TheFutureParty
A Community-based Media Company
Mall-favorite Abercrombie & Fitch is teaming up with the NFL as the league’s first-ever official fashion partner. The Big Play: The NFL has long trailed behind the NBA and WNBA in the fashion game, where tunnel fits are cultural events in their own right. With fandom evolving and style taking a bigger role in the sports conversation, the […]
Paramount has struck a $7.7 billion media rights deal with TKO Group to exhibit all UFC events in the US on Paramount+ starting next year. The Big Picture: The UFC deal (which beat out Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube) comes just a week after David Ellison’s Skydance officially took control of Paramount, demonstrating the new leadership’s […]
The Savannah Bananas — a barnstorming exhibition team that plays their own version of baseball called “Banana Ball” — are racking up ticket sales, virality, and influence. The Big Swing: In an era of shrinking attention spans, America’s favorite pastime has been pressured to… well… pick up the pace. It’s hard not to imagine that […]
Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner at SpringHill, is helping a group of investors looking to raise $5 billion to start a new international basketball league. The Big Play: The new secret league is reportedly being positioned as a competitor to the NBA… which… good luck. The NBA hasn’t had a competitor to its 5-on-5 […]
Ballers, which bills itself as a social-sport venue and members club, raised a $20 million Series A round in the run-up to the opening of the company’s first flagship location in Philadelphia. Why It Hits: Ballers is in the racket sports and golf business — two sports blowing up in popularity with Gen Z, not just for the […]
This month, WhatsApp and sports-content publication OffBall’s “The Chat” feature has hosted conversations on some of the biggest moments in sports with some of the biggest names in sports. The Big Play: So much of the culture of watching sports is engaging with expert commentary and interacting with like-minded fans. The Chat, which launched in […]
Patrick Whitesell, the co-founder of WME and Endeavor, who recently left after going private again, is launching a boutique football-representation shingle called WIN Sports Group. The Big Play: Football is by far the most popular sport in America, with players and coaches reaching the heights of influence usually reserved for global movie stars. WIN hopes to leverage […]
Top professional athletes across basketball and football are joining collegiate athletic programs… as general managers. Why It Scores: College sports have been big for a while, but the leagues are exploding even more in popularity in recent years, thanks to NIL deals, skyrocketing broadcast rights, and of course, the greatness of the athletes themselves. Joining […]
The NFL is considering multiple bids to set up both a women’s and men’s professional flag-football league, which could debut as early as next year. The Big Play: Flag football has exploded in popularity in recent years, so investors are chomping at the bit to take the sport pro. If the demand for the NFL’s […]
Sports-products chain Dick’s Sporting Goods is expanding the footprint of its newest concept store, the massive “House of Sport,” which mixes traditional retail with several experiences to test out products and build community. The Big Play: Most retail brands are shrinking their stores — both in size and number — to deal with inflation, slower consumer spending, and […]