Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham Re-Affirm Commitment for Project B Despite CBA
Indiana Fever stars Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have reaffirmed their commitment to the upcoming Project B women’s basketball league despite the WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement that raises the league’s salary cap to $1.4 million. Project B will run seven two‑week tournaments worldwide from November 2026 to April 2027, offering a minimum $2 million salary, signing bonuses and equity. Mitchell values the league’s flexibility to return to the U.S. between tours, while Cunningham sees the financial security as a "no‑brainer" even with her WNBA raise. Both players have re‑signed with the Fever on one‑year deals.
Nick Wright Sounds Off on Off-Air Beefs, On-Air Chemistry, and Emmy Nom
Fox Sports 1’s daily show First Things First, anchored by Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wildes, received its first Sports Emmy nomination for Best Sports Studio Show, competing against four ESPN programs. Wright praised the on‑air chemistry that he...
With Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals Reset RB Pay Structure
The Arizona Cardinals selected Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the No. 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, awarding him a four‑year, $53.02 million fully guaranteed contract. The deal eclipses Saquon Barkley's previous guarantee record for running backs and ranks...
Job Postings Paint Picture of Cal’s New Content Venture After Layoffs
California's athletic department announced Strawberry Creek Studios, a new content‑creation venture replacing its traditional marketing and communications units. More than 20 positions were posted, indicating an investment of over $1 million in combined salaries. The studio will operate in four divisions—content...
Can a Fencing Makeover Take the Sport Mainstream?
The World Fencing League (WFL) launched its inaugural event in Los Angeles, featuring 12 Olympic‑level fencers competing for a $100,000 prize pool. Co‑founded by Olympic bronze medalist Miles Chamley‑Watson and investor Zhen Ren Teo, the league introduces a team‑based format and...
Proposed NCAA Five-Year Rule Could Squeeze Olympic Sports
The NCAA is proposing a five‑for‑five eligibility rule that would limit student‑athletes to five seasons of competition, effectively ending redshirt years, Olympic waivers and gap‑year leaves except for narrow cases such as maternity, religious missions and military service. The change...
Fever GM: Team Must Think ‘Long Term’ With Clark Payday Incoming
Indiana Fever general manager Amber Cox emphasized a long‑term roster strategy as the WNBA’s new EPIC contract provision reshapes salary‑cap dynamics. The rule let center Aliyah Boston secure a record four‑year, $6.3 million deal, and it positions rookie star Caitlin Clark...
Chelsea Fires Coach Less Than Four Months Into Six-Year Contract
Chelsea dismissed head coach Liam Rosenior after just four months of a six‑year, $5.4 million‑per‑year contract. The club has not won a Premier League match since early March, enduring five straight defeats without scoring. Rosenior’s exit could trigger a buyout ranging...
PGA Tour Signature Event Ratings Momentum Slows After 2025 Surge
The PGA Tour’s $20 million signature events posted a modest 2% viewership gain in 2026, averaging 3.55 million viewers, after a 10% surge the prior year. Only the Arnold Palmer Invitational bucked the trend, rising 17.8%, while the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro‑Am,...
‘This Is Purely Gaming’: Inside the Tribal Fight Against Prediction Markets
California tribal leader James Siva, chair of the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, is spearheading a nationwide tribal effort to block sports prediction markets, which he says threaten tribal gaming sovereignty. Tribes have filed lawsuits in California and Wisconsin targeting...
NFL Rookie Deals Will Top $50M for the First Time Since 2010
For the first time since the 2010 draft, NFL rookies are set to sign contracts exceeding $50 million. The projected four‑year deal for No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza of the Raiders tops $54.6 million, with the second and third selections also slated above...
NBC, Amazon Make Crucial Scorebug Errors in NBA Postseason
NBC and Amazon Prime Video each displayed incorrect timeout information on their NBA scorebugs during the 2024 postseason. NBC’s bug showed a Knicks timeout that didn’t exist in a Game 2 loss to Atlanta, while Amazon’s feed indicated a Miami...
Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media
Former NFL All‑Pro Brandon Marshall explains how he built I AM ATHLETE, an athlete‑owned media platform that emphasizes long‑form, athlete‑driven conversation. He credits early media ventures during his playing days for laying the groundwork and stresses ownership as essential in today’s fragmented...
New Blazers Owner Tom Dundon Is Aggressively Cutting Costs
Tom Dundon finalized purchase of 80% of the Portland Trail Blazers in a deal valuing the franchise at $4.2 billion and has immediately begun aggressive cost‑saving measures. The team left its three two‑way players off the road roster, forced staff to...
Caitlin Clark Prioritizes Health As WNBA Banks on Her Availability
Caitlin Clark entered the 2026 WNBA training camp focused on staying healthy after playing only 13 games in 2025 due to a groin and ankle injury. Despite her limited on‑court time, the league’s TV audience grew 3% to an average...
NFL Draft Shake-Up: 6 Teams Now With Multiple First-Round Picks
The 2026 NFL Draft opened with six franchises—Giants, Jets, Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins and Cowboys—each holding two first‑round selections after a flurry of recent trades, including New York's acquisition of the No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. The draft’s quarterback...
Liberty Stars Are Taking Major Pay Cuts to Chase a WNBA Title
Top New York Liberty stars—including Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally—agreed to contracts below the league's new super‑max levels to keep the team under the 2026 $7 million salary cap. Stewart and Ionescu signed three‑year deals worth $1.19 million...
Curt Cignetti: Indiana’s Title-Winning Roster Cost Well Under $40M
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti refuted Alabama GM Courtney Morgan’s claim that elite NIL‑era rosters cost over $40 million, asserting his championship team spent far less. The Hoosiers defeated Morgan’s Alabama squad 38‑3 in the Rose Bowl, while Ohio State’s 2024...
Darren Heitner Is the Lawyer Steering the NIL Era
Darren Heitner, a veteran sports attorney, has become a central figure in the college NIL era, representing athletes in high‑profile disputes such as Duke’s $4 million NIL contract with quarterback Darian Mensah and a lawsuit against former Florida State coach Leonard...
Joe Flacco Gets Candid
Joe Flacco enters his 19th NFL season at age 41 after earning his first Pro Bowl nod, yet he believes several teams missed an opportunity by not starting him. He disclosed his role as a strategic investor in cleat maker...
Grand Slam Track’s Contentious Bankruptcy Is Over. Now What?
Grand Slam Track emerged from Chapter 11 after a Delaware judge approved its reorganization plan, allowing the league to begin repaying creditors. The plan allocates about $4.9 million to athletes—roughly 70% of what they’re owed—and $1.8 million to vendors, about 14% of...
How Taylor Swift’s Catalog Fueled Scott Borchetta’s Push Into Sports
Scott Borchetta, the billionaire founder of Big Machine Label Group, is extending his entertainment empire into sports by partnering his eponymous entertainment firm with KMM Sports, a boutique NFL agency. The deal brings KMM the brand‑building, media, and business‑management resources...
Netflix Reports Strong Q1 Earnings, Touting Importance of Live Sports
Netflix posted Q1 2026 revenue of $12.25 bn, up 16% YoY, and net income of $5.3 bn, an 83% jump, driven by live‑sports events and a $2.8 bn termination fee after walking away from an $82.7 bn Warner Bros. Discovery deal. The company launched...
Damon Jones Will Plead Guilty in NBA Betting Case
Former NBA player and ex‑Lakers assistant Damon Jones has changed his plea to guilty in a federal case alleging he sold nonpublic player health information to gamblers, including tips about LeBron James. He faces conspiracy charges for wire fraud and...
NBA Bends 65-Game Awards Rule For Doncic, Cunningham
The NBA and NBPA have approved Extraordinary Circumstance Challenges for Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham, allowing both to remain eligible for All‑NBA honors and the MVP ballot despite falling short of the 65‑game threshold. Dončić missed two games to attend...
