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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News...Straight to the point.
August 5, 2022

Brittney Griner Sentenced to Nine Years in Russian Prison 

Bring BG home. Brittney Griner received her sentence in a Russian courtroom on Thursday. The Olympic basketball player and Phoenix Mercury standout was detained at an airport on Feb. 17 for suspicion of transporting hash oil and has been detained in a Russian prison since. Griner’s trial came to an end as the judge sentenced her to 9.5 years in prison and a fine equivalent to $16,301. The NBA and WNBA released a statement, declaring that they will continue to work with the State Department to secure her freedom. President Joe Biden proposed a prisoner swap to facilitate her return, but negotiations are ongoing.

MLB Heading Across the Pond for 2023 London Series

America’s pastime is heading to Londontown. The MLB announced that the Cubs and the Cardinals are heading to London for a two-game series at London Stadium in June 2023. The stadium is the home pitch for West Ham United. The two teams were scheduled to play the London Series in 2020, but the event was canceled in the wake of the global pandemic. The Yankees and the Red Sox took their rivalry to London Stadium in 2019. 

Taylor Rooks Doubles Down on Deals with Amazon and Turner Sports

There is nothing holding Taylor Rooks back. The Emmy nominee signed not one, but two deals this week. First, she extended her contract with Turner Sports, where she will continue to host her Bleacher Report vodcast Taylor Rooks X, while also serving as a contributor to NBA on TNT. On Amazon, Rooks will join the Thursday Night Football team, where she will host and produce special interviews with marquee athletes. 

Earlier this year, Boardroom sat down with Rooks for a wide-ranging interview

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McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo Prepare to Part Ways 

There is no shortage of storylines at the midway point of the 2022 Formula 1 season. As Lewis Hamilton maximizes his midseason break to announce his investment in the Denver Broncos, McLaren is setting its sights on the future. The racing team revealed that it will part ways with Daniel Ricciardo earlier than expected, and plans to pay out his contract that will expire in 2023. In his place, the team plans to bring on Alpine’s Oscar Piastri. Ricciardo is expected to have no shortage of offers from the likes of Alpine, Haas, and more. 

Coinbase Stock Soars as It Unveils Sweeping Partnership with BlackRock

Coinbase‘s stock soared on Thursday as news broke that it was teaming up with BlackRock for a new partnership that will provide the wealth management company with more direct crypto service, including crypto trading, custody, prime brokerage, and reporting capabilities.

Pat McAfee to Call Alternative College Football Broadcasts on ESPN2

Last year, Peyton and Eli Manning teamed up for a hilarious football experiment. The talented brothers took over ESPN for the wildly popular Manningcast, inviting some of their famous friends to offer unfiltered in-game analysis and insights. Now, Peyton’s Omaha Productions has tapped outspoken former NFL kicker Pat McAfee to provide a similar treatment for “six BIG-ASS college football games” on ESPN2. McAfee and Manning revealed the news on the former’s SiriusXM show.

Twitter and Opendorse Enable In-game Monetization Opportunities for Student Athletes

With the start of the fall season nearly upon us, we’re about to experience a whole new slew of viral highlights. For the first time ever, student-athletes will be able to monetize their highlights thanks to the expanded partnership between Twitter and Opendorse. PAC-12 football will kick off the partnership in the upcoming season. 

Meta Goes Global with Digital Collectibles Plan

NFTs are coming to Meta‘s multiple platforms. In an official announcement, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that Instagram and Facebook users will be able to showcase their digital collectibles on the platforms. To support the rollout and enable digital integrations, Meta will team up with Coinbase, Dapper Labs, and the Flow blockchain.

Mel Tucker Reveals First-ever NFT Collection

College football kicks off in a few short weeks. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker has a new contract and big hopes for the Spartans. Now, he’s teaming up with NFT agency Lambert Global to launch his first-ever NFT collection. The digital collectibles will enable various virtual and IRL opportunities for fans to connect with Tucker in a whole new way.

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Bernadette Doykos

Bernadette Doykos is the Senior Director of Editorial Strategy at Boardroom. Before joining the team, her work appeared in ELLE. She previously served as the head of evaluation for a nonprofit where she became obsessed with systems and strategy and served as the curator of vibes and extinguisher of fires for the design thinking firm Stoked. She is constantly plotting a perfect tunnel ‘fit and a playlist for all occasions.