Cape Verde’s strong start to the World Cup—including a scoreless draw with tournament co-favorite Spain, perhaps the most shocking result of the tournament so far—has sparked a licensing battle over who can sell uniforms from the Cinderella story. Fans looking to join in on the team’s viral success can purchase $95 uniforms from Capelli Sport, […]
In writing about former USMNT defender and longtime Fox studio analyst Alexi Lalas, sports pundits reaching for a succinct adjective tend to err on the side of generosity. In the past two weeks, the 56-year-old has been referred to as a “polarizing” element of Fox’s FIFA World Cup coverage, an assessment that is irksomely imprecise, […]
The NHL is discussing expansion once again, with Houston and Austin as the frontrunners for the league’s 33rd team, commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters after the Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday. A new franchise would likely go to prominent Texas-based businessman Dan Friedkin, who also owns European soccer clubs AS Roma in Serie A […]
The NFL on Tuesday informed former Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby—who battled the NCAA in court over eligibility despite betting on his own team and his own teammates—that his petition for a supplemental draft to play in the 2026 NFL season was denied. Absent a successful legal challenge, Sorsby will only be eligible for the […]
The weather and the conversations heated up on Day 2 of Cannes Lions on the Croisette, as Sportico sat down with influential names in the sports business universe. Sportico is the official media partner of SPORT BEACH, the home for sports at Cannes Lions. Damar Hamlin—after taking us through a “fit check,” of course—tells us […]
The NHL Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday, ending the four-plus year ownership tenure of Fenway Sports Group. The enterprise value in the deal was $1.7 billion, according to someone familiar with the agreement. Geoff Hoffmann will be the Penguins governor. He is CEO of of the private equity […]
The two PGA Tour boards (Policy and Enterprises) approved recommendations from its Future Competition Committee that established a revamped, two-tier tournament system—with promotion and relegation of players—that begins in 2028. The boards also approved PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp as the tour’s next commissioner, replacing Jay Monahan, effective Jan. 1. The new schedule includes the […]
Sportico this week launched Sportico Studio, a dedicated content and creative solutions offering for brands looking to engage the sports business community. The studio, featured on a new video page on Sportico’s homepage, will leverage Sportico‘s unique position at the center of the sports business ecosystem, connecting brands with influential decision-makers across leagues, teams, media, […]
The Milwaukee Bucks traded star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat early Tuesday morning in a move that shakes up the Eastern Conference, especially since Heat rival Boston Celtics also sought the “Greek Freak.” The trade effectively gives Antetokounmpo a multimillion-dollar raise, since the Heat play in Florida, a state without an income tax. As reported by […]
Novig is the latest prediction market company to hire someone with experience in President Donald Trump’s administration. The company on Tuesday announced Elie Mishory as its new chief regulatory and legal affairs officer. Last year, Mishory worked as a point person in Trump’s temporary, Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, focusing on the U.S. Securities […]
The Washington Wizards made AJ Dybantsa the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, choosing him over Darryn Peterson. Draft day uncertainty over who Washington would pick marked a stark contrast to 2025, when everyone knew the Dallas Mavericks would choose Cooper Flagg. What is not in question this year (or in […]
On the 563rd Sporticast episode, hosts Jacob Feldman and Justin Birnbaum discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a detailed breakdown of Netflix’s FIFA World Cup video game. Following Electronic Arts and FIFA’s split in 2022, both parties now have World Cup-related offerings on the market. Electronic Arts recently launched […]
A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed a $250 million lawsuit filed by Rick Butler, one of the nation’s most prominent junior volleyball coaches, against women’s sports advocate and civil rights attorney Nancy Hogshead. The four-and-a-half-year-old case centered on statements that Hogshead had made in 2017 and 2018 about Butler, who was accused of abusing […]
Sportico took to the iconic Croisette on the first day of Cannes Lions, speaking exclusively with some of the biggest names in sport as an official media partner of SPORT BEACH. Sportico spoke with Celtics’ Jaylen Brown about the launch of Plyrs Untd, the NBA’s new commercial arm that will look to build equity and […]
Throughout the historic championship run of the 2026 New York Knicks, fans searching for orange-and-blue merchandise have lamented the disappearance of Modell’s Sporting Goods, the long-bankrupt retailer whose catchy jingle (“Gotta Go to Mo’s”) and convenient stores throughout the five boroughs made it a New York icon. On Monday, aiming to capitalize on public demand […]
Kilmer Sports Ventures, the private investment firm led by Larry Tanenbaum, is joining the Professional Women’s Hockey League as a strategic partner and injecting $100 million into the burgeoning property, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ilitch Companies, the parent organization of the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers, also came aboard in the […]
The NBA Players Association is launching a new consumer-facing unit and brand, Plyrs Untd, that will initially focus on events and content. It effectively replaces the NBPA’s current B2B brand, Think450. “Consumers do not know our brand, but consumers obviously know our guys, and our guys, probably more so than any other sport, represent culture […]
ROME—I had a chat with the pope the other day. I left The Vatican believing that sports has never been more important. My exchange with Pope Leo was the culmination of two-plus days of discussions, organized by the Vatican, on topics deemed critically important to the leader of the Catholic Church—things such as artificial intelligence […]
As Iran’s World Cup match with Belgium kicked off on Sunday afternoon, digital ads around the SoFi Stadium field in Los Angeles flashed the logo of Aramco, the Saudi Arabian state-owned oil giant. Similar advertising appeared on sideline boards during Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand in Santa Clara, Calif., when a Visa ad […]
Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open Sunday with a final round 73 to beat Sam Burns by one stroke at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. It was the second major title for Clark—he also won the 2023 U.S. Open—and worth $4.5 million in prize money. The 32-year-old American entered the final round up […]
Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry. PERSONNEL MLB Names Shimon Hoizumi Managing Director of Japan Major League Baseball announced that Shimon Hoizumi has been named managing director, Japan, effective immediately. Based in MLB’s Tokyo office, Hoizumi will oversee business operations in Japan and […]
The 2026 World Cup has only just begun, but plenty of legacy building is already in the works. Many stakeholders, including sponsors such as Adidas and Coca-Cola, want to use the event to capture the next generation of consumers and soccer fans. For the Philadelphia Union, the plan is to finance the education of soccer […]
Indiana University is paying a sculptor $195,000 to memorialize legendary Hoosiers basketball coach Bob Knight, according to public records seen by Sportico. The university announced in February that it had commissioned sculptor Brian Hanlon to create a permanent bronze statue of Knight that will be installed in the south lobby of Assembly Hall alongside other […]
Penske Media Corp., the owner of Sportico, said Thursday it is acquiring certain Vox Media brands in a deal that executives said bolsters Penske’s position as the world’s largest digital publisher. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Along with Sportico, Penske’s brands include Billboard, Variety, Rolling Stone, WWD, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline, Robb Report, Artforum, SHE Media, StyleCaster and […]
Local news outlet The New Jersey Girl published an April story headlined “WTF is Happening with NJ Transit for World Cup?” That question has been on the minds of many soccer fans descending on the Garden State this summer, and the answer has been difficult to surmise. NJ Transit—the elderly train line that serves New Jersey, along with areas of New York and Pennsylvania—has a notorious history with […]