Enhanced Games Take A $62M Beating

The controversial sports and health company lost $62M last quarter, largely due to the massive costs of hosting its inaugural Las Vegas competition.

To reduce expenses moving forward, the business will host smaller sporting events and expand its growing telehealth services and health supplement divisions.

Despite going public in May at a $1.2B valuation, shares of the startup backed by billionaire investor Peter Thiel have crashed 84% this year.

Sports brand owner Amer Sports saw its second-quarter revenue jump 32% to $1.63B and profits rise to $127M.

This financial boost was driven by strong global sales from its popular outdoor and athletic brands like Arc'teryx, Salomon, and Wilson.

Because of this continued momentum, the company raised its 2026 forecast and now expects 24% in total revenue growth.

Local shipping company Axle Logistics, founded by university alumni, will sponsor both basketball teams' jerseys through the 2030-31 season.

The agreement pays the athletic department over $3M annually, providing crucial new revenue to help the school remain competitive.

This partnership also funds marketing campaigns to help student-athletes build their personal brands and gain real business experience.

Rasmussen launched ESPN in 1979 after being fired by hockey's New England Whalers, betting that fans wanted sports coverage around the clock.

To fund the launch, he sold 85% of ESPN to oil giant Getty Oil, whose new owners pushed him out in 1980.

Despite his early departure, Rasmussen reconciled with the network in 1999 and entered the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Nielsen, a major media tracking firm, reports fans watched 28.6B minutes of women's sports in early 2026, an 18% yearly increase.

This growing audience pushed sponsor values up 71% for the WNBA basketball league, while overall ad spending jumped 120% since 2022.

The boom attracted 16M new sports fans who are deeply loyal, with 60% willing to switch brands based on corporate values.

F1's owner, US-based Liberty Media, is pushing to modernize the sport through new racing rules, additional American events, and lucrative global brand deals.

Traditional fans criticize this rapid commercialization, but executives argue expanding beyond an aging European base is strictly necessary for long-term survival.

To reach these new viewers, F1 is experimenting with unconventional broadcasts on tech giant Apple and a massive $600M Hollywood movie.

Roger Goodell, head of the National Football League, stated he has zero doubt that franchises will one day operate outside the United States.

The American football league is expanding globally, scheduling a record nine overseas games in 2026 across new cities like Paris and Melbourne.

Goodell noted that an overseas city must first successfully host a permanent team before the league considers playing a Super Bowl championship there.

The US retailer is buying individual sports cards at trade shows to build interactive hobby shops inside its massive sporting goods stores.

Executives noticed card collectors visit stores more frequently, chasing a lucrative market that earned retail competitor Target $1B in revenue last year.

To generate buzz for this new venture, the company recently purchased a rare autographed baseball rookie card at auction for $1.11M.

Early in her career, massive travel costs forced Sabalenka and her team to share cheap hotel rooms despite her earning nearly $2M annually.

Performance coach Jason Stacy and head coach Anton Dubrov helped by taking low base salaries tied to a percentage of her tournament winnings.

As the top-ranked player, she now makes over $8.2M a year in prizes plus lucrative sponsorships with major global brands like Gucci.