Today's Sports Business Pulse
Messi joins Ronaldo as billionaire after US endorsement deals
Lionel Messi has entered the billionaire club, driven by a series of high‑value U.S. endorsement and licensing agreements announced this month. His net worth now exceeds $1 billion, matching Cristiano Ronaldo as the only footballers to reach that milestone.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Lucra raises $20M to expand its eSports gamification platform
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 MLB opening‑night streaming, delivered the World Baseball Classic to Japan with 31.4 million viewers, and is in talks with the NFL for a five‑game rights package. Advertising tied to live events is set to double to $3 bn in 2026. Despite the earnings beat, shares fell 9% after‑hours as Netflix trimmed its outlook and announced co‑founder Reed Hastings will not seek board re‑election.
UW Health Inks Deal to Become Packers’ Official Healthcare Partner
UW Health, a Madison‑based health system, signed a multiyear deal to become the Green Bay Packers’ official healthcare partner. The agreement includes permanent signage at the stadium’s north gate, logo patches on practice jerseys, and presenting sponsorship of the Packers...
2026 NFL Draft Power Rankings: The Teams Built to Strike and the Ones Just Showing Up
The 2026 NFL Draft power rankings evaluate each franchise’s draft capital, front‑office aggressiveness, and roster urgency, assigning a weighted score of 60% capital, 20% management style, and 20% pressure. Teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars (11 picks, highly aggressive GM) and...
Canyon Bicycles Appoints Matthias Meier As CEO
Canyon Bicycles named former DT Swiss co‑CEO Matthias Meier as its new chief executive, effective May 1, succeeding founder Roman Arnold who remains executive chairman. Meier arrives after a three‑year loss streak and a recent restructuring that cut 320 jobs and cost...
The NFL Wants to Double The Cost of Its NFL Games & Could Drive Up The Cost of Your TV...
The NFL is demanding roughly double the current media‑rights fees as renewal talks begin, while broadcasters counter with a modest 25% increase. Existing contracts generate more than $10 billion annually; a 50‑60% hike could add about $1 billion per year, pushing CBS’s...
Arlo White, David Feherty Refute Reports of LIV Golf’s ‘Imminent Demise’
LIV Golf launched its Mexico City tournament while broadcasters Arlo White and David Feherty publicly dismissed reports that the league faces imminent collapse. White claimed a recent conversation with CEO Scott O’Neil left him “very bullish” about LIV’s future, and...
Asics Brand Joins a Plethora of Active Lifestyle Retail Stores on Boston’s Marathon Weekend
Asics America and Marathon Sports have launched the Asics Run Shop on Boston’s iconic Newbury Street, opening during the city’s marathon weekend. The concept store combines Asics footwear and apparel with a curated selection of nutrition, insoles, wearables and eyewear...
Les Mills Teams with HYROX to Launch Global Fitness Racing Programs
Les Mills has been named the Official Group Training Program Partner for HYROX, unveiling two new group classes—CEREMONY HYROX and CEREMONY HYROX MAX—across its 30,000‑plus gym network. The Cologne‑based partnership aims to fuse science‑backed workouts with the sport’s fast‑growing race...
EXEC: Former Exec Sues Adidas Over Alleged Gender Discrimination
Lindsay Gregg, former head of Adidas women’s basketball sports marketing, filed a lawsuit alleging she was terminated for exposing gender discrimination and whistleblower retaliation. She claims she built the program by signing top WNBA talent such as Olivia Miles and...
San Diego Padres Sale Bidding Nears $4 Billion Mark
Second‑round bids for the San Diego Padres have surged, with three offers exceeding $3.5 billion and one approaching $4 billion. The four finalists—Clearlake Capital’s José Feliciano, Dan Friedkin’s Pursuit Sports, Warriors co‑owner Joe Lacob, and Pistons owner Tom Gores—represent a mix of...
NFL Treats YouTube as Free TV, Ignoring Regulators
NFL to Critics: YouTube Is Free TV. Deal With It. Assuming today’s YouTube licensing of five games news is accurate, it clearly illustrates that the NFL is not terribly concerned by the FCC inquiry, what appears to be a narrow DoJ...
Team USA Board Mulls LA28 Ticket Fees, NCAA Squeeze
The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) board met to review preparations for Los Angeles 2028 and Utah 2034, tackling a controversial 24% service fee on LA28 tickets and confirming 1 million tickets will be sold at $28. The meeting also highlighted a looming...
ESPN Enters First HDR Postseason With REMCO Support in New Bristol-Based Control Rooms
ESPN is debuting native‑HDR capture for the NBA postseason, using newly built control rooms in Bristol, Connecticut. The broadcaster’s REMCO (remote‑controlled) workflow lets directors operate robotic cameras and manage transmission paths from off‑site locations. EVS’s XtraMotion technology and CMSI data...
