2025-09-25
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Teams & Leagues
A Week 1 game in Brazil drew 16.2M US and 1.1M international viewers on YouTube.
The league’s Sunday Ticket on YouTube has 2M to 5M subscribers, surpassing DirecTV.
The Minnesota Vikings are testing logistics with back-to-back international games in Dublin and London.
Bidders can now pursue rights across multiple markets at the same time.
A potential global offering could allow a single provider worldwide for the first time.
Tenders for the broadcast cycle beginning in 2027 will be issued in the coming weeks.
Revenue growth was strongest in Asia (+35%), followed by the Americas (+32%).
The league will now be broadcasted in over 180 territories.
Global rights manager IMG has renewed its distribution deal for another four-year cycle.
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Finance & Investments
A 2.35% stake was sold by Andrew McKenna's estate to the team's existing owners.
The McCaskey family's ownership increases to ~77%, with the Ryan family holding ~23%.
The valuation surpasses the previous NFL record of ~$8.6 billion for the SF 49ers.
The transaction is expected to net the franchise approximately $272 million.
Controlling owner Jed York’s family maintains majority control, holding about 88% of the team.
This follows a separate 6% stake sale to three Bay Area families in May.
The investment is for APEX's Elite Performance Fund, which targeted a $58.7M close.
Soccer stars Giorgio Chiellini and Diogo Dalot also joined the final funding round.
Red Bull will be a strategic partner, already running pilots with two portfolio companies.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
A letter expresses concerns the deals could raise prices and create conflicts of interest.
The NFL deal grants the league a 10% stake in ESPN for NFL Network assets.
The lawmakers are of the minority party, limiting their ability to impact the agreements.
The push is driven by the NBA's recent $77B deal, making the NFL's $111B contract feel undervalued.
Current contracts expire after the 2033 season, with contractual opt-outs not starting until 2029.
Early talks could open the door for streaming partners like Amazon to air a Super Bowl.
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Miscellaneous
NYCFC provided MLS with fewer than its 17 required home dates due to stadium availability.
Last September, Messi's match against the club at Yankee Stadium drew over 44,700 fans.
The team’s new $780M stadium, Etihad Park, is set to open in early 2027.
The print-on-demand model avoids significant overhead and a potential $50,000 inventory investment.
Fashion AI School's Olska Green created the 12-piece collection in less than a month.
The club, owned by Mercury13, also used AI to generate the e-commerce models.
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