Entertainment
F1 Is Bringing Thousands Of Racing Fans To Las Vegas This Weekend. Not Everyone Is Thrilled About It
The inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, one of the most anticipated events on the 2023 sporting calendar, takes place this weekend, promising race cars hurtling down the famed Las Vegas Strip at 200 mph for the first time in the city’s history.
Just don’t expect most locals to be overjoyed about it.
F1 has spent more than $500 million on the three-day event, which includes lavish parties, renowned chefs, and musical performances by J Balvin, Journey, John Legend, Keith Urban, Steve Aoki, and others.
The race will take place Saturday night after two days of practice and qualifying runs, providing spectacular visuals as the cars whiz by illuminated sites such as Caesar’s Palace, the Bellagio fountains, the Paris Hotel’s false Eiffel Tower, and the new Sphere entertainment complex. The most affordable seats cost more than $800.
Besides boxing and rodeos, Las Vegas has never been associated with live sports. However, the Grand Prix is part of a larger effort to transform the desert playground into a sports mecca: in the last five years, the city has added an NHL franchise, a WNBA team, and an NFL team, and it appears ready to add an MLB team as well. Sphere intends to hold boxing and MMA contests, while the city will host the Super Bowl in February.
“(The Las Vegas Grand Prix) is set to make history as one of the largest sporting events in Las Vegas, creating unparalleled economic benefits to Southern Nevada while showcasing this incredible destination to the world,” Renee Wilm, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, said in a statement to CNN. “We are redefining the racing experience with the world-renowned hospitality and entertainment that only Las Vegas can offer.”
The truth, however, could be clearer for locals. Residents have complained on social media and to local news sources about the event’s expensive costs, event-related traffic bottlenecks, obstacles limiting public views of the Strip, and their perception that the event is oriented toward high rollers but not the ordinary fan.
F1 Is Bringing Thousands Of Racing Fans To Las Vegas This Weekend. Not Everyone Is Thrilled About It
In an interview with CNN, Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Richard Velotta stated, “I’d say upwards of 90% or more (of Las Vegas residents) are not happy about it at all.”
This is the first Formula One race in Las Vegas in 41 years.
Formula One has seen a significant increase in popularity in the United States in recent years, mainly due to the success of the Netflix docuseries “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” The Vegas event is expected to draw more than 100,000 spectators per day, and one Nevada analyst estimates that it will bring in more than $1 billion for the local economy, dubbing it “the single largest special event in Las Vegas history.”
That’s huge for Vegas, which has experienced a drop in international visitors due to COVID-19, according to Velotta, who has lived in the city for more than 30 years and has been watching Grand Prix preparations for months.
Some F1 drivers appear to be, as well.
“We’re now coming to America, and the fans and passion are incredible.” It’s practically overtaking these European tracks, which is incredible to witness,” driver Alex Albon told CNN affiliate KTNV. “I think it’s going to be truly a one-of-a-kind race.”
The race will be the first F1 race in Las Vegas in almost 40 years. It will also be the first time F1 vehicles have raced on the Strip. The cars raced on a track in a parking lot near Caesar’s Palace in 1982, the last time Vegas hosted a Grand Prix.
“Las Vegas will be on TV screens across the world because people will want to tune in to this F1 race on the Strip – the iconic boulevard that it is – and people will get a better understanding of what Las Vegas is all about,” Velotta said in a statement. “So initially, it looked like a pretty big deal, and a great deal, in terms of extending our international marketing.”
Some local businesses along the 3.8-mile racetrack circuit have benefited as well. Velotta mentioned the Ellis Island Hotel, a modest casino that may be unfamiliar to visitors outside the city. The Grand Prix track passes immediately past the hotel.
“They’re ecstatic,” Velotta exclaimed. “They’re going to benefit greatly because of the luck of where they’re located.”
Hotel labor unions in the city have achieved significant victories as well. The three largest hotel-worker labor unions secured an agreement with MGM, Wynn, and Caesars the week before the F1 race, preventing a workers’ strike during the F1 festivities. With the Grand Prix approaching, the unions could leverage their negotiation position better, according to Velotta, resulting in a better deal than they could have anticipated in April.
