Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
Golden State Names Woodie Dixon Jr. as Chief Legal Officer
Golden State Group has named Woodie Dixon Jr. as chief legal officer. Dixon brings over 20 years of experience to the organization and will oversee all business legal matters, including commercial and business contract drafting and negotiation, litigation matters, real estate portfolios, corporate governance and strategic initiatives. He will report to Golden State president and chief operating officer Brandon Schneider.
Marc Riccio Contracted as USA Lacrosse CEO Through LA28 Olympics
The Board of Directors at USA Lacrosse has signed CEO Marc Riccio to a contract that runs until 2029, a timeframe that includes the sport’s return to the biggest stage with the LA28 Olympics. Riccio, a former Hofstra lacrosse player and longtime NFL executive, has served as the CEO of USA Lacrosse since 2021. He spent 17 years leading business operation and development for the NFL’s New York Jets before spending seven years ahead of his USA Lacrosse appointment working in roles focused on strategy, growth and organizational change for major sports brands and events.
Stocktwits Appoints Former Chicago Sports Network Exec as COO
Stocktwits, the social platform for investors and traders, is appointing former Meta executive Rob Shaw as chief operating officer. A digital media veteran, he spent nearly a decade scaling strategy and partnerships at Meta and most recently helped launch Chicago Sports Network.
J.P. Morgan Names Menell Global Head of Media & Communications
Following Fred Turpin’s appointment as a global chair of investment banking, J.P. Morgan has announced Eric Menell as the new global head of media & communications (M&C) investment banking (IB). Menell has served as head of Americas M&C IB and was named co-head of the newly-created Sports IB Coverage group in 2024, which he will continue leading with Gian Piero Sammartano. Menell has helped in developing M&C’s media and information, data and analytics practices.
Just Women’s Sports Taps Graham as Executive Director of Content
Just Women’s Sports has hired Bryan Graham as executive director of content, where he will oversee multi-platform content strategy and operations across video, social and editorial. Graham most recently served as head of global video at The Athletic and previously held senior content roles at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. At JWS, Graham will lead the newsroom and creator network, expand original video and social franchises and develop cross-channel storytelling around women’s sports.
Rosen Promoted to Senior VP of Sports at Heritage Auctions
Rob Rosen has been promoted to senior vice president of sports at Heritage Auctions. Rosen’s career as a collector began when he was young, writing letters to athletes to request autographs. Even after earning his law degree and working in music promotion and marketing, sports collecting remained his passion, prompting him to open the sports collectibles business he had pondered for years. His lifetime fascination with the hobby allowed him to build relationships with many of the biggest collectors and auction houses, which set the foundation for his launch of baberuthautographs.com. Rosen joined Heritage in 2012.
College Sports Company Hires Wilde Jr. as COO
The College Sports Company, a media and production company that builds media and content networks at top universities, announced that Russell Wilde Jr. has joined the company as chief operating officer. Wilde spent 10 years building Front Office Sports as co-founder across COO and chief growth officer roles. Wilde will expand CSC’s content network to new universities and produce additional content and experiences under the CSC brand for advertising partners.
PARTNERSHIPS
LA28 Selects Official Telecommunications Services Provider
T-Mobile announced that the Los Angeles Organizing Committee (LA28) has selected T-Mobile for Business as the Official Telecommunications Services Provider of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. T-Mobile for Business will support event operations and provide connectivity.
Adidas, Future Audi F1 Team Announce Multiyear Partnership
Adidas announced a multiyear partnership with the future Audi F1 Team, with the collection set to debut ahead of the 2026 season. The partnership will see Adidas and the future Audi F1 Team work together to create a full range of outfits for drivers, mechanics and the wider team. The partnership will also launch an apparel, footwear and accessories range for fans ahead of the team’s first race.
