Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
USTA Names Michael McGoohan as Chief Growth Officer
The USTA announced that global business executive Mike McGoohan assumed the newly created role of chief growth officer on July 1. In this role, McGoohan is leading efforts to expand tennis participation and engagement throughout the United States, working across recreational play, digital engagement and national programming. The position is based out of the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
NBA Names James Jones as EVP, Head of Basketball Operations
The NBA has appointed James Jones, a three-time NBA champion as a player and an NBA Basketball Executive of the Year Award recipient, as executive vice president, head of basketball operations. He will report to Byron Spruell, president, league operations. Jones will oversee all basketball operations matters for the NBA, including the development of playing rules and interpretations, conduct and discipline, and policies and procedures relating to the operation of games. He will engage with players, coaches, team executives and referees on the state of the game.
PFL Names John Martin as Chief Executive Officer
The Professional Fighters League has appointed John Martin as its new chief executive officer. In his role, Martin will oversee all aspects of the company’s strategy, including management, operations, finances and personnel. Peter Murray has been moved from PFL CEO to the role of PFL International CEO, where he will lead the PFL’s International Leagues. Murray will report directly to Martin.
Cast Iron Media Appoints Dave Clark as CEO
Cast Iron Media, a live-sports media buying platform, announced the appointment of Dave Clark as Chief Executive Officer. As part of the move, CEO Kent Heyman will transition to Chairman of the Board. Clark takes on the role after most recently serving as CEO of TripleLift, a programmatic advertising technology company, which he guided through a strategic reset. Before TripleLift, Clark held leadership positions as at FreeWheel, a Comcast company, and served as president of The Weather Channel.
SailGP Promotes Becca Valle
SailGP has promoted Becca Valle to global marketing director. Valle recently served as interim head of marketing, Americas, where she drove record ticket sales for SailGP New York in June. Previously, she was vice president of marketing at Aescape and also the New York Knicks, and held global leadership roles at BBDO, Ogilvy and Digitas.
PrizePicks Expands Compliance Team With Regulatory Hire
PrizePicks, the daily fantasy sports operator, has appointed Todd Grossman as director of gaming regulatory compliance at a time the company is under pressure in one of its biggest markets. California attorney general Rob Bonta recently wrote an opinion calling DFS illegal in the state, threatening PrizePicks’ ability to operate there.. Grossman joins from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), where he most recently served as general counsel and interim executive director.
Koomba Teams Up With Sports Executive Chris McGowan and Dos Anillos
Koomba, the AI mental health and performance company for athletes, announced that Chris McGowan is joining as a strategic advisor through his global sports advisory firm, Dos Anillos Sports. McGowan has worked in leadership positions across the NBA, MLS, NFL and NHL. As a strategic partner to Koomba, the company said McGowan will help accelerate the its organizational growth, revenue strategy and capital formation.
PARTNERSHIPS
LIV Golf, HSBC Announce Global, Multi-Year Partnership
LIV Golf and HSBC have announced a partnership aimed at further growing the game of golf worldwide. The multi-year partnership will span the entirety of LIV Golf’s 14-event global season, as well as support two of LIV Golf’s thirteen teams, starting at LIV Golf Andalucía July 11-13 at Real Club Valderrama. HSBC will also play a role in supporting LIV Golf’s community partnerships strategy that LIV opens up opportunities and access for the next generation of golfers, as well as financial literacy initiatives.
Wrexham AFC Announces Ancestry as Official Club Partner
Wrexham AFC announced Ancestry as its new official family history partner, with the company’s logo featured on the front of Wrexham’s 2025-26 training wear—debuting this week on the Wrexham Down Under Tour in Melbourne. The new red-and-teal colored range, with a red Wrexham AFC club badge, will all feature the Ancestry logo on the front. The range includes training kits, travel wear and a warm-up top that draws its design from Welsh history, with a pattern inspired by traditional Welsh tartan.
Josh Allen Teams With Wonderful Pistachios as Brand Spokesman
Wonderful Pistachios has announced a partnership with Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen. A native of California’s Central Valley, where Wonderful Pistachios are grown and processed, Allen is part of a fourth-generation farming family whose crops include pistachios. As part of the partnership, Allen will be featured in a national advertising campaign, set to launch this fall at the start of the upcoming NFL season, that will include comedic television commercials that will roll out across TV, digital and social media platforms.
Uber Partners With LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Team USA
Uber will be the official rideshare and on-demand delivery partner of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as Team USA. Uber will work with organizers to provide transportation support around the events.
