Messi, Ronaldo, Serena, Novak: What sport stars dodging retirement tells us Sport Business Sport heroes used to retire at the top but now the likes of Messi, Ronaldo, Serena and Djokovic have other ideas, writes Matt Readman. Sport is nothing if not storytelling. And every athlete wants the perfect ending to their own story. The crowning moment. The final wave to the crowd. Departing with dignity on your [...]
Woods to McIlroy: How Tiger Slam at Masters reshaped economics of sport Sport Business Ahead of the Masters, Nick Keller marks 25 years since Tiger Woods won the Tiger Slam and sports consumption changed forever. When Tiger Woods completed the ‘Tiger Slam’ in 2001 – holding all four major championships at once – it wasn’t just a sporting achievement. It was a cultural marker for how modern sport would [...]
E1: Thibaut Courtois joins ex-Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba as team owner Sport Business Real Madrid and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has become a co-owner of Sierra Racing Club, one of the newest teams in the E1 electric powerboating series. Courtois has acquired a stake in the Turkish-backed team, which joined the PIF-backed E1 this year, through his investment vehicle Nxtplay Capital. He joins a host of sports stars [...]
LeBron, McIlroy, Ronaldo in $575m Whoop raise at $10bn valuation March 31, 2026 LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo are among a group of athletes part of a $575m raise that values wearable technology firm Whoop at $10.1bn. The Series G funding round, raising over $500m, is led by the likes of the Audi Formula 1 investors Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Aramco Oil Pipelines stakeholders the [...]
Crystal Palace owner and F1 driver Gasly back Drive to Survive star’s MotoGP takeover January 30, 2026 Crystal Palace owner David Blitzer, Burnley owner ALK Capital and Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly have emerged as part of Drive to Survive star Guenther Steiner’s takeover of MotoGP team Tech3. Former Haas F1 team principal Steiner spearheaded a buyout that was announced four months ago and has seen the Italian installed as CEO of [...]
LeBron James opts into £38m contract as Lakers set for $10bn deal June 30, 2025 LeBron James is set to play in the Lakers’ new ownership era after opting into a £38m contract option. It will mean the 40-year-old, who turns 41 in December, will compete for the Los Angeles side for a 23rd season. The American is just 50 appearances short of Robert Parish’s NBA record, having played 1,562 [...]
NBA: LeBron and Curry beaten by Slovenia’s Doncic for jersey sales April 15, 2025 Slovenian Luka Doncic has become the first overseas NBA player to top the list of the most popular jerseys in American basketball. It is the first time in over a decade that a player outside of LeBron James or Stephen Curry has held the title, when New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony was the jersey in [...]
Production firms backed by James Corden and LeBron James in major merger November 18, 2024 A production company backed by James Corden, which is behind plans for a £450m film studio in Sunderland, is to merged with a business founded by LeBron James. The merger between The SpringHill Company and Fulwell 73, which is expected to complete in the coming weeks, will be backed by Fenway Sports Group, RedBird Capital [...]
Messi and LeBron beaten to top spot in athlete marketability rankings October 22, 2024 US gymnast Simone Biles has beaten LeBron James and Lionel Messi to be named the most marketable athlete in the world by sports industry experts. Real Madrid and Brazil footballer Vinicius Jr is second, followed by NBA legend James, women’s basketball sensation Caitlin Clark and Messi in the list published by SportsPro magazine. Biles, who [...]
Iconic LeBron James jersey to be auctioned August 29, 2024 The high school basketball top worn by LeBron James in a now legendary photo shoot for Sports Illustrated is expected to fetch over $1m when it goes under the hammer in September. The sale, which comes shortly after an iconic Babe Ruth jersey was bought at auction for a record-breaking $24m (£18m), is the marquee [...]