Emma Raducanu Inches Towards Billionaire Status with British Airways Deal
Emma Raducanu is rounding out 2021 with yet another accomplishment, capping off an already epic year for the 19-year-old tennis star. On Tuesday, Raducanu was announced as the new face of British Airways. The airline is the most recent addition to a stocked portfolio of endorsements for the U.S. Open champ, whose other sponsors include Evian, Dior, and Tiffany & Co. Many industry experts predict that Raducanu is on track to become the first-ever female athlete to become a billionaire.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Enters the Metaverse with Nike and Roblox
The Greek Freak may be in the middle of some real-world litigation regarding the improper use of his name and image, but on Tuesday, Nike revealed the two-time MVP’s Roblox likeness. The Giannis Roblox figure sports a hoodie featuring a Nike swoosh with the word “FREAK” over it, holding a tell-tale Greek diner coffee cup.
Steph Curry’s 2974 NFT Collection Sells Out in Five Minutes
A week later, Steph Curry is still celebrating his official minting as the NBA’s all-time three-point king. To commemorate the accomplishment Curry collaborated with FTX, Curry to drop The 2974 Collection on Tuesday, one day after its initial launch was delayed following some technical issues. The NFT collection offered 2974 collectors the chance to capture a digital piece of history, and it sold out in merely five minutes. The sale brought in $2.1 million for Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.
NHL Players Expected to Opt Out of Olympics
In a move that will undoubtedly leave national teams across the world scrambling to fill their rosters, the NHL and its players’ association decided on Tuesday that it will not send its players to Beijing for the Olympics. The news comes in the wake of increasing concern about the coronavirus pandemic following the recent surge of cases. The decision also opens up possibilities for rescheduling games during the three-week window that the league was going to shut down to accommodate the Olympic Games. The official announcement is expected today.
Diddy Reclaims Ownership of Sean John Brand
More than 20 years after founding Sean John, Diddy has regained ownership of the fashion brand. The multi-hyphenate mogul released a statement, saying, “I’m ready to reclaim ownership of the brand, build a team of visionary designers and global partners to write the next chapter of Sean John’s legacy.” The deal, which is expected to be finalized this week, is reportedly worth $7.5 million.
Angel City FC Links with Crypto.com
The NWSL’s newest team is no stranger to making big moves. Angel City FC, which is backed by a star-studded ownership group that includes Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, Natalie Portman, and Abby Wambach, announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with crypto.com as a founding sponsor. The announcement makes it the first NWSL team to secure a crypto sponsor. The crypto company also announced this week that it will debut an ad during Super Bowl LVI.
PGA TOUR Plans to Tee Off NFT Collection
Following in the footsteps of the success of NBA Top Shot and the promise of the impending NFL All Day collection, the PGA TOUR is setting up to tee off its own NFT platform. The move into NFTs will give TOUR players the chance to create new opportunities to promote themselves & generate revenue while opening up the game to a potentially new audience – the crypto community. A formal announcement is expected to come sometime next year.
First-Ever Single by an All-NFT Band “Allies” Set to Drop
Allies, credited as the first band in the metaverse consisting entirely of non-fungible token characters, is about to drop its first single. The band is made up of characters from some of the most popular NFT collections, including Singer Lola (World of Women), Guitarist Deeze (Bored Ape Yacht Club), Bassist French (Wicked Craniums), Keytarist Kibbee (Cool Cats), and Drummer and songwriter Cheetah (CryptoPunks). “WAGMI,” the debut song from the musical group, is set to debut with an accompanying music video tonight at 8:00 p.m. EST.