BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing announced the appointment of Will Wright as chief operating officer. An executive with more than a decade of leadership across sports, media and live event production, Wright will oversee BKBâs global operations and content, including event production, broadcast strategy, product and organizational infrastructure. His career spans senior leadership roles at global sports and entertainment companies including Gravity Media, NEP Group and ONE Championship.
Coca-Cola Signs Cole Palmer in Gen Z-Focused Soccer Strategy
The Coca-Cola Company added England and Chelsea star Cole Palmer as its newest brand ambassador. Palmer will feature in Coca-Cola and Powerade activations, including activity linked to Coca-Colaâs role as the Official Soft Drink Partner of the Premier League. Palmer will also support activations around the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 as part of Coca-Colaâs longstanding partnership with the tournament.
Yahoo Sports Taps Jarrod Schwarz as General Manager
Yahoo is welcoming veteran sports media and product executive Jarrod Schwarz as the new general manager of Yahoo Sports. Schwarz will oversee product, design and technology; revenue and operations; partnerships and business development; and content. He will report directly to Ryan Spoon, president of Yahoo Media Group. Schwarz has a 20-plus year history in digital products and businesses across sports, media and e-commerce. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer at BetMGM.
Q&A
Who is Will Wright and what is his new role at BKB?
Will Wright has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing.
What does the appointment of Will Wright as COO mean for BKB?
Will Wright's appointment as COO is expected to influence the operational strategies and growth of BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing.
What is the significance of personnel changes in sports organizations?
Personnel changes can significantly impact an organization's direction, operational efficiency, and overall success in the competitive sports industry.
What other transactions are occurring in the sports business industry?
The article provides a weekly roundup of various personnel, partnerships, and product changes across the sports business industry.
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PARTNERSHIPS
AXIA Time Partners With FIFA for First World Cup Collection
AXIA Time (AXIA) announced the addition of FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Licensed timepieces to its portfolio of commemorative designs. The collection marks the first time that timepieces have been introduced as part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Licensed Products program. AXIA will create Swiss Made watches to âencompass the history, identity and global impactâ of the FIFA World Cup. The collection includes 14 watch designs. Seven designs will honor countries that have previously won the FIFA World Cup: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, France, Spain, Germany and England.
JPMorganChase Named First Global Banking Partner of Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and JPMorganChase announced a Worldwide Olympic Partnership, making JPMorganChase the first Global Banking Partner in Olympic history. The partnership includes the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28) and the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The firm has also reached an agreement with LA28 to become the Official Bank of Team USA and LA28, and a Founding Partner of LA28.
CW Network Acquires Broadcast Rights to WWE NXT Premium Events
The CW Network and WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), announced all NXT premium live events will now air exclusively on the CW. Beginning with TheGreat American Bash later this summer, the CW will broadcast 20 premium events in their entirety live on both coasts over the next several years, including Stand and Deliver, Deadline and Vengeance Day. The network is now the exclusive home for all NXT programming, which showcases WWEâs up-and-coming wrestlers.
CW Network, ESPN to Stream 800 Hours of Live Events on App
The CW Network and ESPN are teaming up to make the ESPN App the exclusive streaming home for all CW Sports live events. All CW Sports will broadcast live on the CW Network as well as stream live on the ESPN App for fans with an ESPN Unlimited subscription plan, including live coverage of college football and menâs and womenâs basketball from the ACC, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, the NASCAR OâReilly Auto Parts Series, WWE NXT, PBA Bowling, PBR Bull Riding, AVP volleyball and the 2026 Arizona Bowl.
Marsh, Formula 1 Enter Official Multiyear Partnership
Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a risk, reinsurance and capital firm, announced a multiyear partnership with Formula 1 as the seriesâ first Official Risk Partner and Official Insurance Brokering Partner. This collaboration marks Marshâs first enterprise-wide global sports partnership. As an official partner, Marsh will have prominent trackside branding and the ability to create curated guest experiences at races around the world.
