2025-12-22
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Finance & Investments
The school generated a record $332 million in revenue, boosted by $137 million in donations.
Former leader Ohio State fell to second place as revenue dropped 9% to $255 million.
The top 75 athletic programs hold a combined value of $51.22 billion, up 13% annually.
Funds remain restricted to passive minority stakes and cannot hold controlling interests.
Arctos Partners is reportedly negotiating for the Memphis Grizzlies, which would be its sixth stake.
The NFL limits funds to six teams, while baseball enforces no ownership caps.
The valuation nearly doubles the $900 million the ownership group paid for the franchise in 2021.
This agreement closes in 2026 and includes the SportNet Pittsburgh regional broadcast network.
Average attendance fell 8% last season after the team missed three consecutive postseasons.
Spending on a child's primary sport rose 46% since 2019 due to college income hopes.
The industry targets a consumer base of 27 million children aged 6-17.
Firms are consolidating thousands of small, independent operators to improve margins and efficiency.
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Media, Broadcasting & Sponsorships
VP Gabe Spitzer notes standard games struggle to compete with hits like Stranger Things.
Streamer explicitly rules out local rights bundles and pay-per-view fees for boxing cards.
Anchor Elle Duncan signs non-exclusive deal allowing external work due to low event volume.
A shutdown would revert broadcast rights to 30 franchises across the NBA, NHL, and MLB.
The NBA warned 13 teams that $180M in scheduled rights payments may not arrive.
League-run streaming platforms would distribute games immediately if the company defaults mid-season.
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Teams & Leagues
World Series champion Dodgers face a record $169.4M penalty on their $417.3M payroll.
A record-tying nine franchises surpassed the league's $241M salary spending threshold.
The Mets incurred the second-highest fee of $91.6M despite missing the postseason.
LOVB grows to nine teams, joining recent Los Angeles and Minnesota additions.
Owners include Rebel Girls CEO Jes Wolfe, Olympian Kelsey Cook, and Bay FC founders.
The league raised $100M in November after completing its inaugural professional season.
Organizers declined to refile after a federal judge dismissed claims of illegal athlete interference.
World Aquatics will ban participants from future competitions, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The 2026 Las Vegas event permits banned substances and offers $1M for world records.
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Miscellaneous
Mark Walter’s Cadillac F1 joins as the 11th team; Apple integrates F1 across its apps.
The Big 12 nears a $500mn capital deal with RedBird following Utah’s historic agreement.
The NFL may renegotiate its $111bn contract; WNBA players could authorize a strike.
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