Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley Among 8 Stars Featured in New ‘The Match’ Event with TNT Sports
TNT Sports’ The Match is returning, and the 10th iteration will feature some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment during a two-night primetime special on TNT and Max on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22. Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Phelps, Nate Bargatze, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Blake Griffin will all compete in The Match: Superstars from Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. The competition format will tee off with two matches of 2-vs.-2 scramble match play for a spot in the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and finals rounds under individual match play. The winner takes home a $1 million reward.
World Series Gear Worn by Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts Among Hall of Fame Additions
Fresh off of winning a World Series, gear worn by Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are headed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The newest arrivals in Cooperstown include Freeman’s spikes from Games 1 and 2 against the New York Yankees and Betts’ batting gloves from Game 5, per the Associated Press. Other assets donated include a cap from manager Dave Roberts, a jersey from pitcher Anthony Banda, a ball from the ninth inning, and others.
Desus Nice Teams Up with DraftKings, Hartbeat for New Podcast
Desus Nice is getting back into podcasting, this time alongside co-host Scottie Beam for weekly discussions about sports and pop culture, the Hollywood Reporter revealed on Thursday. Dubbed Bet!, the series is produced by DraftKings and Kevin Hart’s production company, Hartbeat. In addition to hitting on the week’s relevant topics, the duo will also use the platform to predict everything from upcoming box office hits to breaking down their favorite TV shows. The inaugural episode drops Thursday.
Race for WNBA Expansion Heats Up, Jayson Tatum Reportedly Backs St. Louis Bid
One day after it was rumored that Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, have met with the WNBA on a possible expansion team in Kansas City, news has emerged of another champion looking to bring a women’s pro basketball franchise to another major city in Missouri. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is reportedly part of a group forming a bid to establish a potential WNBA team in St. Louis. The reigning NBA Finals champ’s proposal is permitted because of a change in the NBA’s 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which grants players up to 4% of ownership in WNBA franchises. The ownership group for the potential expansion club is being co-led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman.
Charli XCX, Bill Burr Tapped to Host ‘Saturday Night Live’ in November
Comedian Bill Burr and summer sensation Charli XCX have been tapped to host Saturday Night Live in November, the show confirmed on Thursday. Burr is set to run the sketch variety show for the second time in his career on Nov. 9, with Mk.gee performing as the musical guest. Meanwhile, in addition to making her debut as an SNL host, Charli XCX will also be the musical act when she takes over on Nov. 16. It’ll be her third time performing on the show. As a reminder, this weekend’s host is John Mulaney, with Chappell Roan taking the stage as the musical guest.
Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, & More Help UMG Beat Q3 Expectations
Behind some of its biggest sellers in Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Post Malone, Universal Music Group reported revenue of €2.87 million ($3.12 million), a 4.3% rise year-over-year (4.9% in constant currency). In addition to numerous chart-topping albums throughout the July-September time period, UMG also points to solid subscription revenue as another key contributor to the Q3 report, with profit rising 8.2% year-over-year, beating expectations.
Anthony Edwards’ Three-Fifths Media Secures Sports Content Pact with Wheelhouse
Anthony Edwards and his production banner Three-Fifths Media have secured a content partnership with Wheelhouse to develop unscripted programs. According to The Hollywood Reporter, topics of upcoming projects will focus on sports and sports-adjacent programming, with Wheelhouse capitalizing on this collaboration with the Timberwolves star to establish an internal Wheelhouse Sports label. Edwards, who had a role in Netflix’s Hustle in addition to being featured in the network’s new Starting 5 docuseries, founded Three-Fifths Media in 2019.
Peloton Brings in Apple Fitness+ Co-Founder as New CEO
Peloton made personnel changes on Thursday, appointing Peter Stern as its next President and CEO, effective Jan. 1. Stern, who has been with the company since 2016, departs from his current position of President at Ford Integrated Services. Before Ford, he held leadership roles at Time Warner Cable and Apple, where he co-founded Apple Fitness+.
