2026-01-20
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Finance & Investments
The company secured $50M in fresh capital, giving the business a total market value of $1B.
Beverage mogul Mike Repole merged the firm with Tom Brady’s wellness brand to launch nutrition products.
The partners aim to expand beyond niche CrossFit gear to compete with global sportswear rivals.
Sports deal values hit $23.6B through August 2025, surpassing the previous full-year record of $16.6B.
Capital is flowing into increasingly diverse assets, including college sports and women’s teams.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
Starting in 2026, the wearable tech firm will monitor health metrics for Ferrari drivers and staff.
WHOOP branding will appear on cars while its science team integrates with Ferrari medics to manage fatigue.
The deal aims to improve recovery times and produce research on human resilience under extreme pressure.
Media rights payments hit $29.5B in 2024 as networks use wagering activity to measure real-time fan engagement.
Ad spend on college football jumped 72% because betting trends signal deep emotional investment from viewers.
Universities now leverage these gambling insights to negotiate better deals while maintaining strict regulatory compliance.
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Teams & Leagues
An 80-person group including NFL star Drew Brees backs this mix of tennis and pickleball.
The business aims to capture 25M former tennis players by utilizing widespread pickleball courts.
The launch includes equipment sales and professional tournaments offering at least $500K in prize money.
The team finished a historic 16-0 season, the first undefeated record since 1894.
The university spent $62M to overhaul the program, doubling its budget from two years ago.
This victory proves that struggling teams can achieve rapid success by hiring elite coaches and top talent.
League officials argue these platforms act like gambling sites and lack safety measures to prevent cheating.
The ban stops athletes from promoting services like Kalshi, which let fans trade on game results.
These apps operate under federal laws, allowing them to bypass state bans on traditional sports betting.
The US league aims to launch a standalone European competition by 2027 targeting major cities.
Commissioner Adam Silver praised the German club as an ideal model for the proposed expansion.
The local team is seeking wealthy investors to fund the substantial entry fees required to join.
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Miscellaneous
The State Department added college, professional, and Special Olympics participants to the approved travel list.
Waivers apply to athletes and coaches from 39 restricted regions but exclude fans and media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio authorized the expansion to ensure major competitions can proceed in the US.
Researchers at the University of South Carolina created a model to measure online engagement across major platforms.
Fox Sports currently uses the tool to track viral moments and identify the most influential voices.
The system analyzes post volume and sentiment to determine exactly how fans feel about specific teams.
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