Jon Rahm's $350M Buyer's Remorse

The U.S. Olympic committee hired advisory firm Raine Group to raise funds for a new venture potentially valued at over $1B.

Revenue swings from $264M in off-years to $496M during Olympic years, driving the need for more stable direct-to-consumer income.

Team USA needs this funding now to manage upcoming domestic sponsorships between the Los Angeles 2028 and Utah 2034 games.

Billionaire investor Mark Walter, the league's main owner, has sold majority stakes in the NBA's Lakers and soccer club Chelsea amid a federal probe.

He is also reportedly trying to sell the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and wants at least $3B for his Cadillac Formula 1 team.

The three-year-old, 12-team league says it expects no ownership change, though Reddit users found Walter used its trademarks to secure a loan.

The deciding championship match drew 3.3M viewers, marking a massive milestone for the Women's National Basketball Association.

This audience total is the highest the professional sports league has recorded since its inaugural season in 1997.

The historic viewership highlights a rapidly growing mainstream television interest and commercial value in women's sports.

Audience data firm Nielsen surveyed 1,200 marketers in six countries about the next two years, and India ranked first, ahead of the US at 75%.

In India, 61% of marketers see sports sponsorship as a way to test new audiences and markets, versus 54% in the US and 32% in Germany.

Only 42% of Indian marketers track returns across traditional and digital media together, versus 48% in the US, so proving payoff is harder.

Rahm, a two-time major winner, is leaving his $350M LIV Golf deal early, objecting to the rival league's 2027 changes, including prize-money cuts.

Rahm must first prove his LIV exit, and the PGA Tour's standard one-year ban would keep him out until Aug. 24, 2027.

Rahm would likely accept ex-LIV golfer Brooks Koepka's return terms, a $5M charity donation and reduced tour equity, but doubts he will get them.

The cap, a limit on team payrolls, is now projected at $258.2M, up from $245.3M in May; the spending floor rises to $180.2M.

MLB also offered to pay players' share of 2026 luxury-tax fees, charged to big-spending teams, as direct bonuses of up to $285K each.

The players' union says the cap still slashes pay; without a deal by Dec. 1, owners plan a lockout that could threaten 2027 games.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said no Russian athletes will compete for their country in Canada while Russia supports the war in Ukraine.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport, global sport's top court, ruled Friday that Russia must be readmitted to international hockey, starting with this tournament.

Separately, five of the nations in the 10-team field, including Sweden and Finland, say they will refuse to play Russia.

The project started when streaming giant Netflix tried to buy UFC broadcast rights, which rival Paramount purchased for over $1B annually.

Famed filmmaker Gotham Chopra is directing the movie about the outspoken sports entrepreneur, which will release early next year.

The film fits Netflix's new strategy to feature highly compelling sports figures instead of standard league-following documentary series.