COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 4, 2025) — Following official approval from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), LA28 has unveiled its updated Paralympic Venue Plan—marking a major milestone for adaptive sport and reinforcing Southern California’s legacy as a global hub for inclusive, athlete-centered competition.

Sitting volleyball will be hosted at the Arena in Long Beach, a decision that aligns with LA28’s commitment to elevating visibility, fostering community, and providing elite athletes with a world-class stage.

Both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Volleyball National Teams have qualified for the LA28 Paralympic Games. The women’s team will return as three-time defending gold medalists, while the men’s team will make its first Paralympic appearance since Rio 2016.

“The Arena in Long Beach is a world-class venue that will help elevate the sport of sitting volleyball and create a stage worthy of our athletes’ dedication and excellence,” said Bill Hamiter, head coach of the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team and director of sitting volleyball at USA Volleyball. “We’re grateful to LA28 for its commitment to accessibility and representation.”

With iconic venues, a passionate fan base, and a city ready to welcome the world, LA28 promises not only an unforgettable Paralympic Games—but also a sitting volleyball experience that will inspire, unite and leave a lasting legacy.

“Having both Olympic beach volleyball and Paralympic volleyball disciplines showcased in Long Beach is a tremendous moment for the sport,” said John Speraw, president and CEO of USA Volleyball. “I know this environment will energize athletes and fans alike.”

As sitting volleyball returns to the global stage in 2028, the sport is poised to spark new fandom, empower future generations of adaptive athletes, and redefine excellence—both on and off the court.

For more information on the LA28 Paralympic Venue Plan, visit paralympic.org.

VALLETTA, Malta, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meridianbet, the sports betting and iGaming division of Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), a leading developer and licensor of B2B and B2C gaming platforms, today announced the signing of a two-year exclusive sponsorship agreement with the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta (ASA), the official governing body for water polo, swimming, and artistic swimming in Malta.

https://x.com/meridianbet_ofc/status/1930301567808241688

Under the terms of the agreement, Meridianbet becomes the exclusive betting partner of ASA, gaining integrated brand exposure across ASA events, digital platforms, and physical venues. The sponsorship includes the launch of the branded national cup competition – Meridianbet Super Cup, as well as LED road signage, scoreboard branding, and apparel sponsorships across Malta’s aquatic sports federations.

“Water polo and aquatic sports are a vital part of Malta’s sporting culture,” said Stefan Pavlovic, Malta territory director at Meridianbet. “This partnership reflects our continued commitment to supporting national sports ecosystems, building long-term brand visibility in regulated markets, and delivering value to fans, players, local institutions and shareholders.”

The ASA partnership builds on Meridianbet’s growing sponsorship portfolio across 25+ international jurisdictions, where it supports sports ranging from football, basketball and MMA to eSports and grassroots competitions.

This announcement also aligns with Meridianbet’s broader ESG strategy. In 2024 alone, the company conducted 293 community engagement initiatives, reaching over 18,000 direct and indirect beneficiaries through education, healthcare, sports, and advocacy programs.

Key Highlights of the Deal:

• Meridianbet named exclusive betting partner of Malta’s ASA (governing body for water polo, swimming, artistic swimming)
• Launch of the Meridianbet Super Cup
• Brand exposure via LED ads, digital platforms, and team apparel

To learn more about Meridianbet’s community impact programs, visit https://ir.meridianbet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Meridianbet-Global-ESG-Report-2024.pdf

About Meridianbet

Founded in 2001, Meridianbet Group is a well-established online sports betting and gaming group, licensed and currently operating in 18 jurisdictions across Europe, Africa, and South America. The Meridianbet Group’s successful business model utilizes proprietary technology and scalable systems, allowing it to operate in multiple countries and currencies with an omni-channel approach to markets, including retail, desktop online, and mobile. The Company is part of the Golden Matrix Group (Nasdaq: GMGI).

