You’re reading Significant Digits, a daily digest of the telling numbers tucked inside the news.
4.3 percent
Dick’s Sporting Goods reported strong quarterly earnings Tuesday. But the retailer also owns Golf Galaxy, the canary in the coal mine of the increasingly dire golf business. Same-store sales were down 4.3 percent last quarter at the golf chain, while analysts only expected a dip of 1.5 percent. [Bloomberg]
6 points
A Public Policy Polling survey of the state of Texas found that Donald Trump leads in the state by a mere 6 points over rival Hillary Clinton. The Democrat actually leads Trump 49-45 among voters under the age of 65. [PPP]
1.0 million
Number of viewers who tuned in to Fox on Friday to watch the Yankees take on the Rays in Alex Rodriguez’s final game. It’s nice to be reminded that New York City is not America, because that is a dismal damn rating, losing to the 1.2 million people who watched the previous week’s contest, a rerun of “Masterchef.” [Sports Media Watch]
$1 million
While Playboy Enterprises sold the Playboy Mansion to a neighbor for $100 million, the deal stipulates that Hugh Hefner, a known sex-haver, gets to live in the mansion as long as he wants to. His previous rent was apparently $100 per year, but the new owner is now charging $1 million per year for the rental. Given that pornography is now often found free on the internet, and apparently has been for some time, I am worried for Hef. It sucks getting priced out of a prime apartment. [Business Insider]
$1.69 million
If you are the type of person who would like to buy a helicopter, now is the best time in a while. A pre-owned 2010 Bell 407 helicopter is 13 percent cheaper now than it was two years ago, according to a helicopter appraisal firm, which is a type of business I didn’t know existed until now. For the cool price of $1.69 million you, your mining concern or your corporation can own such a model of helicopter. [Quartz]
$135 million
Gawker Media was sold Tuesday at an auction to Univision for $135 million. The bankrupt online publisher was for sale due to a Peter Thiel-funded Hulk Hogan lawsuit that led to a $140 million judgement against the company and owner Nick Denton. A judge still has to approve the deal. [Recode]
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