Beer Giant AB InBev Pours $110M Into Soccer

Investment firm Parlay Capital led the $6.5M funding round to help the company expand its team before a summer 2026 launch.

SpeedLabs uses artificial intelligence to instantly create and price new betting options during live games based on sudden momentum shifts.

The startup aims to capture massive demand for short-term trading, a model that recently drove $4B in volume on similar prediction platforms.

Shamrock Capital, a $7.4B media-focused investment firm, and new sports fund EnOne Ventures led the deal, combining the two companies into one.

CardsHQ runs trading card stores and online sales, while Sports Card Investor makes hobby content and the Market Movers app for valuing cards.

The money will fund new CardsHQ stores in major US cities and upgrade the Market Movers platform collectors use to research and track their collections.

AB InBev, the world's largest brewing company, is spending over $110M on sponsorships to make its brands the official tournament beverages.

This massive marketing push attempts to reverse a decade-long drop in beer drinking, which fell 17% in the U.S. and 3% globally.

Rival brewer Molson Coors is also boosting its ad spend by 60%, marking its biggest live sports investment in a decade.

The decade-long partnership allows the NBA star to launch global retail stores and expand his personal brand into golf and everyday athletic wear.

Chinese apparel company Li-Ning earned $4.3B last year and could outsell rival Nike in China by 2030 as local brands grow more popular.

Aligning with a domestic firm gives the 38-year-old athlete a massive advantage to earn millions in the Chinese market beyond his playing career.

Over 7M UK fans watched the soccer championship, down 5.6M viewers from when the game was shown for free four years ago.

UK broadcaster TNT Sports holds the TV rights until 2027 and decided to put the title game behind a paywall for the first time.

Despite the drop, the network noted the game captured a quarter of TV viewers and average seasonal viewership actually rose by 5%.

The baseball players' union claims a new league proposal to limit team payrolls would cost athletes over $500M by 2026.

The professional baseball league proposed a $245.3M spending limit and revenue split to help smaller teams compete with wealthy franchises.

Players strongly oppose these spending limits and instead want a $1.5M minimum salary to guarantee fair pay across all teams.

Global soccer organization FIFA used dynamic pricing to double ticket costs compared to 2022, with some early-round seats now reaching $990.

Budget hotels near stadiums are raising standard room rates by 55% on game days to capitalize on the massive influx of tourists.

Fans also face steep hidden travel expenses, including stadium parking passes priced up to $300 and surged public transit fares.

The 44-year-old tennis star will play doubles at an English tournament next week, marking her first professional match since 2022.

Despite her absence, she earns over $10M annually from major sponsors like athletic giant Nike and weight-loss firm Ro.

Her immense global popularity has driven her total career earnings to $500M, making her the highest-paid female athlete in history.