For more information, visit

IR Presentation – https://ir.meridianbet.com

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeridianbetIR

Twitter – https://twitter.com/meridianbet_ofc

Email: ir@meridianbet.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f8d3f241-ca1d-488d-9231-de2f04d214f4

ESPN is facing down the barrel of a self-made paradox: the company’s upcoming full-service streaming platform, creatively named “ESPN,” might accelerate cord-cutting while potentially making streaming more expensive for consumers. ESPN isn’t doing this out of spite or stupidity, though. Cable still throws off billions in revenue for a select few networks ($10.5 billion for ESPN in 2024). But the industry faces its last gasps. Since 2011, ESPN has lost 37 million subscribers, per State of the Screens, while the number of U.S. TV viewers who don’t subscribe to pay-TV will soon surpass the number who do. Remaining in the pay-TV bundle without a digital succession plan offers about as much viability as Bob Iger’s failed torch-passing. ESPN’s streaming launch serves as a bellwether for the business that could either consolidate sports streaming or fragment it further. Either way, its success or failure will directly impact you, dear consumer. 

ESPN+, the brand’s first real foray into streaming in 2018, boasts 25 million subscribers. However, most subscribers access the service through the Disney Bundle (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+), and many remain inactive. Still, for those that do engage with the streamer’s second-tier offerings, where linear ESPN’s primary live sports aren’t available, the platform proves that demand exists. 

ESPN+ showed that hungry fans will watch sports anywhere, but “left consumers wanting more in terms of live premium content,” Ryan Schreiber, founder and CEO of streaming aggregator Streamline, told Observer. In that way, ESPN+ served as a “soft launch” that revealed that “loyalty is shaped less by heritage than by habitual usability,” Lyric Mandell, Director of Media and Public Relations at MOXY Company, said. The platform helped the company understand audience behavior in an entirely new viewing environment that they controlled. Disney gathered comprehensive data on personalization preferences, consumption habits and price sensitivity.

Owning the direct-to-consumer relationship this way, instead of letting Comcast or Spectrum control it, provides invaluable data and user behavior insights. 

Sports streaming is getting “more expensive and messier.”

ESPN priced its service at $29.99 per month. Disney priced it high enough that cable providers don’t revolt over immediate cannibalization. But does the price prove too costly for price-conscious cord-cutters and cord-nevers? After all, this holds the distinction of being the most expensive monthly subscription among all the other prominent streamers. 

Schreiber thinks the bundle offer—in which $29.99 will include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN for new sign-ups in the first 12 months—will help convince consumers to hop aboard. That is admittedly a nice value. 

Mandell notes that sports content pricing represents “scarcity value in an age of digital abundance.” ESPN owns only so many major live sports broadcast rights and controls many marquee titles: Monday Night Football, some NBA, some NHL, some MLB (for one more season), UFC, various NCAA rights, etc. Any sports fan seeking access to major events likely needs ESPN. But the company doesn’t own all the sports rights. 

ESPN isn’t the sole broadcaster for the NFL, NBA, MLB, March Madness or the College Football Playoffs. Not by a long shot. ESPN alone will never host a Super Bowl (though corporate sibling network ABC will). To watch all sports from America’s Big Four leagues requires a waterfall of different subscriptions and payments. As Schreiber noted, “it’s all getting more expensive and messier.” 

Disney’s long game

ESPN executives aim to transform the brand into the go-to digital hub for all sports content, including competitors’. Think of how Roku, Apple and Amazon devices serve as the mechanism through which you subscribe to and engage with other apps. Becoming the tech backbone of the sports broadcast industry represents a wonderful ambition. This approach would simplify the user experience for you and me watching at home, which offers immense value. But the strategy may not be entirely realistic. 

“It feels pretty unlikely. I think we are just headed for more fragmentation,” Schreiber said. Mandell echoes this sentiment, noting that “platform convergence” of this scale requires negotiations of “not just rights, but semiotic space.” Other brands will demand their identities remain preserved and data firewalls maintained. Technical fluidity favors Netflix over Disney, and juggling that many agendas would challenge any corporate umbrella. 

