NFL Explores Launching Investment Fund

The league's current venture arm, 32 Equity, is seeking larger deals that can meaningfully impact a football business generating $25B this season.

The new fund would pool team money with capital from private equity firms like Ares to finance larger deals and generate new revenue.

Because these investment profits bypass the player salary cap rules, team owners get to keep all of the resulting financial upside.

Billionaire investors Mark Walter and Todd Boehly are selling their combined 25.6% stake to private equity firm Clearlake Capital, resolving reported ownership disputes.

The ownership group bought the team for £2.3B in 2022 and has since poured £4.2B into total operations to boost performance.

Despite current club valuations sitting at just £3B, Walter expects a profitable exit and plans to continue investing in other sports teams.

The National Hockey League is negotiating with Houston billionaire Dan Friedkin to launch a new team in Austin or Houston.

The deal requires a massive $2B entry fee and a brand-new arena, delaying the team's debut until at least 2029.

Players welcome the extra jobs, but some current owners worry that adding a 33rd team could water down the sport's talent pool.

Overtime, a digital sports media company built for young fans, first signed a multi-year deal with the German sportswear giant in 2023.

The deal covers Overtime Elite, a basketball league that has produced three top-five NBA draft picks, plus girls basketball and high-school football competitions.

Athletes get Adidas gear and help managing endorsement deals, while the brand reaches Overtime's audience of millions of young fans.

A federal judge denied 14 athletes from two universities a request to play a fifth season of college sports under new rules.

The court ruled the players already received their promised four seasons and failed to prove these eligibility limits violated antitrust laws.

This victory strengthens the NCAA, the governing body for college sports, against future lawsuits from athletes seeking extra playing time and compensation.

The French Football Federation dropped its backing after the FIFA leader tried to sell World Cup stakes to private investors.

European football's governing body, UEFA, and other regional groups are now demanding he resign over these controversial commercial plans.

Infantino still intends to run unopposed in the March 2027 election, despite a rapidly growing global backlash against his governance.

Sports owner Liberty Media grew F1's fanbase by 63% to 827M by focusing heavily on social media and driver personalities.

Online followers skyrocketed to 114.5M, dropping the average fan age as modern audiences prioritize charismatic drivers over traditional racing teams.

To maintain this massive growth, brands and teams must keep younger fans engaged between races even if the actual championship gets boring.

Trading platform Robinhood must close existing Michigan customer positions by October 9 following a deal with state gambling regulators protecting licensed betting.

Regulators argue these contracts are illegal sports bets, while Robinhood and its exchange partner Kalshi claim they are federally regulated financial trades.

This nationwide legal battle threatens a major growth engine for the trading app, which generates an estimated $200M from sports prediction markets.