Today's Sports Business Pulse
Messi joins Ronaldo in billionaire football ranks after US endorsement deals
Lionel Messi's net worth now exceeds $1 billion, matching Cristiano Ronaldo as the only footballers to reach that milestone. The surge comes from a series of high‑value U.S. endorsement and licensing agreements across apparel, technology, and media.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Lucra raises $20M Series A
Sky Italia Seeks Damages From DAZN-TIM Soccer Deal
Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit in Milan seeking up to €1.9 billion in damages from Telecom Italia (TIM) and sports streamer DAZN, alleging their 2021 partnership violated Italian antitrust law. The dispute stems from DAZN’s €2.5 billion (≈$2.9 billion) acquisition of Serie A broadcast rights, which Sky claims was structured to block its market entry. Italy’s regulator previously fined TIM €800,000 and DAZN €7.2 million for the same agreement. Sky’s claim includes €500 million in interest and €380 million for alleged brand devaluation.
Free TV Antenna Viewers Surge, Commanders Games Cost Nothing
This @WSJ story has many bogus assertions. Every Washington @Commanders game (home and away, including Madrid) last season was on free broadcast TV in the local market. It literally did not cost the antenna viewer in DC a penny. The...
NFL Likely Hands Three Games to Netflix This Season
If you're having trouble following the final NFL TV rights assignments this year, here's my understanding: The NFL has 12 games left throughout the season to divvy up on top of pre-existing commitments. Five are expected to go streamers/broadcasters, while the...
Rupert Murdoch’s High-Stakes Blitz Against the NFL
Rupert Murdoch warned President Trump that expanding streaming rights for the NFL could cripple traditional broadcast networks. Fox, the league’s smallest broadcast partner, faces the prospect of losing game packages to deep‑pocketed streamers like Amazon and YouTube. The NFL is...
Besitas Adds Crytpo Partner OKX TR
Turkish football powerhouse Beşiktaş JK has signed a strategic digital collaboration with OKX TR, one of Turkey’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. The agreement grants fans who register on OKX TR a three‑month free trial of the club’s premium SuperApp tier, Karakartal+, while OKX TR...
Key Sports Business Moves: NCAA, NFL Rights,
The Varsity * Remembering Ted Turner. * Gianni Infantino on price gouging. * Why did the networks OK NCAA Tourney expansion? * Michael Rubin took another step toward building out Fanatic’s collectibles business. * Only about 75 employees remain at Main Street Sports. Plus, news and...
Arizona Rejects Big 12's Private Capital Proposal
Arizona won't accept the Big 12's private capital option. Statement from athletic dept spokesperson https://t.co/mObhvANx2m
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp (MSGS) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. reported Q3 2026 revenue of $403.4 million, a 13% year‑over‑year increase, and adjusted operating income of $29.7 million, up $9.4 million. Growth was driven by higher per‑game ticket, suite, sponsorship and merchandise sales, as well...
Florida’s Sole Hard Rock Sportsbook Spikes Betting Totals
Wonder how much higher it gets when you count Florida where only Hard Rock is legal sportsbook
Goodell Contacts Pat Summerall’s Daughter over Payment Demand
Really interesting piece. Four bylines including WSJ D.C. reporters. Great detail about Roger Goodell reaching out to Susie Wiles (Pat Summerall’s daughter) and the “pay us now” detail below. Well worth reading. https://t.co/xMGuJuckVt
World Cup Ticket Prices Dropping on Secondary Market
Ticket prices for group‑stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have fallen sharply on the secondary market, with the average get‑in price now $567, a 17.1% drop in two weeks and 21.2% over the past month. The decline affects...
Rupert And
It's Rupert vs Roger over the NFL and the future of broadcast TV. W/@andrewlbeaton, @jdawsey1 & @DanaMattioli https://t.co/2dtCo2quDG via @WSJ
NBC Locks $7.75B Olympic Deal Through 2032
🥇 📺 May 7, 2014: NBC signed a $7.75 billion extension to carry the Olympic Games through 2032. Just three years prior, they outbid ABC/ESPN and Fox for rights to carry the Olympics thru 2020. https://t.co/E5cPbMteh1 https://t.co/ZisiuQi9kr
More Netflix-NFL Footsie & Deal Extensionitis
The NFL is actively pursuing a new streaming partnership with Netflix as it eyes the next season’s rights package. Commissioner Roger Goodell publicly defended the move in a Vanity Fair interview, emphasizing Netflix’s distribution power. The league is also facing...
Outside Counsel Crucial: NJ's PASPA Victory Highlights Need
New Jersey won the PASPA case because it had Ted Olson on its side. And even he went 0-7 before winning at SCOTUS. It is beyond reckless for the States (besides NV and OH) not to be using outside counsel...
