LEAGUES & TEAMS
Photo: Travis Kelce acquires a minority stake in MLB’s Cleveland Guardians.
Travis Kelce acquires minority stake in Cleveland Guardians at reported $1.7B valuation (May 27th)
Kelce joins the Guardians ownership group through investor David Blitzer, who could convert to majority owner as early as 2027
Kelce joins a growing list of active athletes buying stakes in MLB teams, including LeBron James (Red Sox), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Brewers), and Patrick Mahomes (Royals) [SBJ]
U.S. consortium led by Underdog Global Partners makes ~€2B offer to acquire Napoli from De Laurentiis family (May 23rd)
Proposal includes plans to invest in club infrastructure, including privatizing and redeveloping Stadio Diego Maradona
UGP already owns Italian third-tier club Campobasso and recently acquired a controlling stake in Napoli Basketball, with plans to build a multi-sport platform tied to NBA Europe ambitions [The Athletic]
F1 Alpine Racing Team lands Gucci as title sponsor in multi-year ~$150M deal (May 27th)
Alpine will rebrand as “Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team,” with Gucci replacing BWT and bringing its signature color palette to the team’s livery
Deal underscores luxury fashion’s growing push into Formula One alongside brands like LVMH, Tommy Hilfiger, and Hugo Boss amid the sport’s global growth [The Athletic]
EuroLeague remains open to NBA Europe partnership while pushing its own €3B commercial expansion strategy (May 27th)
EuroLeague says NBA talks remain active, but any partnership must benefit its clubs and the broader European basketball ecosystem
League is also pursuing €2.5B in funding and a DTC “super app” across ticketing, merch, fantasy, betting, and fan engagement [SportsPro]
Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell introduce bipartisan college sports bill to stabilize NIL, transfers, and NCAA enforcement (May 27)
Would give the NCAA limited antitrust protection around player eligibility and transfer rules, while creating a federal framework for NIL and athlete compensation.
Also limits athlete transfers, establishes enforceable player compensation rules, and gives college sports leaders more legal cover [SBJ]
Chicago Bears stadium push tied to potential $1.5B tax break under Illinois “megaprojects” bill (May 26th)
Proposed bill would allow Bears freeze assessed property value for 25 years on a potential $5B Arlington Heights stadium and mixed-use development
Estimates say the team could save $39M+ annually in property taxes, adding another hurdle as Illinois weighs Arlington Heights vs. Hammond, Indiana [FOS]
SailGP adds Rome to 2027 calendar through new three-year Italy Sail Grand Prix partnership (May 25th)
Rome will host the Italy Sail Grand Prix on September 11-12, 2027, with racing staged from a purpose-built Race Stadium at Porto di Roma
Marks first race in Italy’s capital as the league expands its global calendar across cities like Hong Kong, New York, Rio, San Francisco, and Dubai [SailGP]
Professional Tennis Players Association denied emergency motion over French Open and Wimbledon credential dispute (May 22nd)
Judge denied PTPA’s request to force French Open and Wimbledon organizers to issue tournament credentials during its ongoing antitrust lawsuit
Court still warned the tournaments over “retaliatory conduct,” leaving credential denials as a potential factor in future legal proceedings [SBJ]
Tampa Bay Buccaneers eye $1B renovation to Raymond James Stadium as lease deadline approaches (May 26th)
Proposed upgrades could range from $700M to $1.3B, with roughly half the cost tied to adding sun coverage over the stadium
Funding talks could clash with the Rays’ proposed ballpark deal, as both projects may rely on local sales and tourist tax dollars [SBJ]
FIFA subpoenaed by New York and New Jersey attorneys general over 2026 World Cup ticket pricing practices (May 27th)
Investigating FIFA’s use of dynamic pricing, resale fees, and alleged changes to ticket categories that reportedly moved early buyers into less desirable seats [WSJ]
Big Ten Conference leads Power 4 revenue race with $1.47B in FY 2025 as conference realignment widens financial gap (May 26)
Jumped $540M year-over-year, driven by new members USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington, plus the second year of its $7B media deal with Fox, CBS, and NBC [SBJ]
Major League Volleyball expands to Los Angeles with new franchise led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong ahead of 2027 season (May 26th)
New LA franchise will be anchored by NantWorks’ El Segundo campus, serving as the team’s operations, administration, and athlete performance hub
Led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ben Priest, with Olympian and three-time NCAA champion Alisha Childress named head of competition and head coach [Pro Volleyball]
Kathy Hochul to lead push for New York City and Lake Placid joint Winter Olympics bid (May 25th)
Proposed bid would pair NYC venues like Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and UBS Arena with Lake Placid’s existing winter sports infrastructure
Next clear opening is 2042; exploring whether the Games could also accelerate transportation and infrastructure investment across New York state [The Athletic]
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STARTUPS & VENTURE CAPITAL
Photo: Goalhanger Ventures launches and backs Invisible Media and Backyard Cricket.
Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger launches ventures arm Goalhanger Ventures to invest in and scale creator-led media businesses (May 26th)
Goalhanger Ventures made its first investment in Invisible Media and also struck a partnership with sports creator brand Backyard Cricket
New arm will provide capital and strategic support across production, long-form video, sponsorships, commerce, and merchandise as Goalhanger expands beyond its podcast network [Deadline]
PlayerData, a wearable and connected ball analytics platform, raises $12M Series A round (May 27th)
New capital will help PlayerData scale its product suite beyond GPS wearables into connected soccer balls, portable camera systems, and AI-powered video clipping
Investment led by Pentland Ventures, Darco Ventures, and Bolt Ventures; other investors include Tennis Australia and 35V [SBJ]
Just Women’s Sports raises new seven-figure investment round led by David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures (May 28th)
New capital will support JWS’ news and content infrastructure, team growth, athlete-led programming, and expanding live events business
Investment led by Bolt Ventures; other investors include Starry Eyed Tomorrow, Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Blue Pool Capital, and OVO Fund [SBJ]
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M&A AND INVESTMENTS
Photo: Enhanced Games' stock plunges 45% after it’s inaugural competition in Las Vegas this past weekend.
