Welcome back to the Spotlight, boos and ghouls. On this Hallow’s Eve, the only thing scarier than brain-eating zombies is not having anything for said zombies to dine on. After all, as your mummy would say, “a brain is a terrible thing to waste.” Fortunately, I am leaving out a big bowl of knowledge treats and there is no limit per customer—witch, to be frank(enstein), is great news for those of you looking for your fill of sports and entertainment business updates on the web. Make no bones about it, you can count on it like Dracula. Hopefully, these light-hearted holiday puns won’t spook you off, and before long you’ll be gob(b)lin more down for Thanksgiving. For now, open up your bags and get a handful of what I have to offer below.
- Gymnast/model Livvy Dunne turns a viral moment in which cameras captured her stress-sweating through her boyfriend Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher (and presumptive National League Cy Young award winner) Paul Skenes’ final outing of the season, from a stain into gold, as she endorses Secret Anti-perspirant. No sweat indeed.
- Shadow Lion, the entertainment and marketing studio of Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, gets a strategic investment from Brady’s current employer, Fox Sports—the same company that pays him $37.5 million per year. Talk about being outfoxed.
- Legendary R&B singer Patti LaBelle enters a partnership with Primary Wave involving such hits from her music catalog as “Lady Marmalade.” Presumably the offer letter included the business version of the words, “vous le vous coucher avec moi?”
Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments
Cameo Has a Big Issue With This Sora Feature, and It's Suing OpenAI
October 29, 2025 via CNET News
ESPN and Athletes Unlimited Announce Multi-Year Distribution Deal
October 29, 2025 via Athletes Unlimited
Madison Reed Makes History with First-Ever Mother-Daughter NIL Partnership: UConn's Sarah Strong and Boston Celtics VP Allison Feaster Join Team ColorWonder
October 28, 2025 via Business Wire
Austin FC’s Valuation has Soared to $912 Million Following the Borgen Family’s Investment
October 27, 2025 via Mundo Deportivo USA
NFL Team Apparel Is Getting Fancier—and More Expensive
October 27, 2025 via Sportico
Louis Theroux Podcast Loses British Airways Sponsorship After Bob Vylan Interview
October 27, 2025 via Deadline
Tom Brady Revisits His Infamous ‘Roast’ in New Ad for SharkNinja
October 24, 2025 via Boston Globe
Sports
Why Can’t the N.B.A. Move On from Its Old Stars?
October 26, 2025 via New Yorker
Shohei Ohtani Gambling Series Faces Hurdles as Execs Fear Jeopardizing MLB Relationship
October 26, 2025 via Awful Announcing
NBA Gambling Scandal Shines Harsh Light on US Sports’ Embrace of Betting
October 24, 2025 via The Guardian
Big 12, TNT Sports Pleased with Start to New Football Relationship
October 24, 2025 via Sports Business Journal
NBA Gambling Scandal Won’t Stop Sportsbook Marketing Blitz
October 24, 2025 via Sportico
Music Biz
Universal Music and AI Song Generator Udio Settle Lawsuit Partner on New AI Platform
October 30, 2025 via ABC News
Primary Wave Inks Major Career-Spanning Catalog Deal with Patti LaBelle
October 30, 2025 via Digital Music News
MusicBird Acquires Producer Income from Estate of Rick Parashar
October 28, 2025 via Music Week
OpenAI Launches AI Music Tool to Compete in $2.8B Market
October 27, 2025 via Web Prone News
As the AI Bubble Swells, Spotify’s ‘Artist-First’ AI Music Product Announcement Might Just be Code for Maximising Shareholder Value
October 27, 2025 via IPKat
YouTube Announces Record $8B Payout to Music Industry for 2025
October 24, 2025 via Web Prone News
Film & TV
‘Wicked: For Good’ Tracking to Open to Bewitching $115M-$120M at Thanksgiving Box Office
October 30, 2025 via HollywoodReporter
WNBA Rookie Of The Year Paige Bueckers To Star In Sports Drama ‘Jess & Pearl’ From Apple
October 29, 2025 via Deadline
Tubi Inks Deal With Hartbeat for Creator-Driven Film Slate
October 29, 2025 via HollywoodReporter
