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
Inside Washington Spirit’s Plan to Deliver Profitability Within Three Years
Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone is targeting profitability within three years, building on a 66% revenue jump to $19.6 million and record ticket and sponsorship growth. The club’s season‑ticket base expanded 70% and corporate partnerships rose 50% year‑over‑year, while star forward Trinity Rodman signed a $2 million extension, the league’s highest‑paid contract. Valuations across the NWSL have surged, with the 14‑team league now worth roughly $2.6 billion and the Spirit valued at $196 million. Expansion plans and a push for a dedicated stadium round out the growth strategy.
Berry Fresh Partners with ALBION SC Santa Monica to Promote Healthy Lifestyles Through Nutrition and Movement.
Berry Fresh has entered a partnership with Albion SC Santa Monica to champion healthy lifestyles through nutrition and movement. The agreement funds player tuition and includes on‑site activations, where the company supplies fresh berries as snacks at games, camps, and...
Mars Snacking and WNBA Announce Multiyear Partnership
Mars Snacking announced a multiyear partnership with the WNBA, naming M&M’S the league’s Official Chocolate Partner. The deal kicks off at the 2026 WNBA Draft with immersive activations, including a photobooth and product giveaways. Both brands aim to create shared,...
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,...
$60M Surf Farm Wave Pool Supercharges Australia's Sunshine Coast
Wavegarden is building a $60 million Surf Farm wave‑pool complex on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, targeting a 2028 launch. The 10‑hectare site will host a 62‑module Cove system, the largest Wavegarden installation on Australia’s east coast. World‑champion surfer Joel Parkinson backs the...
Must Read: Hugo Boss to Sponsor the Australian Open, Stefano Cantino Joins Dolce & Gabbana as Co-CEO
Hugo Boss has taken over as the Australian Open’s title sponsor, replacing Ralph Lauren and will outfit the tournament’s 4,000 staff while showcasing its brand across the venue and in exclusive merchandise. At the same time, Dolce & Gabbana announced Stefano Cantino as co‑CEO,...
Sports Publisher On3 Tries AI Recommendations To Keep Engagement In Its Home Court
On3, a sports‑focused publisher with 15 million monthly visitors, has deployed Mula’s AI‑powered recommendation engine across about 20 of its sites to sustain engagement and revenue per session (RPS). The system leverages first‑party data to surface articles, vertical video and Fanatics‑linked...
Stegawave Debuts Real-Time Forensic Watermarking to Tackle Piracy in Live Sports Streaming
Irish firm Stegawave launched a real‑time forensic watermarking platform for live sports streaming. The solution embeds invisible watermarks into live feeds, enabling detection of illegal IPTV redistribution within minutes and allowing content owners to block source accounts. In a pilot...
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...
Stephen Curry Leads NBA’s Top-Selling Jersey List for 2025-26 Regular Season
The NBA and NBPA announced that Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors topped the league’s Top‑Selling Jersey list for the 2025‑26 regular season, while the New York Knicks led team merchandise sales. Fourteen players on the jersey list have...
A Snapshot of College Athletes: Who Are They and How Much Do They Earn?
College athletics have evolved into a multibillion‑dollar industry, with Division I schools generating $14.6 billion in 2024—almost all NCAA revenue. Recent legal shifts, including the 2021 NIL policy and the *House v. NCAA* settlement, now allow athletes to profit from name, image,...
Snapchat Partners With Los Angeles Dodgers to Bring AR Lens Experiences to Dodger Stadium
Snap Inc. has teamed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to roll out Snapchat’s augmented‑reality lenses throughout Dodger Stadium this season. The deal adds in‑stadium branding, on‑site photo experiences and a dedicated AR photobooth at select games, leveraging Snap’s Cam Lens...
YouTube Sets Sunday Ticket Price At $240 For New Users
YouTube announced that the 2026 NFL Sunday Ticket will cost $240 for new users, either as a one‑time payment or $20 per month over 12 months. Returning customers must pay $378 with YouTube TV or $480 via Primetime Channels, with...
EXEC: Puma SE Appoints New SVP for Creative Direction
Puma SE announced the appointment of James Carnes as Senior Vice President for Creative Direction, a newly created role that reports to Chief Brand Officer Maria Valdes. Carnes, who spent more than two decades at Adidas and most recently worked as an...
JPMorgan Chase ‘in Talks’ for IOC TOP Sponsorship
JPMorgan Chase is in advanced talks to join the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Partner (TOP) programme, which would make it the 12th company on the elite sponsorship roster ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. The TOP tier generated about...
WNBA Draft Picks to Earn Record Salaries: Inside the Numbers
The 2026 WNBA Draft will feature the league’s highest‑paid rookie class, with the No. 1 overall pick earning a base salary of $500,000—more than six times the 2025 figure. The newly ratified collective bargaining agreement introduces distinct salary tiers for each...
