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Today's edition is presented by SportNXT. Shape the future of sport 7-9 September, Melbourne.

Key Reads

Why brands are becoming part of the fan experienceSports Industry Group *

Sponsorship as experience, not just logo and assets.

Global, Sponsorship, FanEngagement, Marketing, Strategy

DAZN has agreed to acquire EverPass MediaHollywood Reporter *

DAZN adds US commercial distribution to its arsenal.

US, MediaRights, Streaming, SportsBiz, Sponsorship

Modern gambling has taken a toll on baseball playersThe Athletic *

When betting-fuelled engagement turns toxic for athletes.

US, MLB, SportsBetting, Integrity, FanEngagement

Chelsea announce one-year front-of-shirt sponsorship deal with financial platform firm CircleThe Athletic *

Fintech, stablecoins and front-of-shirt risk and reward.

UK, Football, Sponsorship, Fintech, Web3

Max Verstappen's $110 Million Deal Has Changed Formula One's Driver MarketCulture of Sport

Record driver money reshapes F1's talent and cost strategies.

Global, F1, Commercial Strategy, Talent Market, Sponsorship

Professional Sports

Khosla Family Completes League-Record $9.612 Billion Acquisition of Seattle SeahawksMinistry of Sport *

New ownership record underlines NFL's soaring franchise values.

US, NFL, Finance, Ownership, Investment

The business of the US Open: Record prize money, new leadership and an US$800m renovationSportsPro

How the US Open is reinvesting to stay premium.

US, Tennis, Broadcasting, Sponsorship, Investment

How UFC became a commercial and sponsorship powerhouseInsider Sport

Inside UFC's journey to a top-tier commercial machine.

UFC, Sponsorship, Marketing, Media Rights

College Basketball In Crosshairs of Pro-Athlete NCAA Eligibility ChaosFront Office Sports

Eligibility upheaval with big repercussions for college hoops.

US, College Sports, Basketball, Compliance, Sponsorship

Digital & Social

US Open approves credentials for nearly 100 content creators to expand social and cultural reachFront Office Sports

Grand Slam doubles down on structured creator access.

US, Tennis, Creators, Marketing, Events

YouTube Shopping Creators can now tag Amazon products in the YouTube Shopping Affiliate ProgramYouTube

One step closer to fully shoppable sports video.

US, YouTube, Commerce, Sponsorship, Creator-Economy

Media & Entertainment

DAZN gets deeper into US sports streaming with EverPass acquisitionSportsPro

Why EverPass matters for bars, venues and leagues.

Streaming, Acquisition, Media Rights, NFL, DAZN

ESPN Adds College Football Saturdays to Disney+ This FallSports Video Group *

College football becomes a Disney+ tentpole content play.

US, Streaming, Media-rights, DTC, College-football

25 Seasons of New York Yankees on YES Network: The Day 1 Crew Looks Back on a Quarter Century in the Bronx – and StamfordSports Video Group

RSN evolution from tape to DTC and drones.

US, Media-rights, Broadcast-tech, Digital, History

Geek Out

SafeChat: Building AI-Powered Safety Systems at Scale in a Real-Time MarketplaceInfoQ

Blueprint for moderating toxic behaviour in live fan chats.

Global, AI, Fan Engagement, TrustAndSafety, Community

AI

Salesforce, Anthropic expand partnership as Benioff responds to ‘SaaSpocalypse' concernsCNBC

Claudeforce brings embedded AI into your CRM workflows.

Global, AI, CRM, Sponsorship, Ticketing

The CBI's Latest AI Report on How Design Businesses Can Bridge AI's Execution DivideDesign Week

From AI experiments to fully retooled creative operations.

UK, AI, Sports Business Strategy, Operations, Workforce

AI is hitting entry-level jobs hardest, says StanfordArs Technica

Why interns and assistants feel AI's impact first.

Global, AI, Workforce, SportsBusiness, Strategy

Make You Think

What Many People Get Wrong About TribalismPsychology Today

Social media tribes, rivalry and managing fan communities.

Global, Fan Engagement, Social Media, Psychology, Community

Robots Run 100-Meter Dash Faster Than Usain Bolt at World Humanoid Robot GamesAP News

When machines break ‘human' records, what is sport's edge?

Global, Athletics, Innovation, Data, Sponsorship

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Featured image credit: Laslovarga, USTA 2013 crowd on Arthur Ashe during Novak Đoković match against Ričardas Berankis, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.