OnlyFans Outscores Entire Premier League Revenue
We often talk about the growth of the Premier League and football in general, with it being trumpeted as one of the UK's biggest brands. But is that true? The biggest PL revenue club (Liverpool) generated £703m in 2025,...
Xponential Fitness Sees 6 Percent Same-Store Slump in Q1
Xponential Fitness reported a 6% decline in North America same‑store sales for Q1 2026, while overall revenue fell 21% to $60.7 million as the company transitioned to an outsourced logistics model. The firm trimmed its net loss to $0.8 million (2 cents...
EXEC: Under Armour and Mizuno Brazil Partner Posts Net Income Slide on Higher Debt Load
Brazilian footwear and apparel distributor Vulcabras S.A., which licenses Under Armour, Mizuno and its own Olympikus brand, posted a 10.7% year‑over‑year revenue increase to R$776.4 million (≈ $155 million) in Q1 2026, driven by a 10.5% rise in athletic‑footwear volume and strong brand...
NFL’s Next Media Move Could Put More Games on YouTube & Netflix
The NFL is set to allocate four of its streaming‑rights games between YouTube and Netflix, while adding a fifth game for a major global streamer. Netflix will air two Christmas Day games in the final year of its three‑year deal...
Media Profit Drives Endless Coverage and Tip Influx
Could not agree more. There is financial incentive for TMZ, NYP and others based on the metrics (just use this site as a microcosm for that) to keep going. I'd also suggest that given the massive exposure of the story...
Maryland's Swap Argument Weakens Its Gambling Defense
It went very well at the beginning for Maryland — the panel was hammering the “gambling” similarities and Rule 40.11(a)(1)— but on MD's turn it was all about the broad definition of a “swap” and I’m not sure MD pushed...
Accor Takes Roland-Garros Global
Accor’s ALL Accor platform is partnering with Roland‑Garros to launch a hospitality‑driven campaign that blends hotel stays, live match experiences and loyalty rewards. The centerpiece is Raffles Paris, transformed with clay‑court inspired design and collaborations with Lacoste, pastry chef Yazid...
NFL Rights Packages Reach Record-Breaking, Controversial Prices
News and notes on the latest machinations surrounding the NFL’s highly coveted, obscenely expensive rights packages. https://t.co/J76hRBQwrU
Debating the Benefits of Expanding the NCAA Tournament
Last week on the Sporticast, @Sportico's flagship pod, @soshnick and I discussed the idea of the expanded @NCAA basketball tournament... https://t.co/8YrDG8Z8m6
The World Surf League Has Silently Sold Its Stake in the Kelly Slater Surf Ranch
The World Surf League has quietly divested its majority stake in Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, the iconic wave pool in central California. Sources confirm the transaction, with former WSL president Kaniela Neves acknowledging the sale, though the buyer remains largely...
Mittal Poised to Become NFL's First Foreign Control Owner
I've also confirmed. Note: Mittal would almost certainly be control owner (there needs to be one). And, if so, he'd be the first NFL control owner to reside outside the U.S.
Telemundo Leverages World Cup, Live TV for Spanish Media Dominance
Telemundo Bets on the World Cup and Live TV to Deliver Spanish-Language Media Domination https://t.co/G6b8vmrhpd via @thr
Expanded Basketball Tournaments Will Yield NCAA $50M a Year
The NCAA approved expanding both the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams, launching the new format next season. CBS and TNT will fund the expansion with a $50 million annual sponsorship commitment through 2032, unlocking beer, wine,...
Ted Turner's Bold, Untold Media Dreams Revealed
Ted Turner wanted to start a women's sports channel, a western channel, a youth sports platform, buy European soccer clubs. Just some of the great stories from Dr. Harvey Schiller today on his time w "The Mouth of The South"...
Fans Tolerate Extra Games, Hate In‑game Ads
I don’t think people are really going to be upset about a handful more games before the Round of 64. In-game ads and liquor commercials, on the other hand…
New York Proposes Biometric Checks for Sports Betting Apps
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has directed the State Gaming Commission to explore mandatory biometric verification, such as facial recognition, for online sports betting platforms. The draft regulations would require operators to collect biometric data when accounts are opened and...
Bucs Lock up Rookie RB Rueben Bain Jr. For $23.75M
JUST IN: Rueben Bain Jr., the Buccaneers' first-round pick, signed a four-year, fully-guaranteed rookie contract worth about $23.75 million.
Warriors Push Pre‑Lottery Move, Aim to Bring Back Kerr
JUST IN: The Warriors wanted this done before the draft lottery, and the intention is for Steve Kerr to return.
