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
FOX & NBC Expand NFL Packages While League Faces Antitrust Scrutiny
Fox and NBC are expanding their NFL coverage for the 2026‑27 seasons. Fox will add two more regular‑season games in 2026, including the high‑profile Week 10 Munich matchup and a Week 15 Saturday game. NBC’s Peacock platform will receive an additional exclusive Week 17 game on Jan. 2, 2027, bringing the network’s total to 26 games and five Peacock‑only broadcasts. The league’s expanded TV slate arrives as the Justice Department launches an antitrust probe into NFL broadcasting practices.
Northeast Pennsylvania’s Harry’s Sporting Goods to Close
Harry’s Sporting Goods, a Berwick, PA retailer operating since 1891, announced it will close by early June 2026. Owner Kerri Troiani cited the pandemic‑induced shutdown and the loss of key vendors—most notably Nike in 2019—as primary reasons. Attempts to sell...
Advertisers Shift $13.2B to Streaming, Favor Sports and Spectacle at Upfront
Advertisers entering Upfront are prioritizing sports, streaming and large‑scale spectacles, driving $13.2 billion in streaming commitments—a 17.9% jump from last year—while broadcast primetime dollars dip 2.5% to $9.1 billion. The shift pressures networks to deliver mass‑audience events, with Disney’s $10 million Super Bowl...
EXEC: WS WeSports Group AB Expands Stakes in SkiCom Sweden AB and Bikelease AB
WS WeSports Group AB has increased its ownership in two specialist subsidiaries, raising its stake in SkiCom Sweden AB from 51% to 80% and acquiring 100% of Bikelease AB, which it previously held at 60%. The transactions were executed at...
Congress Urged to Protect Live Sports on Broadcast TV
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), backed by all 50 state broadcaster associations, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, has urged Congress to revisit the 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act. The coalition argues that the rise of streaming paywalls is...
Roku Announced As North American Streaming Platform For Inaugural Enhanced Games
Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) will serve as the North American streaming home for the inaugural Enhanced Games, launching on May 24 at 9 p.m. EST. The free-to-watch competition will air on the Roku Sports Channel across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, featuring...
FOX, NBC, Get Two of Ex-ESPN Games at Center of NFL Media Rights Talks
The NFL is adding four national broadcast windows this season by moving games previously earmarked for ESPN and its streaming partner to FOX and NBC. FOX will air a Week 10 International Series game from Munich as part of a rare...
Kenny Bednarek Still Believes ‘Sky’s the Limit’ for Grand Slam Track
Two‑time Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek continues to champion Grand Slam Track despite the league’s Chapter 11 filing. The U.S.‑based circuit, launched by Michael Johnson, earned less than $2 million in 2025 while racking up over $40 million in debt, leaving Bednarek owed $195,000....
AFL LEGENDS GAME Back on Seven After Blockbuster Revival
The Seven Network will broadcast the Four’N Twenty Legends Game for Prostate Cancer again in 2026 after a blockbuster 2025 revival. The 2025 match drew more than 2.3 million Australian viewers, raised over AUD 1 million (≈US $660,000), and attracted a crowd of 31,320...
The Sports League Where Doping Is Legal
The Enhanced Games, a new sports league that permits performance‑enhancing drugs, debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with backing from Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. The league offers a $25 million prize pool for 50 athletes and operates on...
LIV’s New Board Directors Also Take Over U.K. Positions
LIV Golf appointed two new independent directors, Eugene Davis and Jon Zinman, to its four U.K. holding companies on May 4. The appointments coincided with the removal of three former directors—Ross Hallett, Jake Jones, and Louise Savage—who had only recently...
May Mailbag, Part I: The Kyle Shanahan Way, Buffalo Bills 2026 Weaponry & the NFL's NIL Problem
The May Mailbag tackles several hot‑button NFL topics, starting with a deep dive into how the Buffalo Bills plan to evolve their offense by 2026 under Joe Brady’s scheme and a broader talent pool. It also examines the NFL Draft’s...
Braves Earnings Show Promise and Pressure of RSN Shift
The Atlanta Braves posted a 53% jump in first‑quarter revenue to $72 million, helped by an early start to the 2026 season and five home games at Truist Park. Adjusted operating loss narrowed to $17.6 million from a $28.5 million loss a year...
How Sports Marketing Is Shifting From Media Buys to Moment-Based Activation
Sports marketers are moving from bulk TV buys to moment‑based activation that ties ads to live spikes such as goals, cards, or momentum shifts. The shift is powered by real‑time fan data and purpose‑built platforms like Sportradar’s DSP, which give...
Cricket Australia Hoping Private Owners Can Make BBL a Cricket 'Grand Slam'
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg says privatizing the Big Bash League is inevitable if the competition is to stay competitive amid a crowded global T20 market. He envisions the BBL joining the IPL and The Hundred in a cricket...
