Oscar-winning DNEG Studio Preps to Go Public Via SPAC in $1.7B Deal
On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the studio behind major Hollywood hits including The Matrix and Avengers: Endgame is positioned to go public via SPAC. The deal will be facilitated by Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp, which is set to fund DNEG with up to $400 million. With the funding, the company is looking to expand its footprint in the streaming, gaming, and metaverse spaces and becomes the first publicly-traded company to focus exclusively on visual effects and animation.
Nets Get Set to Hoop in the Metaverse with Patent Filings
The Brooklyn Nets have filed three separate applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the trademark “Netaverse,” according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben of Gerben Intellectual Property. The trademarks encompass game coverage, merchandise, and technology. It is believed that the Nets are the first major professional sports team to indicate interest in joining the metaverse on their own.
LaMelo Ball Unveils Newest Venture, MB1 Gaming
LaMelo Ball is no stranger to forging his own path. Last year’s Rookie of the Year announced on Monday that he is teaming up with esports tournament platform One Up to launch esports brand MB1 Gaming. Ball recently released his PE shoe in partnership with Puma. MB1 Gaming will host esports tournaments on One Up’s platform, starting with an NBA 2K tournament in February. Appropriately, Puma will be the sponsor.
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Overtime Links with Billionaire Boys Club for Exclusive Apparel Drop
Sports and lifestyle just forged an all-new team-up in the form of a limited-edition apparel collection. Overtime and the Pharrell-founded Billionaire Boys Club unveiled the project, which includes custom Overtime Elite player uniforms, in an official announcement Monday. OTE players will debut the special uniforms during games scheduled for Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5 at their home campus in Atlanta. The collection will be highlighted in a new marketing campaign featuring Overtime Elite players and Los Angeles rapper BLXST.
BIG3 Basketball League Re-ups Deal with Monster Energy Drink
Monster Energy and BIG3 tipped off their partnership last season with a wild range of activations, which included everything from in-game BMX riders and breakdancers to multiple ad spots. And they announced on Tuesday that they are running it back for a second season. The 3-on-3 basketball league’s founder, Ice Cube, said in a statement that the partnership allows Big3 to connect with its fans in direct and exciting ways.
Lamborghini Taps Swiss Artist Fabian Oefner for Inaugural NFTs
The time has come when you may finally be able to own a Lamborghini. The pinnacle brand in luxury vehicles revealed that it is working on a set of NFTs and that they have brought in Swiss artist Fabian Oefner to engineer the design. Oefner is well-known for his art that “explores the boundaries between time, space, and reality.” Details continue to evolve, but the collection will include five space-themed collectibles, which will be unlocked by “Space Keys.”
Bored Ape Yacht Club Gets Two New Members in Kevin Hart and Paris Hilton
The Bored Ape Yacht Club just got two new all-star members. On Monday, comedian Kevin Hart revealed that he purchased #9258, which has a multi-colored whirly hat and wears a yellow shirt – for 79.5 Eth ($200,041). Similarly, Paris Hilton joined fellow Bored Ape owner Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, where she debuted her purchase of #1294.
Athletes Unlimited Tips off Partnership with Ari Chambers and HighlightHER
Athletes Unlimited is set to launch its inaugural season on Wednesday, where it will debut an innovative format that will not have set teams. And on Monday, the league announced an exclusive partnership with Ari Chambers and HighlightHER. The partnership includes content & social collabs — kicking off with a new long-form series where she will lead roundtable discussions with AU athletes.
Tyler, The Creator’s Golf Wang Drops New Collection and Campaign Featuring Jordan Clarkson
Tyler, the Creator is a man of many talents. The rapper has most recently been seen riding a bike on the Louis Vuitton stage for its men’s show, for which he curated the string soundtrack. His line, Golf Wang, debuted the “CHAMPIONSHIP Collection.” Modeled by Utah Jazz guard, Jordan Clarkson, the set includes basketball jerseys, shorts, a varsity jacket, a cream-colored sweatsuit, and a gold signet ring featuring the GOLF league logo.
NBC Universal Teams up with TikTok for Winter Olympic Coverage
The Winter Olympics are nearly here. While few fans will be able to be in the stands for the live events, people around the globe will have access to various types of on-the-ground content due to a new partnership between NBC Universal and streaming platform Tik Tok. As part of the agreement, there will be daily content and a three-part livestream series.
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