Welcome back to the Spotlight! This past week has been an interesting mish mash of Sports and Entertainment candy. Following on the heels of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship across the pond in England and the FIFA Club World Cup championship here in the States (a dry run of sorts for the FIFA International World Cup in 2026, exposing organizers to a large draw of far flung crowds, and players to the sweet air of East Rutherford, New Jersey), Major League Baseball went into its All-Star Break, headlined by the Celebrity Softball Game, the Home Run Derby and the Midsummer Classic (no, not Shakespeare)—the MLB All-Star Game.
There, spectators got to see countless celebrity appearances, a home run hitting competition won by Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (a man whose nickname derives from the size of his posterior) and the League’s best go down to the wire in a game decided by the first ever home run swing-off. To be sure, the event offered something for everyone and a level of fun and entertainment that is hard for so many sports leagues to achieve in their respective all-star exhibition contests. That task will be even harder for the WNBA with news that Caitlin Clark will be missing the upcoming All-Star festivities due to injury.
In any event, the following day the EMMY Nominations were announced, ensuring that your streaming queue remains full of enough content to last you several years. And later that day, ESPN’s ESPY Awards (showcasing the greatest athletes and moments in sports from the year prior) spurred another convergence of entertainment and sports figures. For me, it was stand-up comedian Shane Gillis’ envelope-pushing opening monologue that was the highlight of it all – that, and not being so heavily invested in whether my team won. But alas, that feeling is short-lived with my New York Yankees heading back to the diamond to resume their quest for their elusive 28th World Championship. Though if all else fails, I’ll have plenty of shows to catch up on.
- Endangered social media platform TikTok is rolling out a feature allowing songwriters to promote themselves through the app to encourage other users to discover them. So, be sure to be on the lookout for up-and-coming writers, Artie Fishel Entelgens and Ian Notaspy.
- Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is lead investor behind a better-for-you, ready-to-drink “sport coffee,” called “Throne” (which is suggestive both of royalty and where many end up after a cup of coffee). Perhaps the beverage will awaken referees to missed offensive holding penalties.
- 90s superhero cartoon series “Captain Planet and The Planeteers” is being rebooted by Berlanti Productions as a live-action series on Netflix. I know I will be watching, as I love 90s nostalgia as much as anyone – but I can’t help but wonder why we need a team of superheroes to address environmental disasters in this day and age. Thoughts and prayers seem to be working just fine.
- Barstool Sports Founder and President Dave Portnoy has been tapped by FOX Sports to appear on their Saturday College Football Kickoff Show, undoubtedly sending stadium concessionaires scrambling to improve their pizza recipes. In the meantime, I eagerly await word from his (and her) representatives whether his dog, the famous Miss Peaches will be in tow.
Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments
Fox Sports Inks “Wide-Ranging” Deal With Barstool and Dave Portnoy
July 17, 2025 via Hollywood Reporter
USA Bobsled and Skeleton signs endorsement deal with Honda through 2030 Olympics
July 17, 2025 via Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan
Luke DeCock: UNC tennis star’s prize-money lawsuit against the NCAA gets big boost in court
July 16, 2025 via Lancaster Online
Cantwell, Baumgartner team up to oppose legislative ‘power grab’ for college sports’ richest conferences
July 16, 2025 via The Columbian
Beauty Brands Are Investing In Women’s Sports. Here’s Why.
July 16, 2025 via Forbes
Beer sponsorships could decide NCAA Tournament expansion, per report
July 15, 2025 via Awful Announcing
Kalshi Says Its ‘Odds’ Hats and ‘Bet’ Ads Don’t Make It a Gambling App
July 15, 2025 via Sportico - Business
Manchester City Signs Puma Extension Worth Record $1.5B+
July 15, 2025 via Sportico
'Consumers Deserve Better': How Superstar QB Patrick Mahomes Is Brewing a Better Future for Coffee Drinkers
July 14, 2025 via Entrepreneur Magazine
Beyonce's Pepsi partnership redefined celebrity collabs
July 13, 2025 via Daily Meal
Ravens’ Mark Andrews supporting next generation of athletes with diabetes
July 12, 2025 via Lancaster Online
Bipartisan lawmakers introduce SCORE Act bill for national college sports rules
July 11, 2025 via Sports Business Journal
Sports
Sun sell out TD Garden game, sparks push for WNBA in Boston
July 16, 2025 via Sports Business Journal
Trump set to sign executive order on national standards for college sports NIL
July 16, 2025 via Yahoo Sports
Expansion WNBA team brings back the original Portland Fire name
July 15, 2025 via NBC News
Music Biz
AI companies accused of ‘largest domestic piracy of IP in our nation’s history’ at congressional hearing led by MAGA Republican
July 17, 2025 via Music Business Worldwide
TikTok lures songwriters with new promotional features
July 17, 2025 via Tech Crunch
AI-generated music is going viral. Should the music industry be worried?
July 17, 2025 via CNBC
Justin Bieber’s ‘SWAG’: Vibes, Creative Freedom, and More Vibes
July 16, 2025 via Boardroom
The Chainsmokers’ Mantis Ventures investment firm raises $100m for third fund
July 16, 2025 via Music Business Worldwide
Lady Gaga's unusual signature drink gets mixed reactions online: 'Mayhem in a glass'
July 11, 2025 via Fox News
Voices on Trial: Voice Actors, AI Cloning, and the Fight for Identity Rights
July 11, 2025 via National Law Review
Film & TV
Simon Cowell Will Look for a New Boy Band in Netflix Series
July 17, 2025 via Hollywood Reporter
CBS to Cancel ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Citing ‘Financial Decision’
July 17, 2025 via Variety
‘Captain Planet’ Live-Action Series In Works At Netflix From Berlanti Productions & Appian Way
July 17, 2025 via Deadline
Emerging Sports
Planting the flag: Lourdes University to offer women's flag football as a varsity sport
July 13, 2025 via Toledo Blade