Disney’s higher-ups know that this aggregation pipedream is unlikely to come to fruition. But converting the company’s brand power into digital engagement is crucial for its future as it evolves from pure storytelling to ecosystem building. 

ESPN serves as Disney’s “most immediate conduit to live cultural relevance,” Mandell said. The company doesn’t just want you to watch games and then sever your connection. It wants you to watch the NFL, play fantasy football, bet on the Washington Commanders through ESPN Bet, ingest analysis from its NFL reporters, buy merchandise, and live and breathe all on its own platform for as long as it can keep you. This transcends just sports entertainment. Disney pursues the goal of developing habitual lifestyle patterns. 

So, what does success look like for ESPN’s streaming future? Schreiber estimates that streaming ESPN can get 100 million subscribers in its first three years. In the medium term, or five years out, we’ll want to get a strong grasp of platform stickiness and integration into daily routines. Success will no longer depend solely on how many customers sign up, but on how long ESPN retains them and how long they remain on-platform. 

At the 10-year mark, “ESPN should aim to become a meta-platform, shaping the norms and logics of how live sports are accessed, discussed, and monetized,” Mandell said. This would represent a “symbolic dominance” that stretches beyond just revenue and subscriber figures. This is akin to Netflix’s position as the default streaming entertainment service. 

A new course for sports media

Live sports are the primary reason remaining pay-TV subscribers haven’t cut the cord. But the launch of ESPN and Fox’s upcoming streamer, Fox One, suggests that traditional pay-TV faces a more definitive end. However, whether streaming can truly replace the experience of TV is another question entirely. 

“Live sports continues to dominate television – from brands and advertisers to what audiences are showing up to consume on a live basis,” Raquel Braun, co-founder of media consulting agency Mulier Fortis, told Observer. “Therefore, one of the keys will be how frictionless of an experience can ESPN provide to sports fans – whether they’re current cable subscribers who want to access content via ESPN’s new service, ESPN+ users who want a more robust experience, or new customers who are looking for the best and deepest bench of sports content they can find in one place.”

By the same token, can streaming ESPN chart new courses in sports media? Visibility sets the conversational agenda at the national level. “With women’s sports drawing growing audiences but receiving just 15 percent of media coverage, ESPN has a chance to reshape what counts as central in the sports narrative,” Mandell noted. 

Make no mistake about it—ESPN’s transition represents a defining moment for sports media. ESPN’s move to streaming and its consequences will matter at the financial, corporate, consumer and cultural levels. The outcome will help decide who wins in the ongoing battle between the frictionless desires of audiences and the reality of market fragmentation. Whether ESPN can bridge this gap as a true epicenter of sports or whether we’re destined to scramble about to watch everything we want while being gouged by high costs remains to be seen. 

Colorado State senior Mya Lesnar didn’t waste much time competing in the women’s shot put at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field West Prelims on Friday, May 29, 2025, in College Station, Texas.

On her first shot put attempt, Lesnar, an Alexandria alum, finished with a throw of 18.50 meters.

No one else surpassed 18 meters, as Lesnar went on to win the NCAA West Prelims and advance to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Kalynn Meyer of Nebraska finished second with a throw of 17.96m.

Lesnar had three throws on May 29. She scratched on her second attempt but had a throw of 18.46m on her third attempt, nearly topping her first throw.

Lesnar won the 2024 NCAA DI Indoor Shot Put title, and placed fifth at the 2024 NCAA DI Outdoor National Championships.

The 2025 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships are in Eugene, Oregon, from June 11-14.

Lesnar is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the women’s shot put with a throw of 19.60m.

Sam Stuve covers a variety of sports in the Douglas County area. He also is assigned to do some news stories as well.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif — CSUN head women’s basketball coach Angie Ned has announced the hiring of Brittany Klaman as an assistant on the Matadors’ 2025-26 coaching staff.

