2026-06-10
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Finance & Investments
Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, will pay close to €100M a year through 2030-31, the biggest shirt sponsorship in world soccer.
That puts Real Madrid well ahead of rivals Barcelona, Manchester United, and PSG, who each earn around €70M from their shirt sponsors.
The deal also covers the club's women's, youth, and basketball teams, extending a partnership running since 2011 toward two decades.
Sports media giant ESPN is negotiating a new deal that doubles host Pat McAfee’s current pay from nearly $30M to roughly $60M annually.
The complex agreement covers production costs for his daily sports talk show and compensates him for appearances on popular college football broadcasts.
Network executives view the popular host as a vital long-term investment to attract younger audiences despite his history of public controversies.
Red Bull racing star Max Verstappen leads earnings with $70M, followed by Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton at $60M.
Reigning champion Lando Norris earns $34M for racing team McLaren, which recently won back-to-back team titles.
Shares of Madison Square Garden Sports, owner of the Knicks and Rangers, jumped 101% as the firm explores splitting the two teams.
Record NBA sales, including a $10B deal for the Los Angeles Lakers, have fueled investor confidence in the value of these sports franchises.
Sphere Entertainment, another venue company led by CEO James Dolan, saw its stock skyrocket 265% after restructuring heavy debt to avoid bankruptcy.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
The major US bank was motivated by the tournament returning to the US, where it generates most of its revenue.
This historic deal allows the financial giant to market to both everyday consumers and corporate clients across its 35 international markets.
Sports marketing agency Octagon praised the bank for launching early soccer campaigns, which helps it stand out before the massive global event.
Andrew Yaffe, a former NBA executive and CEO of the YouTube sports group Dude Perfect, says traditional sports content fails with younger audiences.
He argued young fans will watch long videos, citing a 4-hour Dude Perfect upload that held viewers for over an hour on average.
The creator group recently opened an 80K-square-foot studio headquarters in Texas to expand its unique sports content and host visiting fans.
Sports broadcasting network ESPN saw a 27% jump in May studio show viewers, including an 11% increase among young adults.
Five daily programs broke all-time May audience records, with flagship morning show "First Take" reaching 564K viewers.
Iconic daily sports recap "PTI" led all studio shows with 703K viewers, hitting its highest May numbers since 2019.
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Teams & Leagues
Billionaire baseball team owner Steve Cohen is expanding his sports investments by purchasing the New York franchise in a new women's golf league.
Sports technology company TMRW Sports is launching the league this year, with individual teams reportedly valued at roughly $20M each.
New York is the third city announced for the league, which is backed by an investment firm led by soccer star Alex Morgan.
International soccer body FIFA withdrew Iran's standard 8% share of stadium tickets for its three opening matches in the US.
The decision was forced by strict US financial sanctions that legally block money transfers from Iran to the American-registered tournament.
The Iranian soccer federation criticized the move as political interference, and the revoked tickets will now go on general sale.
Labor union UNITE HERE reached an agreement with stadium operator Legends Global, securing a 40% pay increase for over 2K concession workers.
The deal pushes base pay over $40 per hour, making them the highest-paid food and beverage staff at any American football venue.
The contract ensures premium pay for large events and permits workers to leave if federal immigration agents create an unsafe environment.
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Miscellaneous
City leaders rushed to build the temporary facility to handle minor crimes from the 650K fans expected to visit during the soccer tournament.
Officials spent $25.8M in taxpayer funds on the warehouse-style center, but supply delays and staffing shortages prevent it from opening on time.
Without the promised building, police will continue holding offenders at local patrol stations or transporting them to distant jails 50 miles away.
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