Bengal Pro T20 League Taps JSW Sports to Accelerate Commercial Development
The Cricket Association of Bengal has engaged JSW Sports on a three‑year contract to drive commercial and operational growth of the Bengal Pro T20 League. JSW will oversee sponsorship sales, marketing, broadcast presentation and fan‑engagement initiatives, aiming to professionalise the...
Olivia Miles Signs Multi-Year Deal With Unrivaled Ahead of Pro Debut
Olivia Miles, the former Texas Christian University star, has inked a multi‑year contract with the emerging women's basketball league Unrivaled, with her professional debut slated for the league’s third season next winter. Miles concluded her collegiate career averaging 19.6 points...
What World Cup Advertisers Can Learn From the Super Bowl and Olympics
The piece extracts advertising playbooks from the Super Bowl to guide brands entering the World Cup and Olympics. Testing of more than 600 Super Bowl spots shows that emotionally‑driven, purpose‑first creative outperforms pure media weight. Brands are urged to craft...
The NBA's Problems Are so Much Bigger than Tanking
The NBA is confronting criticism that its draft lottery incentivizes teams to lose, prompting Commissioner Adam Silver to explore anti‑tanking reforms that would weaken the link between season records and draft odds. At the same time, the league plans to...
EXCLUSIVE: Through Our Partnerships with MI and KKR, We Are Placing the Brand at the Centre of Culture — Madhav...
Ai+ Smartphone has signed strategic partnership deals with two Indian Premier League powerhouses, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, to embed its brand within Indian pop culture. CEO Madhur Sheth says the aim is to move beyond simple logo placement...
Sport1 Extends DTT Distribution in Germany Until 2030
German broadcaster Sport1 has renewed its distribution agreement with Media Broadcast, keeping its HD channel on the Freenet TV DVB‑T2 platform through December 31 2030. The extension guarantees Sport1 HD remains available via digital terrestrial television to subscription‑based viewers across Germany. It...
EQT Joins Bidding Race for Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Swedish private equity firm EQT has entered the auction for the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The firm is competing with existing owners and other suitors, with the sale rumored to exceed $1.5 billion. EQT sees the sports‑entertainment...
Visa and HDFC Bank Unite to Deliver FIFA World Cup 2026 Access to Indian Fans
Visa and HDFC Bank have teamed up to launch a limited‑edition FIFA World Cup 2026 Visa Pixel credit card, targeting India’s digitally savvy consumers. The partnership also introduces a nationwide Spend & Win campaign that rewards everyday card usage with...
Diverging Paths: How Capital Markets Are Repricing Sports Technology Segments
Over the past five years sports technology has become core infrastructure, but public markets are now valuing its sub‑segments differently. The TSC SPIN 100 shows Technology & Digital Innovation delivering 215% total return and 96% year‑over‑year growth, while Data, Analytics &...
Sp
Not only have Spurs found themselves in the relegation zone for the first time for many years, they have also been knocked off the PL's most profitable Club position by rivals Arsenal, and overtaken by Burnley and West Brom. Total...
ADWEEK Agencies Advantage: Publicis Groupe Takes a Major Shot to Grab Sports Spend
Live sports remains the only mass‑media format where audiences gather in real time, giving brands a rare chance at cultural relevance at scale. Ad buyers now expect sports to account for roughly 60% of their upfront media spend, up from...
Wizz Air Boosts Global Visibility Through World Athletics Ultimate Championship Deal
Wizz Air has been appointed the official airline partner for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, scheduled for September 11‑13, 2026 in Budapest. The low‑cost carrier will handle travel logistics for athletes, officials and stakeholders, leveraging its network of over...
Monday Briefing: South American Football Body Backs Infantino for New FIFA Term
South American confederation CONMEBOL publicly endorsed Gianni Infantino for a second FIFA presidential term, becoming the first confederation to do so. The endorsement arrives as FIFA debates a 64‑team World Cup expansion for 2030, a proposal led by South American...
Hugo Boss Bets on Tennis With Australian Open Partnership
Hugo Boss has signed a multi‑year partnership to become the official apparel sponsor of the Australian Open, starting with the 2024 tournament. The deal brings the German label's branding to courtside signage, player wardrobes and a line of co‑created merchandise sold...
Monopoly Round-Up: The Ticketmaster Antitrust Verdict Comes This Week
A jury is set to deliver a verdict this week on whether Live Nation/Ticketmaster operates as an illegal monopoly. The case, stemming from a 2024 antitrust complaint filed by the DOJ and dozens of states, hinges on internal communications that...
Chelsea Posts £262m Pre‑tax Loss Despite Revenue Rise
Chelsea submit 24/25 accounts.🔑figures ⚽️Revenue £491m ⬆️5% ⚽️Wages £359m ⬆️6% ⚽️Average weekly wage £152,000 ⚽️Amortisation £214m ⬆️9% ⚽️Player write downs £12m ⚽️Underkying loss £296m ⚽️Player sale profits £58m ⚽️Pre tax loss £262m ⚽️Total losses over the years £1,543m ⚽️Player purchases £305m ⚽️Total cost of squad £1,509m ⚽️Player sales £126m ⚽️Share issue in...