Enhanced Games’ stock plunge nearly 45% following debut of PED-friendly competition in Las Vegas (May 26th)
Fell from post-SPAC highs to ~$2.96, cutting its valuation from roughly $1.2B to under $400M after generating underwhelming competitive results and controversy around disputed records
Secured $32M in sponsorship commitments from partners including Roku, Betr, and Rumble ahead of its inaugural competition; hit 900K+ views on YouTube [Sportico]
Scott Coker launches new global MMA league backed by $60M financing round led by Creator Sports Capital (May 26th)
Scott previously founded Strikeforce, led Bellator MMA, and promoted more than 700 MMA events globally; he sold Strikeforce to the UFC in 2011
Investor group includes Griffin Gaming Partners, Tony Hawk, and investors tied to NFL and NBA ownership groups [SVG]
Virginia Tech Hokies to vote on formation of “Hokie Ventures” LLC to modernize athletic department business operations (May 23rd)
New entity would oversee revenue generation, sponsorships, naming rights, and commercial strategy alongside Virginia Tech Athletics, backed by a proposed $15.2M loan tied to the school’s broader “Invest to Win” initiative [Virginia Tech]
Stan Kroenke seeks $400M reimbursement from Inglewood tied to Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium infrastructure improvements (May 27th)
Kroenke’s development group argues it is owed reimbursement for public infrastructure upgrades around SoFi Stadium, Hollywood Park, and the broader 300-acre mixed-use project [SBJ]
Christian Horner, former Red Bull F1 principal, joins Oakley Capital as advisor for premium sports investments (May 21st)
Horner brings 20+ years leading Red Bull F1, where he helped deliver eight drivers’ titles, six constructors’ titles, and $3B+ in commercial revenue
Oakley’s sports portfolio includes GB1, NOX, Vice Golf, and North Sails as the firm targets founder-led brands and under-commercialized sports assets [Oakley Capital]
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STRATEGIC VENTURES
Photo: DraftKings is inches away from hosting its own in-house exchange for its prediction market.
DraftKings moves closer to launching in-house prediction market exchange DKeX after new CFTC filings (May 27th)
DraftKings filed six self-certified sports event contracts covering money-lines, spreads, and props, signaling its proprietary exchange could launch soon
DKeX would let DraftKings operate its own prediction market infrastructure instead of relying on third-party exchanges like CME Group or Crypto.com [Event Horizon]
Stanford Athletics taps Ramp its official expense management partner in multi-year deal across 36-sport department (May 27th)
Partnership includes in-venue signage at Stanford Stadium and Maples Pavilion, digital and content integrations, and athlete-focused content series as Ramp expands its sports footprint [Ramp]
Liga MX signs licensing deal to return to EA Sports FC after five-year absence (May 21st)
Returns in EA Sports FC 27 under a deal running through June 2029, replacing its prior licensing relationship with Konami’s eFootball
Creates a path for EA to eventually add Leagues Cup, though the MLS-Liga MX competition says there are no current plans for integration [Sportico]
Crystal Palace F.C. names Temporal, an AI-powered enterprise operating system, its new front-of-shirt sponsor beginning in 2026-27 (May 21st)
Multi-year deal will replace betting platform NET88 on Crystal Palace’s men’s and academy kits starting next season
Premier League phases out front-of-shirt gambling sponsors; opens the door for more AI and enterprise technology brands to enter global football sponsorships [BBC]
Fanatics-owned Topps secures exclusive England national team collectibles rights beginning in 2031 (May 25th)
Topps will produce England men’s and women’s national team trading cards, stickers, trading card games, and premium collectibles
Deal expands Fanatics’ football collectibles portfolio, which now includes FIFA, Premier League, Bundesliga, UEFA club competitions, and MLS rights [Sports Mint Media]
U.S. Soccer partners with Google to make Search an official fan discovery tool for USMNT and USWNT (May 21st)
Using AI in Google Search to help fans track scores, learn tactics, follow players, and discover U.S. Soccer content ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Sponsoring USMNT roster reveal, launching campaigns with players and legends, and power fan activations through Gemini and Nano Banana at U.S. Soccer House in Venice, CA [U.S. Soccer]
Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury launch Arizona’s Family Sports app as joint direct-to-consumer streaming platform (May 22nd)
App will stream non-national Mercury games this season, with Suns+, Valley Suns, and Phoenix Rising FC content joining later
ViewLift replaces Kiswe as tech partner; Ishbia aiming to grow digital viewership beyond the teams’ existing linear deal with Arizona’s Family through 2030 [SBJ]
Audacy makes case for sports radio’s staying power as it expands sports audio footprint across top U.S. markets (May 25th)
Operates sports brands in all 10 largest U.S. markets and 30+ sports stations nationally, while producing roughly 600 sports podcasts
Argues sports audio remains durable as it combines local fandom, live debate, and free distribution across radio, streaming, podcasts, and digital clips [Sportico]
Sportradar hit with proposed class action lawsuit over alleged ties to black-market gambling operators (May 24th)
Lawsuit claims Sportradar misled investors by failing to disclose alleged relationships with illegal offshore gambling operators, following short-seller reports from Muddy Waters and Callisto Research
Sportradar shares fell as much as 30% after the reports, with the stock trading around $13.03, down ~59% from its August 2025 all-time high close of $31.79 [FOS]