Cathy Engelbert Re-confirms WNBA Stance on Chartered Flights
To kick off Women’s History Month, Sports Illustrated published an expository story on how the WNBA aggressively punished New York Liberty’s ownership group for treating its players…too well? The piece focused on hefty fines cast at the Liberty when they provided their players with a chartered flight last season. On Sunday, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert doubled down on the league’s stance in an interview with ESPN. She pointed to the price tag for chartered flights – which is about $20 million – indicating that a shift would threaten the league’s finances.
Supreme and Burberry Link Up for Newest Drop
The newest collab from Supreme shows that patience pays off. In 1997, the iconic streetwear brand launched a limited-release Burberry box tee. Now, 25 years later, it has paired up with the legendary London label for a full-scale release. The collection includes a modernized take on Burberry’s signature trench, tee shirts, a skate deck, and more. It drops on March 10th.
U.S. Secretary of State Declares Support and Assistance for Brittney Griner
In the wake of the news that Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for at least three weeks over allegations of drug-related charges, the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed on Sunday that the department is doing everything in its power to have Griner and other detained Americans released. In his statement, Blinken did not mention Griner by name, but confirmed that the Department of State will send representatives to check on the well-being of imprisoned Americans and ensure that they are receiving legal representation and any medical intervention required.
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
PSG to Launch NYC’s First-ever International Sport Club’s Signature Store
Looking for a new Messi or Mbappé jersey? Now New Yorkers won’t have to go too far. Paris Saint-Germain is set to launch its second American sporting boutique on Friday at 587 5th Ave. It will make history as the first-ever retail store for an international club in New York City when it opens its doors. PSG opened a similar establishment in LA last year and has them in Doha, Seoul, and three stores across Japan.
Game Stop Chairman Nets Another Win with Bed Bath & Beyond
Meme stock Game Stop got a lot of coverage in 2021 as it unexpectedly rebounded, fueled, in large part, by a Reddit thread. Now the company’s chairman, Ryan Cohen, is back in the headlines as he announced that he has taken a 10% stake in the struggling Bed Bath & Beyond. The stock soared 65% in premarket trading on Monday, as news broke that Cohen had offered concrete advice to the board with a clear path for the future.
Apollo Global Positions Itself for Sports Investments
The private equity takeover of sports continues, and Apollo Global Management is reportedly positioning itself to get into the game. According to Sportico, the private equity firm is eyeing a sports-specific fund through which it will invest in media and technology. Inside sources suggest that the fund will also consider team ownership. The move will not be the first into sports for the firm, which has $455 billion in assets, as it is an owner of Yahoo Sports.
Flower Girls NFT Collection Gets Multimedia Deal
The next wave of Hollywood franchises might be your favorite NFT collections. Flower Girls, a women-founded NFT project that boasts celebrity owners including Gwyneth Paltrow and Gary Vaynerchuk, has struck a deal with Dolphin Entertainment to bring the digital collectibles to the screen. Dolphin hopes to continue its long line of hit productions, including Zoey 101 and the Justin Bieber documentary Believe, with NFT-driven storylines. Dolphin also plans to make music and games based on the collection as part of the deal.
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
