LEAGUES & TEAMS
Photo: RedBird Capital Partners and SWFs are potential buyers for NBA Europe franchises.
[NBA Europe Update] NBA is working with RedBird Capital on its new European league, welcomes sovereign wealth fund investment; Real Madrid weighs EuroLeague exit (Jan. 14th-21st)
RedBird enters discussions as the league courts owners and partners; remains interested in backing a franchise, with eyes on the Milan market
NBA Europe may open doors to allow SWF principal investors who face restrictions (20% cap) in the US
Madrid reportedly weighs a EuroLeague exit to join NBA Europe; multiple Manchester-based franchises are expected to bid for an NBA Europe franchise, including Man United, Man City, and Manchester Basketball; Napoli Basketball aims to secure a spot in either the EuroLeague or NBA Europe [CityAM] [TheAthletic] [SBJ] [CityAM][FOS]
WNBA reportedly explores a buyback of a 16% stake it sold in 2022 for a $75M capital raise (Jan. 16th)
League sold stake in Feb. 2022 to fund marketing, brand growth, and globalization
Buyers of the stake included NBA owners, Pau Gasol, Laurene Powell Jobs, Condoleezza Rice, and Nike, among others [FOS]
MLS club Sporting Kansas City sells a 71% stake at a $700M enterprise valuation (Jan. 20th)
KC sells to minority owner Peter Mallouk, who lifts his ownership to ~80%
Illig family will retain control of day-to-day ops and their MLS board seat [SportsPro]
Portuguese club Benfica is reportedly in talks with JPMorgan for a $345M Lisbon stadium and district revamp (Jan. 14th)
Club plans ~$87M Estádio da Luz renovation and ~$257M for a mixed-use Benfica District
Project would expand the venue to ~80K seat capacity and add commercial, entertainment, and hospitality assets [Bloomberg]
Man City owner City Football Group receives an $80M capital injection via preference shares (Jan. 20th)
Firm issues ~6.8M A Preference Shares at £8.82, per Companies House filing; move follows a £70M cash injection in 2025 from issuing ~7.9M shares
Capital supports CFG’s global multi-club platform, led by Man City and Girona; Man City is currently undergoing a ~$400M Etihad Stadium redevelopment, 60K-seater [FootballInsider]
New European Twenty20 Premier League sells its first three teams for ~$14.9M each (Jan. 21st)
Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Belfast franchises valued at apiece, per BBC Sport; remaining clubs include Dublin, Glasgow, and Rotterdam, set to be sold by February end [SportsPro]
European Football Alliance, a Europe-based breakaway American football league, terminates its cooperation agreement with the European League of Football (Jan. 21st)
EFA board ended talks after a review found ELF structure failed financial stability and transparency standards
League to operate independently under an NFL-style, franchise model focused on owner-led control; eight franchises confirmed across Germany, Spain, France, and the UK, among others [LinkedIn]
Knighthead, 885 Capital increase stakes in the PFL as co-founder Donn Davis steps down (Jan. 21st)
John Martin named CEO, alongside a new nine-member board; Knighthead and 885 expand to lead ownership stake for strategic direction, retiring debt, and fund operations
Follows PFL minority stake sale to SRJ Sports (PIF) and Bellator acquisition in 2023 [Sportico]
International Flag League’s 5v5 pro format launches 2027 (Jan.19th)
League will offer men's and women's pro formats ahead of the 2028 LA Olympics [YSBR]
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STARTUPS & VENTURE CAPITAL
Photo: NBA Launchpad announces 2026 cohort.
NBA Launchpad selects five startups for its 2026 cohort (Jan. 21st)
Startups chosen for six-month pilots across performance tech and league business priorities; cohort spans wearables, AI training, 3D tracking, and brain-sensing wearables
Peripheral Labs raised $3.6M in Seed funding and is already installed in one NBA arena [NBA]
Midnite, a ‘digital-first’ casino and sportsbook, raises $35M in Series C funding to (Jan. 15th)
Company plans to scale operations, product development, and expand internationally
Investment led by Raine Group; other investors include Play Ventures, Discerning Capital, Makers Fund, and Big Bets, among others; brings total funding to $75M [Midnite]
OTTO SPORT AI, an operating system for youth sports, raises $16.5M Seed funding (Jan. 15th)
Aims to expand its AI (Athlete Intelligence) Lab, an operating system for youth clubs, leagues, and tournaments; platform spans management for players, events, operations, ticketing, and athlete recruitment
Investment co-led by Mamba Growth Equity and Rally Ventures [OttoSportAI]
WTGL, the TGL’s women’s counterpart, secures Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures as lead investor (Jan. 15th)
Trybe spearheads female investment group to lead the WTGL round; league is developed with TMRW Sports and LPGA, set to kick off in the winter of 2026-27
Morgan’s portfolio includes TMRW Sports, TGL LA Golf Club, Unrivaled, and NWSL’s San Diego Wave [SBJ]
Anvara, a marketplace for sports and entertainment sponsorships, raises $3.1M in Seed funding (Jan. 14th)
Funding will support hiring of SWE, data scientists, and senior partnership talent
Investment led by Game Changer Ventures, Marquee Ventures, and Sequel, among others [SBJ]
Slips, a P2P social betting exchange, raises $3.5M in Seed funding (Jan. 15th)
Funding will enhance tech, expand product and engineering teams, and accelerate national user acquisition
Investment led by Las Olas Capital and Sunset Bay Capital; other investors include Andrew Schwartzberg (Hornets and Leeds United), among other strategic investors [FinSMEs]
Australian Open Ventures, the AO’s and Tennis Australia’s investment arm, backs luxury indoor Padel club ‘Padel Haus’ in a strategic investment (Jan. 21st)
Partnership accelerates padel growth across Australia and international markets
Marks AO Ventures’ 4th investment from a $40M fund; follows $7M Series B raised by Padel Haus in 2025 [Athletech]
Ammortal, a sports recovery tech startup known for its ‘Ammortal Chamber’ pod, receives backing from investor-ambassador pro athletes (Jan. 21st)
Stars incl. Mike Trout, Bode Miller, and George Kittle joined as backers
Flagship $160K recovery chamber combines red light, PEMF, vibroacoustics, and hydrogen; devices installed across NFL, MLB teams, and college programs incl. Clemson, Ohio State [SBJ]
Ultra, a nicotine-free functional pouch startup, raises $11M in Series A funding in an athlete-backed round (Jan. 21st)
Funds earmarked for US hiring, retail expansion, and new product formats
Investment led by Left Lane Capital; other investors include Joe Burrow, Lindsey Vonn, Dak Prescott [FinSMEs]
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M&A AND INVESTMENTS
Photo: NoBull hits $1B valuation as it launches its NoBull Nutrition line.
