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From Wimbledon to Wall Street, Tiriac Proves Athletes Outplay Execs
From private equity and streaming rights to ticketing’s $72B surge, sports economics is rewriting the playbook.
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MEDIA & SPORTS
DAZN’s World Cup Play
Streaming platform DAZN now controls a commanding 33% of global streaming spend on sports rights, thanks largely to its blockbuster deal for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. That puts it ahead of Amazon Prime Video (23%) and YouTube TV (16%), with Amazon’s NBA rights deal fueling its surge. Netflix? Still stuck on the sidelines with just 5%, focusing on documentaries instead of live games. Big picture: streamers now account for 20% of worldwide sports rights spending, up from 18% last year. Translation: traditional broadcasters are losing the ball, while streaming platforms are starting to own the field. (More)
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ENTREPRENEURS
From Wimbledon to Wealth Management
Ion Țiriac may be the only man alive whose doubles game was as good in tennis as it was in private equity. After a decorated athletic career, the Romanian star built a sprawling empire—banking, insurance, auto, real estate, and sports—by getting in early and getting serious fast. His strategy? Enter emerging markets early (hello, post-communist Romania), professionalize quickly, and swap flash for cash flow. Tennis stayed in the mix, too: he scaled the Mutua Madrid Open into a premium media asset before selling it in 2022. Long story short: Țiriac didn’t just win on clay—he won with cash. (More)
TOGETHER WITH SYNTHFLOW
Voice AI Security That Impacts Your Bottom Line
Learn how enterprise IT and ops leaders are using compliance to unlock Voice AI scale—deploying faster, reducing risk, and accelerating procurement.
This guide shows why HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2 are now deal-makers, not blockers. From securing PHI to routing across 100+ sites, see how security-first platforms reduce friction and enable real-world rollout across healthcare, insurance, and more.
TECH & INFRASTRUCTURE
The $72B QR Code
The humble sports ticket has grown up. Now it's a dynamic, AI-priced, blockchain-backed passport to premium experiences—and a $72B global market by 2030. Smartphones and always-on fans are fueling the growth, while platforms like Ticketmaster and SeatGeek evolve into full-stack commerce machines. Fraud detection is AI-powered, eSports is more than doubling, and even marathons and school tournaments are on digital rails. The game? Own the fan relationship, monetize every layer, and make that turnstile count. North America leads, Asia’s sprinting, and everyone’s watching the resale rules. (More)
eSPORTS
Mobile Legends Tops the Charts
The mobile esports boom is here, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) is leading the charge with a record 4.1M peak viewers in 2025. That’s nearly triple PUBG Mobile’s 1.4M, despite PUBG commanding the year’s biggest prize pool at $6M. Arena of Valor (0.9M), Honor of Kings (0.7M), and Free Fire (0.6M) round out the top five, each with regional dominance—from Asia to Latin America. Collectively, these titles prove that mobile esports is no longer the understudy; it’s the main stage. Multimillion-dollar purses, massive reach, and cultural stickiness make 2025 the year mobile games officially outdraw many PC and console rivals. (More)
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Aryna Sabalenka just collected the biggest check in the history of women’s tennis.
$5,000,000.
That’s a lot of zeros. 💰
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter)
10:45 PM • Sep 6, 2025
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