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...
National Collegiate Rugby Partners with All Women’s Sports Network for 2026 National 7s Championships
National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) has secured a media‑rights deal with All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) to broadcast the women’s championship matches of the 2026 Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) National 7s. The live finals will air on AWSN at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday,...
Big‑event Hosting Hurts Taxpayers, Benefits the Wealthy
Toronto is one of a long line of cities when officials realize after its too late how much of an economic misstep the World Cup or the Olympics turns out to be for a city. It's not absolutely this but...
Ninth Circuit Judges Question Sports Betting vs Casino Rules
"A three-judge panel pressed the exchanges on how sports betting differs from casino gambling." Online sports betting exchanges seek win before Ninth Circuit https://t.co/HmiCfIl3qq
Perfect Game and Youth Prospects Announce Broadcast Rights and Content Partnership
Perfect Game, the leading organizer of elite amateur baseball events, has forged a broadcast and content partnership with digital platform Youth Prospects. The deal grants Youth Prospects rights to stream select Perfect Game games, including the WWBA World Championship in...
World Baseball Classic Becomes Netflix Japan’s Top Show
Netflix says The World Baseball Classic was its most-watched program ever on Netflix in Japan with 31.4 million viewers.
Elected Officials Resist Stadium Subsidies, Residents Urged To
Love to see conscientious elected representatives pushing back against stadium subsidy demands. More of this please.
Science in Sport Retains Coast 2 Coast Distribution as U.S. Cycling Distributor
Coast 2 Coast Distribution (C2C) has been appointed the exclusive U.S. distributor for Science in Sport (SiS), the UK‑based maker of cycling nutrition products. The deal gives C2C sole rights to sell SiS formulas to bike shops and cycling‑focused e‑commerce sites across the United...
FIFA Launches Paid Stadium Tours Across U.S. Cities
FIFA is offering paid stadium tours before and during this summer's World Cup in N.J., Philly, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta and K.C. Pricing varies by venue and date. More details at @SBJ. https://t.co/XBimkoWUxu
FSU, Clemson Rank Low with Under $100M Revenue
I'm talking about the sport-specific total revenue figures both schools reported to the NCAA. because I'm feeling generous, here's what that chart looks like (via EPL) FSU and Clemson are 22 and 23 on this list. Each under 100M https://t.co/GfKDou5XPN
New Balance Promotes Tracy Knauer to SVP, North America Marketing & E-Commerce
New Balance Athletics, Inc. promoted Tracy Knauer to senior vice president of North America, elevating her from the VP role that managed marketing, e‑commerce and consumer analytics. Knauer has spent more than 20 years at the company across marketing, product, sales...
USOPC Board Flags Ticket Fees, Olympic Sport Crisis
Team USA had much to discuss at the first USOPC board meeting of the year. From those 24% service charges on LA28 tickets to the existential "threat" facing Olympic sports in the U.S., here's what top executives had to say:
Padres Sale Bids Near $4B, Shattering MLB Record
The latest bids are in for the San Diego Padres sale process, and three were at least $3.5 billion, including one nearing $4 billion. The sale will shatter the current MLB record of $2.42 billion for the Mets in 2020...
Big Data Sports Viewership for the Week of April 6
The TV Media Blog released its weekly sports viewership report for the week of April 6, ranking the top 45-plus telecasts based on Nielsen’s Big Data measurements. The list focuses on traditional broadcast and cable audiences and deliberately omits viewership from...
Team USA Board Discusses LA28 Fees, Gender Policy, Surfing
From this week's @TeamUSA board meeting: - LA28 ticket fees 🎟️ - Defense of Casey Wasserman ⚖️ - IOC gender policy latest 🏃♀️ - Surfing's future 🏄♀️ More from @Germanotes 👇 https://t.co/Q6P6k7gDD1
Tampa Bay Overpays Sports Teams with Taxpayer Money
Good grief, Tampa Bay. Y'all need to chill with doling out taxpayer dollars to pro sports teams. https://t.co/OEQymaZnZl
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...
Sherman Pushes Taxpayer‑funded Stadium Upgrade for Profit
So, as long as taxpayers are paying, John Sherman wants to replace the current ballpark that fans love with an upgraded version that makes him more money. But don't worry, he insists that the new stadium will include a crown...
Dolan's Power: Move Knicks to Miami Anytime
Waiting for the CNBC hosts to praise Jim Dolan and how he can get up and move the Knicks to Miami whenever he wants
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...
Laura Rutledge to Interview Every NFL Draft Prospect
Laura Rutledge will interview every prospect in attendance from the #NFLDraft stage in Pittsburgh. Those interviews will air across #ESPN, #ABC, and #NFLNetwork. In past years ESPN & NFLN would each have their own talent conduct the interviews, alternating between...
