LEAGUES & TEAMS
Photo: Marc Lasry expresses interest in leading an MLB expansion bid for Raleigh, NC.
Marc Lasry expresses interest in leading Raleigh MLB expansion bid as Triangle ownership race heats up (June 8th)
Lasry said he wants to invest in Raleigh after backing the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage and would prefer to be majority or controlling owner of a potential MLB club
Could create collaboration with Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, who has already led efforts to bring MLB to the Triangle [SBJ]
Chelsea FC owner Todd Boehly eyes up to $9B bid for Seattle Seahawks alongside Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter (June 9th)
Boehly has reportedly approached Walter and Middle East investors as potential partners, with formal bids for the Seahawks expected within weeks
A $9B sale would shatter the NFL record set by the Commanders’ $6B deal, with Aditya Mittal and Vinod Khosla also linked as rival bidders [Semafor]
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil cannot guarantee final four 2026 events as PIF funding cliff looms (June 9th)
O’Neil said he must “take PIF at their word” that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund will continue backing LIV through the 2026 season
LIV has held five formal investor meetings with 18 more planned as it races to close an up-to-$350M raise by summer [CNBC]
Florentino Pérez wins first contested Real Madrid member vote in 20 years amid external investment debate (June 7th)
Pérez won 65% of the vote against challenger Enrique Riquelme, securing a new mandate as questions grow around Real Madrid’s ownership structure
Riquelme campaigned against Pérez’s reported plan to sell a minority stake, while Pérez’s win clears the path for José Mourinho’s expected return as manager [The Athletic]
Underdog Global Partners acquires historic Serie D club AS Reggina 1914 with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos as co-investors (June 7th)
Acquiring Reggina, a former Serie A club with a 27,000-seat stadium in Reggio Calabria, with plans to return the club to Serie A within 5-7 years
Deal expands UGP’s Italian sports portfolio across Campobasso, Napoli Basketball, women’s soccer, and its recent reported ~$2.3B offer for SSC Napoli [FOS]
President Trump backs MLB owners’ salary cap push ahead of looming 2026 CBA fight (June 5th)
Trump publicly supported a salary cap, aligning with MLB owners as the league pushes for a hard cap-and-floor system in the next CBA
MLBPA remains firmly opposed to a cap, raising the stakes ahead of the current CBA’s December 1 expiration [SBJ]
NBA team sponsorship revenue hits record $1.8B in 2025-26 as brands concentrate spend in larger deals (June 4th)
Team sponsorship revenue reached $1.8B, up 11.1% year-over-year, with deal value growing nearly 5x faster than total deal volume
Finance remained the NBA’s largest spending category at $318M, while jersey patch deals now cover 29 of 30 teams [SponsorUnited]
U.S. Soccer projects record $397M revenue in World Cup year after bringing commercial rights in-house (June 5th)
Expecting $268.7M in commercial revenue for FY 2027, powered by 25 sponsors, improved media rights deals, and record event revenue ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Business overhaul follows U.S. Soccer ending its Soccer United Marketing deal, bringing rights in-house, and raising $170M toward its $250M “Behind The Dream” campaign [SBJ]
IOC confirms Lyon will host ice events for 2030 Winter Olympics, clearing key venue hurdle for French Alps Games (June 5th)
Lyon was declared ready to stage indoor ice competitions, resolving uncertainty around venues outside the Alpine core
Venue confirmation gives organizers more clarity for broadcast, sponsorship, and planning under the IOC’s newer targeted-dialogue host process [SBJ]
Clark County commissioners approve Las Vegas Grand Prix contract extension through 2037, locking in F1’s newest U.S. street race (June 8th)
Extension allows the Las Vegas GP to invest in permanent infrastructure and shorten race setup and teardown timelines
Deal comes after early backlash tied to traffic disruptions, business lawsuits, and operational issues from the race’s 2023 debut [The Athletic]
Milwaukee Brewers adds new premium fan plaza at American Family Field as stadium monetization push continues (June 8th)
Brewers are expanding premium inventory at the 31-year-old ballpark with a new fan plaza and plaza-level hospitality space; available for 380 ticket holders
Renovation continues MLB’s broader push to retrofit aging stadiums with premium experiences after Wisconsin approved $500M in public funding for American Family Field [SBJ]
Centennial Authority seeks $200M in public funding for Lenovo Center upgrades in Raleigh (June 8th)
Request would fund renovations at the 1999-built arena, home of the Carolina Hurricanes and operated by the Centennial Authority
Push adds to the wave of public-private arena funding debates as NHL venues face rising renovation costs and premium-experience demands [SBJ]
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STARTUPS & VENTURE CAPITAL
Photo: The Portal raises $5M to expand its social wellness club into Austin.
The Portal, a human flourishing membership club, raises $5M to expand social wellness footprint into Austin (June 10th)
New capital will support The Portal’s second location in downtown Austin, a 15K-sqft club with cold plunges, sauna, movement studio, coworking space, podcast studio, and rooftop pool
Drew 25+ backers across tech, venture, and wellness, with advisors and investors including Dr. Mark Hyman, Tim Ferriss, Miki Agrawal, and Justin Kan [Athletech]
LionTree investor Peter Campbell launches Tartan Investment Partners to back founders building in the experience economy (June 9th)
Investing in founders building critical technology and services across sports, media, entertainment, travel, hospitality, and wellness
Campbell brings PE, growth, and early-stage investing experience; prior work across TAIT, Unrivaled Sports, Arccos Golf, Muse Group, Nobu Hospitality, Volo Sports, and Cloaked [LinkedIn]
Idilio, a Colombian microdrama platform for Spanish-speaking audiences, raises $5M seed round (June 9th)
New capital will help Idilio scale its vertical video app, which claims 1.3M+ downloads across the App Store and Google Play
Investment led by a16z Speedrun; other investors include Goodwater Capital, Nubank founder David Vélez, and Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo [C21Media]
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M&A AND INVESTMENTS
Photo: CAA and TPG-backed Integrated Media Company launch $250M fund Compound Creator Holdings.
