New York Liberty Reportedly Valued at Record $450M
Reigning WNBA champions New York Liberty remain on the winning side. The Athletic reported Thursday that the team has completed a major capital raise, skyrocketing the franchise’s valuation to an impressive $450 million, a record for a professional women’s sports franchise. Raised by an unknown number of investors, funds will be put toward the construction of a new 75,000-square-foot practice facility that the team announced in March.
Sam Altman Says OpenAI to Send 100M ‘Companion’ Devices
A day following his $6.4 billion purchase of Johnny Ive’s startup io, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman gave his team a peek into what’s to come. Per The Wall Street Journal, Altman has plans to ship 100 million AI “companion” devices, which he emphasized is not a phone. However, the device will be fully tuned in to one’s surroundings, entirely unobtrusive, and able to rest in one’s pocket or on one’s desktop or laptop. No word on when we’ll see the prototype.
The U.S. Penny is About to Get Phased Out
The Treasury Department confirmed Thursday it’s planning to end production of the penny, which has been in circulation since 1793. According to The Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the news, the U.S. Mint has made its final order of blanks this month and will stop manufacturing the one-cent coin. Over the past decade, the cost of producing the penny has risen from 1.3 cents to 3.69 cents per coin, the Treasury says.
Chris Paul Launches Media Production Firm with Words + Pictures
Chris Paul and his brother CJ Paul announced Thursday the launch of Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment, the duo’s new media production firm. The full-service company will focus on developing content across sports, culture, and entertainment, including documentaries, scripted series, podcasts, live events, and more. The Paul brothers are teaming up with Connor Schell’s Words + Pictures, the documentary studio behind Celtics City and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Jordan Brand Brings Back Global 1-on-1 Tournament
Jordan Brand’s The One worldwide basketball tournament is back for the second consecutive year, kicking off with the UK qualifiers in London this weekend. The tournament will be making stops all over the world, including Beijing, Los Angeles, and Manila, where hoopers aged 15-18 will compete in one-on-one games for a chance to compete in the final tournament in August. The finals will be streamed live from New York, with the winners from the boys’ and girls’ brackets walking away as Jordan Brand ambassadors.
Sans Starz, Lionsgate Studios Revenue Rises 22%
Riding the box office success of recent films like Den of Thieves 2: Pantera and Flight Risk, Lionsgate Studios revenue rose 22% year-over-year to $1.1 billion through the first three months of 2025 while its movie division saw its highest profitability levels in a decade. Lionsgate’s latest quarterly report is its first as a standalone studio company and excluded results from Starz, which was broken off as its own traded company.
Eagles Sell ‘Push On’ T-Shirts After ‘Tush Push’ Ban Fails
The Philadelphia Eagles are in the mood to celebrate after a 22-10 vote by NFL owners saved their heavily criticized “Tush Push” until at least the next calendar year. Available in the team’s Pro Shop ($35), the Super Bowl champs are selling a tee with a photo of quarterback Jalen Hurts prepared to take a snap in the specific formation, with the words “Push On” at the top.
LPGA Taps Craig Kessler as New Commissioner
The LPGA Board of Directors has selected Craig Kessler as the organization’s new commissioner, the league announced Thursday. Kessler most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of the PGA of America, which runs the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup. He also served as Topgolf’s Chief Operating Officer from 2016 to 2021. Voted as the 10th commissioner in the league’s 75-year history, Kessler officially takes over on July 15.
TikTok Nabs Warner Bros. Discovery Communications Executive Jori Arnacio
Jori Arancio is leaving her post as a communications executive at Warner Bros. Discovery to lead the Global Consumer & B2B Communications department at TikTok, Deadline exclusively revealed Thursday. During her tenure as SVP of U.S. Cable Network Group at WBD, Arancio oversaw comms for multiple cable channels, including Discovery, TNT, TBS, truTV, TCM, and Adult Swim.
College Football Playoff Moving to Straight Seeding Model
This fall, the 12-team College Football Playoff will move to a straight seeding model, awarding the selection committee’s top four teams with the top four seeds and a first-round bye. The five highest-ranked conference champions will still receive guaranteed spots in the 12-team field, with the No. 1 seed receiving preferential placement based on geography for the Playoff Semifinal site assignment.
Image: Mike Stobe / Getty Images
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