Saudi PIF Drops Al-Hilal Soccer Team Amid Sports Pivot
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced it will sell a 70% stake in Al‑Hilal soccer club to Kingdom Holding Company, valuing the club at about $373 million. The move follows the PIF’s new five‑year strategy that reprioritizes its near‑$1 trillion portfolio and...
French Open Will Allow Wearables Like Whoop on ‘Trial Basis’
Starting this year, the French Open will allow players to wear Whoop and similar biometric devices on a trial basis, marking the first Grand Slam to relax its ban on wearables. The trial will later extend to Wimbledon and the...
Michaela Onyenwere Made $205K Winning a Title With UCLA Before WNBA Payday
Michaela Onyenwere, a five‑year WNBA veteran, signed a two‑year contract with the Washington Mystics worth about $205,000, including a $175,000 base salary and $30,000 in bonuses earned from UCLA’s national title. The deal runs through June 30, 2026, and pushes...
Sophia Wilson on Returning to Soccer With a Million-Dollar Deal
U.S. Women’s National Team forward Sophia Wilson re‑signed with the Portland Thorns on a $1 million player option, becoming the NWSL’s first seven‑figure contract in a single season. The deal comes as she returns from giving birth in September and has...
NWSL Moves to Restrict Which Brands Players Can Wear on the Field
The National Women’s Soccer League is drafting a league‑wide “exposure agreement” that would require players to hide non‑partner logos on cleats and goalkeeper gloves. Nike and Adidas have already signed on, and the league projects at least $320,000 in annual...
Rory Triumph Delivers 14M Masters Viewers for CBS, Most Since 2015
Rory McIlroy captured a historic back-to-back Masters victory, the first since Tiger Woods in 2002, driving CBS’s final‑round audience to an average of 13.995 million viewers. The rating marks the network’s most‑watched Masters final since 2015 and represents an 8% increase...
Royals One Step Closer to New Kansas City Stadium
Kansas City’s Finance, Governance and Public Safety Committee approved moving forward with financing talks for a proposed $1.9 billion Royals stadium at Washington Square Park, authorizing up to $600 million in city funding backed by future tax revenue. The Board of Parks...
MLB Sees Longer Games but Higher Attendance Early in ABS Era
Major League Baseball’s automated ball‑strike (ABS) system is now fully operational in the 2026 season, extending average nine‑inning games to 2 hours 42 minutes—four minutes longer than 2025. Despite the slower pace, early‑season attendance has risen 4.2% to 6.98 million fans...
Chernin Group Leads Funding Round in Social Box Score App ‘Real’
The Chernin Group has led a minority‑stake funding round in Real, the social box‑score app that blends live sports data with social and gaming features. Real, founded by brothers John and Louis Antonelli, now reports 700,000‑900,000 daily active users and...
Jay Bilas to Fill Michael Malone’s Role on ESPN NBA Playoff Coverage
Jay Bilas will replace Michael Malone on ESPN’s NBA playoff broadcast team after Malone left for the University of North Carolina head‑coaching job, signing a six‑year, $50 million contract. Bilas, a longtime college basketball analyst who joined ESPN in 1995, will...
NBA Teams To Get Lowest Luxury Tax Check Since Pandemic
The NBA’s luxury‑tax distribution this season is the smallest since the pandemic‑shortened 2020‑21 campaign, with 23 teams avoiding the tax and each slated to receive about $4.9 million. The seven teams that remain on the tax apron—Cavaliers, Warriors, Knicks, Lakers, Rockets,...
NBA Playoffs Set to Leave Local TV Behind in Streaming-Heavy Shift
The NBA’s postseason will be shown exclusively on national networks and streaming platforms, ending local TV coverage for the first round. The Play‑In Tournament moves to Amazon Prime Video, while first‑round games split among NBC, Peacock, Amazon, ESPN and ABC...
