Tom Brady to Join Fox Sports Following Retirement
TB12 is heading back to the gridiron for the 2022 season, but the seven-time Super Bowl champ is already lining up plans for life after football. On Tuesday morning’s earnings call, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch announced that Tom Brady will join the announcers’ booth on Fox once he retires from the NFL. Brady will call games with Kevin Burkhardt, who takes over this fall following Joe Buck and Troy Aikman‘s departure for ESPN. Murdoch was quick to note that the decision of when Brady takes over is ‘is entirely up to him… when he sees fit.”
Andy Warhol’s ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn’ Fetches $195M
Andy Warhol‘s impact on art is never-ending. On Monday, the artist’s iconic cool blue portrait of Marilyn Monroe set an American record with a $195 million sale, coming in below early estimates of $200 million. “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” was auctioned by Christie’s in New York and decimated the previous record, held by Jean-Michel Basquiat‘s 1982 “Untitled” which went for $110.5 million in 2017. The sale’s proceeds will be donated to the Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation, which put the painting up for auction. The piece’s buyer is unknown at this time.
WNBA Eyes Expansion
The WNBA is so important. As teams takeover the hardwood across the country, tipping off the league’s 26th season, the Seattle Times reports that it will look to expand to two markets in the near future. The news comes just days after players, including Breanna Stewart, pushed for expanded rosters in the wake of top talent being let go to accommodate the salary cap. League commissioner Cathy Engelbert indicated that the W is actively assessing the data for expansion, but a timeline is unknown at this time.
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Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa Drive Warner Music Group’s Strong Quarter
Warner Music Group posted a 10% increase in revenues to kick off 2022, tallying $1.38 billion. Some of the label’s top artists include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ed Sheeran, and Dua Lipa. Eric Levin, Warner’s CFO, pointed to the company’s diversified efforts, which sparked growth across a number of divisions. Artist services exploded with a nearly 20% increase.
Paige Bueckers Leads Instagram NFT Roll Out
NFTs are finally coming to Instagram. With the new functionality, users will be able to display their NFT collections on the platform by connecting to their third-party wallets. To roll out the new feature, Meta is tapping 16 influencers to introduce the functionality to the Gram. One of those is UConn standout Paige Bueckers who has a million followers, which she has leveraged for major NIL deals with brands such as Gatorade and StockX.
Arctos Adds Atalanta to Expanding Sports Portfolio
The private equity firm is going global. Arctos Sports Partners has had a busy 12 months, buying into a number of ownership groups including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Golden State Warriors, and recently added five MLB teams to its portfolio. Now, Arctos is heading across the pond and is set to invest $36 million in a minority stake of Serie A team Atalanta. The club’s ownership group also includes Celtics‘ owner Steve Pagliuca, who connected Arctos with the club.
Paul Pogba Gets Augmented
In a few weeks, soccer fans from around the world will descend on Paris for the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. In advance, fans will be able to harness their inner footballer and get the chance to score just like Manchester United and France superstar midfielder Paul Pogba. Pogba has linked up with Pepsi and Yum! Brands to create a unique augmented reality experience. To play, fans simply need to scan a QR code or visit the experience’s website.
NCAA Committee Sets Booster Boundaries
The NIL era is approaching its one-year anniversary and the NCAA’s regulatory position continues to evolve. A working group made up of league commissioners and athletic directors met on Monday to clarify the role that organized NIL collectives can have throughout the recruiting process. At the end of the meeting, they confirmed that boosters may not contact students or their families prior to their official acceptance. While the meetings did not produce any official new rules, the participants hoped to offer a higher order of clarity.
CryptoPunks Surpass $2B in Sales Despite Cooling Market
CryptoPunks have emerged as one of the hottest NFT collections on the market. Everyone from Serena Williams to Odell Beckham Jr. has claimed one for themselves. After nearly five years on the market, CryptoPunks have eclipsed $2 billion in total sales volume, placing them as the second-highest netting NFT collections behind Axie Infinity. However, holders are facing some difficult decisions amidst a thawing market. CryptoPunk #7503 sold for $106,111, the lowest price in nine months.
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