LIV Golf, Fox Sports Agree to Multi-Year Broadcast Deal
LIV Golf confirmed a multi-year media rights deal with Fox Sports on Thursday that will see all of its tournament rounds broadcast live across Fox platforms. Although the release didn’t specify which competitions and rounds will air on its family of networks, more than half of the LIV Golf’s schedule will air on Fox or FS1. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf’s 2025 season tees off Feb. 6 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and concludes with the team championship in late August in the Detroit suburbs.
Lil Wayne Among Headliners for New Orleans Jazz Fest
It might not be the Super Bowl, but Lil Wayne has been tapped to perform at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, scheduled to run during the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May. Among those joining Weezy as musical guests include Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Patti Labelle, Burna Boy, Bryson Tiller, and many more. Weekend passes and VIP packages are already on sale while single-day tickets will be available for purchase at a later date.
Nintendo Confirms the Switch 2 is Coming in 2025
Nintendo announced Thursday that the second iteration of its popular Nintendo Switch device is arriving later this year. In a two-minute trailer revealing the console’s new look, the company highlighted new features like a larger display, magnetic controllers, and backward compatibility that allows people to play original Switch games. Nintendo added that more details about the device will come at a Nintendo Direct event on April 2. The Japanese-based firm is also holding Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events worldwide, where fans can experience the Switch 2’s newest capabilities in cities like New York, Berlin, Melbourne, Seoul, and others.
Conan O’Brien Honored with Mark Twain Prize for American Comedy
Conan O’Brien becomes the latest late-night talk show host to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor this year, joining Jay Leno as the second from The Tonight Show to ever claim the award. Other past winners include David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Kevin Hart, Adam Sandler, Dave Chappelle, and more. It’s been a strong year for O’Brien, who launched a travel series on Max last April titled Conan O’Brien Must Go and he’s also been chosen to host the Academy Awards in March. Conan will receive the Mark Twain Prize less than three weeks later, on March 23.
SNL’s Lorne Michaels Donating Career Collection to University of Texas
The founder of one of the most influential and popular shows in television history, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels is donating over five decades’ worth of work to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas. The collection includes SNL notes, sketches, and annotated scripts, as well as some of Lorne’s early-career writing from films such as Wayne’s World and Mean Girls. The Harry Ransom Center will display Live from New York! The Making of Lorne Michaels, a special exhibition that highlights SNL’s cultural impact, from Sept. 20, 2025, through March 15, 2026.
Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Eva Longoria Invest in Colombian Soccer Club
Actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are expanding their soccer investment portfolio with the help of a Hollywood friend. The Wrexham AFC owners, alongside Eva Longoria, are included in an investor group that has purchased the Colombian club La Equidad. Also in the group are MLB pitcher Justin Verlander and former NBA player Shawn Marion. McElhenney and Reynolds purchased Wrexham in 2021, and since then, the club has been promoted twice while receiving massive attention thanks to the popular Netflix series Welcome to Wrexham.
Holiday Shopping Leads to December Uptick in Retail Sales
Data released by the US Commerce Department on Thursday showed that holiday spending led to a slight uptick in retail sales of 0.4% in December at $729.2 billion compared to the previous month ($725.9 billion). It was also a 3.9% jump from December 2023. Some of the more popular products consumers purchased during this time period included everything from motor vehicle parts, furniture, clothing, and electronics, while dining out also had people opening their wallets to close the year.
NFL Teams Up with Bleacher Report on Content Partnership
Nearly three weeks out from Super Bowl LIX, the NFL announced a new three-year content partnership with Bleacher Report on Thursday. In the new deal, the league allows Bleacher Report the use of game footage across its platforms, as well as access to players, coaches, and events such as the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, and Scouting Combine. The NFL is the latest to join B/R’s growing media library, already boasting footage access from the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA, NASCAR, and US Soccer. Although the deal was formally announced on Thursday, the NFL opened up its video logs to B/R ahead of Wild Card Weekend.
Featured Image: Steve Roberts / USA Today Sports
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