Equinox To Cut $1.8B PE Debt

Owners Silver Lake, a private equity firm, and property developer Related are negotiating the deal, which could be finalized within weeks.

A 2024 rescue financing left the upscale chain paying interest rates as high as 16%, eating up cash it needed to grow.

The deal would give Equinox hundreds of millions in fresh cash to open new clubs and refurbish existing locations.

US investment firm The Friedkin Group plans to sell a minority stake in the English football club to strategic partners.

This follows severe fan backlash after the team sold £100M in talent while failing to sign key replacement players.

The investment firm recently bought Everton to fix its debt and is also launching a $3.5B ice hockey franchise.

The Hollywood star is in early talks with the ownership of Norwich City, a second-tier English soccer team he has long supported.

The potential deal follows a growing trend of celebrities, including his co-star Ryan Reynolds, purchasing stakes in British sports franchises.

While no official agreement exists yet, the actor publicly confirmed his strong interest in joining the club's American-led ownership group.

Sportswear giant Nike is becoming the main shirt sponsor for the independent UK women's soccer team, London City Lionesses.

While exact terms are secret, club owner Michele Kang confirmed the deal pays over $4M yearly, breaking a major women's sports record.

The brand usually only provides team uniforms, making this prominent ad placement a huge milestone for the commercial value of women's soccer.

National trade group the Sports & Fitness Industry Association reports that 81.3% of Americans played a sport by June 2026.

Padel became the fastest-growing activity with a 14.5% jump, while team sports like basketball and flag football also surged.

Pickleball participation grew by just 1.3%, cooling off significantly after five consecutive years as the fastest-growing sport.

The Southeastern Conference, a major college sports league, is suing member school LSU to stop it from using players with past NFL contracts.

The university and its head coach are trying to roster athletes who are fighting in state court to regain their amateur playing status.

The league wants federal permission to enforce its amateur rules and penalize any school that tries to use former professional players.

European football body UEFA threatened criminal action against FIFA's president for proposing to sell a 20% stake in its commercial rights for $4.2B.

UEFA claims the abandoned deal with US investment fund Thrive Eternal was deliberately undervalued to personally benefit the head of FIFA.

FIFA filed court documents claiming UEFA ruined the deal to keep developing nations financially weak and protect its own tournament dominance.

Lombardi walked away from a $1.5M annual contract, ending his tenure as the highest-paid general manager in college football.

The departure follows a paid leave while the university and external lawyers investigate unspecified allegations regarding his workplace conduct.

Head coach Bill Belichick must now attempt to rebuild the struggling sports program without his longtime confidant and roster manager.