Inside the Masters: PGA Tour Plans, LIV Talks, and Media Moves
Rory McIlroy secured a back‑to‑back Masters victory, capping a dramatic final round at Augusta. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp announced a June 23 press conference at the Travelers Championship to outline potential schedule reforms, though the most sweeping changes are expected...
Masters Increases Purse To Record $22.5M, Topping Other 3 Majors
The Masters announced a record $22.5 million total purse for 2026, the largest ever for any of golf’s four majors. The champion will collect a $4.5 million first‑place check, up $300,000 from last year’s winner’s share. This marks the fifth straight year...
‘Next Level’: How VIPs Party in Augusta During Masters Week
The Masters week in Augusta has become a high‑stakes hospitality arena where billionaires, corporate CEOs, and celebrities mingle in exclusive venues such as Berckmans Place and sponsor‑run houses. Companies like DraftKings, AT&T, and Delta rent luxury estates and host pop‑up...
Typti U.S. Open Will Launch With $100K in Prize Money
Typti, a hybrid racket sport that mixes tennis, badminton and pickleball court dimensions, will stage its inaugural U.S. Open in California next month with a $100,000 prize purse. NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and former tennis Grand Slam quarter‑finalist...
Billionaire Broncos Owners Buy 40% of Rockies
The Walton‑Penner family, owners of the Denver Broncos, has purchased a 40% minority stake in the Colorado Rockies, becoming the franchise's largest minority investor. Valued at roughly $1.68 billion, the Rockies have long been one of MLB’s lowest‑spending clubs and have...
WNBA Free Agency Tracker: Welcome to the Million-Dollar Era
The WNBA’s free‑agency market has entered a million‑dollar era as the new collective bargaining agreement raises the salary‑cap share for top contracts. Jackie Young became the league’s first player to sign a seven‑figure annual deal, and Nneka Ogwumike is expected to...
Pile of Famous Athletes Quietly Invested in Kalshi Months Ago
Kalshi closed a Series E round that raised $1 billion, pushing its valuation to $11 billion. A $4.7 million slice of the round came from a group of high‑profile athletes—including WNBA stars Breanna Stewart, Nneka Ogwumike and Diana Taurasi, NBA players Ajay Mitchell and Jaime Jaquez Jr., NHL...
Early Olympic Ticket Sales: Fans Met With High Prices, Tech Issues
The LA28 Olympic ticket presale, the earliest in Games history, opened with prices ranging from $28 to $5,519. Nearly 50% of tickets were under $200 and 75% under $400, but a 24% service fee inflated final costs. Fans faced technical...
Amazon Passes Masters Test During Debut
Amazon’s Prime Video made its live‑sports debut by exclusively streaming the first round of the Masters on Thursday, using CBS’s production crew and talent. The broadcast featured the standard CBS commentary team with Amazon’s branding limited to a logo overlay...
Los Angeles World Cup Fan Fests Will Not Be Free
Los Angeles will charge admission for its World Cup Fan Fest events, a first for the traditionally free FIFA watch parties. The opening celebration at USC’s Memorial Coliseum and ten additional regional zones will require tickets for anyone 12 and...
Masters Ticket Crackdown Playing Out Behind Closed Doors
Augusta National intensified its crackdown on Masters ticket resale during the 2026 tournament, detaining and questioning patrons whose badges scanned irregularly. At the north gate, about two dozen fans waited up to an hour while security escorted them to a...
Top Sports Lawyers Command $10 Million Salaries Amid Poaching Frenzy
Top sports lawyers are commanding compensation packages that exceed $10 million annually as elite law firms scramble to poach talent. Firms such as Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, Davis Polk and Simpson Thacher have hired marquee attorneys who brought book‑of‑business...
NFL’s Melbourne Opener Sparks Frenzy, Ticket Issues, Team Unease
The NFL’s inaugural regular‑season game in Melbourne on Sept. 10 sparked a ticket frenzy, with 151,000 fans vying for seats at the 100,000‑capacity MCG. General sales sold out in under 30 minutes, leaving only VIP tickets priced from $1,750 AUS (≈$1,234 USD). The...