Transmit to deliver adtech for FIFA+ service

FIFA has selected adtech vendor Transmit to power in-stream video advertisements in FIFA+, the organization’s flagship free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel. The partnership came together following an evaluation of multiple vendors by FIFA that sought to enhance their monetization efforts around ad-supported streaming, particularly with the 2026 World Cup and 2025 Club World Cup approaching, according to Transmit Chief Product Officer Scott Young. Of Transmit’s 125 sports property partners, FIFA represents “one of the most significant global-first organizations,” Transmit CEO Seth Hittman added.

Magic Eden acquires trading platform Slingshot in push to expand beyond NFTs

It’s no secret that NFTs, or collectible images that once fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars, aren’t buzzy. Monthly trading volume for non-fungible tokens has plummeted from a high of $6 billion in January 2022 to $429 million in March, according to data from CryptoSlam...

Vidmob Appoints Mark Mannino as President

Vidmob, The Creative Data Company, today announced the appointment of Mark Mannino as President, where he will assume responsibility for the go-to-market, revenue, strategy and finance. Mannino brings decades of experience in digital advertising and marketing, marked by leadership positions at prominent organizations MediaMath, where he was an early executive; Amazon, where he helped launch the Amazon DSP; and Flywheel, where he was Chief Operating Officer leading up to its acquisition by Omnicom. At each of these organizations, Mannino has helped harness the promise of data, technology and advertising to help meet marketer and agency goals, spanning advertising and ecommerce, and has helped each of these organizations develop, deploy and scale their growth-driving solutions.

The most innovative companies in sports for 2025

Artificial intelligence has dominated headlines and advancements in nearly every industry globally. Sports is no exception. As data grows more dynamic and accessible, so do its applications, and the effect is vast...

10 Companies for Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech 2025

Today, 10 enterprise-ready companies were chosen for the fifth class of Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech. This R&D program, powered by Boomtown Innovation, identifies and cultivates emerging companies from around the world to drive their growth and shape the sports industry while creating a space for Comcast and its partners to test and pilot new solutions. The 2025 program launches this week in Atlanta with an immersive kickoff designed to foster collaboration and facilitate deep customer discovery through experiential learning and behind-the-scenes access to world-class sporting events.

Popular Asheville bathhouse Sauna House brings its communal saunas and cold plunges to Charlotte

Sauna House, the Asheville-based bathhouse known for its communal saunas and cold plunges, opened its first Charlotte location in Wesley Heights over the weekend.Why it matters: Hot and cold therapy is one of Charlotte's fastest-growing wellness trends...

Tom Brady’s Autograph merges with digital fitness company Future

Autograph, the NFT company co-founded by Tom Brady, is merging with the digital fitness company Future. As part of the merger, Brady will join the board of directors of Future and serve as co-chair of the company...

How ESPN uses StatusPro Visualizer on NFL Live

Telestration has long been the tool of choice for football analysts to explain actions on the field, but sometimes overhead annotation can’t match in studio visualization. For the past three weeks, ESPN has introduced a weekly segment during Tuesday’s airing of NFL Live in which Dan Orlovsky puts on a Meta Quest headset and enters virtual reality to recreate key plays from the previous weekend. He’s able to shift the immersive video to the points of view of any player on the field and then telestrate within that environment.

Athletes in Landmark House Case Ask for College Players’ Association

Three athletes whose lawsuits have prompted the pending $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement are calling for major structural changes beyond those established through the pending settlement, including enabling college athletes to bargain collectively through an independent players' association. The three athletes -- Grant House, Sedona Prince and Nya Harrison -- issued their request in a Dec. 2 letter to U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who is overseeing the settlement.

LeBron James’ SpringHill to merge with ‘The Kardashians’ producer Fulwell 73

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ entertainment business, SpringHill Co., has agreed to a merger of equals with Fulwell 73, the British television, film and music production company behind shows including “The Kardashians” and “Carpool Karaoke.” The deal was spearheaded by SpringHill co-founder Maverick Carter and Fulwell 73 co-founder Ben Winston, who have been friends for a decade after veteran TV producer Tom Werner introduced them, the two said in an interview with CNBC. Carter will be co-CEO of the combined company along with Leo Pearlman, Fulwell’s managing partner.