CAA and TPG-backed Integrated Media Company launch $250M Compound Creative Holdings to invest in creator-led media businesses (June 10th)
New platform will acquire or take significant minority stakes in YouTube, podcast, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, and Substack-native businesses generating tens of millions in revenue
Led by banker Tucker Brown, with CAA and IMC executives overseeing the platform as agencies chase upside beyond traditional talent representation [Bloomberg]
Steve Cohen acquires WTGL’s New York franchise as Mets owner doubles down on the emerging professional golf market (June 9th)
Investing through Cohen Private Ventures, adding WTGL’s New York team alongside his ownership of TGL’s New York Golf Club and stake in PGA Tour Enterprises
WTGL teams have reportedly been valued around $20M, with New York joining franchises in Atlanta and Los Angeles backed by Arthur Blank and Alexis Ohanian [SBJ]
James Dolan’s MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment, and Sphere stocks surge 150%+ on average over past year (June 9th)
MSG Sports shares are up 101% over the past year as Knicks and Rangers valuations rise, narrowing the company’s public-market discount to team valuations
Rally has been fueled by potential Knicks/Rangers separation, record NBA team sales, Sphere’s debt restructuring, and strong venue-driven earnings momentum [Sportico]
Eli Manning’s Brand Velocity Group acquires RCX Sports, youth sports operator behind NFL Flag, Jr. NBA, and MLS GO (June 4th)
RCX manages licensed youth programs for the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and WNBA, with NFL Flag alone reaching roughly 1M kids globally
Deal comes as private equity pushes deeper into youth sports, while lawmakers introduce a bill targeting PE ownership across the sector [CNBC]
Peloton acquires smart Pilates reformer startup Skōp as connected fitness shifts deeper into strength and longevity (June 5th)
Skōp’s smart reformer tracks weight distribution, tempo, spring resistance, and form in real time, with commercial traction across boutiques, hospitality, and physiotherapy
Deal comes as Peloton’s mat Pilates engagement jumped 48% year-over-year while the company looks beyond cardio hardware into hybrid strength and functional training [Fitt Insider]
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STRATEGIC VENTURES
Photo: Sportradar becomes official data solutions provider for leading prediction market platform Kalshi.
Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD) signs multi-year global data and integrity deal with Kalshi across major U.S. sports (June 8th)
Sportradar will serve as Kalshi’s official data and solutions provider across MLB, NHL, MLS, and UFC, supplying live odds, fan engagement tools, and AI-powered integrity monitoring
Deal embeds Sportradar deeper into prediction market infrastructure, with SRAD also able to sell directly to Kalshi’s brokers and market makers [Sportradar]
Polymarket signs exclusive U.S. prediction market sponsorship with Liga MX, Genius Sports ahead of 2026-27 season (June 10th)
Becomes Liga MX’s official U.S. prediction market partner, with markets set to go live for eligible users starting with Campeón de Campeones on July 25
Genius Sports will supply official Liga MX data and settlement infrastructure through GeniusIQ, with integrity support from Chainalysis, Palantir, and TWG AI [Genius Sports]
Real Madrid renews Emirates shirt sponsorship at ~€100M per year through 2030-31 (June 9th)
Five-year renewal covers match kits, training apparel, Bernabéu signage, and extends across Real Madrid’s women’s, youth, and basketball teams
Deal marks a major step-up from the prior ~€70M annual pact and reportedly puts Madrid ahead of Barcelona, Manchester United, and PSG’s shirt sponsorships [Sportcal]
SMU launches Mustang Coin fan engagement platform through multi-year partnership with Krida, a Dallas-based Digital Entertainment Platform (June 2nd)
Krida will power digital rewards, premium fan access, game-day activations, and community programming
Deal includes an NIL component for SMU athletes and hands-on platform access for 125 sport business students [SMU]
Paramount+ extends $7.7B UFC rights deal to Canada, adding numbered events at no extra cost (June 4th)
Expanded deal brings 13 UFC numbered events to Paramount+ Canada, replacing the traditional PPV model with bundle-included access
U.S. launch has driven 10M+ households and 100M+ viewing hours since January, far above prior ESPN+ PPV reach [Deadline]
Fox secures multi-year NFL media rights in Mexico starting with 2026 season (June 8th)
Deal gives Fox Mexico rights to Thursday Night Football, Sunday games, Thanksgiving, NFC playoffs, the Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl across FOX, FOX+, FOX One, and Tubi
Fox will also add four weekly NFL original productions, including two fantasy football shows, as Mexico becomes a priority NFL growth market [Fox Corporation]
FIFA+ launches exclusively on DAZN as global streaming hub for 8,500 live matches per year (June 5th)
Brings FIFA+’s free ad-supported channel into DAZN, bundling live matches, World Cup archive replays, and original programming across selected territories
Deepens FIFA and DAZN’s distribution relationship after the Club World Cup, with four FIFA youth and intercontinental tournaments joining the 2026 slate [TvT]
NFL Network remains dark on Xfinity as Comcast and Disney remain without carriage deal (June 7th)
NFL Network has been unavailable to Xfinity subscribers since late April after Comcast’s prior carriage agreement expired
Disney says it proposed keeping the channel live during negotiations, while Comcast says Disney has not offered a deal that makes sense [SBJ]