Reuters Sports News Summary

While the bulk of bets will not be made until the weekend, there is plenty of money on Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs repeating as Super Bowl champions in Las Vegas on Sunday. MLB bans ex-Mets GM Billy Eppler through 2024 postseason Major League Baseball has placed former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler on its ineligible list through the end of the 2024 postseason after an investigation found he violated rules that govern the use of the injury list, MLB announced Friday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing-Horner enquiry could drag on after initial Red Bull hearing

Red Bull Formula One team boss Christian Horner attended a hearing on Friday to answer allegations about his conduct that have cast doubt on his future and could overshadow the champions' car launch next week. Red Bull Racing and the Austrian energy drink parent company, who have not detailed the nature of the complaint, remained tight-lipped with representatives not responding to calls or emails.

NFL-Madrid to host NFL regular season game in 2025

The National Football League continued to push into new markets on Friday announcing it will play a first ever regular season game in Spain in 2025 at soccer side Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu stadium. After establishing an international toe-hold in Europe with regular games in London, the NFL has been aggressive in expanding the league's global footprint.

Two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber retires

Two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday after 13 seasons. "Each chapter was filled with priceless experiences, phenomenal teammates, and the backing of devoted fans, whose steadfast support always moved me to be the very best I could every time I toed the rubber," Kluber wrote as part of a long post on Instagram.

Jets owner takes aim at Robert Saleh, Joe Douglas, Zach Wilson

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson put head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas on notice during an interview at the NFL Honors awards show in Las Vegas. Making his first public comments since opting to stick with Saleh and Douglas, Johnson made it clear on Thursday night that the Jets' 7-10 record in the 2023 season wasn't acceptable.

Amazon's Prime Video to stream its first NFL playoff game next season - WSJ

Amazon.com's Prime Video streaming service will exclusively stream its first NFL playoff game next season, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The announcement comes ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl game, which will be available for streaming on Paramount+ and broadcast live on CBS and Nickelodeon.

NFL-Sportsbooks not joining Swift in 'Chiefs Kingdom' for Super Bowl

Taylor Swift may have her legion of fans rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl but she will not be able to sway sportsbooks given they stand to make more money if the San Francisco 49ers prevail in the NFL's championship game. While the bulk of bets will not be made until the weekend, there is plenty of money on Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce and the Chiefs repeating as Super Bowl champions in Las Vegas on Sunday.

MLB bans ex-Mets GM Billy Eppler through 2024 postseason

Major League Baseball has placed former New York Mets general manager Billy Eppler on its ineligible list through the end of the 2024 postseason after an investigation found he violated rules that govern the use of the injury list, MLB announced Friday. After reviewing the investigation, commissioner Rob Manfred issued the ban for Eppler, who MLB said oversaw the improper use of the injured list, including the "deliberate fabrication of injuries" as well as submitting documents to justify those placements on the IL during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

WTA roundup: Top seed falls in Transylvania

No. 8 seed Ana Bogdan of Romania ousted top-seeded Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) in a three-hour, 28-minute marathon in the quarterfinals of the Transylvania Open on Friday in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Bogdan won a tightly contested second-set tiebreaker on her second set point, then rallied from down 5-4 in both the third set and the ensuing tiebreaker to finish the upset. Bogdan had eight aces without a double fault while saving 12 of 18 break points; Rus had four aces but committed eight double faults.

Grizzlies' GG Jackson II signs multi-year contract

Memphis Grizzlies rookie forward GG Jackson II signed a multi-year contract on Friday. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Grizzlies, however ESPN reported it was a four-year contract.

What to expect from the Super Bowl halftime show this year

The Super Bowl halftime show has always been a major part of the annual NFL event, and is America's most-watched musical performance of the year. Here is a look at Sunday's halftime show, during the match between Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Nevada.