Nicki Minaj to Receive VMA’s Video Vanguard Award
Nicki Minaj is preparing to leave her mark at this year’s MTV VMAs. The award show, which will air live on Aug. 28 from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, features a star-studded lineup of nominees and performers. Hot off her Young Money reunion with Lil Wayne and Drake, Minaj will receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, which commemorates profound musical acts in the history of pop culture. Past recipients include Rihanna, Kanye West, and Missy Elliot. The night will also serve as Nicki’s return to the VMA stage for the first time since 2018.
Overtime Locks in $100M with Liberty Media Led Series D
Overtime is looking to change the game. The Altanta-based sports and sports media brand successfully completed a $100 million Series D, co-led by Liberty Media. Overtime co-founder Zack Weiner called the Series participants a “dream team of investors,” including Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expedition, Blackstone, and Sapphire Sport, each of which doubled down on their investments. The infusion of cash brings Overtime’s overall fundraising efforts to $250 million and will help stimulate the company’s Web3 development, the creation of additional disruptive sports leagues, and more.
Bengals’ Home Field Gets New Name Courtesy of Paycor
The Cincinnati Bengals have their sights set on a Super Bowl return. The road to Glendale for Joe Burrow and the gang begins at the team’s home field. After 22 years as Paul Brown Stadium, it will get a new name courtesy of HR software provider Paycor. Previously, the team was among one of three across the league that had not sold the naming rights to their stadium. The Bengals join the Steelers in renaming their home turf this offseason.
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Jake Paul Looks Towards Future of Sports Betting with Betr
Jake Paul is changing the sports betting landscape. Working alongside Joey Levy, the Youtube megastar announced Betr. This new mobile app will allow users to place bets on specific moments, including pitches, at-bats in baseball, and individual drives in football games called micro-betting. The pair raised $50 million as part of a Series A funding round with funds from Travis Scott, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Richard Sherman, 305 Ventures, and co-owners of the San Francisco 49ers, Boston Celtics, and Miami Marlins.
PGA Tour Tees Off on LIV Golfers in Federal Court
The ongoing court battles between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf continue to heat up. The latest chapter of the ongoing saga saw the PGA Tour asking a federal judge to deny a temporary restraining order to Talor Gooch, Matt Jones, and Hudson Swafford, who left the Tour to compete for LIV Golf. The three golfers planned to “forge their way” into PGA’s FedEx Cup Playoffs despite departing the PGA Tour. However, the PGA doesn’t want the players to return due to breaching tour regulations that would ordinarily result in suspension.
Netflix Brings “The Gray Man” Immersion to the Metaverse
Have you ever wanted to jump into your favorite film? Netflix and 3D virtual world Decentraland is making that possible for the streaming platform’s upcoming spy thriller film The Gray Man. In the virtual world, fans can enter a labyrinth that they navigate by demonstrating their knowledge about the movie’s plot. The film’s immersion includes the original music and protagonist Ryan Gosling’s instruction video on how to escape the maze.
Signed Mark Zuckerberg Little League Card Enters Blockchain Auctions
Mark Zuckerberg has had quite the career, but his on-field legacy maxed out in the pee wees. The Meta boss gave his Little League card to camp counselor Allie Tarantino, who wisely got the slugger’s signature. Now, the 1992 piece of history will be auctioned off by ComicConnect. The one-of-a-kind card will include documentation from multiple parties, including card grader SGC, that authenticates the card’s manufacturing history and a corresponding NFT.
Ryan Reynolds Inks $10M Unscripted Development Deal with FuboTV
Ryan Reynolds has some stories to tell. Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions secured a $10 million development deal with FuboTV. As part of the collab, the Maximum Effort Network will launch as a linear channel, hosting unscripted programming curated by Reynolds and his business partners. Reynolds is co-producing the upcoming docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham for FX Networks which documents his shared ownership of Wrexham A.F.C. with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Rob McElhenney.
Snoop Dogg, BTS, and Benny Blanco Control Xbox
Xbox is modifying their gamers’ musical experiences. Partnering with Snoop Dogg, award-winning producer Benny Blanco, and K-pop sensations BTS, the company announced its first singing controller that will feature the unlikely trio’s hit Bad Decisions. The exclusive modified controller will feature a speaker attached to the battery compartment. However, fans can only score the coveted item through a giveaway from Forza Horizon 5. The controller also features a QR code linking players to the music as they drive around the Horizon world.
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