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Racket-Sports Social Club Raises $20 Million
Ballers, a new racket sport-focused social club, has secured $20 million in Series A funding from an investor group that includes over 30 professional athletes such as Andre Agassi and Sloane Stephens, alongside prominent venture firms like Sharp Alpha and sports investors like David Blitzer. This substantial capital brings Ballers’ total funding to approximately $30 million when combined with initial investments for its Philadelphia flagship, highlighting strong financial backing for the concept. The fresh funds will be used to launch three new locations—including Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami—as part of a broader plan to expand to 50+ branches nationally over the next decade, with membership fees ranging from $99 to $499 per month depending on amenities. Ballers’ ability to attract high-profile, sports-focused investors and secure significant funding underscores both growing investor enthusiasm for experiential sports concepts and confidence in the revenue potential of the emerging competitive socializing sector.
Racket-Sports Focused Social Club Raises $20 Million in Series A Funding
LeBron James Invests in Fantasy Football Platform
Tour de France Cycling Team Sold Mid-Race
ESPN and the NFL Fight $100 Million Lawsuit
NWSL’s Utah Royals Valued at $100 Million
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision
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Brian Anderson
Sheppard Mullin's Sports Industry Team is uniquely positioned to address the complex and dynamic needs of our sports industry clientele. Our sports practice offers the expertise necessary to provide full service legal counsel to owners, teams, leagues, governing bodies, facility operators, key rights holders, advertising companies, sponsors and others involved in sports-related transactions or disputes.
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Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life has secured $7 million from high-profile investors—including LeBron James’ LRMR Ventures and RedBird Capital—to support its launch of a new Guillotine League fantasy football platform. This unique format sees the lowest-scoring team eliminated each week, releasing their players to the free agency pool until only one team remains, and aims to offer a fresh, more dynamic fantasy sports experience. The investment will drive technology development as Fantasy Life shifts from being a media and advice company to also operating proprietary fantasy games, supported by a new app and ongoing partnerships with platforms like NBC Sports and DraftKings. By combining original gameplay, personalized content, and a media ecosystem, Fantasy Life is positioning itself to own the full journey of fantasy sports engagement, potentially reshaping the industry’s approach to user retention and community building.
LeBron James Invests in New Fantasy Football Platform
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French retailer Decathlon will become the sole owner of the pro cycling team it has co-sponsored, taking over from French insurer AG2R La Mondiale with the transition set for 2026. Decathlon plans to significantly increase the team's annual budget to over $47 million, positioning it among the highest-funded teams in professional cycling and aiming to be one of the sport’s top three teams by 2028. The team, currently competing as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, expects to announce a new naming sponsor soon and sits 10th in the UCI rankings, ensuring WorldTour license retention. Decathlon’s expanded investment could reshape the competitive balance in cycling, particularly if matched by successful talent development and strategic management.
Tour de France Cycling Team Sold Mid-Race
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ESPN, the NFL, and other defendants have moved to dismiss Mark Gastineau’s $100 million lawsuit alleging breach of contract and false endorsement, asserting that his claims are invalidated by the contracts he signed and are inconsistent with both right of publicity and First Amendment law. Gastineau’s talent agreement with NFL Films granted them broad rights to use his name, image, likeness, and biographical material, allowed editing without his approval, and expressly waived his rights to control or inspect how he would appear in the film at issue. The defendants argue the video segment was newsworthy, publicly recorded, and Gastineau knowingly participated while wearing a microphone, further protecting the filmmakers under First Amendment principles that favor artistic and documentary works. They maintain Gastineau cannot establish legal damages since he contractually accepted the terms under which he was depicted, and any unflattering portrayal does not constitute a compensable harm. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer will consider Gastineau’s upcoming opposition to the motion.
ESPN and the NFL Fight $100 Million Lawsuit
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The Utah Royals of the NWSL were recently valued at $100 million in a sale to the Miller family, a dramatic increase from their original $500,000 expansion fee and an indicator of soaring team valuations across the league. The transaction, which also involved a 40% stake in MLS's Real Salt Lake and included related assets, valued the combined enterprise at $580 million and was approved unanimously by both NWSL and MLS owners. Expansion fees in the NWSL have escalated rapidly, with Bay FC paying $53 million and Denver’s recent bid fetching $110 million, reflecting the league's accelerating growth and rising investor enthusiasm. This surge in franchise values, despite inconsistent on-field performance, suggests robust confidence in the commercial prospects and sustainability of women’s professional soccer in the U.S.
NWSL’s Utah Royals Valued at $100 Million
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A U.S. District Court jury ordered the National Football League to pay more than $4.7 billion in damages for antitrust violations. The ruling held that restricting negotiations over rights to broadcast teams’ out-of-market Sunday games to a single, bundled TV package violated competition laws. The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for out-of-market games from 2011 through 2022 on DirecTV. The plaintiffs claimed that the NFL broke antitrust laws by selling its Sunday games package at an inflated price. While the League plans to appeal the decision, the ruling could prompt changes in how rights to air games are distributed, potentially benefiting football teams and fans alike. If the ruling stands, the NFL could lose out on one big-ticket payday. But dicing up rights could spark a wider feeding frenzy. The pot for sports rights is expected to grow to $30 billion annually by 2024.
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision to Boost How Teams and Fans Watch Games
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Weekly Trivia Question
Weekly Trivia Question
Which player scored the most rushing touchdowns in a single Super Bowl?
Weekly Trivia Question
Answer
Joe Perry of the 49ers in 1970.
REveal Answer
Which player scored the most rushing touchdowns in a single Super Bowl?
Weekly Trivia Question
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
Hide Answer
Incorrect
try Again
Hide Answer
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
Hide Answer
Incorrect
try Again
French retailer Decathlon will become the sole owner of the pro cycling team it has co-sponsored, taking over from French insurer AG2R La Mondiale with the transition set for 2026. Decathlon plans to significantly increase the team's annual budget to over $47 million, positioning it among the highest-funded teams in professional cycling and aiming to be one of the sport’s top three teams by 2028. The team, currently competing as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, expects to announce a new naming sponsor soon and sits 10th in the UCI rankings, ensuring WorldTour license retention. Decathlon’s expanded investment could reshape the competitive balance in cycling, particularly if matched by successful talent development and strategic management.
Tour de France Cycling Team Sold Mid-Race
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