Live Sports Streaming Ad Market Rife With Fraud, Experts Say
The rapid shift of live sports to streaming platforms has created a fragmented ad marketplace where third‑party aggregators resell inventory they don’t directly control. Experts from Good Karma Brands and Digital Remedy warn that these middlemen often misrepresent placement guarantees,...
DraftKings Posts Strong Q1 Growth as Rivals Decline
DraftKings posts impressive year-over-year sports betting numbers in Q1 as many of its competitors see declines: - Handle up 1.5% - Revenue up 24.1% - Net revenue margin improves from 6.4% to 7.8%
Expanded NCAA Tournament Boosts Media Rights Revenue
👇 @JustinBeitler with the instant analysis on the additional #mediarights $ for the expanded Men's NCAA Tournament 🏀🏀🏀
Majority of Big 12 Schools Are Turning Down $30M RedBird Credit Option
The Big 12’s new partnership with RedBird Capital and Weatherford includes a $12.5 million conference‑level infusion and an optional $30 million line of credit for each member school. More than half of the schools—Texas Tech, Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas State, Arizona and...
Most Sports Bets Come From States Lacking Legal Bookies
Surprising stat from the @Draftkings earnings presentation. $DKNG 69% of sports prediction market wagers come from states without legal sportsbooks. I think their argument here is still the "incremental" one. That when you *can* use either, most people prefer sportsbooks. https://t.co/BmXepXCB5C
DraftKings Keeps FY2026 Revenue and EBITDA Guidance
DraftKings maintains fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance range of $6.5 billion to $6.9 billion and fiscal year 2026 Adjusted EBITDA guidance range of $700 million to $900 million, per Q1 earnings release
No Backlash From U.S. Formula 1 Fans After the Switch to Apple TV: Liberty Media CEO
Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang said the early results of Formula 1’s switch to Apple TV as the U.S. broadcast partner are promising, with viewership up across the first three races and no fan backlash. Apple’s tech‑forward platform delivered multi‑view, data‑feed and...
Profit Surge Fuels Push for Sports Predictions Leadership
“Our core business is strong, and profitability is inflecting. That gives us the firepower to press our advantage in Predictions. With our Super App, market making capabilities, proprietary exchange, and combos coming together, we intend to establish a leadership position...
U.S. Cities Reject 2031 Women's World Cup Without Reform Guarantees
U.S. cities have so far declined to sign hosting agreements for the 2031 Women's World Cup without assurances that things will be different than they have been for 2026. This is among the biggest stories I'll be watching coming out...
This World Cup, CTV Becomes the New Stadium
The upcoming World Cup will be watched across televisions, phones, tablets and voice assistants, turning the living room into a multi‑screen arena. Connected TV (CTV) is positioned as the central hub that can capture the household’s collective attention, but only...
Colts Shed $6M Dead Cap, Gain $7M Space
The release of CB Kenny Moore leaves behind $6.05M of dead cap to the #Colts, freeing up $7M of space. A 2017 UDFA, Moore earned over $57M across 9 seasons in Indy.
Credit Card Sports Betting Banned in Nine States, Growing
"Using a credit card to place sports bets is not allowed in at least nine states, and another is looking to join the list." Credit cards to be BANNED under ‘betting’ rule spreading across the US https://t.co/eEZ35bptsr
NHL Salary Cap Increases by $8.5M to Hit $104M
The NHL announced its salary cap will increase by $8.5 million to $104 million for the 2026‑27 season, a 9% rise over the current $95.5 million limit. The league’s minimum team spend also climbs to $76.9 million, while the individual player max is set...
Live Sports Streaming Ads Plagued by Fraud, Victims Identified
Over the last few months, several advertising experts have told @FOS that the live sports streaming ad market is rife with fraud. This is what is happening and who it hurts the most: https://t.co/dPEZBOGlUX
Athletes Decline $56M in NIL Deals, Legal Battles Loom
$56M in NIL deals declined so far (and that doesn't count the ones in limbo). That's a lot of money athletes are having to leave on the table. Hard to believe there won't be more legal challenges.
US Soccer Launches Atlanta Training Hub, Unlocking New Commercial Prospects
New at @SBJ: @USSoccer formally opened its National Training Center outside Atlanta today. I spoke with the facility's new GM about the potential commercial opportunities associated with the federation's new hub. https://t.co/F7GEsfEJnL
P4 Commissioners Driving NCAA Tournament Expansion, Not MAAC
If anybody wants to point a finger at the "greed" that is pushing the NCAA Tournament to expand, point it towards the P4 commissioners who have scared the rest of NCAA membership into thinking they'll leave without even more championship...