Construction of the racetrack has resulted in months of traffic delays.
However, the Las Vegas Grand Prix has already caused some inconvenience for several people.
F1 Is Bringing Thousands Of Racing Fans To Las Vegas This Weekend. Not Everyone Is Thrilled About It
Construction of the track has closed streets and clogged traffic since June, resulting in traffic bottlenecks. According to Velotta, thousands of people work along the Strip, and some have experienced delays both to and from work – sometimes for up to an hour on both ends.
According to Rodney Hicks, an Uber driver in Las Vegas, the construction delays have turned five-minute journeys along the Strip into 30-minute slogs.
“They’re going to get the money (from the race) because they’re doing it, but the time that we spend letting you guys do this is taking away from our pockets,” Hicks told the crowd. “In that sense, no, it’s not worth it to me.”
Sharif Green, another Las Vegas resident, said he got up an hour or two earlier to accommodate construction delays but was still late for work. He had only one word to describe the traffic: “horrendous.”
The primary difficulty isn’t traffic. The temporary grandstands, which house stadium seats and luxury suites for F1 ticket holders to watch the race, have obscured views of some Strip attractions, notably the Bellagio’s dancing fountains.
Tourists and neighbors have also expressed dissatisfaction with the screens and barriers installed on the pedestrian bridges that traverse the Strip and nearby streets. Critics claim that the barricades were erected to prevent spectators from viewing the race.
However, Formula One organizers and Las Vegas police said the barricades were put up for safety reasons and to prevent gawkers from crowding the track.
“Safety both on and off the track is always the number one priority at every Formula 1 race,” F1 said in a statement, adding that the barriers are there “to ensure that drivers are safe from objects from above, and pedestrians on all bridges are safe from any errant track debris.”
F1 Is Bringing Thousands Of Racing Fans To Las Vegas This Weekend. Not Everyone Is Thrilled About It
The cost of resurfacing Vegas’ roadways for the Grand Prix course and constructing related infrastructure is anticipated to be $80 million. But determining who is bearing the bill – Formula One or Clark County and its citizens – has been more difficult. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is asking the county for $40 million to assist cover the costs.
The county has hosted free viewing parties for Saturday night’s showpiece race to include the community.
During last month’s one-day sale, Formula One also provided reduced race tickets to Las Vegas locals. However, some homeowners were disappointed to hear that the cheap resident tickets ($200 plus fees) were only valid for Thursday’s practice race rather than Saturday’s major event.
According to Velotta, the Review-Journal reporter, many Vegas residents believe the Grand Prix is only held to benefit the city’s casinos and resorts. For example, Bellagio’s three-day luxury F1 package, which included VIP tickets, food and wine from celebrity chefs, and access to special observation decks overlooking the race, was completely sold out. The cost was $12,000 per person.
“That has irritated a lot of local people that say, ‘OK, resorts get richer, but what happens with us?'” he told me.
F1 Is Bringing Thousands Of Racing Fans To Las Vegas This Weekend. Not Everyone Is Thrilled About It
“We’re the ones who have to live here and get around town,” Michael Galloni, who has resided in Las Vegas since 1978, told KTNV. “I believe the race should be free for us.”
After driver Max Verstappen won this year’s F1 title last month in Qatar, ticket prices and hotel costs in Vegas have decreased recently, depriving the Vegas Grand Prix of any drama for die-hard racing fans.
Verstappen has also expressed reservations about the flashy Vegas F1 event.
“I think it is 99% show, 1% sport,” he told reporters on Wednesday, according to Reuters. “It’s just not my thing.” Some folks enjoy a performance, but I do not.”
Despite the setbacks, the Las Vegas Grand Prix could become an annual event. The arrangement between Formula One and Las Vegas officials is for three F1 races spread over three years, although both parties want it extended beyond 2025.