Indiana Pacers, Lucas Oil Agree to Multiyear Jersey Patch Deal
The Indiana Pacers and Lucas Oil announced a new multiyear jersey patch partnership. As the official jersey patch partner of the Indiana Pacers, Lucas Oil’s logo will be prominently featured on Pacers uniforms on the front left shoulder beginning Thursday in the Las Vegas Summer League. The expanded partnership also includes Lucas Oil’s designation as the “Official Oil Partner”of the Pacers as well as branding on practice jerseys, international marketing rights, group player rights and in-arena signage.
Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Named Sports Betting and Casino Partner of the Canadian Football League
ToonieBet, Soft2Bet’s premier sportsbook and online casino brand tailored for Canadian players, has been named both an official sports betting partner and an official online casino partner of the CFL. The multiyear deal also establishes ToonieBet as an official of the CFL’s championship game, the Grey Cup, to be played this year in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16. ToonieBet will also serve as the presenting partner of CFL Fantasy and the Gametracker in Ontario on CFL.ca and LCF.ca, in addition to being the CFL’s odds provider on the league’s digital scoreboard.
Audacy Partners With Heath and Press’ ‘The Re–Cap Show‘
Audacy announced a strategic partnership with USWNT soccer icons Tobin Heath and Christen Press and their RE global sports media brand to distribute and manage global ad sales for The Re–Cap Show, Heath and Press’ weekly video podcast dedicated to women’s sports. Audacy will handle global, multi-channel sales and distribution for the show, adding to its slate of women’s and sports content.
Qualcomm, Bryson DeChambeau With Crushers GC Set Collaboration
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and two-time major champion Bryson DeChambeau, along with his LIV Golf team Crushers GC, have announced a multiyear collaboration. DeChambeau and Crushers GC will feature the Qualcomm brand on player apparel and experiential activations, and Qualcomm will work closely with DeChambeau and Crushers GC on content creation and storytelling. DeChambeau captains Crushers GC, one of the 13 teams in the global LIV Golf League, which is competing in 14 events across nine countries during the 2025 season.
Fox Nation Enters Live Sports Arena With PBR Partnership
Fox Nation has signed its first live sports deal, becoming the exclusive Friday night broadcast partner for the Professional Bull Riders after the circuit’s relationship with a Dr. Phil owned company fell apart last year. Beginning on Friday, Aug. 8, the PBR Friday Night Live series will begin in Sunrise, Fla., and will continue weekly through the fall with 10 broadcasts across the country culminating with the league’s championship opener on Oct. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Genesis Renews Title Sponsorship of Scottish Open Through 2030
Genesis announced a multiyear agreement with DP World Tour and PGA Tour to continue as title partner of the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030. The extension renews Genesis’ commitment to Scotland’s historic national open, the Rolex Series event which in 2022 became the first tournament to be co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. The PGA Tour and Genesis have been partners since 2016.
Major League Table Tennis Announces Partnership With Chinese State Tourism Board
Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), the first professional table tennis league in the United States, announced a partnership with the China National Tourist Office New York, which will serve as the Premier Sponsor of the New York Slice, one of MLTT’s newest expansion teams. As part of the agreement, CNTO.NY will receive prominent brand visibility, including a jersey patch on all New York Slice uniforms for the 2025 season, which begins later this summer. The partnership will also feature joint marketing efforts focused on promoting Chinese culture and tourism and highlighting the impact of athletes with Chinese heritage throughout the league.
Fresno State Selects TheLinkU as Post-House Revenue-Sharing Partner
TheLinkU, the NIL platform for college athletes and institutions, has announced a revenue-sharing partnership with Fresno State in the post-House settlement world. Through TheLinkU’s infrastructure and national partnership network, all aspects of athlete revenue-sharing for Fresno State athletics will be handled exclusively by TheLinkU. The program includes contract creation and deliverable tracking to payment disbursement and reporting.
Timberwolves, Lynx Partner With Jump
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx have signed a multi-year partnership with Jump, a fan experience and ticketing platform built for pro sports teams. Timberwolves fans will be able to purchase and manage tickets, download a mobile app and access a ticketing website through one login powered by Jump.
Bud Light Partners With Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’
Bud Light has joined Netflix as a partner for the second season of Quarterback, the streaming platform’s hit docuseries. Quarterback Season 2, produced by Bud Light and Omaha Productions, follows the on- and off-field lives of three NFL signal-callers: Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Lions’ Jared Goff and Falcons’ Kirk Cousins. The docuseries looks at their preparation, pressure and personal moments throughout the NFL season.
PRODUCTS
Cosm to Build Fifth Venue in Cleveland
Cosm, Bedrock and Rock Entertainment Group (REG) announced that sports watching venue operator Cosm will anchor Bedrock’s mixed-use Rock Block development in downtown Cleveland. Cosm Cleveland will include a 12K+ LED dome with a hi-resolution wall-to-wall LED display. The venue will be built and designed in partnership with Bedrock and multi-disciplinary architectural firm Rossetti.
