$308M+ — Amount of money spent on sports and trading cards online in July, setting an industry record for the second consecutive month (CLLCT, 8/6)
Sports
Closing Bell

TKO beats expectations with Q2 earnings…Roger Goodell: ESPN eyeing other uses for RedZone name…U.S. Soccer signs snack company Kellanova as 20th corporate partner.

TKO Group Holdings sold enough tickets, sponsorships and other items around its premier properties like UFC and WWE to beat analyst expectations for its second-quarter earnings. TKO recorded $1.17 in earnings per share, beating the mean of predictions from analysts covering the company at $1.05 EPS, according to CNBC Pro data. Revenue for Q2, which ended June 30, was $1.308B and after costs that was stripped down to $273.1M in net income and $526.5M in adjusted EDBITA. That resulted in an adjusted EBITDA margin of 40%, up 15 percentage points from 25% the prior comparable quarter. Now included in TKO’s results are the assets it acquired from Endeavor in February in IMG, PBR and On Location. The company also started recording costs from its move into boxing. Powering the results were revenue streams in media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships for the combat sports properties, along with incremental gains in adjusted EBITDA at IMG. Site fees were slightly down for the comparable quarter because Q2 ’24 included a massive fee from Saudi Arabia, but those still continued to be a good business for TKO. For example, during the latest quarter, UFC held its first event in Azerbaijan, a Fight Night in Baku, which paid a hefty site fee to land the card, and announced a relationship with Visit Qatar to take fights to Doha. Both UFC and WWE already host events in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, and TKO is getting site fees from some cities in North America as well. Among the events that took place during the quarter on the WWE side were WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium, which had more than 120,000 fans across two nights and broke a score of business records for the property, according to TKO. On the sponsorship front, Slim Jim renewing with WWE was among the wins during the quarter.TKO was able to reduce its operating expenses for the quarter, from $1.078B in Q2 last year to $940.1M this year. As a result, TKO is raising its full-year revenue outlook by $140M on the low end, from a goal of $4.490B in its most recent prior quarter to now saying it is targeting at least $4.630B. On the upper end, TKO has increased its revenue goal from $4.560B to $4.690B. After announcing WWE’s new relationship with ESPN this morning for premium live events, TKO is now focusing on finishing up its UFC media-rights deal and executing its capital return program in dividends and share repurchases, and further integration of its new businesses. It will have a large business around next year’s FIFA World Cup through On Location. Despite TKO and ESPN’s excitement about the new media-rights deal for WWE, the street didn’t appear to be quite as enthused. Heading into the close of trading today, TKO’s stock was down 4.6%, or $7.48, to $156.14 a share. It’s still up 9.4% for the year to date. Disney’s stock was also down 2.1% heading into the close.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said as far as NFL RedZone, there will not “be any changes for our fans.” RedZone-asset RELATED STORIESNFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said ESPN has purchased the RedZone name, allowing the company to use it “for other sports, college football and other things,” which “could be an exciting thing for our fans.” Goodell said, “That is something that they now own and have the ability to do that.” He said as far as NFL RedZone, there will not “be any changes for our fans.” Goodell said the new ESPN/NFL deal is “going to be an unbelievable experience for our fans.” Goodell: “This is just going to make the experience for our fans even better as we evolve this relationship … when we see the innovation that ESPN always has and how we’ve grown together over the years and decades, this is really exciting.” Goodell said the NFL Draft — which ESPN also extended its rights to — has “become a staple of our off season, and frankly, one of the biggest sporting events in all of sports, and I think that’s grown in popularity in large part because of our partnership with ESPN.” He added the “continuing evolution of bringing our game to an international audience” is “really exciting, seeing more kids playing our game, both tackle and flag, and particularly young women playing flag.” Goodell also said NFL players being able to participate in the 2028 L.A. Games is “something that young women young men are looking forward to” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 8/6).
Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said from what he understands, conversations between ESPN and the NFL had “been ongoing for almost 10 years.” Johnston: “It’s been off and on for a long, long time. … From the NFL perspective, the belief that ESPN was really a good growth business, the timing just became right. As we know the NFL has been looking at options for the NFL Network and their media assets for a while. I think it finally was the moment where the there was an overlap enough in terms of their interest and our interest that we were able to bring it together” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 8/6).

U.S. Soccer has signed a multiyear sponsorship deal with food giant Kellanova, marking the conglomerate’s first corporate partnership for its entire portfolio of snack brands. The stable includes 16 brands, including Kellogg’s, Cheez-It, Pringles and Rice Krispies Treats. Financial terms of the deal, which U.S. Soccer negotiated directly with Kellanova, were not disclosed.
