2025-09-24
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Teams & Leagues
The one-off expansion is proposed to mark the 100th anniversary of the first tournament.
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) leaders formally pitched the idea in New York City.
The presidents of both UEFA and CONCACAF have voiced their opposition to the plan.
The event's Fan Zone in Thrive City attracted an additional 112,000 visitors.
Attendees were 90% from the U.S. and 10% from over 40 countries.
A pre-event Open Practice Day drew more than 4,700 fans on its own.
Microsoft and Adobe partnerships power the new features on the league's digital platforms.
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) consumption is up 30% YoY, nearing 12M players.
Future AI plans include adding translations, localization, and open user prompts.
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Finance & Investments
The new Golden State Valkyries generated three times the revenue of his Washington Mystics.
Leonsis highlighted league growth, contrasting it with a past ESPN deal worth only $12M.
He also believes the WNBA's on-court style of play is better than the NBA's.
The investment includes a three-phase stadium overhaul to be completed by 2028.
Funds will also boost staffing, roster development, and NIL support for athletes.
The project will be financed through private investments, not state operating funds.
The deal is the largest direct investment from a single owner in the league.
The valuation is similar to the New York Atlantics' recent $10M funding round.
The 10-team league recently closed its own separate $10M seed funding round.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
The partnership is anchored by a seven-year, $14 billion deal for NFL Sunday Ticket.
YouTube globally streamed a Brazil game that reached 19.7M viewers using creator-led broadcasts.
The NFL has broadcast rights opt-outs and may stream a Super Bowl in the 2030s.
The England vs. France match drew a peak UK audience of 3.3 million.
In France, TF1’s broadcast also set a record, peaking at 4.4 million viewers.
BBC's tournament coverage has attracted 9.8M linear viewers and 8.8M digital streams.
American Express will reportedly take over the category for ~$910M over seven years.
Visa will now focus marketing on individual teams, renewing its deal with the 49ers.
The company cited rising sports rights costs for the strategic shift.
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Miscellaneous
Each of the 32 NFL teams received an equal $432.6M national revenue share in 2024.
The league operates with a hard salary cap, set at $255.4M for the 2024 season.
In contrast, Premier League clubs have lost a collective £4.4B over the past 32 seasons.
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