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

Key Reads

Taking Control: How Professional Sports Teams Are Building Their In-Market Future as the RSN Model FracturesSports Video Group *

Teams rewrite local media playbooks as RSNs crumble.

US, Media-rights, Streaming, Data, Commercial-strategy

Angels Deal Marks a $30 Billion Summer for U.S. Team SalesSportico *

Record-breaking M&A reshapes franchise valuations and strategy.

US, MLB, Team Sales, M&A, Sports Investment

LIV Golf considers filing for bankruptcyInsider Sport *

A disruptor's cash crunch reshapes global golf politics.

Golf, Investment, Legal, Bankruptcy

Inside Delta Air Lines' Sports Strategy and Portfolio365247 Sports

How a global airline engineers a high-value sports portfolio.

US, Sponsorship, Strategy, Airline, Premium

The great Canadian sponsorship squeezeThe Sponsor *

When every property sells logos, creativity must differentiate.

CA, Sponsorship, Marketing, Insights

Professional Sports

Stan Kroenke Adds MLB's Los Angeles Angels to Sports EmpireBloomberg

Multi-league portfolio strategy meets LA venue real estate.

US, MLB, Sports Ownership, Business Strategy

Unrivaled: What does startup league's US$650m valuation say about the future of women's basketball?SportsPro

A new women's league tests appetite for premium hoops.

Women's Sports, Basketball, Investment, Valuation

College Athletics Is Eating Itself, and LSU Is at the Head of the TableYahoo Sports

NIL money tests the limits of college sports' model.

US, CollegeSports, Governance, MediaRights, NIL

Unrivaled valuation: What does startup league's US$650m valuation say about the future of women's basketball?SportsPro

Investors bet big on women's hoops as standalone IP.

Women's Sports, Basketball, Finance, Investment

Digital & Social

Chicago Cubs Sets Rom-Com Series Nine Innings to Love on TikTokVariety *

MLB club uses scripted romance to reach new fans.

US, MLB, Digital-content, Social-media, Marketing

On YouTube, video podcasts are more engaging than other types of videoPodnews

Data says long-form conversations beat highlights on YouTube.

Global, YouTube, Analytics, FanEngagement, ContentStrategy

Reddit introduces 15-second engaged video views for advertisersMumbrella

A new attention metric for video buyers on Reddit.

AU, Social Media, Advertising, Marketing, Technology

Media & Entertainment

Sports Television Is Fragmenting. Can YouTube TV Keep It Together?Sportico *

YouTube TV's bid to be the glue in sports streaming.

US, Business, Media, Streaming, YouTube

Gracenote Study: 85% of Sports Fans Want TV Home Screens to Show When and Where to Watch Favorite TeamsSports Video Group

Discovery friction is costing leagues audience and revenue.

Global, Research, Streaming, Data, Fan Experience

Netflix Secures Commercial Distribution for Expanded NFL SlateFront Office Sports

EverPass deal takes Netflix's NFL games into venues.

US, Streaming, NFL, Media, Distribution

Geek Out

World Cup Technology: From Ref Cams to AI Analysts, Cutting‑Edge Research Is Changing the GameRefind *

How tournament tech experiments filter into everyday sport.

Global, Football, Technology, Data, Innovation

Design in Claude Code (without the AI look)Charlie Hills

Building AI tools that feel on-brand, not generic.

Global, Technology, Design, AI

AI

OpenAI Has Started Letting Some Customers Pay Only When the AI WorksThe Next Web

Outcome-based AI pricing echoes sponsorship-style deals.

Global, AI, Commercial Strategy, MarTech

Agentic Video Understanding in GeminiGoogle

Automated video understanding unlocks next-gen sponsorship analytics.

Global, AI, Video, Fan Engagement, Sponsorship

Make You Think

MrBeast and James Patterson's Book Might FlopMorning Brew *

Even the biggest creator brands can misfire offline.

Global, CreatorEconomy, Marketing, Content, Revenue

How a Ridiculously Simple Website “outbid.lol” Made $132K in 48 HoursMedium

A tiny product shows how fast digital revenue can move.

Global, Digital, Revenue, Product, Fan-Engagement

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Featured image credit: Quintin Soloviev, Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.