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
How to Watch Formula 1 Racing
For the 2026 Formula 1 season, Apple TV+ becomes the exclusive U.S. broadcaster, consolidating practice, qualifying, sprint and Grand Prix sessions into a single streaming platform. The move replaces the fragmented ESPN/ABC arrangement and pairs F1 coverage with the broader Apple One bundle, offering a lower price point than the former standalone F1 TV subscription. The 2026 calendar expands to 24 race weekends, making it one of the longest seasons in the sport’s history. Fans can still use the F1 TV app for premium features, but live races now stream solely through Apple TV.
Compensation Range Shapes College NIL Deal Values
Still one of the biggest mysteries in college sports & NIL... What is the range of compensation (RoC), and how does it affect NIL deals? This is covered in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Now 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL https://t.co/8Y4yDjhLsn
Data: Football Viewership Growing Across the US
Nielsen reports U.S. audiences logged nearly 80 billion minutes watching football in 2025, underscoring the sport’s accelerating popularity ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Interest is rising across the board, with a third of the general population and nearly two‑thirds...
WBD Lines up 4,000 Live Hours for Summer of Sport
Warner Bros. Discovery will air more than 4,000 hours of live sport this summer across TNT Sports, Eurosport and HBO Max. The schedule, running from May through July, includes over 50 events in 50 markets, ranging from Grand Tour cycling and Roland‑Garros to...
Nielsen Data Gives Radio a Foothold With World Cup Fans
Nielsen’s Fan Insights survey reveals that 61% of U.S. soccer fans rely on radio for sports news, outpacing the 46% baseline of the general population. Podcast usage mirrors this trend, with 60% of fans tuning in versus 37% of non‑fans....
The PR Week: 5.1.2026 - PRWeek Sports Conference Special
PRWeek’s Sports Conference opened with a high‑energy keynote from WNBA star Breanna Stewart, who urged brands to let athletes tell their own stories. Sessions then turned to the upcoming LA28 Summer Olympics, where agencies outlined integrated PR plans aimed at...
🚨 EXCL: Liverpool & Man United Ready to Pounce for £80m Premier League Star as He Plans Talks over His...
Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United are reportedly preparing bids for a star player valued at around £80 million (approximately $102 million). The player is set to begin contract negotiations this summer, prompting interest from multiple top‑flight teams. Sources suggest both...
Asahi Becomes Official Beer Partner and Supplier at Lord’s
Japanese beverage group Asahi UK has secured a multi‑year exclusive agreement to become the official beer partner and supplier at Lord’s Cricket Ground, displacing former partner Brewdog. The deal will see Asahi’s portfolio—including Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%, Meantime Craft Beer,...
ISL 2025-26: Lilavati Hospital to Lead Matchday Medical Support for Mumbai City FC
Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre has been appointed the official medical partner of Mumbai City FC, providing on‑field medical support for matches and training sessions. The agreement includes ambulances, qualified medical staff, and rapid emergency care to safeguard player health....
Rohit Sharma Steps Into Wellness Arena with Launch of hydRo365
Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma has launched hydRo365, a high‑performance hydration and sports‑nutrition brand, on his 39th birthday. The flagship product is a powdered electrolyte blend with six electrolytes, vitamin C, zinc, B‑vitamins and L‑theanine, sweetened with monk fruit for...
Cricket Australia’s Big Bash Cash Grab Is Rejected – but There Are Better Options on the Table
Cricket Australia (CA) has scrapped a plan to sell partial or full stakes in its Big Bash League (BBL) franchises after Queensland and New South Wales rejected the proposal. The league, which has posted a A$31.9 million (≈$21 million USD) loss in...
Mat Ishbia May Be The Only One Who Can Bring Hockey Back To Phoenix
Phoenix Suns and WNBA Mercury owner Mat Ishbia reiterated his willingness to help bring NHL hockey back to the city, but he emphasized that a suitable arena is the critical missing piece. The former Arizona Coyotes left after arena negotiations...
Chelsea Weeds Out Ticket Touts with Suspension of 16,000 Club Memberships This Season
Chelsea has suspended more than 16,000 club memberships for ticket touting during the 2025/26 season, a three‑fold increase over the previous year. The crackdown relies on digital ticketing, expanded audit staff, and tighter system controls. Automated bots generating 60,000‑80,000 ticket...
Real‑time Delivery Is the New Competitive Edge
I’ve seen how quickly content loses value if it doesn’t move in real time. In live sports, the moment isn’t just captured—it has to be delivered instantly. If the network can’t keep up, the story’s already gone. That’s where performance becomes a competitive...
TV Ratings (30/4/2026): Women’s State Of Origin Edges AFL In Thursday Night Code Clash
Thursday night’s television clash saw the inaugural Women’s State of Origin game claim the top spot with a national reach of 2.045 million and an average audience of 980,000, edging out the AFL broadcast. The NSW Blues defeated the Queensland Maroons...