Sports Betting Handle Surpasses $165B, Triggers Major‑Questions Review
National sports betting handle via state regulation exceeded $165 billion in 2025, well north of the $50 billion baseline for 'significance' suggested by Judge Nelson for application of the 'major-questions' doctrine. Via @SBJ https://t.co/KpmmUeyJQ4)
Jayco-AlUla Founder Gerry Ryan Says 2027 Will Likely Be His Last Season
Jayco‑AlUla, Australia’s only WorldTour cycling squad, is actively seeking fresh investment as founder Gerry Ryan signals his likely departure after the 2027 season. Ryan, who launched the team in 2012, announced on the Stanley Street Social podcast that the next 18...
We Cracked the NBA Tanking Puzzle, Not College Jobs
Enjoyed it! Not sure if we figured out a way to save the livelihoods of U.S. college grads but pretty sure we solved the NBA tanking question. One for two ain't bad. https://t.co/xRXSeJramN
Thunder Poised for $854K Per Player Title Bonus
NEWS: NBA players will split $36 million from the league's playoff bonus pool. With the league's best record, the @okcthunder are in line for the biggest payday if they win the title at $854K/player. Details 👇via @Sportico. https://t.co/sVztxur4FE
YouTube Reportedly Nears Deal for 5 NFL Games as League Expands Streaming Push
The NFL is in advanced negotiations with YouTube to secure a five‑game regular‑season package, now at the contract‑review stage. The proposed slate would likely feature international matchups and early‑kickoff games previously aired on NFL Network. YouTube, which streamed a 2025...
Judge Flags Kalshi's Claim that Sports Betting Is Nationwide
Judge Bade: "Kalshi advertises 'sports betting is legal in all 50 states.' Yet another instance of Kalshi's own words being used against it.
Cowboys' Value Defies Wins: Money Beats Championships
Judge Lee shading the Dallas Cowboys. Says team is the most valuable franchise in sports even though they haven't won anything in years. Goes to whether winning or losing a particular game has financial consequences.
NBA Players to Divvy Up $36M in 2026 Playoff Bonuses
The NBA’s 2023‑24 playoff pool has risen to $35.7 million, a 3% increase over last season, with the Oklahoma City Thunder positioned to claim the largest share of $12.8 million if they capture the championship. A new collective‑bargaining agreement boosted the champion’s...
Judge Questions Financial Impact of Yankees‑Red Sox Game
"Would the Yankees beating the Red Sox have a potential financial consequence?" asks a judge in today's Kalshi hearing; Kalshi lawyers argue that the outcome of every game impacts team valuations, and that Kalshi users are hedging sports-related outcome financial...
FANZO UK Deploys $30M Tech to Locate US Fans
no idea where your games are, or where your community of fans is watching; @FANZO_UK wants to use its tech and a 30m investment to help you in the US now, per @DigSportsDesk & @sbj #sportsbiz #sportstech https://t.co/nnXL4xmTFX https://t.co/9qUv1LEpRv
Messi Acquires Spanish Fifth-Tier Club UE Cornella
Argentinian star Lionel Messi has taken ownership of UE Cornella, a club competing in Spain’s fifth tier. The acquisition is presented as a long‑term project to nurture Catalan talent and deepen Messi’s ties to Barcelona. It follows Messi’s recent MLS Cup...
Satou Ohtani Secures Sweet Deal for Liberty
Just call her Satou Ohtani because she just hooked up the Liberty with a sweet deal.
Judge Rejects Crypto.com Claim, Boosts Nevada Regulators
Good news so far for Nevada regulators: early in today's Prediction Market hearing, federal Judge Ryan Nelson has aggressively pushed back against Crypto dot com's legal claims that sports event contracts are not sports bets
LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil Vows 2026 Season Will Run Full Throttle Amid Funding Rumors
LIV Golf chief executive Scott O'Neil emailed staff on April 16, 2026, declaring that the league’s 2026 season will proceed “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” His reassurance comes as multiple outlets reported that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment...
Clarence Seedorf Joins Fox Sports World Cup Panel
SOME NEWS: Clarence Seedorf will join Fox Sports as a World Cup studio analyst. He joins Rebecca Lowe, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Javier (Chicharito) Hernández as Fox has brought in some interesting people to enhance its coverage. STORY FOR @SBJ: https://t.co/UO7DiAyqLA
This Week’s MPN Video Podcast: Why Live Sports Streaming Still Breaks — And How to Fix It
The Media Play News podcast hosted by David Bloom and Daniel Frankel featured NetSkrt CEO Sig Luft discussing why live‑sports streaming continues to falter. Luft highlighted persistent CDN bottlenecks, edge‑delivery constraints, and latency issues that jeopardize viewer experience and real‑time...