Kellanova joins U.S. Soccer as its 20th corporate sponsor ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup in North America and the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in L.A. The deal is the federation’s 12th since bringing its commercial rights in-house in 2023. U.S. Soccer earned $98.2M in commercial revenue during the 2024 fiscal year, a 61% increase from the prior year.
Kellanova’s brands will receive exposure in national advertising and across U.S. Soccer’s digital and social media platforms. The deal also includes retail activations, branded packaging, in-store displays and community events across the country.

The Athletic’s revenue “increased by one-third” in Q2 to $54M. It “swung to an adjusted operating profit” of $5.8M in the quarter as ad revenue “nearly doubled” to $14.1M. The N.Y. Times, which owns The Athletic, said that it “ended the quarter with 11.3 million digital-only subscribers, of which more than six million were bundle and multiproduct subscribers.” The N.Y. Times “added about 230,000 digital-only subscribers” during Q2. Digital-subscription revenue “rose more than 15%” to $350M, while total subscription revenue “increased 9.6%” to $481.4M. Digital-advertising revenue “rose by nearly 19% in the second quarter,” and total advertising revenue “increased more than 12%” to $134M (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/6).

Penske Entertainment said that it was “caught off-guard by the use of an IndyCar chassis to help announce the Trump administration’s plan to put ICE detainees in a northern Indiana detention facility.” The official Homeland Security account yesterday posted on X what “appeared to have been an AI-generated image of a white present-day Indy car” with ICE branding “all across the livery.” The facility also was dubbed the “Speedway Slammer” in the post. Penske in a statement said they were “unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of (the Aug. 5) announcement.” Penske added, “Consistent with our approach to public policy and political issues, we are communicating our preference that our IP not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter.” The company “fell short of publicly demanding any sort of retraction or issuing a formal cease-and-desist order.” The car in the X post carried the No. 5, which since 2020 has been the one used by IndyCar’s lone Mexican driver, Pato O’Ward. It was not immediately clear whether the use of the No. 5 was “purposeful to point to O’Ward or if it was happenstance” (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/6).

Premier League club Nottingham Forest and Bally’s Corp. have agreed to a new deal that will see the company become the club’s new front-of-shirt sponsor. The Bally’s Corp. logo will be featured on the men’s first team shirts and across Nottingham Forest’s City Ground during the 2025-26 season. The partnership was driven by club owner Evangelos Marinakis and began yesterday, as the club hosted Serie A club ACF Fiorentina in a preseason match. The sponsorship deal comes as Bally’s continues to expand in the U.K. market (Nottingham Forest). Nottingham Forest had “hoped to secure a figure in the region of” almost US$13.4M for the new front-of-shirt sponsor deal and — while they would not confirm the overall value or whether that target had been met — the club is said to “be ‘very happy’ with the outcome” (THE ATHLETIC, 8/6).

TelevisaUnivision’s network of Spanish-language sports radio stations will carry live audio coverage of South America’s top club soccer competitions, Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana, under a sublicensing agreement with BeIN Sports. The pact runs through the end of the current competition cycle in 2026, when BeIN’s rights deal with CONMEBOL expires. BeIN will remain the TV home of the competitions in both English and Spanish until that point.
TUDN Radio’s coverage of the CONMEBOL club competitions begins with the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 on Aug. 12. The station group, which includes 45 affiliate stations across 32 U.S. markets, will produce its own audio broadcasts of top matches throughout the competitions. Audio will also be available to stream through TelevisaUnivision’s Uforia platform.
IMG manages the commercial, sponsorship and media rights for CONMEBOL’s club competitions and is expected to take the U.S. media rights for the next competition cycle to market sometime this year.
Speed Reads…
GK Elite extended its longstanding sponsorship of USA Gymnastics and will serve as the apparel partner for the national development and Xcel programs through 2029. Under the deal, GK will provide apparel for the national governing body’s five development programs and support several events at that level (Rachel Axon, SBJ).
The Bucks Health and Wellness Program launched a new, 4,000-square-foot clinic in Schiltz Park where patients receive free and personalized obesity management treatment, along with customized fitness and nutrition regimens (Milwaukee Bucks).
Stanley 1913 has signed golfer Collin Morikawa as a partner (Stanley 1913).
The Vancouver Whitecaps have officially signed former Bayern Munich MF Thomas Müller (Vancouver PROVINCE, 8/6).
Around the World….