Tom Brady’s NoBull, an apparel and footwear wellness brand, raises $50M in funding at a $1B valuation (Jan. 20th)
Marks the brand’s first funding since Mike Repole acquired a majority stake
NoBull launches NoBull Nutrition line, signs Livvy Dunne and Matthew Schaefer as brand ambassadors and partners [TheSportsRush]
Netflix plans to convert its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery to an all-cash offer (Jan. 14th)
Original deal: $23.25 cash + $4.50 Netflix stock per WBD share at an $82.7B valuation
Netflix shares down 12% since their original offer; dropped 2% early Wednesday
All-cash structure may speed regulatory approval as Paramount pursues hostile alternative via lawsuit & proxy battle [FOS]
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Industries’, a media, entertainment, and CPG brand, secures $200M from leading Ethereum Treasury company Bitmine Immersion Tech (Jan. 15th)
Funds will help expand operations and product development
Move leverages MrBeast’s massive audience (450M+ YouTube subscribers) and philanthropic initiatives (#TeamTrees, Beast Philanthropy) [PRNewswire]
Playlist, parent of Mindbody & ClassPass, to merge with EGYM in $7.5B deal (Jan. 15th)
Merger includes $785M in new equity to fuel AI initiatives; pivots from IPO plans
Combined company generated $800M+ net revenue in 2025 across all brands [Athletech]
Selkirk Sport, a leading pickleball equipment brand, raises $30M in Growth Equity funding from Bluestone Equity at a ~$200M valuation (Jan. 21st)
Capital to fund global expansion, tech investment, and potential M&A
Round marks the first outside capital since Selkirk’s 2014 founding [Forbes]
ATP & WTA are close to finding an agreement amidst merger talks, ATP CEO says (Jan. 21st)
Tours already collaborate on marketing, social, and joint Grand Slam rights sales
Combined entity could centralize sponsorship, media, and data, unlocking more revenue [SBJ]
3Step Sports, one of the largest U.S. youth sports operators, hires Goldman Sachs to explore a potential sale or capital raise (Jan. 21st)
Operates ~1,500 events/leagues with 2M+ athletes; the company currently generates $40M in EBITDA
Scaled its service offerings and club operations via consolidation; previously acquired EDP Soccer, Prospect Athletics, and First Scout [YSBR]
Teamworks acquires Sportlogiq, a global leader in AI-powered hockey analytics, to strengthen its core hockey offering (Jan. 15th)
13th acquisition and 9th in the past three years
Sportlogiq works with 31 of 32 NHL teams, 42 NCAA programs, and multiple international federations; 80 Sportlogiq staff join Teamworks [SBJ]
Vestible, a sports investment platform, enables fan investment in Austrian soccer club Kapfenberger SV (Jan. 20th)
First European soccer crowdfunding deal; club to offer a $3M-$5M raise
Platform lets fan investors participate in future sale of club’s existing equity or college athletic department’s share of future revenue [SBJ]
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STRATEGIC VENTURES
Photo: ManU partners with Lionsgate to develop a new TV series on the team’s history.
Manchester United partners with film studio Lionsgate for a historical series on the club (Jan. 21st)
Concept likened to Netflix’s The Crown; project remains in development phase
ManU guaranteed a low multi-million payout if produced; other Lionsgate sports projects include Warrior, Draft Day, and an Ippei Mizuhara gambling scandal project in the works [TheAthletic]
DAZN brings Polymarket prediction markets to live US broadcasts (Jan. 20th)
Fans can trade contracts on outcomes, complementing DAZN’s existing betting offerings
DAZN plans to apply for CFTC licenses and introduce predictions trading in the short term [DAZN]
League One Volleyball taps Omaha Productions to produce Game of the Week live coverage on USA Network (Jan. 14th)
Partnership launched with the first Game of the Week on Jan 7th featuring Austin vs. Nebraska; most-watched LOVB broadcast on record [LOVB]
Sports lifestyle creator Rachel DeMita signs a licensing deal to bring her ‘Courtside Club’ podcast/YouTube show to SiriusXM (Jan. 20th)
Show spans the NBA/WNBA, and gained traction during Caitlin Clark’s rookie year
SiriusXM partnership marks a strategic scaling milestone for her multiplatform sports media presence [FOS]
Hydrogen-powered motorsport series Extreme H extends its India broadcast deal with Sony Pictures Networks India through 2028 (Jan. 20th)
Multi-year renewal keeps live races, highlights, and digital content on SPNI channels and Sony LIV; move builds on the pair’s 2024 partnership [FIA]