Five things we learned in Atlanta sports business this week:
1. Braves' TV ratings down sharply: The Braves, historically one of baseball's more popular teams on television, rank near the bottom of the major leagues in local ratings this season. Their local TV ratings were the fifth lowest among the 30 MLB teams in the first half of the season, down 34 percent from the same point last season, according to a SportsBusiness Journal analysis of Nielsen data. Braves games are averaging a 1.35 rating this season, meaning 1.35 out of every 100 households in the Atlanta TV market watch on average. Full story here.
2. Atlanta gearing up for three mega-events: After going 3-for-3 in bids to host marquee sporting events over the next few years — the College Football Playoff national championship game in January 2018, the Super Bowl in February 2019 and the Final Four in April 2020 — Atlanta sports and hospitality officials are assembling organizations to plan and manage the events locally. Carl Adkins, long-time general manager of the Georgia Dome, has been tapped to serve as executive director of the host committees for both the college-football title game and the Final Four. An executive director of the Super Bowl host committee will be hired by early next year. Full story here.
3. Making plans for Georgia Dome site: Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation and the Georgia World Congress Center Authority envision transforming the Dome site into something more than a grassy field for parking and tailgating space for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the AJC's Scott Trubey reports. In addition to those uses, the plan is for the field to serve as a park for most of the year. Full story here.
4. New Aaron statue in the works: The Braves, who earlier this year said they would have a new Hank Aaron statue made for SunTrust Park, announced on social media this week that it is being created by Atlanta-based artist Ross Rossin. Full story here.
5. Unlikely landing spot for NBA All-Star game: The NBA is seeking a new site for its 2017 All-Star game after pulling the event out of Charlotte, but Atlanta isn't expected to be that site. A major renovation of Philips Arena could begin next summer, and big events such as All-Star games tend to be played in an arena after it is renovated — not immediately before. New Orleans is the front-runner to get the game, according to multiple reports. Full story here.
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