Week In Review - Sports, Media, Entertainment & Culture: 06/13/2025
The top stories where business and culture collide. This week we break it down by: Sports Business / Sports Media, Content & Streaming / Brands, Style, Collabs & Athletes / Extra Reads. Enjoy.
The Oilers - wow. What a comeback. Clawing back from 3-0 down in Game 4 showed serious championship mentality and intensity.
There’s been a lot going on this week - from the MLB investing in a creator-led media company, to Warner Bros. Discovery splitting up its business, to continued investment in sports, brand exposure, and athlete-celebrity collaborations.
Here are the best stories from the week. And Tom Thibodeau’s graceful farewell to New York in the NY Times - always go out with class.
As we continue to build here, I welcome all feedback: stories you liked, videos, pictures, formatting, etc so please don’t hesitate to comment / let me know!
This Week’s 3 Biggest Stories
MLB Acquires Stake In Jomboy Media, Partners With Sports Media Firm For Digital Content
In my opinion, no story this week has greater implications in the sports and culture world than this one.
To Break It Down: Major League Baseball is officially embracing the creator economy, acquiring a minority stake in Jomboy Media and partnering with the fan-favorite sports media company on digital content, merchandise, and collaborative storytelling around marquee events like the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.
This deal is a landmark moment for both sides: for the MLB, it signals a long-overdue embrace of creator-led media as a central force in modern fan engagement; for Jomboy, it’s validation of a vision built on authenticity, community, and cultural relevance.
Through this partnership, Jomboy Media gains access to official MLB intellectual property and players, expanding its reach across shows like Talkin’ Baseball and Warehouse Games while receiving the MLB’s support in launching new shows and content.
The MLB taps into the raw storytelling and grassroots fandom that traditional media has often struggled to replicate. It’s an “unprecedented” deal proving that the future of sports media is community-first, creator-driven, and built for the platforms fans live on.
It only makes you wonder, will other leagues follow?
Take a look at Jomboy CEO Courtney Hirsch’s (no relation) LinkedIn Post ⬇️
How The Panthers Turned South Florida Into A Hockey Hotbed
If you know me, you know a Boardroom article spotlighting hockey gets top billing here. But beyond personal bias, the Florida Panthers' rise is a masterclass in strategy, bold decision-making, and elite execution - doubling down on Ft. Lauderdale instead of chasing Palm Beach or Miami hype. The Panthers Grade-A culture built on discipline, collaboration, transparency, and hustle stems from Owner Vincent Viola and CEO Matt Caldwell, both West Point graduates.
Panthers Spark Economic Boom: Back‑to‑back Stanley Cup Final appearances and local investment have converted Fort Lauderdale into a hockey hotspot, generating nearly $100 million in playoff‑related economic activity - and an extra ~$30 million just this postseason .
Cultural Shift In The Region: With Downtown Fort Lauderdale's population nearly doubling over the last decade, the Panthers have become central to the community’s identity - driving skyrocketing hotel demand, boosting restaurant recognition (including Fort Lauderdale's first-ever Michelin star), and chemically shifting how South Florida sees hockey .
You can listen to Matt Caldwell’s West Point —> Wall Street —> Viola Family Office —> Panthers journey ⬇️
Warner Discovery Splits Cable From Marquee Streaming, Studio Businesses
What Occurred: The WSJ reported that Warner Bros. Discovery will divide into two standalone, publicly traded companies by mid-2026 - Global Networks (housing CNN, TNT/TBS, Discovery+, Bleacher Report, and cable holdings) and Streaming & Studios (featuring HBO Max, Warner Bros. film/TV, and DC Studios). The split will unwind much of the 2022 merger, with Global Networks retaining up to a 20% stake in the streaming side and using its earnings to chip away at the company’s massive debt load (~$34 bn).
Why It Matters: Faced with declining cable revenue, a 59% stock drop since the merger, and debt downgraded to “junk”, Warner is betting on focused, unburdened units to unlock greater value, sharpen strategy, and attract investors. CEO David Zaslav will lead the streaming branch, while CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels heads the cable entity.
CNBC's Alex Sherman took a closer look at Zaslav’s stance on TNT Sports highlighting some surprising words,
"Inside the U.S., sports have been less critical. It's viewed, but it hasn't been a real driver for us. So it will continue to be on HBO Max, but the Global Networks business will evaluate over time where the best place for that is."
That’s an interesting take - especially considering TNT just committed $65 million annually for The French Open rights, a deal that looked priceless after the electric men’s and women’s final this past weekend.
🏟️ Sports Business:
Launching in Philly (Turbine Hall, 55,000 square-feet), blending racquet sports like Padel and Pickleball with nightlife and social club vibes - “first-of-its-kind hospitality-driven social sports venue.”
With $20M raised, the brand aims to scale to 50+ locations, positioning itself as a Topgolf-style destination for active leisure.
PSALM Capital has joined forces with Tropion Sports Partners and Blue Owl Capital’s Home Court Fund to back investments in the NBA, bringing together athlete‑focused family‑office equity with institutional-level capital and strategic sports sector expertise.
