2026-01-15
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Finance & Investments
The Portuguese soccer legend earned $260M in 2025, largely fueled by his contract with Saudi club Al Nassr.
High salaries in the NBA and NFL helped U.S. stars secure 62 of the top 100 spots.
The top 100 earners generated $6.05B collectively, though no female athletes made the final cut this year.
Ascent Capital Partners, a wealth advisory firm, aims to purchase the team pending regulatory approval.
The buyer plans to move the club to a new stadium within a £100M development project.
If approved, Tranmere will become the 37th English club with United States-based ownership.
The company targets younger gamblers by combining esports matches with traditional sports betting.
Raine Group Co-Founder John Salter led the funding round to fuel the startup's global expansion.
The streaming giant aims to remove stock risks for sellers after its shares fell nearly 30%.
Rival media firm Paramount is suing to block the merger and push its own hostile takeover bid.
Switching to cash payments helps speed up the complex regulatory approval process for the acquisition.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
Top pirate sites hosted 1.6B views as fans sought to avoid expensive official subscriptions.
Analytics firm Yield Sec reports that funding comes primarily from banned betting operators seeking customers.
Users face safety risks since 90% of these platforms contain dangerous malware or scams.
The firm founded by NFL legend Peyton Manning will produce live matches to boost the emerging league’s viewership.
Broadcasts feature behind-the-scenes audio and storytelling to help the niche sport attract a wider general audience.
This move expands the $750M media company’s portfolio beyond its famous alternate broadcasts and documentaries.
The racing body will rent out its $60M North Carolina facility to outside media partners and sports organizations.
The hub already produces 600 live events yearly but has spare capacity during weekdays and the offseason.
This expansion follows a successful trial where the studio hosted the PGA Tour during a weather emergency.
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Teams & Leagues
Fans are competing for roughly 5M remaining seats, making the tournament heavily oversubscribed.
FIFA will award the tickets via a random lottery in February due to the massive volume.
Scalpers likely inflated the application numbers to profit from record-high ticket prices.
The Spanish club signed a 10-year license, ruling out a move to the rival NBA Europe project.
This hinders plans by the US-based NBA to launch a competing 16-team European league by 2027.
EuroLeague organizers threatened legal action against the NBA for negotiating with committed teams before a January deadline.
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Miscellaneous
Tech firms now drive 20% of rights spending, using live games to reduce subscriber churn on platforms like Netflix.
Kelly argues authentic human competition acts as a valuable "antidote" to the flood of mass-produced AI content.
Investors are shifting focus from simple acquisition to operational growth as the "experience economy" drives record live attendance.
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