- The latest episode of the SBJ Sports Media Podcast sees Austin Karp and Josh Carpenter digging into the big numbers to start the World Cup and how Fox is commercializing hydration breaks. They also discuss the NBA and NHL finishing their seasons on high notes, the UFC Freedom 250’s presentation on Paramount+, what to make of Fox Corp.’s purchase of Roku. With Fanatics Fest on the horizon, Fanatics Events CEO Lance Fensterman joins the show.
- State Farm is the new presenting partner of Dude Perfect’s flagship “Overtime” franchise as part of a new relationship between the insurance giant and the social media creator juggernaut, reports SBJ’s Bret McCormick.
- The New York New Jersey World Cup host committee signed 20 companies as Host City Supporters through the commercial rights program FIFA created for the 2026 World Cup in North America, becoming the first of the 16 host markets to fill its entire allotment, writes SBJ’s Alex Silverman.
- In this week’s Audience Analysis, Karp reports that San Antonio easily led all local markets for the NBA Finals on ABC/ESPN with a 25.9 local rating across five games. N.Y. was No. 2 with a 17.5 local rating for the games.
- K.C. has easily been the hottest market for Fox Sports’ World Cup matches with a 4.32 local rating, and the city, which is home to six games during the tournament, has easily outpaced No. 2 Boston (3.53), notes Karp.
- Golf media influencer Hally Leadbetter is making inroads with her new snack brand, Bunchies, writes SBJ’s Josh Carpenter.
- SeatGeek picked up the primary ticketing business of the Wild, which becomes the third NHL franchise (along with the Panthers and Mammoth) to work with the company, in a multiyear deal, notes SBJ’s Ethan Joyce.
- Opendorse unveiled Opendorse One, a curated network of more than 1,000 college athlete creators designed to provide brands with full-service NIL campaign execution, alongside Athlete Commerce Media, which connects athlete-generated content to retailer purchase data, writes SBJ’s Jesse Gordon.
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