The big money around March Madness...
March 20, 2021 [View Online]( | [Sign Up]( [Daily Brew]( TOGETHER WITH [Bombay]( Good morning. Well, we somehow got through this pandemic winter and made it to spring. Please clap. In other news, weâve reached the Final Four in our Greatest Product of All Time Tournament: Next week, Microsoft Windows will face Lego, and the iPhone will face Google Search. Something tells us the Apple vs. Google matchup will determine the ultimate winner. MARKETS NASDAQ 13,215.24 + 0.76% S&P 3,913.10 - 0.06% DOW 32,627.97 - 0.71% GOLD 1,744.50 + 0.69% 10-YR 1.726% + 1.50 bps OIL 61.44 + 2.40% *As of market close. [Here's what these numbers mean](. - Covid: The CDC [relaxed]( its distancing guidelines for children in school from six feet to three feet, with a few caveats. The policy change is aimed at getting more kids to go to school in-person.
- Markets: The Dow and S&P [snapped]( a two-week winning streak, while the Nasdaq has dropped four weeks out of the last five.
- Government: President Biden and VP Harris [addressed]( the recent spike in anti-Asian violence following the killing of eight people, including six women of Asian descent, in metro Atlanta. "Our silence is complicity. We cannot be complicit," Biden said. SPORTS [710 Days Laterâ¦](
[March Madness logo] Patrick Smith/Getty Images The best three weeks in sports is back. The first round of the NCAA menâs basketball tournament [kicked off]( yesterday in Indiana, finally adding some non-Covid madness (lookin' at you Oral Roberts) back to the month of March and filling the hole created by the pandemic last year. The tournament is big money For the NCAA: The D1 menâs tournament accounted for 79% of the $1.1 billion the organization brought in during the 2019 fiscal year. For schools: The NCAA has a pool of money that factors in results of the menâs tournament, dishing out one âunitâ for each game a team plays until the Final Four. The further a team advances in the tournament, the more money the teamâs conference is paid by the NCAA on a rolling 6-year basis. - As of 2019, each unit was worth $280,000, which means that a run to the Final Four could generate around $1.1 million for a conference every season for the next six years. One March participant that is conspicuously absent from this agreement: womenâs teams. The NCAA still [doesnât factor]( the performance of a schoolâs womenâs basketball program into its total March Madness revenue distribution. The womenâs tournament isnât revenue-generating, according to the NCAA. But TV ratings are on the riseâmore than 3.6 million viewers watched the 2019 championship game, up 24% from 2016âwhich means a more lucrative broadcast deal could be on the horizon. The womenâs tournament kicks off tomorrow in a âbubbleâ in San Antonio. For gamblers: Research from PlayUSA projects that this yearâs tournament could generate as much as [$1.5 billion]( in legal bets. For context, Legal Sports Report estimated that $462.4 million was legally wagered on this yearâs Super Bowl. - Investors are getting in on the action. Yesterday, shares of Barstool Sports owner Penn National Gaming and sports betting app DraftKings jumped 4.9% and 6.5%, respectively. + Some fun bracket math to take you into the weekend. According to the NCAA, the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are 1-in-9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (if you just guess or flip a coin) and 1-in-120.2 billion (if you know a little something about basketball).    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=The%20Business%20of%20March%20Madness%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fbusiness-march-madness%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A COVID [Vaccine Tracker](
[Vaccine tracker] Francis Scialabba In the US...weâve now administered more than 100 million doses, a goal President Biden set out to achieve in his first 100 days in office (itâs his 59th today). Nearly a [quarter of all Americans]( have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Across the world...weâre getting close to half a billion vaccine doses administered. As of last night, 133 countries had given out more than 420 million shots. The latest headlines Astra drama: The WHO [urged the world]( to continue using AstraZenecaâs vaccine following blood clot concerns in Europe. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson [got the Astra shot]( yesterday to show it can be trusted. Third waves: The German health minister warned that Covid-19 cases are rising at an â[exponential rate](â and the pace of the vaccine rollout isnât fast enough to prevent a third wave. Paris entered lockdown mode yesterday. Meanwhile, Brazilâs health system is in a [state of crisis]( as cases surge. More eligibility: Florida is [opening up]( vaccine eligibility to anyone 50 or over starting Monday.    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Vaccine%20Tracker%3A%20March%2020%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fvaccine-tracker-march-20%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A GEOPOLITICS [Dude, Whereâs My Tesla?](
[Tesla with wheel lock]( Francis Scialabba The Chinese government is putting the Technoking on notice. Itâs a) banned Teslas from entering military complexes and housing compounds and b) curbed the use of Teslas by military staff and employees of key state-owned companies, per [multiple]( [reports](. - The explanation: Beijing thinks Teslas could be the 21st-century version of the Trojan horse. The government is reportedly worried that the carsâ built-in cameras could collect sensitive data and potentially send it back to the US. If youâre having déjà vu, itâs because the White House has blocked Chinese tech companies from operating in the US due to similar concerns over snooping. Remember Huawei? Why it matters for Tesla: China is a [critical market]( for the company, so it wants to avoid any political controversies as it makes inroads. Chinese sales accounted for about 21% of Teslaâs total revenue in 2020, and with a new Shanghai Gigafactory churning out the Model 3 and Model Y, it wants that share to grow. Big picture: Yesterday, the US and China wrapped up two days of talks in Alaska. [It didnât go well](.    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=China%20Adds%20Restrictions%20on%20Tesla%20for%20Security%20Reasons%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fchina-adds-restrictions-tesla-security-reasons%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A SPONSORED BY BOMBAY [The Quest for the Best Gin Starts with a Ques-Gin](#)