Disney+ is “set to show” one LaLiga game per week in the UK and Ireland during the 2025-26 season. Sources said that the games shown “would be on Saturday evenings,” starting with Valencia hosting Real Sociedad on Aug. 16 (THE ATHLETIC, 8/6).
The British and Irish Lions final Test against the Wallabies at Accor Stadium last weekend “netted just over” AU$20M (US$13M) in ticket sales, making it the “biggest single-day gate in the ground’s history,” beating the previous record held by musician Taylor Swift from February 2024 (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 8/6).
Rugby authorities have “no immediate plans to follow” the NFL’s banning of smelling salts over concerns they may mask concussion symptoms. The issue is “likely to be considered by World Rugby’s advisory panel of concussion experts at their next scheduled meeting in September” (BBC.com, 8/6).
EFL club Sheffield Wednesday said that it is working to open the North Stand for Saturday’s season-opener against Stoke City on Aug. 16, but added contingency plans are being prepared in case it cannot open in time (Sheffield Wednesday FC).
Social Scoop….
#Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked by @SlaterNFL how he could have a deal with Micah Parsons without anything in writing:
“I bought the Cowboys with a handshake. It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later.” pic.twitter.com/AujA4bj1wC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 6, 2025
BREAKING: Outfielder Roman Anthony and the Boston Red Sox are finalizing an eight-year, $130 million contract extension, sources tell ESPN. The deal, which is pending a physical, includes a club option and will keep Anthony under team control through 2034.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 6, 2025
The NFL does. That’s my point.
Also, recall what I wrote about the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
If the schools can get college football added to this — something smart people are trying to do — they’d have the juice to make something like this happen. https://t.co/rGKUsUANkB
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) August 6, 2025
Ross Bjork told @WOSUAllSides today that he expects Ohio State vs. Penn State to be a noon game.
“I think we know the Buckeyes drive Big Noon Kickoff. That’ll be a high-powered game. So I think we probably know what’s going to happen around game time for that one,” Bjork said.…
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 6, 2025
Daily Download….
Golfer Scottie Scheffler and NBC Sports’ Terry Gannon joined TODAY to discuss the 2025 FedEx Cup playoffs, with Scheffler also discussing his role in the “Happy Gilmore 2.”
Daily Digit….
Sports
Fantin’s Late Goal Lifts No. 4 Nittany Lions over No. 10 Cornell – Penn State
Sports
2025 All Mountain Volleyball | Sports
The Appalachian Newspapers’ 2025 All Mountain Volleyball Team is comprised of players from the 15th Region, Jenkins, Buckhorn, Knott Central, Perry Central, Hazard and Letcher Central.
The 2025 All-Mountain Volleyball Team was voted upon by the Appalachian Newspapers’ Randy White, Steve LeMaster and Adam Mahan.
All Mountain
Volleyball Player of the Year nominees:
Kylie Kinner — Paintsville
Miley Riddle — Shelby Valley
Lindy Gearheart — Pikeville
Taylor Baker — Knott Central
All Mountain Volleyball
Player of the Year
Miley Riddle — Shelby Valley: Riddle had an outstanding junior season. She led the state in kills with 838 (Paintsville’s Kylie Kinner finished second with 828). Riddle helped Shelby Valley to its most successful season in school history as the Lady Wildcats finished the season with a 34-6 record. Shelby Valley won the 15th Region All “A” Classic and advanced to the state All “A” Classic Bronze Division finals, the 59th District Tournament, their first-ever 15th Region Tournament championship, a win over Knott Central in the opening round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament and an appearance in the state volleyball quarterfinals.
All Mountain Coach of
the Year nominees:
Misty Riddle — Shelby Valley
Dawn Kinner — Paintsville
Shae Cornett — Knott Central
All Mountain Coach
of the Year:
Misty Riddle — Shelby Valley: Riddle helped Shelby Valley to its most successful season in school history as the Lady Wildcats finished the season with a 34-6 record. Shelby Valley won the 15th Region All “A” Classic and advanced to the state All “A” Classic Bronze Division finals, the 59th District Tournament, their first-ever 15th Region Tournament championship, a win over Knott Central in the opening round of the KHSAA Volleyball State Tournament and an appearance in the state volleyball quarterfinals.