The initiative includes a $25 million strategic investment aimed at securing minority stakes in NBA franchises and driving growth in areas like global expansion, media rights, premium seating, and brand partnerships.
Elevate, a sports consultancy backed by Velocity Capital and Texas Permanent School Fund, has launched a $500 million collegiate investment initiative to provide private credit to athletic departments at Power Four schools, using funds for stadium upgrades, premium seating, and revenue-enhancement strategies.
Separately, Boise State’s athletic department is “actively considering” a private‑equity deal and expects to finalize a funding agreement within the next six months, as schools look to capitalize on the House v. NCAA settlement framework and growing need for athlete compensation funding.
Dan Roberts, Front Office Sports’ Editor in Chief, feels that the big-picture forces matter more than the small details - demand to own a pro sports team is sky-high, and there’s no obvious reason valuations won’t continue rising.
The NFL is extending its partnership with Genius Sports - a company that powers official league data distribution for sportsbooks, broadcasters, and fan platforms - by securing an expanded equity stake now worth over $230M, making the league its largest shareholder and deepening ties across betting, media, and fan engagement.
Rolapp was believed to be a potential successor to NFL Commissioner, Rodger Goodell.
📺 Sports Media, Content & Streaming
Netflix continues to hammer live sports, landing its third boxing card through a collaboration between Riyadh Season and Dana White’s TKO Boxing - part of Netflix’s broader push into live sporting events following successful NFL Christmas Day games and the upcoming Taylor–Serrano trilogy.
Venus and Serena are launching a new video podcast exclusively on X this August, marking a major original content move for Elon Musk’s platform as the iconic sisters bring their star power, personal stories, and guest interviews to fans ahead of a wider audio release.
Disney will soon fully own Hulu after a long, complex buyout from Comcast, enabling a deeper integration with Disney+ and ESPN+ ahead of ESPN’s standalone streaming launch - part of a broader strategy that, as chairman Jimmy Pitaro put it, enables ESPN to be “available across platforms, across price points.”
The early sell-out of NBC’s 2026 Super Bowl ads - at up to $7M per spot - signals that sports remains the most valuable and dependable vehicle for reaching mass audiences in a fragmented media world.
Juju’s behind the scenes show, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter for Fulwell Entertainment’s Uninterrupted (in partnership with KLUTCH Sports, and 4.4.Forty Media), has been renewed for Season 2 on Peacock following its successful debut.
A Judge denied Disney’s attempt to block former executive Justin Connolly from joining YouTube as Global Head of Sports & Media, ruling that his new role doesn’t violate his noncompete agreement.
Bill Belichick Joked About Trying To Recruit Paul Rabil To Play Football In ESPN’s New Lacrosse Show
On the debut episode of ESPN+’s Rabil’s Places - produced by Omaha Productions - Paul Rabil reveals a 2008 email from Bill Belichick inviting him to try out for the Patriots, highlighting Belichick’s long-standing interest in recruiting multi-sport athletes like former lacrosse player Chris Hogan.
At the Los Angeles Tudum event, Netflix unveiled hard release dates for flagship finales - “Squid Game” Season 3 drops June 27, 2025, and “Stranger Things” Season 5 rolls out in three parts on November 26, December 25, and December 31, 2025 - bolstering its global, real-time streaming strategy.
NBCUniversal’s year‑long Creator Accelerator, launched in October 2022, paired 11 TikTok stars with mentors to develop original content - and has now delivered four creator-led series on Peacock’s new Emerging Artist Series, debuting May 19, 2025.
🎽 Brands, Style, Collabs & Athletes
Caitlin Clark, only the second athlete after Michael Jordan to have a full Wilson basketball collection, launches her second line on June 23rd, featuring four personally designed balls that reflect her personality, passions, and messages to fans - including her love of blue, golf, and motivational phrases.
Champion has secured licensing rights to produce NFL apparel, debuting its first collection - alongside NHL gear - at Fanatics Fest NYC (June 20–22), with exclusive drops for teams like the Giants, Jets, Cowboys, and NY Rangers.
This marks Champion’s expansion into major league partnerships following its acquisition by Authentic Brands Group for $1.2 billion.
Pharrell Williams’ auction house ‘Joopiter’ will auction a rare 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan autographed rookie card from June 17–26, with a starting bid of $2 million - marking Joopiter’s first-ever sports collectible sale.
Wilson and Kith unveil a collaborative, limited‑edition tennis collection featuring co‑designed Pro Staff and Ultra racquets, plus hundreds of apparel and accessory pieces for men, women, and children - blending heritage performance with streetwear flair, launching as the US Open “descends on the Big Apple.”
The partnership extends beyond products, resurfacing a community tennis court in Queens using recycled tennis-ball material and celebrating local heritage- underscoring a commitment to sustainability and culture.
Check out The Carlyle Hotel in the backdrop
📖 Extra Reads
Alex Cooper Is Far More Interesting Than Her Hulu Docuseries ‘Call Her Alex’: TV Review
‘People suck, dude’: MLB players on the impact of sports betting on fan interactions
Snap To Launch Smaller, Lighter Augmented Reality Specs Smartglasses In 2026
Apple Goes Retro For Its Logos On New WWDC Merch And I'm Here For It