MLS Innovation Lab Unveils Third Cohort of Sports Tech Startups
Major League Soccer announced the 2026 cohort of the MLS Innovation Lab, its initiative focused on identifying, deploying and scaling new sports technology. Now in its third year, the program brings together startups from around the world to build in three areas of focus: player performance, fan engagement and media production. This yearâs cohort is focused on AI. The MLS Innovation Lab gives participating companies the opportunity to test their technologies in real-world MLS environments such as the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, as well as youth competitions. The five companies in the cohort are Springbok Analytics, Orreco, Fit:match, Advanced Image Robotics and WMT AI Ticketing.
Cadillac F1 Team Appoints Excel as Its Agency of Record
Cadillac Formula 1 Team has announced the appointment of Excel Sports Management as its exclusive Agency of Record, responsible for leading commercial sales strategy and partnership development globally. Excel is tasked to amplify revenue growth through an integrated approach to partnerships. Cadillac Formula 1 Team and Excel will âfocus on evolving and scaling a commercial ecosystem, creating distinctive, high-impact opportunities for brands.â
NWSL and Overtime Re-Up Gen-Z Focused Content Partnership
Overtime and the NWSL have renewed their content partnership for the 2026 season, with behind-the-scenes access to players and game highlights. The partnership will span the entire 2026 regular season, playoffs and championship. The NWSL became Overtimeâs first professional womenâs sports league partner last year.
World Rugby and IMG Announce Media Rights Partnership
World Rugby and global sports marketing agency IMG have agreed to a long-term media rights partnership ahead of the Menâs and Womenâs Rugby World Cups in 2031 and 2033. Under the agreement, IMG aims to help World Rugby shape a media and market strategy, including strategic advisory on U.S and global media rights, distribution, content and in-market initiatives in the lead up to the Rugby World Cups. IMG will also provide broader consulting across the global World Rugby media rights ecosystem.
Sports Illustrated Tickets, Aston Villa Announce Long-Term Partnership
Sports Illustrated Tickets and Aston Villa Football Club announced a 12-year strategic partnership, naming Sports Illustrated Tickets as the Clubâs Official Fan Experience Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The collaboration will introduce a portfolio of premium hospitality destinations, fan experiences and original Sports Illustrated storytelling activations throughout the stadium. The partnership includes the Sports Illustrated Warehouse, a 3,500-capacity, multi-use venue for pre- and post-match activations, live entertainment, premium hospitality and year-round programming. Sports Illustrated Tickets will serve as the Official Ticketing Partner of this space.
The Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team and PrizePicks announced a partnership making PrizePicks an Official Partner of the Indianapolis-based race team. Against the backdrop of Formula 1 race week in Miami, the two brands unveiled the No. 31 PrizePicks Arrow McLaren Chevrolet during McLaren Racing Live. The moment also served as the formal announcement of PrizePicks as the Primary Partner for Ryan Hunter-Reayâs entry in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500. PrizePicks branding also will be featured on the inner halo of the McLaren Mastercard F1 lineup for Miami Grand Prix weekend and on the rear tire ramps of all three full-time Arrow McLaren cars throughout the 2026 season.
PRODUCTS
Gray Media and RAJ Sports Unveil Rose City SportsNet
Gray Media and RAJ Sports announced the debut of Rose City SportsNet (RCSN), a new network based in Portland focused on womenâs sports. Beginning this week, KPDX FOX 12 Plus officially rebranded as Rose City SportsNet, establishing a year-round destination for premium live games available free over-the-air, along with studio shows and original programming. RCSN will be the official local broadcast home of the Portland Fire (WNBA) and the Portland Thorns (NWSL). Rose City SportsNet will produce pre- and post-game shows, beginning 30 minutes prior to tip-offs.
Theia Expands Baseball Motion Capture Platform With Ball Tracking
Theia, a markerless motion capture company, announced the launch of its new ball tracking technology, an expansion of its flagship Theia3D platform that now captures athlete biomechanics, bat tracking and ball flight in a single, synchronized system. It says the launch addresses the sports technology landscape in timely fashion as organizations shift from siloed tools toward integrated tracking platforms. Historically, teams have depended on a mix of radar systems, bat sensors and lab-based biomechanics setups, each capturing a different piece of the performance puzzle.
