About Boardroom

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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October 10, 2024
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Despite its brand value falling for the first time in 25 years, Apple has been named the best global brand by Interbrand for the 12th consecutive year. Sitting at $488.9 billion after a 3% year-over-year drop, Tim Cook and Co. still hold a comfortable lead over Microsoft, which takes second place at $352.5 billion. Rounding out the top five are Amazon ($298.1 billion), Google ($291.3 billion), and Samsung ($100.8. billion). New entries to the annual Top 100 list in 2024 are Nvidia (No. 36), Pandora (No. 91), Range Rover (No. 96), and Jordan Brand (No. 99).

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the commissioners of the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, NWSL, WNBA, and MLS, as well as the president of NASCAR, are coming together for a new anti-hate campaign. The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, founded by Kraft, will back the mission called Timeout Against Hate. “In sports, we call a ‘timeout’ when things are heading in the wrong direction, and right now, in our country, hate is winning, and we need to change the momentum,” Kraft said. The accompanying spot premieres during Thursday Night Football between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers and features Shaquille O’Neal, Billie Jean King, Candace Parker, and other famous faces making the universal “T” symbol for timeout. 

The King of Clay is hanging his tennis racket up for good. In a video shared on social media, Rafael Nadal announced his impending retirement from the sport. Nadal confirmed his final tournament will be with Spain at the Davis Cup finals next month. The decorated pro leaves the game with 22 Grand Slam singles titles (a record 14 championships at Roland-Garros), 92 career titles, and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. He also won doubles gold in Rio 2016 and four Davis Cup titles.

Days after JuJu Watkins reportedly agreed to “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball” with Nike, the USC sophomore is adding another high-profile NIL deal to her growing portfolio. Gatorade announced Thursday that it has agreed to a multi-year deal with the standout guard, making the 2023 Gatorade National Player of the Year winner just the third college basketball player to have signed with the company. As part of the partnership, Watkins will appear in upcoming Gatorade marketing ads and help with the Gatorade Player of the Year program. Past National Basketball Player of the Year honorees who have become Gatorade athletes include Candace Parker, Jayson Tatum, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Paige Bueckers.

Adidas and Patrick Mahomes unveiled a new Texas Tech University football jersey on Thursday that features the Chiefs QB’s signature “Gladiator” logo, marking one of the first times in history that an athlete’s personal branding is featured in official on-field apparel. In addition to the new-look unis, there will be several other product offerings for Red Raiders fans included in the new Texas Tech x Patrick Mahomes collection, all featuring Mahomes’ signature emblem. Texas Tech’s football team will debut the Mahomes Strategy jerseys at home against Colorado on Nov. 9.

Feeding America confirmed that Taylor Swift donated $5 million to the non-profit’s disaster relief efforts for those across Florida’s Gulf Coast affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said the funds will be used to “help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.” Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour is expected to resume in Miami for a three-night run on Oct. 18. 

Former Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton has signed a deal with ESPN as an analyst, the network announced Thursday. In this new role, Newton will be a commentator on First Take alongside hosts Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith. The former league MVP will make his first appearance on the show Friday at Tennessee State University as part of the First Take HBCU roadshow. Newton has established a strong media presence via his production company, Iconic Sage, through which he produces numerous content series like Funky Friday and 4th & 1.

Yahoo Sports and The Athletic announced a new partnership Thursday with intentions to create a new hub for all-inclusive coverage of women’s sports. Content will live on the Yahoo Sports app and feature written, audio, and video stories produced by Yahoo Sports and The Athletic. Free for everyone, the landing page is available to visit today and will launch in the Yahoo Sports app in the coming months.

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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.