Another former FS1 employee has filed a lawsuit against the network; a group hopes to bring the WNBA to Nashville; and more.
New assault lawsuit filed against Fox Sports exec
Former Fox Sports host Julie Stewart-Binks has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Fox executive Charlie Dixon, according to The Athletic. Binks alleges the assault occurred in Dixon’s hotel room in January 2016. Binks, who had worked for FS1 since 2013 departed the network a few months later.
Fox responded to the allegations with a statement: “These allegations are from over eight years ago. At the time, we promptly hired a third-party firm to investigate and addressed the matter based on their findings.”
This is the second lawsuit in recent weeks alleging sexual misconduct at Fox Sports, following the suit filed by a former hairdresser at the network that also named Dixon.
Nashville submits WNBA expansion bid
An investor group has submitted a bid to bring a WNBA expansion team to Nashville, TN, according to ESPN. The group, led by the Nashville Predators ownership, also includes Candace Parker, Peyton Manning, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill. The team, which intends to play the 2028 season, would be called the Tennessee Summitt, honoring legendary Tennessee Volunteers coach Pat Summitt.
A number of other cities are also reportedly in the process of bidding for WNBA teams, including Philadelphia, Detroit, Houston, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Austin.
WNBA expansion is already underway: the Golden State Valkyries will begin play this season, and expansion teams in Portland and Toronto are coming in 2026. A team in Tennessee or elsewhere would bring the league to 16 teams.
Plus: Haslem; figure skating; NASCAR
— Former Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem is joining ESPN as a full-time studio analyst, according to Front Office Sports. Haslem will appear across SportsCenter, Get Up, and First Take as part of a one-year contract. Haslem, who played 20 seasons in Miami before retiring in 2023, previously made appearances on ESPN throughout the 2024 NBA playoffs.
— NBC Sports has removed taped coverage of the exhibition gala from last week’s US Figure Skating Championships from its schedule on Sunday. No announcement or rationale was given from NBC, but it’s likely that the celebratory tone of the gala would be inappropriate in light of the death of several skaters, coaches, and relatives in Wednesday’s plane crash in Washington. The plane carrying the skaters had departed Wichita, KS where the Championships were held.
— TNT Sports will stream driver cams for all NASCAR Cup Series races this season on its Max streaming platform, it was announced Thursday. The streams will be available for all 38 drivers and include team radio audio and live stats. Max will also offer two Multiview streams showcasing up to 4 drivers each.
