UConn’s Paige Bueckers Inks First NIL Deal with StockX
Since the door opened for athletes to cash in on their name, image, and likeness, all eyes have been on UConn Lady Huskies phenom Paige Bueckers. The 2020-21 AP Player of Year announced a multi-year NIL deal with the footwear and apparel marketplace StockX on Wednesday. Bueckers will be the central figure in an upcoming campaign. She will also work with the company to design and release exclusive products and have access to coveted footwear and apparel from all brands to be worn off-court. The news comes on the same day as her Huskies teammate, freshman star Azzi Fudd announced her first NIL deal with sports nutrition brand Biosteel.
SBJ Parent Company Leaders Group Buys SportTechie
Sports Business Journal and SportTechie will now live under the same roof following the news announced Thursday that the latter has been acquired by Leaders Group, SBJ’s parent company. The two media outlets’ workforces will merge, incorporating SportTechie’s editorial offerings, newsletters, and live event programming. SportTechie CEO Taylor Bloom will now serve as Leaders Group’s Managing Director for Sports Technology Business, a new position.
Alt Announces $75M Community-led Series B Round
Alternative asset investment platform Alt announced $75 million in Series B funding Tuesday, the first time it’s conducted a community-led fundraising round. AngelList co-founder Naval Ravikant, Accomplice co-founder Jeff Fagnan, and Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six were key participants. They are joined byApollo Group, Breyer Capital,Hyperguap, A*, Shrug Capital, Vibe Capital, and athletes like Giannis Antetokounmpo,Tom Brady, Alex Morgan, andCandace Parker. Thirty Five Ventures is an investor in Alt.
Callaway Revenues Skyrocket Amidst Golf’s Surging Popularity
The game of golf has experienced a resurgence in the last year posting its greatest increase in new players in 17 years, positioning Callaway to outdrive its revenue projects before the end of the year. The California-based equipment and apparel company reported an 80% increase in year-over-year revenues with $856 million. The Q3 success led them to increase its annual revenue forecast to $3.11 billion, up from $3.06 billion.
Nike, US Soccer Focus on Growing Women’s Game with Extended Partnership
Nike is committed to growing the game of soccer in the United States, and to do so they secured a multi-year extension to their apparel partnership with US Soccer. While the details of the deal are not yet publicly available, inside sources suggest that the 10-year partnership will span all levels of the national team, including the men’s and women’s senior teams, paralympic, and beach teams, as well as the youth development system. A key focus of the collaboration will be to expand the women’s game, taking a critical step towards gender equity in the sport.
MLB Goes Global with Sport1 Streaming Deal
Baseball season is over, but a busy off-season of negotiations has only just begun. The league announced on Thursday that it has secured a five-year partnership with Sport1 to offer free streaming in Germany. The deal encompasses every aspect of the season, from Opening Day through the World Series, and creates an exciting opportunity to expand their global fanbase.
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Michelle Beadle Kickstarts Comeback with New Podcast
Michelle Beadle may have been off the air since 2019, but the former ESPN and NBC personality has been planning her return ever since. Beadle announced her new podcast, “What’d I Miss? with Michelle Beadle” which will premiere on Nov. 15 on The Athletic. The show will take on the worlds of sports and entertainment with a combination of analysis, opinion, and humor and release three episodes each week.
D1 Training Eyes Nationwide Expansion with Strategic Investment
The Nashville-based training gym, which has trained over 100 NFL draft picks, announced on Wednesday that it had received a strategic investment from Princeton Equity Group. With this money, D1 seeks to triple its locations, with a total of over 180 nationwide.
Klay Thompson Combines His Favorite Things with the Help of Shake Shack and Uber Eats
Klay Thompson is ready for a comeback. While his return to the court may still be a ways off, he has curated his signature Trey in partnership with Shake Shack and Uber Eats. The champion shooting guard announced a collaboration that will combine his favorite things: basketball and burgers. The “Klay Trey” — Thompson’s go-to Shake Shack order of a Chicken Shack, fries, and a chocolate shake — will be available on Uber Eats for rapid delivery through Sunday.
Planet Fitness Prepares to Leap into Metaverse
The judgment-free zone is setting its sights on the metaverse. Planet Fitness filed a patent for META HOLLYWOOD, indicating that it will launch a marketplace for digital collectibles, images, and videos.
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