Jaylen Brown Aims to Create $5B for Communities of Color in Boston
A year after pledging to redevelop Black Wall Street in Boston, Jaylen Brown has announced his first move. With the launch of Boston XChange on Thursday, the Celtics star aims to create $5 billion through investments and partnerships in order to “build generational wealth and cultural innovation in Black and Brown communities.” In partnership with teammate Jrue Holiday’s JLH Social Impact Fund, Harvard Business School, Roxbury Community College, and MIT Entrepreneurship Center, the initiative awards a maximum of $250,000 in total grant investment and recipients are provided three years of coaching and mentorship.
Be sure to stay locked in to Boardroom for my upcoming exclusive interview with Jaylen Brown.
A Britney Spears Biopic is Coming to Universal Pictures
A Britney Spears biopic based on her 2023 memoir The Woman in Me is officially a go. Universal Pictures landed the rights and is the studio behind the project with Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu set to direct. Award-winning producer Marc Platt is also involved in the upcoming film, with Spears taking to X to give Platt his props, saying, “he’s always made my favorite movies.” No release date or lead to play the “Lucky” singer has been announced.
Paige Bueckers Lands Unique NIL Deal with Unrivaled
Paige Bueckers and new professional women’s 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled have struck an NIL deal that reportedly makes the UConn star the first active NCAA athlete to have an ownership stake in a pro league. While the agreement with Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s new league prohibits Bueckers from playing in it while still in college, she will join ahead of her presumed rookie season in the WNBA. Bueckers holds additional NIL deals with Gatorade, Bose, and more, and as of Monday, became the first college athlete to receive her own publically released player-edition Nike sneakers.
Adidas & Gatorade Among Overtime Select’s New Brand Partners
Ahead of its inaugural season tipping off on Aug. 3, Overtime Select has signed eight brand partners — Adidas, Army Reserve National Guard, JPMorganChase, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc., “The Real Cost,” Gatorade, Nissan, and State Farm. The sponsors will work alongside Overtime Select on in-arena activations and custom content for the platform’s audience. Made up of the largest number of top-ranked girls in high school basketball, the program’s teams will face off against the majority of others ranked in the Top 25 of their respective classes.
Venu Sports Sets Subscription Price, Eyes Fall Launch
Fox, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s joint sports streaming venture Venu Sports will cost subscribers $42.99 per month, the platform announced Thursday. A seven-day free trial will also be available. The bundle, expected to drop this fall, promises access to nearly every major sport, including live broadcast and coverage of the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, WNBA, NCAA Division I football and basketball, US and international soccer, Grand Slam tennis, NASCAR and F1, and more.
Senate Introduces Bill to Protect Artists from AI Duplicates
A group of lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan Senate bill that protects the voices and likenesses of individuals from AI-generated duplicates. The NO FAKES Act “would hold individuals or companies liable for damages for producing, hosting, or sharing a digital replica of an individual performing in an audiovisual work, image, or sound recording that the individual never actually appeared in or otherwise approved.” The legislation received equal support from SAG-AFTRA, with the group adding it has the endorsement of those in the entertainment industry landscape, including studios and major record labels to unions and artist advocacy coalitions.
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Receives $2M Pledge
The MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) has pledged $2 million to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) in Kansas City to support the museum’s $30 million campaign to construct a new one. The forthcoming 30,000 square-foot venue will also house a “Negro Leagues Campus” that leads to a entrance of Kansas City’s Historic 18th & Vine District. Founded in 1990, the museum houses artifacts like game-worn uniforms, cleats, gloves, and more from some of the Negro League’s best players like Buck O’Neil and Josh Gibson, the “Black Babe Ruth.”
Patrick Mahomes, Adidas Unveil ‘Race Against Time’ Collection
Patrick Mahomes and Adidas are back with a brand-new footwear and apparel collection ahead of the 2024 NFL season. The line draws inspiration from Mahomes’ love of cars and racing, and the red-based “Race Against Time” colorway is the third of the Mahomes 2 line. Apparel options include a tracksuit, two workout tees, two workout shorts, and long tights. Shop all the looks here.
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