Morning Buzz

PayPal is taking the wraps off an NFL sponsorship first reported in SBJ last December. The deal designates the 27-year-old brand (ancient by Fintech standards) as the NFL’s initial “Peer-to-Peer Payments” sponsor.

“We’ll be looking at overall engagement and usage,” said Ben Volk, SVP & GM of PayPal Consumer. “With the NFL expanding globally [with a record nine regular-season games played outside the U.S. next season], that opens the door for more people to be sending more money internationally. It’s hard to move money around the globe, but we have those capabilities.”

PayPal will be activating at this week’s NFL Draft with five rookie endorsers: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State S Caleb Downs, Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, Washington WR Denzel Boston and Penn State QB Drew Allar. They will appear on social and digital media on behalf of the brand. PayPal will also back NFL flag football activities at and beyond the draft, and run a number of supporting sweepstakes.

Industry sources said Art & Science Partners negotiated the deal for PayPal, while Horizon Sports & Experiences is handling activation. Neither agency responded to emails seeking comment.

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The PGA Tour has now officially decided not to hold its season-opening events -- The Sentry and Sony Open -- in Hawaii in 2027, according to people with knowledge of the plans.

The Sentry officially will not return in 2027, while Sports Business Journal learned on Monday that the tour is in the beginning phases of possibly transitioning the Sony Open to a PGA Tour Champions event, which would still give the tour a multi-event presence in the state.

The tour had played its season-opening tournament, The Sentry, at the Plantation Course at Kapalua dating to 1999, but canceled the 2026 tournament due to water delivery issues on Maui. In its press release announcing that move, the tour mentioned the “logistical complexities unique to staging a tournament on the island of Maui.” It isn’t the only major sports league to leave Hawaii; the NFL nearly a decade ago moved the Pro Bowl to Orlando.

“We are grateful to The Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua Resort, Maui County and the State of Hawaii for their longtime support of our season-opening PGA Tour event, as well as the fans, partners and volunteers across Maui who have supported the event throughout the years,” the tour said in a statement when reached by SBJ on Monday. “The PGA Tour will share more details regarding its 2027 schedule at a later date.”

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Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner on Tuesday will unveil a new proposal that would give the Bears “property tax certainty while also providing a statewide property tax relief sweetener,” the latest move in the state’s attempt to keep the team from moving to Indiana. The measure would “allow the Bears to renegotiate their property taxes with Arlington Heights.” The property tax relief element, a “new addition to stadium-related legislation” in the state, is “essential in getting support from lawmakers outside of Chicago, including Republicans.” Buckner said that he “would push for lawmakers to hold a committee hearing on the measure” and “get the proposal to the floor this week as soon as possible, depending on how much support, or resistance, he hears in the caucus.” There is “pressure building” from the NFL -- and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker -- to “get a deal done as soon as possible” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/20).

The third phase of Barclays Center’s five-year, $150M renovation project is kicking off, focused on a new atrium, box office, American Express Card Member Entrance and Lounge, and contemporary art displayed throughout the venue.

The new spaces, including a reimagined 9,000-square-foot event level premium club announced in January, will debut ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season. Like the previous phases, Populous and Shawmut Design and Construction are designing and overseeing the work.

Seventy percent of Barclays Center’s guests arrive via the redesigned main atrium, with an art installation by Sarah Sze suspended from the ceiling giving the space a visual focal point, and a 180-degree LED wall (by SNA Displays) wrapping its interior. Additionally, the arena’s ticketing box office, with fewer people buying tickets at the arena, will be reshaped into a ticket resolution and guest services hub.

The American Express cardholder entrance will sit off of Flatbush Avenue, providing direct access to the main concourse and, via a grand staircase, the suite level. The new entrance will utilize Evolv Express for quicker screening. The lounge includes American Express-inspired artwork, a full private bar with specialty cocktails for purchase, and panoramic views overlooking Flatbush Ave., 5th Ave., and the main atrium.

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Hoffmann Family of Companies is “moving closer to reaching league approval” of its acquisition of the Penguins from Fenway Sports Group. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, speaking prior to Game 2 of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Flyers Monday, said, “It’s a work in progress but it seems to be on track.” The Hoffmann group finalized a deal to buy the Penguins in December for a reported cost of $1.7B, but the sale “cannot be finalized until it is formally approved” by the NHL BOG. No “official timetable has been given” for the finalization of the transfer (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 4/20). Bettman “suggested the Hoffmanns have displayed they will be trustworthy stewards,” but was “brief on details.” Bettman: “From every indication we’re getting -- and there’s still work to be done in the approval process by the Board (of Governors) -- but from everything we hear, they’re very excited and very committed” (TRIBLIVE, 4/20).