Audacy to Launch All-Sports FM Station 97.1 The Fan in LA
Audacy announced the launch of 97.1 The Fan, the first FM all-sports audio brand in Los Angeles history. Debuting May 11, the station will cover the areaâs professional and college teams, as well as breaking news, with sports conversation for the Southern California sports fan, including the marketâs only all-live, local weekday sports lineup. 97.1 The Fan becomes Audacyâs 22nd FM sports station, with local brands now spanning all top 10 U.S. markets.
FanFeed Launches Platform to Verify Live Event Attendance
FanFeed announced its official launch, introducing a platform built on U.S.-patented technology that creates verified live event attendance histories for fans across sports, music and entertainment. FanFeedâs proprietary algorithm, with a fanâs explicit consent, analyzes content from their connected photo library to verify real attendance at live events, identifying specific teams, artists and venues without requiring tickets, check-ins or self-reporting. During its beta period, the company said users on the platform collectively captured more than 50,000 live events and over 1,000,000 pieces of media from events.
Goldin Reveals âSummer of Greatnessâ Multicategory Auction Series
Goldinâs auction house announced âGoldinâs Summer of Greatness,â a series of auctions and experiences. Scheduled for May 27-June 27, the Summer Goldin 100 Auction is led by a 2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James Limited Logos Patch Autograph (#23) and a Shohei Ohtani Superfractor. Other sports auctions are on tap. The Global Football Auction Part 1 is planned to open May 11, timed ahead of the menâs World Cup, and is led by a 2019-20 Topps Chrome Bundesliga Autographs SuperFractor #72 Erling Haaland signed rookie card (#1/1). The companyâs first Combat Sports Auction is scheduled to open May 14. The 2026 June Vintage Elite Auction is slated to begin late May.
Beverly Hills Sports Council, MVP Sports Group Form Evolv Sports Management
Beverly Hills Sports Council (BHSC) and MVP Sports Group (MVP) announced the formation of EVOLV Sports Management, an athlete representation agency for professional baseball. The group was formed through Danny Horwits and Dan Lozano bringing together their agencies, which have negotiated more than $6 billion in contracts and prepared over 400 arbitration cases combined. EVOLVâs active client roster includes Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Yordan Ălvarez, Jackson Chourio, Anthony Santander, Kirby Yates, Luis Arraez and others.
PURCHASES
HOK, Rossetti Join in Sports, Rec and Entertainment Design Practice
HOK has acquired Rossetti, a Detroit-based architecture firm recognized nationally for its sports venue design and renovation work. The combined firm will operate as HOK + Rosetti during the integration. Rossettiâs team will continue to operate from Detroitâa market where HOK has long sought a physical presence and where Rossetti has been a fixture for 57 years. Rossettiâs portfolio includes the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Detroitâs Ford Field. Matt Rossetti, who becomes a director of HOKâs Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice, said the move provides his team with the resources and reach to compete at a new level.
Hg Doubles Investment in Teamworksâ Sports AI Platform
Teamworks, used by more than 7,000 sports organizations globally, announced a significant growth investment led by Hg, an investor in technology, data and services businesses, more than doubling Hgâs total investment in Teamworks to $200 million. This latest investment, which includes participation from global asset manager AllianceBernstein, moves Teamworksâ valuation to above $1.5 billion. Alongside its investment, Hg brings significant operational resources to support AI development, including its AI product incubation program, Hg Catalyst, and other proprietary AI and data platforms.
Fastbreak AI Acquires GroupHousing
Fastbreak AI, the AI-powered sports operations company, announced the acquisition of GroupHousing, the group hotel booking and housing management company serving tournament directors, sports commissions and event operators across the U.S. and Canada. The acquisition moves GroupHousingâs existing book of business onto Fastbreakâs travel management platform. Mike Bower, the founder and CEO of GroupHousing, will join Fastbreak AI as senior vice president of business development for Fastbreak Travel.
Apollo Sports Capital Leads $225M Investment in Parent Company of PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball
Pickleball Inc. has become the new parent company of the Carvana PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball presented by DoorDash following a $225 million structured investment led by Apollo Sports Capital, an investment platform of Apollo. The capital raise creates a singularly-operated pickleball ecosystem, integrating professional and amateur pickleball with technology, retail and infrastructure platforms. Pickleball Inc.âs newly-merged business verticals generated over $140 million in 2025 revenue on a combined basis. Tom Dundon and the Pardoe family will remain majority shareholders in the business.