Golf’s Biggest Spectator Problem Is Becoming A 5G Business Opportunity
At the 2026 PGA Championship, T‑Mobile deployed a 5G‑enabled broadcast platform that stitches together mobile, aerial and fixed cameras to stream multi‑angle coverage to the tournament app and TV partners. The network also feeds real‑time crowd‑flow and concession data to...
Canzano: Monday Mailbag Deals with Time Travel, Ducks/Huskies Big Ten $$, Pac-12, MLB to PDX, Trail Blazers Sale... And More
John Canzano’s latest Monday Mailbag blends fan‑driven curiosity with hard‑nosed sports business analysis. He tackles the ripple effects of a potential 24‑team college football playoff and the uneven Big Ten media‑rights payouts to Oregon and Washington. The column also probes Portland’s...
Unified Tech, Law, and Innovation Needed to Stop Live Piracy
Looking for an informed discussion navigating the intersection of 🔒 security technology stack, 🧑⚖️ legal frameworks and enforcement, as well as 📲 product innovation, here we go: In „Streaming Security at Scale: Protecting Live Sports Broadcasts,“ we are covering why an...
Fox Rakes in Nearly $4 Billion in Revenue During Fiscal Q3
Fox Corporation posted Q3 revenue of $3.99 billion, an 8.6% drop from the prior year, primarily because the network did not air a Super Bowl. Advertising revenue fell to $1.56 billion, reflecting the missing marquee event, while distribution revenue modestly rose. Despite...
Fuzzy Math: For Fans, the NFL’s Free TV Share Is Closer to 33% Than 87%
The NFL touts that 87% of its games air on free, over‑the‑air TV, but regional blackout rules mean the average fan can only access about 33% without a subscription. While 237 of 272 regular‑season contests were technically on broadcast networks,...
DraftKings Switches to Value‑Based Per‑Contract Fees
DraftKings Predictions is moving from a commission structure to a variable fee based on contract price, effective today; this change is "designed to better align fees with contract value," the company wrote in an email to customers New fee structure (per...
NFL Adds More Broadcast Games in 2026, Fox Gains Slots
NFL now expected to have even more games on broadcast TV in 2026 than it did in 2025 Fox has been going hard after more of these available games, and gets two more standalone windows. Was making a push early on...
President Trump Decries Rising Cost of Streaming the NFL
President Donald Trump criticized the NFL’s shift toward streaming, alleging fans could be forced to pay $1,000 per game. The claim is far from reality; the league still broadcasts roughly 90% of games over the air and only 20 games...
Technology Is Helping PE Investors Tap Into Sports Fandoms, Says Dynasty Equity’s Don Cornwell; Why Dealmakers Should Never Skip an...
Dynasty Equity CEO Don Cornwell says technology is reshaping private‑equity investment in the sports ecosystem. Advanced data analytics, digital ticketing and fan‑engagement platforms let investors monetize fandoms more precisely than ever. Cornwell highlights that Dynasty’s portfolio—from franchise ownership to league‑adjacent...
Caesars to Operate Westgate SuperBook, Consolidating Vegas Sports‑Betting
Caesars Entertainment announced it will assume operational control of the Westgate SuperBook sportsbook, pending regulatory approval and slated for completion before the upcoming football season. The move folds one of Las Vegas’s most storied independent books into Caesars’ growing sportsbook...
How Home Depot Is Crafting Content on the Road to the World Cup
Home Depot has partnered with Men in Blazers Media Network to launch a traveling activation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A co‑branded bus will tour seven major U.S. cities, producing a daily podcast, a DIY FC youth‑program series, and a...
Tanking Is Ruining NBA Basketball. Can Math Save It?
The NBA’s draft lottery, which gives the worst‑record teams the best odds at top picks, has spurred intentional losing—or “tanking”—by several franchises, most recently the Washington Wizards. To curb this, the league is considering a “3‑2‑1” lottery that flattens odds...
James Harden Debuts “Pink Lemonade” Adidas Harden Vol. 10
James Harden debuted the Adidas Harden Vol. 10 “Pink Lemonade” during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons. The soft metallic pink, accented with yellow lace aglets, celebrates Mother’s Day and revives a 2019 colorway. Harden...
Roku Streams Inaugural Enhanced Games to 90M Households
Boom 🚀 $ROKU becomes the North American streaming home for the inaugural @enhanced_games - part of Enhanced Group $ENHA - airing live on May 24 at 9pm EST / 6pm PST. This gives both the Enhanced Games sporting event and the “Live...
Washington Commanders' 2025‑26 Games Stay on Free TV
Hang on, @crupicrupicrupi Every Washington @Commanders game in 2025-26 was on free broadcast TV in the local market. That's not to deny that @NFL games are migrating to @PrimeVideo and @netflix https://t.co/PbxZlIvPd9
FIFA World Cup 26 Ad Tracker: Brands Kick Off Summer of Soccer
ADWEEK announced a dedicated tracker for FIFA World Cup 2026 advertising as the tournament approaches. The event is projected to draw six billion viewers for 48 teams across 104 matches beginning June 11, 2026, with about five million fans attending games in U.S., Canadian and...