Newco Hometown Soccer Holdings to Sell MLS Next Pro Rights
Major League Soccer and private‑equity firm KKR have created a 50‑50 joint venture, Hometown Soccer Holdings, to manage commercial rights for most MLS Next Pro clubs. The entity will handle venue operations, branding, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising and finance while parent MLS...
Heineken Names Serena Williams As Global Brand Ambassador
Heineken 0.0 has appointed tennis icon Serena Williams as its global brand ambassador, linking the alcohol‑free lager to the fast‑growing sport of padel. To debut the partnership, Williams surprised players in Miami through the Open Match feature on Playtomic, embodying Heineken’s "Unexpected...
Amazon's Super Bowl Streaming Falls Far Short of TV Reach
Re: @BrendanCarrFCC and the NFL, Amazon and Super Bowl. It is irrelevant, as Amazon couldn't deliver it to 55M+ households in the U.S. Peak streaming viewership, measured in AMA, was 15.5M in 2025. Even years from now, streaming will still...
AFC Puts Rights Tender on Hold as It Reviews Competition Reforms and New Calendar Proposals
The Asian Football Confederation has postponed the award of its 2029‑2036 commercial rights package to evaluate ongoing competition reforms and FIFA’s proposed calendar overhaul. The current agreement with Football Marketing Asia, valued between $3.4 billion and $4 billion, still has two years...
Rebundling Is Key to Recovering Pay‑TV Losses
Consolidation and rebundling are the only way I gain some fraction of what lost via the attrition of Pay TV over the past 15 years…Big questions is just how much can be stabilized and regained? Just getting started...
Chobani Partners With AIS To Fuel Athlete Performance
Chobani has teamed up with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to provide its yoghurt range to athletes training on campus. The deal includes athlete‑led social storytelling that shares AIS‑backed nutrition tips to a broader Australian audience. Soccer star Michelle...
MLS Faces Critical Search for Next Commissioner
With Don Garber’s quarter-century-plus tenure ending next year, MLS has executive headhunters embarked on a sprawling replacement search. A few well-known names have emerged as early targets. With big-growth ambitions, they’d better get it right. https://t.co/5EQuSrXqKz
Soccer’s Next Don
MLS is quietly hunting a successor to long‑time commissioner Don Garber, whose contract expires at the end of the 2027 season. Korn Ferry, the executive search firm, has been contacting a mix of former league executives, team owners and media...
NHL/NBA Lag Far Behind MLB's Streaming Revenue
Those numbers are lower than what MLB teams are getting right now with PayTV and DTC streaming. I’m confused why the NHL and NBA wouldn’t just copy what MLB has done…Also, no one, and I mean no one, is doing...
Serena Williams Celebrates the Spirit of Padel in New Global Heineken 0.0 Campaign via Le Pub
Heineken® 0.0 has signed tennis icon Serena Williams as its global brand ambassador, anchoring a multi‑year campaign that celebrates padel, one of the fastest‑growing social sports. The launch featured Williams stepping in as a surprise teammate for a Miami Open Match game...
DAZN’s U.S. Pursuit Gaining Steam
DAZN announced the acquisition of ViewLift, a streaming‑technology provider that already powers direct‑to‑consumer services for several major U.S. sports teams. ViewLift’s portfolio includes partnerships with the NHL’s Panthers, MLB’s Mariners, 15 teams and five regional sports networks. The deal gives...
Comcast-NFL Network Dispute Kicks Off
Comcast’s carriage agreement with Disney/ESPN for NFL Network and NFL RedZone expired at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday, prompting the removal of both channels from Xfinity, Comcast Business, Xfinity Stream, and On Demand. The dispute marks the first high‑profile carriage fight for...
Which WWE Releases Could End Up in AEW?
WWE trimmed its roster after WrestleMania, releasing nearly two dozen talent in its annual reset. The article spotlights several names that could bolster All Elite Wrestling, including Aleister Black, Apollo Crews, Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Santos Escobar, the Motor City Machine...
Hisense CMO Leans Into Hosting Message, Not Just Sports
Hisense’s new "Out Host With Hisense" campaign pivots from product specs to the experience of hosting, using the FIFA World Cup as a launchpad. A survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers showed 71% consider upgrading their TV after watching a game...
Sinclair Notes Stronger Political Ad Buys in Q1 as Midterm Budgets Open
Sinclair reported Q1 revenue of $807 million, a 4% year‑over‑year increase, while adjusted EBITDA rose 13% to $126 million and net income turned positive at $20 million versus a $156 million loss a year ago. Core advertising revenue grew 4% to $305 million, and political...
LIV Golf Drama Could Shape Next Full Swing Season
This LIV golf news is wild. I wonder if it will make the next season of Full Swing.
Championship Clubs Overspend: Wages Outpace Revenue, Costing Billions
Championship total revenues ⬇️ by 2% in 2024/25, but wages ⬆️by 2%, so overall wages 97% of revenue, which doesn't leave much to turn the floodlights on. Since 2010 Championship revenue ⬆️ by 142%, but wages ⬆️by 182%, which highlights...