All-Mountain
Volleyball Team
Shelby Valley
Sahnia Linton
Talynn Johnson
Ryleigh Perry
Makaya Price
Lindsay Baldwin
Paintsville
Kylie Kinner
Mallory May
Ella Wells
Addison Helton
Annabelle Blankenship
Pikeville
Lindy Gearheart
Carly May
Sophie Woods
Catharine Walters
Kyla Lee
East Ridge
Savannah Baldridge
Lily Stacy
Savannah Wallace
Olivia Stanley
Pike Central
Layla Johnson
Sadie Vaughn
Alyssa Hess
Molly Reed
Claire Stacy
Belfry
Baylor Hall
Makaylin Meade
Abrielle Swain
Phelps
Aerionna Pigman
Charity Mounts
Cloey Bevins
Johnson Central
Chloe Reed
Macie Clark
Mia Estep
Madi Conn
Leah Hall
Martin County
No stats listed on the KHSAA website
Magoffin County
Karlee Wallen
Kellen Simpkins
Jaylee Reed
Abby Barnett
Betsy Layne
Jayden Jarrell
Jania Isom
Harlyn Slone
Aubrey Williams
Miley Burchett
Prestonsburg
Addison Wright
Ally Hamilton
Katie Slone
Kennedy Dixon
Floyd Central
Chloe Howard
Lydia Wallace
Caidence Lafferty
Rylee Daniels
Miley Thornsberry
Lawrence County
Brylee Stafford
Aryn Huffman
Kailyn Stacy
Hazard
Savannah Combs
Mallory Mitchell
Rachel Allen
Adyson Jent
Perry Central
Laney Davis
Lylah Sullivan
Meghan Asher
Kinley McGraner
Chloe Campbell
Knott Central
Taylor Baker
Zoe Miller
Samara Bailey
Ava Waddell
Avery Conley
Buckhorn
Ashlynn Adams
Chasity Turner
Haylee-Drew Blank
Jenkins
Abbigail Lilly
Peyton Wilder
Kassidy Bolling
Letcher Central
Evany Pack
Kelsi Holbrook
Calissa Lowe
Hanna Eldridge
Sports
KU signee Stanley set for All-America Game
Under Armour Next
Taylor Stanley
The new year will begin with a significant showcase for a player who could mean a lot to the Kansas volleyball team down the line.
Right-side hitter Taylor Stanley, a 2026 signee, will take part in the Under Armour All-America Game, an all-star match that purports to feature “the 28 best high school volleyball players in the country, hands down.” The event will take place at The Venue at UCF in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and is set for livestreams on ESPN+ and the SportsCenter Next YouTube channel beginning at 3 p.m. Central Time.
Stanley will wear No. 23 for Team Roses, which is led by longtime Texas, USC and United States national team coach Mick Haley, as one of seven pin hitters on its roster. She is the only Kansan or KU pledge taking part in the event.
Stanley stands 6-foot-3 and has played for Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park and the KC Power club team.
“Taylor definitely represents the best player in the area, and she’s choosing to be at her home school, and she wants to be a Jayhawk, KU coach Matt Ulmer said in a VBAdrenaline livestream for signing day, “and again hopefully people will want to follow that.”
She signed with KU in November and, according to her school newspaper, is set to enroll early, meaning she will join the Jayhawks not long after taking part in the All-America Game. VBAdrenaline.com ranks Stanley as the No. 12 overall player in the class and the No. 1 opposite.
“I don’t know what you don’t like about her,” Ulmer said on the livestream. “I really think there’s everything that you would want in an opposite. She can absolutely bring that. She can also score from the left, she can score from the back row, I mean, she’s going to be a six-rotation point scorer, and we know the names of the people that can do that at a high level, and I think that’s what she can bring.”
She has spent time representing the U.S. at the youth level, as she played with the under-19 national team, which competed above its age group at the 2025 FIVB Women’s U21 World Championship in Surabaya, Indonesia, in August. The U.S. went 7-2 with a ninth-place finish.
At KU, Stanley will be part of a six-player class that also includes pin hitters Tessa Dodd, Avery Poulton and Ryan Sadler and middle blockers Cydnee Bryant and Jaeli Rutledge. She may see significant action right away on the right side, in part because of the qualities Ulmer described and in part because of the offseason departure of all-conference opposite Jovana Zelenović.
PREV POST
26 Jayhawk athletes to know in ’26
NEXT POST
KU signee Stanley set for All-America Game
Sports
St. Cloud State Athletics Names Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month for December
Luke Winkel’s December Highlights
- Averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 assists.
- Shot 44.7% from the field, 43.6% from three, and 74.2% from the free throw line.
- Tallied his first career double-double with 27 points and 11 assists against Wayne State.
- Scored a then career-high 29 points against Concordia-St. Paul to go with six assists.
- Totaled a new career-high of 30 points with seven rebounds and five steals against Sioux Falls.
