LeBron James Deepens Whoop Ties as Company Eyes IPO

LeBron James has signed an endorsement deal with Whoop, formalizing an 11-year relationship with the health-tracking company. James, who turns 42 in December, was among Whoop’s first 100 members in 2015 and will appear in global advertising campaigns. The partnership comes as Whoop eyes an IPO after raising $575 million at a $10.1 billion valuation earlier this year. The company reported $1.1 billion in year-end revenue run rate and said it was cash-flow positive in 2025.

The Atlanta Dream beat the Golden State Valkyries 80-69 in Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, setting up the first Game 7 in league history. Despite a 12:30 p.m. ET tipoff, Atlanta came out firing, hitting six 3-pointers in the first quarter to build a 32-15 lead and take a 20-point advantage into halftime. Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Allisha Gray combined for 59 points. The decisive Game 7 is set for Saturday at Chase Center.

Donald Glover is developing a Netflix series based on the battle royale video game PUBG, with plans to star, write, direct, and executive produce. His brother and frequent collaborator Stephen Glover will also write and executive produce the adaptation. The game, published by South Korea’s Krafton, drops up to 100 players onto an island to compete to be the last one standing. The project expands Netflix’s growing slate of video game adaptations.

It’s official: DoorDash has agreed to acquire Instacart in a $17 billion deal, combining two major players in food and grocery delivery as competition intensifies with Walmart and Amazon. DoorDash is offering $65 per share, a roughly 26% premium to Instacart’s stock price before takeover reports emerged, with at least 75% of the consideration in cash. The deal is expected to close in late 2027 or the first half of 2028, pending regulatory approval.

The Milwaukee Brewers won their first World Series title in franchise history on Wednesday night, but bookmakers already have the Los Angeles Dodgers favored to reclaim the championship in 2027. FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Dodgers at +360, followed by Milwaukee at +600 and the New York Yankees at +750. The Tampa Bay Rays, this year’s American League champions, sit at +1800, tied with the Boston Red Sox.

Apple has officially unveiled its first touch-screen MacBook Pro, with the 14-inch model starting at $2,899 and the 16-inch version at $3,399. The new laptops carry a $400 premium over comparable models, giving Apple a way to monetize upgraded display technology without raising prices across its lineup. Investors will get a clearer picture of Apple’s pricing power when the company reports earnings on Nov. 2.

Janelle James will host the Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 3, 2027, succeeding Chelsea Handler, who hosted the ceremony for the last four years. The five-time Emmy nominee, who plays Principal Ava Coleman on Abbott Elementary, won the 2026 Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The ceremony will take place at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar and air live on E! and USA Network. Film and television nominations will be announced on Dec. 4.

RedBird Capital Partners and Sound Ventures are teaming up on a $1 billion investment partnership targeting emerging companies at the intersection of technology, media, and culture. The firms will combine RedBird’s business-building expertise and AI investment platform with Sound Ventures’ startup network and marketing experience. Founded by Guy Oseary, Sound Ventures has backed OpenAI, Anthropic, Spotify, and Uber. Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird, which manages more than $21 billion in assets, is a major investor in Skydance.

Unrivaled has signed a multi-year partnership with GEICO, making the insurer the women’s basketball league’s official auto, property, and commercial insurance partner. The deal marks GEICO’s first league-wide investment in women’s sports and includes branding on all eight clubs’ uniforms. GEICO will also present Unrivaled’s Creator Crew, a season-long program featuring creators producing content around the league across sports, culture, and entertainment.

Instagram has named 25 creators as winners of its 2026 Rings Awards, recognizing artists and personalities pushing creative boundaries across fashion, music, comedy, beauty, food, and more. This year’s winners include Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, rapper Little Simz, footwear designer Salehe Bembury, and comedian Jordan Firstman. A panel featuring A$AP Rocky, Donatella Versace, FINNEAS, and director Chloé Zhao selected the awards. Each winner receives a custom ring designed with Emily Adams Bode Aujla.

Cristiano Ronaldo edged Lionel Messi in a month-long fan vote to win France Football’s “Ballon d’Or of All Time,” recognizing his standout 2007-08 season with Manchester United. Ronaldo scored 42 goals across all competitions that year, helping United win the Premier League and Champions League while earning his first Ballon d’Or. The 41-year-old has since collected five of the awards and remains the leading men’s international scorer with 143 goals for Portugal.

LL Cool J is bringing Rock the Bells: The Residency to Las Vegas, with 11 performances scheduled at Dolby Live at Park MGM in May and July 2027. The shows will combine the rapper’s catalog of hits with special guest appearances and a celebration of hip-hop across generations and genres. Presales begin Oct. 30, with general ticket sales opening on Nov. 2.

Texas Tech paid Skydance Sports $999,999 to produce The Program, a four-part football docuseries that premiered on Paramount+ in September. The deal reverses the typical arrangement, in which production companies pay schools for access. The agreement gave producers behind-the-scenes access to players, coaches, facilities, and internal meetings, including discussions surrounding quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s gambling scandal. Skydance retains ownership of the series, while Texas Tech received limited review rights over the final product.

Universal Music Group generated $3.78 billion in third-quarter revenue, up nearly 12% year over year, as subscription and physical music sales grew. CEO Lucian Grainge also used the company’s earnings call to criticize AI-generated music, arguing that streaming platforms should pay less for mass-produced AI tracks than music created by human artists. Grainge said AI “slop” hurts the listening experience and diverts revenue from artists, calling for changes to streaming’s payout model.

Jake Paul will return to boxing on Dec. 24 in Dubai, nearly a year after Anthony Joshua handed him a sixth-round knockout and left him with a double jaw fracture requiring multiple surgeries. The 29-year-old was cleared for full-contact training earlier this month and will headline a Most Valuable Promotions event, with his opponent yet to be announced. Paul has floated potential matchups with Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, Deontay Wilder, and several MMA fighters.

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