Former president Donald Trump’s European golf courses are taking losses.
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In this week’s SportsMoney Playbook: Trump’s golf losses, a sponsor fight in Nascar and tracking the spread of sports betting. Plus: what you need to know about blockchain gaming.
Golf
The pandemic has been great for the golf industry, but it hasn’t been able to turn around Donald Trump‘s fledgling properties in Europe. His losses now total more than $100 million.
The total purse for the U.S. Women’s Open will nearly double, to $10 million, thanks to a partnership with ProMedica. It’s a major step in the USGA‘s effort to encourage equity in golf.
Baseball
The Yankees‘ hiring of Rachel Balkovec as their Class A manager represents an important milestone for women in baseball.
Hockey
Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James, an assistant coach with the PHF‘s Toronto Six, wants to see more women get into coaching, starting at the grassroots level. Meanwhile, the league’s players’ union has tapped entrepreneur Alex Sinatra as its new executive director. High on her list of priorities: giving the players “more of a boost in terms of marketing dollars that are coming in.”
Soccer
A flurry of coronavirus-related postponements in men’s and women’s soccer has one coach calling out the English Football Association for a lack of transparency.
Auto Racing
Brandon Brown, the Xfinity Series driver whose win in October led to the “let’s go, Brandon” political meme, capitalized on the controversy by adding a new sponsor. That has started a fight with Nascar.
Cricket
International Cricket Hall of Famer Debbie Hockley is pushing for gender equity within New Zealand Cricket as its first female president. That, among other accomplishments, earned her recognition on the Forbes 50 Over 50 Asia list, highlighting the women shattering age and gender norms.
Sports Business
Sports betting continues to spread across the U.S., with New York‘s mobile market the latest to open. Here’s the legalization status of sports betting in the other 49 states.
UFC star Jorge Masvidal is partnering with collectibles marketplace Whatnot with plans for a streaming show akin to the shopping channel QVC.
Featured Story
Publishers can’t pull the plug on blockchain assets by shutting down a title or removing features from games. The in-game NFT items can exist beyond the lifespans of games.
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Why Video Game Makers See Huge Potential In Blockchain—And Why Problems Loom For Their New NFTs
With NFT sales reaching nearly $25 billion in 2021, video game companies like Ubisoft and Zynga are eyeing blockchain technology as a potential pipeline of fresh revenue. It’s a monumental shift. “A year ago, the large majority of people that are deeply into NFTs today didn’t even know what an NFT was,” one industry expert tells us. Here’s what you need to know about blockchain gaming.
Hot Reads:
- Fan Controlled Football League Raises $40 Million In Round Led By Crypto Investors
- Drone Racing League Launches Play-To-Earn Crypto Game On Algorand Blockchain
- Take-Two Buys Zynga, Instantly Making It A Mobile Monster
Upon Further Review
Roger Federer’s taste in sneakers has evolved drastically over the years—from the skateboarding influences of his youth through his long relationship with Nike—and now it’s boosting his fortune. Already one of the world’s highest-paid athletes, earning $90 million off the court last year, Federer invested in On in 2019, and his stake in the shoemaker could now be worth upwards of $300 million. Learn more about how Federer got involved.
The Last Word
“I just played the game I’d been taught—with a smile. You can’t control the outcome of the match.” – Leylah Fernandez
Canadian-born tennis phenom Leylah Fernandez rocked the sports world in 2021, making the U.S. Open singles final and picking up her first career title in March, at the Monterey Open. Now she has the chance to continue her meteoric rise at the Australian Open, even if the big stage can be daunting. “The pressure and stress will be your best friend,” she recalls her father saying. Read more on the star-in-the-making, who just signed a sponsorship deal with Lululemon.
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