Chernin Group Backs Real's Rapid Social Sports Growth
Glass Break: The Chernin Group recently led a minority investment round in Real, a fast-growing social box score/PBP app with a fascinating backstory Details at @FOS https://t.co/TjfrntcK9u
Direct Democracy Blocks Sports Subsidies; Officials Easier to Sway
Direct democracy is historically a stumbling block for sports subsidies: Royals owner John Sherman could certainly pour money into fighting a stadium ballot measure, but it's been proven way easier to win over a handful of local elected officials. https://t.co/209xlVYFVD
Bob Myers Valued at $30M for Bulls Rebuild
Thesis that I’m stealing/borrowing/evolving from @SherwoodStrauss Warriors book. If this is what NBA players are worth, Bob Myers should be worth at least $30 million to a team like the Bulls that desperately needs to get it together https://t.co/Bayy5lZoO1
Big Ten's Strategist Unnecessary Amid Smooth College Sports
Hard to figure why the Big Ten would possibly need a strategist given the seamless state of major college sports
WNBA Draft Top Pick Salary Jumps to $500K
Tonight's WNBA Draft will be the most financially historic in league history because of the new labor deal. Last year, No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers got a $78,831 first-year salary. Tonight, No. 1 will get a $500,000 salary, $2.2 million over...
Watch NBA Play-In on Prime Video with Free Trial
How to Watch the NBA Play-In Tournament On Amazon’s Prime Video; Free Trial Available https://t.co/LvTFg1jiGe via @TVAnswerMan
Curry's Jersey Leads; Knicks Dominate Merch; Thunder Re‑enter Top Ten
Stephen Curry had the NBA's top-selling jersey for 25-26 season, while the Knicks ranked #1 for team merch sales. The Thunder (No. 8) make the top 10 team sales for the first time since 2018-19. https://t.co/UI9aYNuGIf
Dink Pate's College Move Proves Sports Line Blurry
Dink Pate going to play college basketball is further proof that efforts to draw a "line" between pro and college sports will need to be dotted and zigzagged and it will be persistently subject to legal challenge and change. My...
NHL Agents Divided on CBA, Eye Bill Daly as Commissioner
Some interesting insights here: 🏒 NHL agents are split almost evenly on whether the players “got enough” in the recent CBA. 🏒 Agents were largely “stumped” on who should be the next Commissioner, with many defaulting to Bill Daly. Sentiment is Bettman...
Extra Points Library 2.0 Adds 11k+ Contracts and Analytics
Introducing a massive update to our college sports data tool: Extra Points Library 2.0 With more than 11,000+ contracts/budgets, historical attendance data, custom analytics and more: https://t.co/FGtIFGBtnW
NBA's Woes Trace to Overpaid Media Rights Deals
On some level I think the NBA’s problems stem from the league getting overpaid for media rights because streamers were desperate for content and agreed to uneconomic deals, which made the owners rich and reduced the financial pressure on them...
Lifetime NIL Deals for College Athletes Are Unrealistic
It would be crazy for a school to offer a lifetime NIL deal to a student-athlete... How long can an NIL agreement between a school and athlete last? The full explanation is in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Now 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL...
WNBA's Top Draft Pick Set for $500K Salary
WNBA’s No. 1 Draft Pick Will Earn $500,000. But Who Will It Be? https://t.co/hdNoRVXXB8 via @sportico @germanotes
Roundhouse Capital Settles £251m Loans, Pays Moshiri £67m
Everton new parent company Roundhouse Capital publishes accounts. It paid Farhad Moshiri £25m up front with a further £42m due at future dates, as well as paying off £251m of existing loans. https://t.co/pS7qY8I1Wl
NUFC's 2024/25 Finances Soar After Historic Trophy
Review of Newcastle United's financial results for 2024/25, when they won their first major trophy for 70 years after defeating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. They also qualified for the lucrative Champions League after finishing fifth in the Premier League...
R&D Tax Credit Rewards Creative Accounting, Not Innovation
Chelsea managed a £500k tax credit in 2024/25 for 'Research and Development'. According to legislations, these are given for 'an advance in science or technology-going further than routine improvements'. I never knew creative accounting came under the heading of science...
Chelsea Overspends by £355 M, up From £10 M Last Season
In terms of day to day cash management, from ticket, broadcasting, commercial sales less wages, overheads etc (and excluding player transactions) Chelsea spent £355m more than they generated in 2024/25, compared to just £10m in 2023/24 https://t.co/hfjbfmXSJM
Fulham Clinches ‘Last PL Club to Publish Accounts’ Award
Congratulations to Fulham for winning the coveted 'Last Premier League Club to publish their accounts' award for season 2024/25. I'll pop down to @JamesTCobbler mighty Timpsons later to get a trophy for them. https://t.co/2jEWZGexfk