If you change it… more of ’em will watch. The World Series starts Friday, winding up a season during which the MLB tried to reverse years of declines with new rules (like a 15-second pitch clock) to make games more wave-worthy. The result: attendance jumped 10% this year as 70M+ fans hit the bleachers — the highest since 2017. Average game times fell 24 mins to a near 40-year low. Media deals, including with streamers Apple and NBCUniversal, were up 26% to ~$2B. And cap-tipping plays like stolen bases hit fresh highs, driving TV ratings up 7% at midseason.
Knock knock… The Justice Department could pursue an antitrust case against the US housing market’s broker-commission-sharing system backed by the National Association of Realtors. Typically, sellers must fork over 5%-6% of their home sale $$ to fees, split between the buying and selling agents. Critics say it’s a conflict of interest since it gives buying agents little reason to negotiate lower prices as Americans face the least affordable housing market in nearly 40 years. Untying agent fees would be seismic, lowering commissions by as much as $30B/year.