A “split” Columbus City Council on Monday approved a $25M deal with the private investor group “bidding for a professional women’s soccer team,” which includes Crew majority owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam as well as Nationwide. The council voted 5-3 with one abstention to “approve an agreement with the investors seeking to bring” an NWSL expansion franchise to the city. The deal includes a $25M “city commitment” as the Franklin County Commissioners “prepare to vote on a matching” $25M Tuesday. If an NWSL team is awarded, the public money “will go to a training facility at McCoy Park and upgrades to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field to host a second team.” The team “would begin play in 2028.” According to the Haslam Sports Group, this “could be the last expansion franchise awarded for a while,” and they are “expecting an announcement soon” (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 4/20).

A federal judge has approved a “landmark settlement that will pay former female athletes at San Diego State a combined $300,000 in damages” after they sued the school and accused it of violating Title IX. U.S. District Judge Todd Robinson ordered that the $300,000 is “to be split among a class of 798 former athletes” at SDSU. The plaintiffs’ attorney Arthur Bryant said that while that “might not seem like much,” this outcome “marks something bigger.” Bryant: “These women have made history. This is the first case ever in which a school is going to pay damages to women athletes for depriving them of equal athletic financial aid.” The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused the university of “depriving female athletes of equal scholarship money compared to male athletes” (USA TODAY, 4/21).

PressBox, an artificial intelligence startup that automates the production of digital content for sports leagues and media companies, has raised a $2M seed round led by Relay Ventures. Capital Eleven, Pax Holdings (owner/operator of The Sporting News) and Alumni Ventures also participated. Individual angels include ex-NFL COO Mary Ann Turcke (who is now a PressBox advisor), Sporting News co-CEO Shaun Koiner, Sporting News VP/Media Kerri Mattioli and Coinbase Senior Dir Dave Marks (former VP/Engineering at Bleacher Report). The raise brings PressBox’s total funding to date to $2.8M.

Founded in 2024 by engineering executives Brian Hough (CEO), Tory Briggs and Andy Crum, PressBox bills itself as an AI platform that helps sports leagues and media companies personalize digital content to serve to fans. Hough and Briggs previously worked for Bleacher Report, where they helped develop the company’s “Team Stream” app.

“We have agents that are keeping tabs on everything that is going on in a sport,” Hough said of PressBox, which he added has more than a dozen clients, including Fanatics, The Sporting News, Alt Sports Data, The Curling Group/Rock League and World Surf League. “We are helping, for example, a league cover all of the media coverage, all of the social conversation, and then also sitting on top of their structured data. The traditional stuff [PressBox produces] is an injury report, or a game recap. But it could also be stat-driven. ‘This player that you love is about to break this record or reach this milestone.’ [The agents] raise that to the team and allow them to turn that into content in a variety of modalities.”

Such modalities include articles and email newsletters -- including multilingual translations -- and personalized audio or highlight packages. Hough said PressBox is targeting emerging sports properties as clients and envisions growing into an all-in-one content management system.

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In this episode of On Stage, Steve O’Donnell, President of NASCAR, joins Ryan McGee, Senior Writer at ESPN, for a forward-looking fireside chat on how one of America’s most iconic sports properties is evolving for a new era. Recorded on February 23, 2026, at SBJ’s National Sports Forum in St. Louis, the conversation captures NASCAR at a pivotal moment -- redefining its identity, sharpening its focus and positioning itself for long-term growth. O’Donnell shares how the organization is “turning the page” and leaning into a refreshed strategy built around innovation, fan engagement and cultural relevance.

Key themes include:

• Reframing NASCAR’s Identity: How the league is evolving its brand while staying true to its core.  
• Fan Experience & Engagement: New approaches to connecting with both loyal fans and a younger, more diverse audience.  
• Media & Distribution: Navigating shifting consumption habits and maximizing reach across platforms.  
• Innovation on the Track: The role of competition, format and technology in keeping the sport compelling.  
• Leadership Through Change: What it takes to guide a legacy property through transformation.  

It’s an insightful look at how NASCAR is balancing tradition with reinvention -- and what that means for the future of motorsports.

“‘Heidi’ was set in Maienfeld, which is northeast from this 13,642-foot peak with a name that describes what Heidi is.”