“I am thrilled to have Brittany join the staff,” Ned said. “Her pay-it forward mentality directly aligns with the culture and foundation of the CSUN Women’s Basketball program. Brittany is an incredible mentor and coach with great passion. Her work ethic and experience will directly provide a positive impact on the team and CSUN community!”

Klaman comes to CSUN after spending the last two seasons as the Director of Operations for the women’s program at Long Beach State. In her time at LBSU, she helped the Beach to 31 wins, including a 12-8 Big West record in 2024-25. Long Beach earned a key win over first place Hawai’i in Manoa on December 7. 

Prior to her time at Long Beach State, Klaman had a successful Division I playing career as a student-athlete at both Eastern Washington and California Baptist. She played three years (2021-23) under Coach Ned at CBU, averaging 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, while totaling 61 steals and 24 blocks. The Melbourne, Australia native helped the Lancers capture the 2021 WAC Championship in her first season. 

In her final season at CBU, Klaman hit the game-winner versus Georgia Southern to help the Lancers advance to the WBI Championship game. She finished her collegiate career having played in 160 games to rank in the Top 5 in NCAA Division I games played.

“Accepting this position truly feels like a full-circle moment for me.” Klaman said. “I had the privilege of playing under Coach Angie during my college years, and now having the opportunity to work alongside her is incredibly special.”

“Angie is an extremely talented coach with a deep understanding of the game, and I’m excited to continue to learn and grow under her leadership,” she added. “The chance to reconnect with a coach who had such a meaningful impact on my journey makes this opportunity especially fulfilling.”

Also honored for her performance in the classroom, Klaman was a three-time WAC All-Academic Team selection with the Lancers.

She joins Ned’s staff that also includes assistant coaches Nate Fripp and Akilah Martin, as well as Director of Player Development, Deezah Battle.

#GoMatadors

TXST TRACK AND FIELD

Five Bobcat track athletes punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon to compete at the NCAA National Track Meet after qualifying at the NCAA West Regionals in Texas A&M.

The first Bobcat to qualify for the national track meet was junior Chris Preddie. Competing in the long jump after taking first place in conference, Preddie placed second at regionals with a jump 26-3 ½ and qualified for nationals.

However, Preddie’s week was not done yet. The junior later competed in the triple jump on Friday where he finished in 11th place with a jump of 52-3 ¼.

Preddie qualified for the NCAA National Outdoor Meet for the second time in his career after qualifying during his freshman season where he finished 14th. Preddie also became just the second ever male track athlete to advance to nationals in two different events and the first since Brian Veal in 2005 who also qualified for nationals in both the long jump and triple jump.

Joining Preddie is the throwing duo of sophomore Lara Roberts and junior Melanie Duron. Roberts, who took first place in the hammer throw at conference, placed fourth overall to advance towards nationals with a throw of 215-3. This is the second year in a row Roberts has qualified for the national meet, qualifying as a freshman where she placed 14th.

Duron, who took first place in the shot put at conference, placed ninth with a throw of 5411 and punched her ticket to nationals for the first time in outdoor. Duron had also qualified for the NCAA Indoor National Track Meet earlier this year.

Rounding out the week was the high jumping duo of senior Kason O’Riley and junior Aiden Hayes.

After finishing in 1st and 2nd place at the conference meet, O’Riley finished in a four-way tie for first place, jumping 7-1 ½. Hayes finished in fifth place, also jumping 7-1 ½ as both teammates qualified for nationals.

Hayes and O’Riley are the first Texas State male track athletes to both qualify for the national meet in the same event in the same season.

The NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships are scheduled to start Wednesday, June 11 and will run through Saturday. The event will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPNU. cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc

Junior Chris Preddie qualified for the NCAA Outdoor National Track & Field Championships in both the long jump and triple jump. Preddie is the first male Texas State track athlete since Brian Veal in 2005 to qualify for nationals in two different events in the same season. Photo submitted by Texas State Athletics