With His New Collaboration, Charles Leclerc Furthers His Connection to Number 16
Charles Leclerc has teamed up with Chivas Regal to launch Chivas Regal 16, a limited‑edition 16‑year‑old whisky highlighted by a sherry‑cask‑matured Longmorn single malt. Guided by master blender Sandy Hyslop, the collaboration involved tastings in Scotland and a launch event in...
Minnesota Leads Bid for 2028 NFL Draft Hosting
Sources tell @SBJ that Minnesota is favored to win hosting rights to the 2028 NFL Draft https://t.co/q46HHX11yG
John Wall Named Howard’s Basketball Ops President, Elevating Athlete Influence
Interesting to see how these are becoming more than #nil for responsible athletes looking to make a difference. #Howard taps John Wall to be new president of basketball operations https://t.co/haYGukq460 via @usatoday
Jeanie Buss Uses 'Hammer' To Halt Brother Jimmy's Lakers Tanking Plan
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss confronted brother Jimmy Buss over a six‑year playoff drought, invoking the “hammer” her father gave her to reverse a tanking strategy. The clash highlights governance tensions in the family‑run franchise.
Seeking Peacock Game Stats to Recalculate Averages
If you have the numbers for the Peacock exclusive games please let me know. I would like to know how those affect these “averages”
Colts Decline Richardson's $22.5M Option, Free Agency Looms
The #Colts have officially declined a $22.5M 5th-year option for QB Anthony Richardson. The 23-year-old is due a fully guaranteed $5.3M this season, with free agency now available next March.
Don Garber: MLS Was ‘Way Early’ on Move to Streaming-Exclusive Model
Major League Soccer has eliminated the $100 MLS Season Pass, making every match available to all Apple TV subscribers. Commissioner Don Garber admitted the league was “way early” in adopting an exclusive streaming‑only model. While other top leagues retain broadcast...
UEFA Club Media Rights Revenue Tops $5 Billion
Media-rights revenue for men’s UEFA club competitions set to surge past $5bn https://t.co/2kXf1Awt2b via @NYTimes
Kentucky Derby Broadcast Sees 5x Growth in Four Hours
A 5x build-up over 4 hours for the #KentuckyDerby on #NBC ... slightly higher than my mint julep intake on race day 🙃 Holla @andrewelkadi for the #mediarights work cc: @Octagon
Doubts About Balde Start To Creep In At FC Barcelona
Barcelona’s left‑back Alejandro Balde is attracting serious interest from Manchester United as the Catalan club weighs a potential sale. The club’s strained finances make a €50 million (≈$54.5 million) offer tempting, especially after a €15 million (≈$16.4 million) loan deal for João Cancelo could become permanent....
Big Ten Hires Strategy Deputy Amid Conference Chaos
Starting tomorrow, the Big Ten will have a deputy commissioner for strategy: former Wisconsin AD Chris McIntosh. Seems like a move every conference should consider given the industry's current chaos and future uncertainty -->
Saudi-Backed Boxing Booming with Fury‑Joshua, Benn, Canelo Fights
There's been a lot of speculation that Saudi-funded boxing could be in trouble in light of what's happening with LIV Golf. However, in the last few weeks: - Turki Alalshikh announced Fury-Joshua megafight - Dana White announced five-fight deal for Conor Benn...
Coachella Valley Lakers To Debut At Acrisure Arena
The Los Angeles Lakers are relocating their NBA G League affiliate to Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, rebranding it as the Coachella Valley Lakers. The 11,000‑seat venue, which opened in December 2022, already hosts the AHL Firebirds and will now...
Jets Split Options While Others Lock in Key Talent
Recent 5th-Year Option Decisions #Panthers exercised QB Bryce Young ($25.9M) #Titans exercised OL Peter Skoronski ($19.072M) #Jets exercised ED Will McDonald ($14.475M) #Bengals declined ED Myles Murphy ($14.475M) #Packers exercised ED Lukas Van Ness ($13.75M) #Jets declined DL Mazi Smith ($13.9M)
Redefining Leadership in Athletics: The CEO Model
College athletics has transformed into a multi‑billion‑dollar enterprise, driven by NIL revenue sharing, massive media‑rights deals, and escalating coaching costs. University of South Florida responded by creating a CEO role for its athletics department, complemented by a COO and chief...
Iowa Sports Betting: Best IA Sportsbooks, Apps, and Promos
Iowa legalized online and retail sports betting in August 2019, and the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission now oversees 14 licensed operators. The market is led by six apps—DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Fanatics, bet365 and Caesars—each offering aggressive welcome bonuses ranging...
Wealthy Heir's Group Bids to Move Whitecaps to Vegas
Here's more, via @Sportico, about the group that says it "submitted a bid" to @MLS to relocate the @WhitecapsFC to Las Vegas. It's led by the son of one of the wealthiest women in the U.S., and he has very...
Prediction Markets Favor Horse Racing over Other Sports
The prediction markets are all pulling horse racing in a way they have refused to do with other sports