Sportlogiq, LiveBarn Expand Partnership
Sportlogiq, a company in AI-powered hockey analytics, has expanded its strategic partnership with LiveBarn, the live and on-demand streaming platform for youth and amateur sports, to bring pro-level data and video insights to the youth hockey ecosystem. Through this partnership, LiveBarn will be launching LiveBarn Analytics, giving users access to Sportlogiq’s iCE Elite dataset, which includes advanced metrics such as expected goals (xG), shot locations, zone entries and exits, and more than 500 proprietary metrics designed to enhance player development and scouting.
WPIX-TV to Carry New York Mets Games Through 2028
“New York’s Very Own,” announced it has renewed its multi-platform agreement with SNY, the home of the New York Mets, to carry Mets games on PIX11 through the 2028 season. PIX11 and SNY have been partners since 2006. For the first time, these games will also air on Nexstar Media–owned and operated stations in several upstate New York markets and in Hartford, Conn. Under the new agreement, PIX11 will carry 30 Mets games each season from 2026 through 2028, including 25 regular season games primarily on Friday nights, and five spring training games.
Oracle Red Bull Racing and Carlyle Form Strategic Partnership
Oracle Red Bull Racing and global investment firm Carlyle announced a multiyear global partnership. Carlyle has become the team’s exclusive partner in the investment management industry. As part of the agreement, Carlyle branding will be featured on the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 challenger and across key team assets, including the car chassis, drivers’ team kit, pit wall and garage environment. The partnership will be activated across the global F1 calendar.
GameChanger Named Official Partner for UA Next All-America Game
Baseball Factory and Under Armour have named GameChanger the official live streaming, highlights, scorekeeping and stats partner for the 2025 UA Next All-America Game, set for Sept. 13 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Now in its 20th year, the high school baseball showcase will for the first time be available nationwide on the GameChanger app, giving fans, families and scouts real-time access to every pitch. The broadcast will feature analysis from former MLB player and Ripken Baseball co-founder Bill Ripken alongside play-by-play announcer Zach Bigley.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud Partners With Ashley
Ashley, the North American furniture store brand, announced the return of Delivering Dreams, a community initiative that supports families in need. The brand is partnering with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud to provide one local family with a complete home furniture makeover valued at over $40,000 and five runners-up with prize packages valued at over $2,000.
PRODUCTS
Unrivaled Adds Two New Clubs Ahead of Second Season
Unrivaled announced league expansion ahead of the 3v3 women’s basketball league’s second season, introducing two new clubs and a dedicated development player pool. Breeze Basketball Club and Hive Basketball Club will bring 12 new players into the league, while an additional six players will join the season-long development pool. A fourth night of games will also take place each week throughout the season to accommodate the additional two clubs, with each Unrivaled club playing two games per week.
Northern Super League Commences Expansion Process for 2027
The Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s professional women’s soccer league, has commenced the process for adding an additional club in 2027. To lead the process, the NSL has engaged Whitecap Sports Group (WSG), an international investment bank and advisory group. WSG will actively recruit and evaluate potential new ownership group for new club opportunities across Canada, with a particular emphasis on markets in Central and Western Canada. WSG has prior experience within the NSL, having worked closely with AFC Toronto on the recruitment of its new ownership group.
Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League to Launch Full Season in 2026
The Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League will expand to a full season and playoffs beginning in summer 2026, building on the success of its 2025 Championship Series. The league’s four founding teams—the Boston Guard, New York Charging, Maryland Charm and California Palms—will compete across 11 weekends in the 10-on-10 format, with coverage distributed on ESPN platforms. Rosters will expand to 23 players through an expansion draft, and the WLL will also stage its first college draft to bring new talent into the league.
PURCHASES
Bluestone Equity Partners Sells VideoVerse to Minute Media
Bluestone Equity Partners (“Bluestone”), a global private equity firm specializing in the sports, media and entertainment industry, announced the sale of its portfolio company VideoVerse to Minute Media, a global technology and sports content company. Bluestone will remain a strategic investor in the combined enterprise. The transaction marks a significant early exit for Bluestone, following its investment in December 2023, and includes VideoVerse’s flagship product, Magnifi—an AI SaaS platform that enables content owners and rights holders to identify, package and distribute key moments from live and archived video, automatically and at scale.
