In 2023, Joe Lacob and Peter Puber paid a then-record $50 million expansion fee to bring a WNBA team to the Bay Area. In its second season, the Golden State Valkyries became the first WNBA franchise valued at $1 billion. Lacob’s investment has grown roughly 1,600 percent by that measure, and the team also leads... Continue Reading →
When the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers opened the 2024 NFL season in São Paulo, the headlines were about the players’ security briefings. Darius Slay and his team had been told, in his words, “not to leave the hotel.” The league’s first South American game was supposed to be a grand showcase, but... Continue Reading →
Whether we like it or not, Saudi Arabia has become a major force in global sports due to their financial investment. The Saudi-funded Public Investment Fund (PIF) now hosts events, owns teams, funds leagues, and will host the 2034 World Cup. In a sportswashing campaign that now has created leagues such as their attempt with... Continue Reading →
The NBA’s newly announced betting restrictions arrive at a moment when public frustration with the prevalence of gambling in sports is reaching a peak. In a memo to its sportsbook partners, the league prohibited a narrow set of bet types—most notably single‑player under parlays, alternate under lines, and wagers tied to opening tips or missed... Continue Reading →
While most of you are aware of sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings, a different type of platform known as prediction markets is blurring the line between “financial trading” and sports betting. Now, these platforms are at the center of a growing legal battle over who has the authority to regulate them: the states or the... Continue Reading →
On Tuesday, the NFL rescinded the celebration fine imposed on Jameson Williams, a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions. The fine stemmed from a Week 2 touchdown celebration against the Buffalo Bills, in which Williams appeared to mime smoking marijuana with teammates Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs. Afterwards, the NFL fined all three players... Continue Reading →
Youth hockey is expensive enough without parents having to worry about trademark infringement when supporting their kids. However, that is exactly what happened in New Jersey this week when a group of hockey moms found themselves at the center of a dispute over custom team jackets. The controversy involves the Jersey Hitmen, a youth hockey... Continue Reading →
Title IX is best known for opening the door to women's sports. These days, it's also at the center of a much bigger fight over LGBTQ rights in schools, and it just got a new chapter. On September 28, 2026, the Department of Education announced that it was formally rescinding the Biden administration's 2024 Title... Continue Reading →
LeBron James’s daily helicopter commute to Philadelphia made some noise, not because of the travel itself, but because of the commercial arrangement that makes it possible. A former 76ers owner—now the CEO of one of the league’s most powerful commercial partners—is providing a high‑value benefit that materially supports the employment of the franchise’s newest star.... Continue Reading →
The NFL is set to host a record nine international games across four continents and seven countries during the 2026 season.[1] Recently, the League staged games in Melbourne, Australia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, requiring the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys to travel nearly 8,000 and 5,000 miles, respectively. These games now represent more... Continue Reading →