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WNBA owners and players are deep in collective bargaining talks as the 2026 season looms, with proposals exchanged this week and a disputed deadline of Tuesday versus a quality‑of‑deal standard. The core impasse centers on revenue sharing – owners suggest roughly 70% of net revenues to players, a figure 84% of the union rejects as far below gross earnings. Additional friction involves the future of league‑subsidized housing and how it will be phased out. Failure to reach a deal could jeopardize expansion drafts, free agency and the rookie draft schedule.
Wisconsin’s Assembly Bill 1034, passed 95‑1, and companion Senate Bill 1075 would allow the University of Wisconsin system to pay athletes for name, image and likeness (NIL) while granting a sweeping exemption from the state’s open records law for all...
Generative AI is infiltrating sports, exemplified by a White House TikTok that used a deepfake of NHL star Brady Tkachuk, garnering over 12 million views. The clip, labeled as AI‑generated, sparked backlash and highlighted athletes’ lack of control over their...
Carlos Vela has joined Los Angeles FC as a limited partner, purchasing a 6% equity stake in a transaction that valued the club at $1.25 billion, one of MLS’s highest ever stake sales. The deal also saw longtime investors Joe Tsai and...
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon agreed to sell a 12.5% minority stake, valuing the NHL franchise at $2.66 billion. The transaction introduces three undisclosed partners and may provide liquidity for Dundon's pending $4.25 billion acquisition of the Portland Trail Blazers. The Hurricanes'...
Forward Madison FC, a USL League One franchise, has hired Greenwich Advisory to explore an equity raise targeting private equity, family offices and strategic partners. The club, which averages over 4,000 fans in a 5,000‑seat stadium, is running break‑even to...
Chinese billionaire Lin Bin, co‑founder of Xiaomi, agreed to purchase a 1% stake in the Miami Dolphins' holding company, valuing the franchise at $12.5 billion. The NFL finance committee has cleared the transaction, but a full owners’ vote is still pending....
Billionaire Rob Walton, worth roughly $146 billion, bought the Denver Broncos for a record $4.65 billion four years ago and has since quietly added a 10 % stake in the Arizona Diamondbacks, valued at $2 billion. The MLB investment funded stadium upgrades at Chase...
Houston Dash owner Ted Segal has relaunched the formal sale process after last year’s negotiations with RHC Partners collapsed over NWSL league concerns about the buyer’s funding source. The Dash were previously valued at $74 million, well below the league’s average...
Fertitta Entertainment, the Houston Rockets’ owner, is in talks to acquire Caesars Entertainment, a $5 billion market‑cap casino operator. If the deal closes, conflict‑of‑interest rules would force Caesars to drop all Rockets betting lines from its online and brick‑and‑mortar sportsbooks, echoing...
Youth sports is often portrayed as recession‑proof, yet costs have surged 46% while U.S. births fell about 15%, shrinking the entry pool. A modest 3% annual decline in new participants compounds to roughly a 30% reduction in the base cohort...
Bruin Capital announced the hiring of Adam Hasiba as its first Managing Director, tasking him with expanding the firm’s sports, media and fan‑engagement platform. Hasiba leaves consumer‑focused private‑equity giant L Catterton after more than a decade, bringing deep experience scaling media‑centric...
A Los Angeles jury is hearing the KGM trial, which alleges Meta and other social platforms are engineered to addict minors through features like infinite scrolling, autoplay and dopamine‑triggering rewards. The case, while focused on social media, raises the prospect...
ESPN launched ESPN Unlimited in 2025, bundling its traditional TV networks with ESPN+ and the newer ESPN Select service into a single direct‑to‑consumer offering. The tiered structure has confused many users, especially as some content that was previously free on...
Former U.S. soccer star Jozy Altidore has joined NBA All‑Star Russell Westbrook and Echo Capital in financing a United Soccer League franchise slated to relaunch in Oklahoma City in 2028. The venture is anchored by a $1 billion mixed‑use entertainment district...
Players Era, the college basketball tournament that pays athletes NIL compensation, is demanding more than $50 million annually for broadcast rights to its expanded early‑season event. Networks have so far rejected the offer, citing the price as far above typical preseason...
MLS franchise values have surged to an average of $767 million, driven by Inter Miami’s $1.45 billion valuation and LAFC’s $1.4 billion mark. At the lower end, clubs like CF Montréal sit at $430 million, with San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps seeing year‑over‑year declines. The...
NASCAR entered the 2024 season after settling a 16‑month charter dispute that secured permanent slots for teams and a leadership transition following the commissioner’s exit. The series unveiled a revamped 2026 playoff format, eliminating automatic qualifications for race winners and...
Ilia Malinin, the 21‑year‑old figure‑skating phenom known as "QuadGod," has one trademark application left – for apparel, costumes and clothing – which is now in a 30‑day public review period. Two earlier requests for skating equipment and entertainment services were...
The Feb. 13 Sportico Transactions roundup reported a wave of senior‑level appointments across the sports media landscape, including DAZN’s hiring of Dave Stratton as EVP of Marketing and CAA’s addition of gaming‑focused consultant Christopher Erb. It also announced a new sponsorship...
DraftKings' shares fell 13% after the company reported fourth‑quarter earnings and issued FY2026 revenue guidance that missed analysts' expectations. Revenue reached $2 billion, matching consensus, while earnings per share rose to $0.25 versus the $0.16 forecast. The 2026 sales outlook of...
