On Thursday, Fanatics announced its first flagship event under its live and special event umbrella, Fanatics Fest NYC. The new multi-day event will “bring together fans across all sports to celebrate their passions under one roof” and be host to some of the biggest names in sports, including Tom Brady, Peyton & Eli Manning, Kevin Durant, Sabrina Ionescu, Derek Jeter, and more. “Sports fans deserve a place to gather, celebrate their passions and foster new ones, and Fanatics Fest NYC aims to do just that,” said Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events. Fanatics Fest NYC will take place from Aug. 16-18 at the Javits Center.

Boardroom’s Ian Stonebrook has more on the inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC. 

After dropping his first full-length musical project in 17 years in November, André 3000 is now set to headline the 2024 Newport Jazz Festival. The former Outkast rapper switched it up with New Blue Sun, which featured flute-forward sounds and “no bars,” as the artist noted upon the album’s release. André 3000 will be joined by Nile Rodgers & Chic, Kamasi Washington, Elvis Costello, Brittany Howard, and Robert Glasper as top talent for the 70th anniversary of the event. The iconic festival will take place from August 2-4 at Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island.

Angel Reese is wasting no time as she transitions to her professional career, inking a multi-year partnership with Panini America. While the finances of the deal have not been specified, it includes autographed trading cards and memorabilia, as Reese becomes just the second female athlete to boast partnership exclusivity alongside Caitlin Clark. The news comes as the former LSU star readies for the WNBA Draft on Monday, where she is projected by multiple outlets to go in the top 10. Reese finished her college career with averages of 18.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, receiving SEC Player of the Year honors in her final season.

The Queen of Rap continues to leave her mark on the game. While she already holds some of the best-selling albums by a female rapper of all time, Nicki Minaj has now set the record for the highest-grossing tour for a female rapper . According to Touring Data, Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 tour has brought in $34.9 million in the first 17 shows, not even halfway through the 59-show tour stretched out over two continents. Additionally, Minaj recorded the highest-grossing concert ever by a female rapper recently by raking in $2.858 million at Madison Square Garden on March 30.

Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Nike introduced a complete roster of footwear that select athletes will be wearing as they compete for medal glory this summer. All featuring an updated version of the company’s signature Air technology, the 13-product Blueprint Pack includes modified spikes for track athletes to break new records, the Nike Victory 2 and Nike Maxfly 2; a new basketball shoe, the Nike G.T. Hustle 3; and its most premium boot for footballers to date, the 2024 Nike Mercurial. The Swoosh also unveiled the new Pegasus Premium and the 41st edition of its best-selling running sneaker, the Nike Pegasus 41.

Read even more features in the brand-new footwear silhouettes and their expected release date from Boardroom’s Vinciane Ngomsi who is reporting live from Paris.

The NFL is going global. We already knew that the Philadelphia Eagles were going to be playing in Brazil next season, the NFL’s first-ever game in South America. Now, we finally know their opponent. The Green Bay Packers will head to São Paulo for Week 1 for a date with the Eagles, the NFL announced Wednesday. In addition to being the first league game played on the continent, the game — set for Friday, Sept. 6 — will be the first time since 1970 that the NFL has played on a Friday night in the opening week of the season. The game between the Eagles and Packers will take place at Corinthians Arena, the home to Brazilian soccer club SC Corinthians.

First Barbie, now Monopoly? Following a more-than-successful 2023, Margot Robbie and her production company, LuckyChap, have signed on to produce an upcoming live-action feature film centered around Monopoly in partnership with Lionsgate and Hasbro. Lionsgate, which extended its rights to Monopoly when it bought Hasbro’s film and TV arm, eOne, in December, announced the news at CinemaCon on Wednesday. “Monopoly is a top property — pun fully intended,” said LuckyChap in a statement. “Like all of the best IP, this game has resonated worldwide for generations, and we are so excited to bring this game to life alongside the wonderful teams involved at Lionsgate and Hasbro.”