Lilly Showcases Caitlin Clark in Dual Newspaper Ad
Lilly ran an two-page ad in the @nytimes and @latimes on Sunday featuring #Fever G Caitlin Clark (h/t @sbj). Nice front porch to the #storytelling to follow. #wnba https://t.co/BYKOQpgu1p
Fox Holds Weekend Christmas Game Rights, Including Fridays
Clarifying something I wrote earlier, Fox has always had rights to a Christmas game when it falls on a weekend (which includes Friday)
Hotel X Toronto Named Official Domestic Hotel Partner of Toronto Tempo
Hotel X Toronto has been appointed the official domestic hotel partner of the Toronto Tempo, the city’s new women’s professional soccer franchise. The agreement provides exclusive discounted rates for Tempo ticket holders staying at the hotel on home‑game days. Hotel...
NFL Adds Games for Fox, NBC to Mend Media Ties
The NFL has licensed two additional games to Fox and one to NBC for next season. Is this an effort to improve relations between the two big legacy media partners the NFL does not have an ownership stake in?
Aaron Gleeman Quits The Athletic, Gains 1k Paid Subs
6:00 AM CT - @AaronGleeman announced he has left The Athletic rather than be reassigned off Twins beat 10:00 AM CT - he tells @FOS he already has nearly 1k paid subs 🤯 https://t.co/DIoLQc92X1
Wrexham Stadium Expansion Opening Date Finally Announced
@VancityReynolds and @RMcElhenney Reveal the Definitive Opening Date for Wrexham’s Stadium Expansion [Exclusive] They also share updates on Deadpool and Mac's Far Cry series with Noah Hawley. https://t.co/vgMmotqLmU
Schools Earn $200K; $1M Prize Sparks Attendance Race
According to a copy of the event contract that I just obtained via Open Records, the *schools* will also get $200,000 for participating. Winning team gets an extra $150,000 (runner up gets $50,000) Bracket is anticipated to be Neb/Florida vs Penn...
Fox Adds NFL Games; Netflix Poised for Remaining Slots
⚡️ Fox Adding NFL Games, but What Happened to YouTube? ⚡️ $FOXA So four NFL games remain to be licensed out, with at least two expected to go to Netflix and potentially one each to… https://t.co/RL3MGzkiDX
Ryan Reynolds Steers Co‑owned SailGP Team to Bermuda Victory
Ahead of the race, Ryan Reynolds got behind the wheel of the @SailGP team he co-owns with Hugh Jackman. His @BondsFlyingRoos team won the event in Bermuda. “The most insane thing I’ve ever experienced,” Reynolds said. https://t.co/nFug3IeI5k
Fox Secures Two Additional NFL Games Amid Tense League Relations
Fox Picks Up Two More NFL Games for Next Season amidst strained realtionship with the league https://t.co/QwCWHVgvvO via @WSJ
NCAA Settlement Dispute Puts NIL Market Future at Risk
The NCAA House settlement is suddenly unsettled as the two sides file dueling briefs over how to interpret what the settlement language says and, just as importantly, doesn’t say. The marketplace for NIL deals is at stake. My @Sportico legal column: https://t.co/dBcsRJvvMu.
WNBA's Fragmented TV Deals Push Fans over $100 Monthly
NEW: Spoke with @WNBA Commish Cathy Engelbert for @SBJ about the league's U.S. new media rights deals. The league is airing games on Disney/ABC/ESPN, Comcast/NBC/Peacock, Paramount/CBS, Scripps/Ion and Versant/USA Sports, and fans have to pay more than $100 monthly to...
Fox Adds Munich NFL Game and Week 15 Saturday Slot
Fox's two new NFL games are Munich in week ten featuring Lions and a week 15 saturday game
Fox CEO Denies NFL Tension; Reporters Remain Skeptical
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said there is no tension between the company and NFL. I have a feeling sports and media reporters whose ears have been ringing might beg to differ
Fox Secures NFL Munich Rights, Plans First Triple‑Header
Fox acquired rights to NFL Munich game and will air a triple header that day, the first for any broadcaster
Megaproject Tax Breaks Could Cost Taxpayers Billions
While we have no idea how many future $100m+ projects would tap an Illinois megaprojects tax break, if a Bears Arlington Heights stadium could hit $2B in losses, the total cost to taxpayers from other development deals could easily end...
NFL Flexes Power During TV Upfronts Week
Welcome to TV Upfronts week - or, “Watch the NFL Flex Its Muscle” week: https://t.co/RGDNwEoH6o
Upfronts Echo 1941 Media Landscape Shift
Flipped Script: At This Week’s Upfronts, It’s 1941 All Over Again ⤵️ https://t.co/MRnzCgEnZO via @sportico @crupicrupicrupi
Schools Must Formalize All Athlete Benefit Agreements
Schools now have to document athlete benefits much more formally than before. Do all benefits to prospective or current athletes have to be in a written agreement? The full explanation is in my book NIL 101: The House Settlement Now 40% off https://t.co/yBVisUkFCL https://t.co/Gu1Ca8pwwG