“We’re going to learn from our first year,” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said earlier this month. “We’re going to learn from a logistical and financial standpoint.” We were all aware that the first race would be the most difficult.
“We recognize how disruptive this first year has been on the community, the workers here, and our visitors,” he said. “This is a game-changing week for Las Vegas, and it will be for years to come.”
SOURCE – (CNN)
(VOR News) – The “Merc with a Mouth” will return to the big screen in Deadpool & Wolverine this weekend, and his contribution to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe extends beyond his R rating.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” the third standalone feature film featuring Ryan Reynolds as the regenerative reprobate, is expected to gross between $160 million and $180 million in its opening weekend at the domestic box office.
The movie has already surpassed the greatest number of ticket pre-sales in 2024, according to data provided by Fandango. It is anticipated that it will break numerous records during its opening weekend.
Most noteworthy among these accomplishments is the most successful premiere for an R-rated film in history, as well as the largest domestic opening of 2024.
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” has achieved the highest opening of the year with a total of $154.2 million, as per the data provided by Comscore.
Additionally, the first “Deadpool” film has achieved the highest début for any R-rated feature film with a total of $132.4 million.
Mike Bowers, the president and CEO of Harkins Theatres, a theatre corporation located in Arizona, stated, “I am confident that this will be the largest R-rated film to ever be released if it is released.” Furthermore, it is already one of the most successful presale films in the annals of our company.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” was initially rated R because of its trailer.
It is also the 34th Deadpool & Wolverine film to be released under the Marvel Cinematic Universe banner. The two Deadpool films that preceded it, both of which were rated R, were produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox.
The reintroduction of the X-Men and Fantastic Four into the broader Marvel catalogue was the consequence of Disney’s acquisition of the corporation in 2019.
Similar to other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is benefiting from the enthusiasm of its audience.
Audiences are anxious to view the film during its opening weekend in order to prevent spoilers. Disney has maintained the confidentiality of the majority of the film’s content, and only a limited number of press screenings have been conducted prior to the film’s release.
Bowers anticipates that individuals will continue to return for additional viewings in the weeks following the film’s premiere.
He made the observation that “this is a film that there is so much happening, so many jokes and funny sequences that no one is going to be able to eat just one, you know, they’re going to be back.”
Ellis Jacob, the president and chief executive officer of Cineplex, the largest cinema theatre operator in Canada, echoed Bower’s viewpoint. Jacob asserted that “Deadpool & Wolverine” is replete with Easter eggs and that viewers will revisit the film to attempt to locate them all.
Furthermore, he stated that a substantial number of moviegoers are purchasing tickets for premium screenings, such as IMAX, Dolby, and ScreenX, which are more expensive.
Additionally, Marvel has collaborated with movie theatres to grant licenses for items such as collector popcorn tubs and drink containers, which the theatre operators anticipate will be in high demand.
Historically, concessions have been the most profitable revenue source for movie theatres, and the presence of limited-edition products can result in even greater sales of food and beverages.
” Deadpool & Wolverine” is an essential Marvel release.
Shawn Robbins, Deadpool & Wolverine the inventor and owner of Box Office Theory, announced that Disney had “slowed down the pace” and had scheduled fewer films in the series that has dominated the global box office for over a decade. Box Office Theory is also associated with Robbins.
He stated that Disney is making an effort to correct the course after a series of theatrical errors and poor box office performance, as well as a flood of streaming content that overwhelmed even the most devoted fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Robbins pointed out that “in the end, despite the fact that this is a Marvel movie, it may be viewed equally as a midsummer action comedy that stars personalities and brands that are loved by both die-hard fans and casual viewers.”
The fact that Reynolds and Jackman have both made a name for themselves in Deadpool & Wolverine popular culture and have maintained a cordial relationship through interviews and social media makes them an ideal pairing.
Likewise, there is genuine curiosity regarding the first R-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and whether it will retain the qualities that made the first two Deadpool films and [Jackman’s 2017 Wolverine film] Logan so successful.
