Oh Canada: MLS North Goes South

Joey Saputo, who founded the club in 1992, prefers selling locally but will accept a relocation offer if no capable local buyer emerges.

The club finished last in MLS this season, winning six of 34 games, and has been among the league's lowest spenders this decade.

With the Vancouver Whitecaps also for sale, two of Canada's three MLS clubs are on the market, raising questions about the league's Canadian future.

Snapp, which builds AI tools to analyze sports data, raised the early-stage money from backers including a16z Speedrun, venture firm Andreessen Horowitz's startup program.

AI use in pro sports analytics is growing alongside prediction markets, platforms for trading on event outcomes, where sports is now the largest category.

Player-tracking startups raised over $15.9M last quarter, showing investor appetite for AI that turns video into insights, though the market is not yet mature.

Owners led by Saudi wealth fund PIF have put £587M into Newcastle since 2021, a total topped only by Chelsea and Everton in England.

The injection is the first since PIF stopped funding breakaway golf league LIV Golf in April, easing fears it would cut back at Newcastle.

The cash is expected to cover operating losses averaging £80M a year before player sales, plus transfer fees and a planned £190M training ground.

The French sports league, Ligue 1, is auctioning its domestic television rights for the 2027 to 2032 seasons.

The league hopes to recover financially after yearly broadcast revenues crashed from $1.1B to roughly $200M.

Entertainment giants Disney and Skydance, along with French network Canal+, may bid to fully control or distribute the broadcasts.

The women's tennis tour declined a merger with the men's tour so it can maintain full independence over its business.

By taking direct control of major tournament events and broadcasting deals, the organization aims to fix its financial deficit.

Surging sponsorships and new media deals are expected to push total tour earnings to roughly $400M by 2029.

Twelve accounts on Polymarket, a platform for betting on real-world events, predicted the exact top-five order, led by winner Harry Kane, the England striker.

The accounts made nearly €200K profit on about €250K in bets, prompting police and organiser France Football to probe a possible results leak.

The case adds to concerns about insiders betting on secret information, even as MLB and the NBA have signed official deals with Polymarket.