sports, the dedicated U.S. sports practice within Publicis Media. Publicis Sports clients will have early access to new advertising and sponsorship opportunities for the tournaments.

“Publicis Sports could not be more excited to partner with EverWonder and TNT Sports to bring the Players Era Festival to life,” said Jon Tuck, President, Publicis Sports. “We believe that these will be the premier in-season tournaments and are very happy to support the players with this new, game-changing model. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this opportunity to our robust roster of clients, giving them a unique opportunity to engage with dedicated college basketball fans in a meaningful way – now and in the future.”

“Players Era is helping to move college basketball forward by guaranteeing at least $9 million in NIL opportunities to the players in 2024, and millions more in the coming years as we add more teams. For the first time in college basketball, we now have direct and complete alignment between an event operator and the athletes,” said Seth Berger, CEO of Players Era. “As a fan and a coach, I can’t wait to watch the Power and Impact Tournaments, with ridiculously talented players, phenomenal coaches, and a round robin format in which every game, every minute, and every shot matters.”

EverWonder has entered into an agreement with MGM Resorts to host the Players Era Festival at several of its Las Vegas properties.

“Over the past decade, the MGM Grand Garden Arena has hosted some of the biggest programs in college basketball as well as the sport’s top student-athletes,” said Lance Evans, MGM Resorts International’s Senior Vice President of Sports & Sponsorships. “We look forward to partnering with Players Era for this championship basketball event, and showcasing why we continue to be the leader in hosting live events in the Entertainment and Sports Capital of the World.”

Festival Format and Schedule
The 2024 Festival will showcase eight top ranked teams competing in two separate four-team tournaments, playing a round-robin format across three days of competition, where every minute of competition matters. The Impact Tournament will feature Alabama, Houston, Notre Dame and Rutgers, while the Power Tournament will include Creighton, Oregon, San Diego State and Texas A&M.

For each distinct Tournament, in the event teams finish with the same record, tie breakers will be used to determine final standings, including head-to-head record, total point differential, points scored and points allowed.

In addition to the $1 million in NIL opportunities per team during ancillary events (e.g., autograph sessions, community and charity service, etc.), at the completion of each Tournament, select players may be invited to engage in additional NIL activities recognizing their increased value in the market.

Complete Schedule (all games will be played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena) 

IMPACT TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, November 26
Houston vs. Alabama – 8:00 PM (EST) | TBS, Max
Rutgers vs. Notre Dame – 10:30 PM (EST) | TBS, Max

Wednesday, November 27
Rutgers vs. Alabama – 10:00 PM (EST) | TBS, Max
Notre Dame vs. Houston – 12:30 AM (EST) | TBS, Max

Saturday, November 30
Alabama vs. Notre Dame – 1:00 PM (EST) | truTV, Max
Rutgers vs. Houston – 3:30 PM (EST) | truTV, Max

POWER TOURNAMENT
Tuesday, November 26
San Diego State vs. Creighton – 2:00 PM (EST) | TBS, Max
Oregon vs. Texas A&M – 4:30 PM (EST) | TBS, Max

Wednesday, November 27
Oregon vs. San Diego State – 4:00 PM (EST) | Max
Texas A&M vs. Creighton – 6:30 PM (EST) | Max

Saturday, November 30
San Diego State vs. Texas A&M – 7:00 PM (EST) | TNT, Max
Oregon vs. Creighton – 9:30 PM (EST) | TNT, Max

About TNT Sports
TNT Sports is a global leader in the delivery of premium sports content. The TNT Sports U.S. portfolio includes expansive, multi-platform partnerships with the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, National Hockey League, United States Soccer Federation, Mountain West and, starting in 2025, NASCAR, Roland-Garros and the BIG EAST. Owned and operated platforms are highlighted by Bleacher Report, the #1 digital destination for young sports fans, along with House of Highlights, HighlightHER, Golf Digest, and a full suite of digital and social portfolio brands. Additionally, TNT Sports co-manages NBA Digital — comprised of NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE Pass, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com — as well as NCAA.com and NCAA March Madness Live. TNT Sports in Europe and the Republic of Ireland includes partnerships with the NBA, Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UFC, WWE and more, as well as much-loved brands Eurosport, Global Mountain Bike Network (GMBN) and multi-sport programming and content on discovery+ and Discovery’s free-to-air TV networks.

About Players Era
Players Era was created to provide NCAA sanctioned NIL opportunities for college basketball players and to expand the fandom and reach of the game itself.

The Inaugural Players Era Festival will be a week-long celebration of college basketball, featuring elite teams, players and coaches, and creative and groundbreaking NIL activities surrounding the games. The festival will introduce an entirely new structure for early-season tournaments, where every second of every game will matter, in an intensely competitive atmosphere. Beyond the competition on the court, Players Era Festival will feature financial planning and educational programming for participating student-athletes, with a charitable partner to be announced at a later date.

While the debut event for Players Era will be the 2024 tournament in Las Vegas, the broader initiative will expand to add future events with the goal of continuing to grow the game of college basketball and create a year-round focus on the sport. This will include additional content opportunities, including women’s basketball tournaments, offseason events, nonfiction content and merchandising opportunities.

About EverWonder Studio
EverWonder Studio is a best-in-class content studio and production company across Documentary, Live, Experiential and Brand Partnerships, led by multi-Emmy-winning Producer and executive Ian Orefice (TIME Studios) and backed by legendary media executive Jeff Zucker (CNN, NBCUniversal) and RedBird IMI. The studio’s focus is on nonfiction subjects with worldwide appeal, transforming them into entertainment that has purpose and impact, and then expanding those projects as businesses across platforms, screens, and experiences. With projects that span sports, culture, and global affairs, EverWonder creates meaningful entertainment that sparks the imaginations of people around the world.

In addition to its documentary programming, the studio has hired Michael Antinoro as its President, created the EverWonder Live division, and announced an investment in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour director Sam Wrench to launch a new production company Next of Kin Content. EverWonder is also teaming with Meadowlark Media on a documentary feature examining the dynamic relationship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and announced a partnership with Emma Cooper’s Empress Films to produce Who Killed Diana?, a three-part documentary series that will be the first project of a broader franchise.

About MGM Resorts International  
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 31 unique hotel and gaming destinations globally, including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. The Company’s 50/50 venture, BetMGM, LLC, offers sports betting and online gaming in North America through market-leading brands, including BetMGM and partypoker, and the Company’s subsidiary LeoVegas AB offers sports betting and online gaming through market-leading brands in several jurisdictions throughout Europe. The Company is currently pursuing targeted expansion in Asia through the integrated resort opportunity in Japan. Through its "Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet" philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of its employees, guests, and in the communities where it operates. The global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgmresorts.com. Please also connect with us @MGMResortsIntl on Twitter as well as Facebook and Instagram.