SOURCE: CNBC
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Turner Sports hopes to continue its long-standing relationship with the NBA.
On Monday, Warner Bros. Discovery informed the league that it will match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion annual bid. Turner has had an NBA package since 1984, and games have been broadcast on TNT since the network started in 1988.
“We studied the offers and accepted one of them. This will allow fans to continue to experience our unequaled coverage, including the greatest live game productions in the business and our legendary studio shows and talent, as we build on our proven 40-year commitment for many more years,” WBD stated. “We submitted our matching paperwork to the league today.” We are looking forward to the NBA completing our new contract.”
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
The NBA Board of Governors approved the league’s 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video on Tuesday at its meeting in Las Vegas. WBD received all three contracts on Wednesday, beginning the five-day clock for deciding whether to match.
The new deals, for $76 billion, will begin with the 2025-26 season and entail a game being shown or streamed nationally every night during the second half of the season.
The Prime Video package would have offered games on Thursday night after it finished carrying NFL games. The other nights were Friday and Saturday.
TNT would air games on Thursday, with the other nights being streamed on Max.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav warned at an RBC Investor Conference in November 2022 that Turner and WBD “don’t have to have the NBA.”
Warner Bros. Discovery and the league could not negotiate an agreement during their exclusive bargaining period, which ended in April. Zaslav and TNT Sports Chairman/CEO Luis Silberwasser have recently announced that they intend to match one of the agreements.
“During our four-decade collaboration with the NBA, we have consistently provided exceptional coverage for basketball fans. WBD stated that they behaved in good faith to offer strong proposals that were fair to both parties throughout exclusive and non-exclusive negotiations to maintain their long-standing collaboration. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part of our current agreement and the rights we have paid for under it.”
NBC and WBD would alternate broadcasting one of the conference finals series. ESPN and ABC will continue to broadcast the league’s top package and will host conference finals and the NBA Finals each year.
According to people familiar with the negotiations, Amazon’s offer contained a mechanism for paying many years in advance into an escrow account, which many thought would be difficult to match. However, WBD has informed the league that it has the financial resources to do so.
“The Ringer’s” Bill Simmons originally mentioned the Amazon provision on “The Town” podcast.
People talked to the AP anonymously because they were not at liberty to discuss such serious topics.
Warner Bros. Discovery Informs NBA It Will Match Amazon Prime Video’s Offer To Carry Games
WBD pays $1.4 billion per season under the existing nine-year contract, which expires after next season.
WBD is making a large financial investment, but it is necessary. Without the NBA, it would have struggled to charge its present subscriber fees to cable and satellite companies.
Retaining the NBA would also ensure that the popular “Inside the NBA” show will continue. Charles Barkley was dismissive of WBD’s negotiation position and did not believe it would match. Barkley revealed at the end of this season that he planned to retire following the next season.
SOURCE – (AP)
Celebrity
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
BERLIN — An American man who made threats against Taylor Swift on social media was seized before her first concert in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and will be held in custody until her gigs there end, authorities said Thursday.
swift | AP news Image
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
According to police, the accused stalker, a 34-year-old whose name has not been disclosed, had a ticket to Taylor’s concert at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins-Arena on Wednesday. They stated that he was detained at event admission checks because an early assessment could not completely rule out a risk.
According to police, the man threatened Taylor and her partner on social media. They say he was detained after receiving tips from the event’s organizers.
The American superstar will perform in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as part of her Eras tour. According to authorities, a local court has ordered that the suspected stalker be detained until Saturday.
They went on to say that Swift and the audience were always safe. The event drew approximately 60,000 people on Wednesday evening and went off without incident.
American Who Made Social Media Threats Against Taylor Swift Detained Ahead Of German Concert
Before the concerts, Gelsenkirchen temporarily renamed the town “Swiftkirchen” and honored the singer on a “Walk of Fame” dedicated to local luminaries.
Taylor has plans to perform in two more German cities after Gelsenkirchen: Hamburg and Munich.
SOURCE | AP
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