- Helped lead the Huskies to a 5-0 start in the NSIC for the first time since 2008-09.
- SCSU went 4-2 in December and are tied for third in the NSIC with a 5-2 conference record.
- Currently fourth in the NSIC in scoring and assists.
Shelby Kimm’s December Highlights
- 3 MP: 3.38 digs/set, 2.69 points/set, 2.38 kills/set, 0.46 blocks/set, one double-double
- Produced 19 digs and seven kills in the Huskies 3-1 win over No. 17 Missouri Western in the NCAA Round of 64/Central Region Quarterfinals. Her 19 digs were tied for the second most in a single match this season and it was her sixth straight match with double digit digs.
- Recorded 11 kills and eight digs in SCSU’s 3-1 win over No. 2 and Central Region Host, Nebraska Kearney in the NCAA Round of 32/Central Region Semifinals. It was her 21st match with 10+ kills.
- Notched an 18-dig, 13-kill double-double with three block assists in the Huskies five-set loss to No. 6 Concordia-St. Paul in the NCAA Sweet 16/Central Region Championship. It was her 17th double-double of the season. It was also her fifth match with 18+ digs and her 13th match with 13+ kills.
- Named to the AVCA All-America Second Team, AVCA All-Central Region Second Team, D2CCA All-Central Region First Team and NCAA Central Region All-Tournament Team.
- Named to CSC Academic All-District® Team, NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and NSIC All-Academic Team.
- Helped the Huskies earn a No. 5 ranking in the final AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Poll for the second consecutive season and third time in program history.
- Helped SCSU tie its program record for NCAA Tournament wins in a season with two and advance to the NCAA Round of 16/Central Region Championship for the second consecutive season and third time in the past four seasons.
2025-2026 Wolters Kluwer Athletes of the Month
September
October
- Austin Burnevik (Men’s Hockey)
- Ellie Primerano (Women’s Soccer)
November
- Dominic Ducato (Wrestling)
- Jaylee Strickland (Women’s Soccer)
December
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Athletics, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the Huskies on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Sports
Three Husker Newcomers Set for Under Armour Next All-America Match – University of Nebraska
Sports
2025 All-Westbank Volleyball Team – Crescent City Sports
| Name | School | Position | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelynn Creath | Academy of Our Lady | MB | Senior |
| Lillian Daviss | Academy of Our Lady | OH | Senior |
| Zhoey Johnson | Academy of Our Lady | MB | Sophomore |
| Kaitlynn Riley | Academy of Our Lady | OH | Sophomore |
| Raya Dickinson | Belle Chasse | S | Junior |
| Brelan Fremin | Belle Chasse | L | Junior |
| Illeana Austin | Edna Karr | L | Senior |
| Morgan Ellis | Edna Karr | S | Senior |
| Laikyn Sabio | Fisher | OH | Senior |
| Sophia Briscoe | John Ehret | L/DS | Senior |
| Kiley Davis | John Ehret | OH | Sophomore |
| Jes’Unique Murdock | John Ehret | MB | Freshman |
| Dakota Sylve | L.B. Landry | MB | Senior |
| Addison McGuire | South Plaquemines | MB | Junior |
| Ny’Jae Barnes | Thomas Jefferson | MB | Senior |
| Devin Hubbard | Thomas Jefferson | MB | Junior |
| Kyra Harriet | Young Audiences | MB | Senior |
Individual Honors
Offensive MVP:
Lillian Daviss, Senior — Academy of Our Lady
Defensive MVP:
Brelan Fremin, Junior — Belle Chasse
![]()
-
Sports3 weeks ago#11 Volleyball Practices, Then Meets Media Prior to #2 Kentucky Match
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoNascar legal saga ends as 23XI, Front Row secure settlement
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoSunoco to sponsor No. 8 Ganassi Honda IndyCar in multi-year deal
-
Sports3 weeks agoMaine wraps up Fall Semester with a win in Black Bear Invitational
-
Motorsports2 weeks agoRoss Brawn to receive Autosport Gold Medal Award at 2026 Autosport Awards, Honouring a Lifetime Shaping Modern F1
-
Rec Sports3 weeks agoWNBA’s Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in NC, making debut for national team at USA camp at Duke
-
Motorsports3 weeks agoRick Hendrick comments after the NASCAR lawsuit settlement
-
Sports3 weeks agoCreating a Legacy: Maddie Scheier
-
NIL3 weeks agoNike Signs 10 LSU Athletes to NIL deals
-
Sports3 weeks agoPinterest predicts the biggest Gen Z trends of 2026 | News