[Bombay]( How is a fresher, more balanced gin actually made? To help answer that excellent ques-gin, letâs first talk about how the brightest gins are not made. Most gins out there boil down their botanicalsâa rough process you would only subject an innocent potato to. [Bombay Sapphire]( does things differentlyâor should we say, delicately. Theyâve perfected a unique production process known as vapor-infusion, using steam from the rising alcohol vapor during distillation to gently extract the flavors of all-natural and sustainably-sourced botanicals. The result? [A vibrant and beautifully balanced liquid]( worthy of the Bombay name. Friends, your standard G and T doesnât have to be a mix of boiled down juniper and a splash of bubbles. Level up with Bombay botanicals, premium tonic, and your favorite garnish. [Your Saturday just got better with Bombay](. GRAB BAG [Key Performance Indicators](
[homer in a pool] Giphy Stat: The Simpsons will air its [700th episode]( Sunday evening. It would take another 12 years for the show to hit 1,000, but never say neverâitâs been renewed through 2023, which means itâll hit at least 757 episodes. Quote: âIf the value increases, they could have an extremely valuable fart on their hands.â Film director Alex RamÃrez-Mallis told the NY Post he thinks the buyer of his farts could see a significant return on their investment. For some context: Heâs selling a yearâs worth of [fart audio clips]( recorded during quarantine as an NFT. You can also buy individual fart recordings for $85 a toot. Read: Tunaâs last stand. ([Hakai Magazine]()    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Key%20Performance%20Indicators%3A%20March%2020%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fkey-performance-indicators-march-20%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A ALCOHOL [Beverage Brands Go Hard](
[Cacti agave hard seltzer 9-pack with mic leaning on box ] Francis Scialabba The âno laws when youâre drinking Clawsâ lifestyle may be lost to 2019, but hard seltzer has since updated its bio from âtrendâ to âstaple.â Nielsen found there are more than [65 brands]( in stores this year, up from 26 in 2019. This week, rapper Travis Scottâs Cacti Hard Seltzer [hit shelves]( and promptly sold out. Topo Chico, owned by Coca-Cola, and Spindrift have announced their hard seltzers [will arrive]( within the next two months. Is there room for so many tall cans? White Claw and Truly dominate the hard seltzer scene, with a combined 75% market share as of last June. But that might not matter for brands entering the space, because thereâs more seltzer sommeliers than ever: Total US sales more than doubled from 2018 to 2020 to $4.1 billion. Zoom out: Weâll find out soon whether post-Covid life is more American Pie or apple pie, but expect hard seltzer to play a big role either way: Research company Bernstein estimates hard seltzer will make up more than 15% of the beer and cider market by 2024.    mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew%21&body=Three%20New%20Hard%20Seltzers%20Are%20Here%20For%20Spring%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fstories%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fthree-new-hard-seltzers-spring%0A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Daily%20Brew%20%E2%80%94%20Delivering%20the%20latest%20business%20news%20from%20Wall%20St.%20to%20Silicon%20Valley%2C%20daily.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningbrew.com%2Fdaily%2Fr%2F%3Fkid%3D4904f90a%26utm_source%3Demail_share%0A WHAT ELSE IS BREWING - [The Fed]( will wind down its pandemic-era policy that loosened banksâ capital requirements.Â
- [The DOJ]( is investigating Visaâs potentially uncompetitive behavior in the debit card market, per the WSJ.
- [Some brands]( are cutting ties with YouTube star David Dobrik after a woman said she was raped by a member of Dobrikâs Vlog Squad in 2018.
- [Facebook]( stock gained more than 4% after CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Thursday that the company should be able to navigate Appleâs new privacy update smoothly.
- [World Happiness Report](: People are still happy. BREW'S BETS Curious about crypto? Try [eToro](. Their social trading platform makes it easy to learn about the industry, experiment with a Virtual Portfolio, and even copy the moves of top-performing traders automatically. Buy $1,000 worth of crypto and [get an extra $50 right here](.* Delicious cookies filled with flavorânot sugar. [HighKeyâs Chocolate Chip cookies]( have 0 grams of sugar and only 1 gram of net carbs. The perfect treat without the guilt. Brew readers save [$20 off HighKeyâs Mini Cookie Bundle or 20% off sitewide with promo code BREW](.* This is bananas: See what a [giant banana]( orbiting the Earth would look like. Weekend conversation starters: - What does [being seven]( smell like to you?Â
- What do you call this [breakfast dish](?
- Whatâs the first vacation youâll go on post-pandemic? *This is sponsored advertising content GAMES [Brew Crossword](#)
[Crossword]( Francis Scialabba Today's puzzle, created by Amber Lewis, can be completed in a snip-snap by those with a tip-top puzzle game. Difficulty: 7.1 Favorite clue: ââGrittyâ introâ (5 letters) [Play the crossword here]( + Think you have what it takes to make your own crossword? Spoiler: You do. [Check out our tutorial](, and then be sure to submit. If we select your crossword, we'll also send you the iconic Brewneck sweatshirt. SHARE THE BREW It only takes 3 referrals to earn access to Light Roast, our exclusive Sunday newsletter. Just the right amount of Brew to go with your lazy Sunday morning. You donât even need to train the dog to fetch it from the driveway. [Click here to get free swag.]( Hit the button below to start sharing the Brew. [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others:
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