Weekly Roundup: Business of Athletes, Sports, & NIL (Nov 27 - Dec 3)

<h3><strong>Audio Timeline:</strong></h3> <h4>1:55 - <strong>Feel good stories</strong></h4> <ul> <li>Alabama and Auburn team up for a good cause and a $100,000 donation for scholarships.</li> </ul> <h4>4:08 - Business of Athletes</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Alex Morgan</strong> invested in <strong>Soccer Post</strong>, a large soccer retailer and online site.</li> <li><strong>Mario Gotze</strong> participated in the $5.5M seed round of <strong>Secjur</strong>, a German compliance and information security company.</li> <li>Rumors are swirling that <strong>Cristiano Ronaldo</strong> is considering a $207 million per year contract with the Saudi Arabian squad <strong>Al Nassr FC</strong>.</li> </ul> <h4>7:30 - <strong>Name, Image, and Likeness</strong></h4> <ul> <li><strong>Pack of Wolves</strong> NIL collective announced $25,000/year NIL deals for every scholarship football player at <strong>NC State</strong>.</li> <li><strong>Ohio State</strong> fans questioning NIL after CJ Stroud’s comments about the loss to Michigan not “defining” him.</li> <li><strong>Wiz Khalifa’s</strong> Taylor Gang Entertainment has signed 25 college athletes to NIL deals.</li> <li><strong>Deion Sanders</strong> is expected to accept the coaching job at Colorado leaving HBCU Jackson State University.</li> <li><strong>Penn State</strong> NIL collective Success With Honor has launched a $2 million fundraising campaign backed by a $1 million matching donation.</li> </ul> <h4>10:30 - Future of Sports</h4> <ul> <li><strong>CROSSNET</strong>, the world’s first four-square-volleyball-like net game, has announced an investment from JB Capital.</li> <li><strong>Fnatic</strong>, an esports team and performance brand, announced a strategic partnership and investment with Hivemind Capital, a crypto asset manager.</li> <li><strong>The Rossignol Group</strong>, a sustainable mountain sports equipment and apparel company, has announced a $50M plan through 2026.</li> <li><strong>NBA</strong> is now allowing sovereign and endowment funds to purchase stakes in teams.</li> <li>Korean eSports company <strong>DRX</strong> has received an investment from <strong>Wemade.</strong></li> <li><strong>NBC Sports Next</strong> has acquired <strong>Albatros Datenservice</strong>, a German company, and <strong>Digital Golf Solutions</strong>, a French company. Both are leading golf technology companies in Europe.</li> <li><strong>BeONE Sports</strong>, an athlete training technology company, has raised a pre-seed round of over $500,000.</li> </ul>