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Boardroom is a sports, media and entertainment brand co-founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman and focused on the intersection of sports and entertainment. Boardroom’s flagship media arm features premium video/audio, editorial, daily and weekly newsletters, showcasing how athletes, executives, musicians and creators are moving the business world forward. Boardroom’s ecosystem encompasses B2B events and experiences (such as its renowned NBA and WNBA All-Star events) as well as ticketed conferences such as Game Plan in partnership with CNBC. Our advisory arm serves to consult and connect athletes, brands and executives with our broader network and initiatives.

Recent film and TV projects also under the Boardroom umbrella include the Academy Award-winning Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER (Apple TV+) and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime).

Boardroom’s sister company, Boardroom Sports Holdings, features investments in emerging sports teams and leagues, including the Major League Pickleball team, the Brooklyn Aces, NWSL champions Gotham FC, and MLS’ Philadelphia Union.

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May 8, 2025
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Sue Bird was officially introduced as the first-ever managing director of the USA Basketball women’s national team on Thursday. In this role, the five-time gold medalist will manage U.S. teams for international tournaments, including everything from next year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to the program’s training camps over the next three years.

Kendrick Lamar is continuing his dominant run in hip-hop as the leading nominee of next month’s BET Awards with 10. Doechii, Drake, Future, and GloRilla tied for the second-most nods with six each. Metro Boomin secured five noms, while SZA and The Weeknd each picked up four. Hosted by Kevin Hart, the ceremony will air live on June 9 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET. 

TKO Group Holdings topped analysts’ expectations with its first-quarter report on Thursday, driven by its $5 billion WWE deal with Netflix, live events from the WWE and UFC, and a growing number of company partnerships between both brands. The company reported $1.3 billion in total revenue, with the WWE bringing in $392 million and the UFC making $360 million. Also of note: TKO closed the acquisitions of IMG, PBR, and On Location in Q1.

Gollum is returning to the big screen. Warner Bros. announced Thursday that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will open in theaters Dec. 17, 2027. Returning to reprise his role and also directing is Andy Serkis, with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens in charge of the screenplay alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Walsh and Boyens also join original The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson as producers.

TNT Sports has recruited some of the best in tennis for its Roland-Garros coverage this year. Tennis Hall of Famers John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Lindsay Davenport, Jim Courier, Chris Evert, Mats Wilander, and Boris Becker make up the roster of hosts, commentators, and contributors. Venus Williams will lend her talents on special features, while Carolina Wozniacki, Coco Vandeweghe, Sam Querrey, Sloane Stephens, and Chris Eubanks round out the all-star lineup.

Sphere Entertainment reported $280.6 million in revenue in its first-quarter earnings release Thursday, a 13% drop from the year prior. Both the Sphere’s Las Vegas venue and the company’s MSG Networks saw year-over-year declines, with the latter having dealt with a two-month blackout from Altice as the two sides worked out an extension. However, profits in advertising at MSG Networks grew $1.9 million in Q1 from 2024, thanks partly due to more live professional sports telecasts.

With hopes of taking the team to the Premier League, Ex-Manchester United legends David Beckham and Gary Neville have completed a takeover of EFL Club Two side Salford City as part of a new ownership, buying out the rest of the Class of ’92 that included Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, and Paul Scholes. The new group includes former banker Lord Mervyn Davies and businessman Declan Kelly.

Gucci is returning to its hometown to reveal its upcoming cruise 2026 collection at the Florence-based brand’s archive inside Palazzo Settimanni. The capsule will be designed by the house’s team of designers following the exit of former creative director Sabato De Sarno. His replacement, Demna, is set to replace De Sarno following his final show with Balenciaga in July.

Major League Baseball has inked its first whiskey deal by way of Traveller Blended Whiskey, the spirit co-founded by country music superstar Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Distillery’s master distiller Harlen Wheatley. The multi-year deal means a heavy footprint for Traveller across various mediums, including game broadcasts, custom social and digital content, and in stores across the country. Fans can also expect on-site activations during All-Star Week and at the MLB Speedway Classic.

Samsung will reveal “the next evolution of Galaxy” devices at a new Unpacked event set for Monday, May 12. The Korean tech giant added that it’ll reveal “more about the latest addition to the Galaxy S series.” At an Unpacked event in January, Samsung teased a slim Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone.

Image: Elsa / Getty Images

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Vinciane Ngomsi

Vinciane Ngomsi is a Staff Writer at Boardroom. She began her career in sports journalism with bylines at SB Nation, USA Today, and most recently Yahoo. She received a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Truman State University, and when she's not watching old clips of Serena Williams' best matches, she is likely perfecting her signature chocolate chip cookie recipe or preparing a traditional Cameroonian meal.