Sports Tech at 70% GenAI Adoption | Hear From Jon Ledecky, Bobby Sharma, Julia Wittlin, Ben Fund & More

Good morning, ! This week we’re diving into sports tech’s race to adopt GenAI, Manny Pacquiao’s second act as a business empire-builder, blockchain’s quiet disruption of esports and iGaming, the “Moneyball” shift in sports M&A, and the record-breaking $30.5B boom in U.S. media rights.

We’re also co-hosting a sports investing event in NYC on September 3rd! Learn more about it, here.

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MEDIA & SPORTS

Rights Boom Hits $30.5B

The U.S. just hit a new high in sports media rights, reaching $30.5B in 2025, up 122% since 2015. Why? A decade of landmark deals (hello, NFL and upcoming NBA renewals) have kept broadcasters tethered to live sports as their last great moat. TV revenue only grew 24% in the same period, yet sports now eat 14% of that pie—up from 8%. Meanwhile, Europe’s playing small ball: UK, Spain show modest gains, while France and Germany stall out. The big divergence? U.S. broadcasters are all-in on ad dollars and affiliate fees. Across the Atlantic, it’s more of a “wait and see” strategy.

Bottom line: Rights inflation’s going strong—even as the broader TV market slows to a jog. (More)

PRESENTED BY PE150 x CAPLINK

Learn from the Architects of Modern Brand Power

📍 September 3, 2025 | Jay Conference, Bryant Park, NYC | 9:00–11:00 AM

Join senior investors, agents, and operators at the intersection of capital and culture—where M&A meets media, and where sports, lifestyle, and brand equity are the new growth engines.

This isn’t just a panel breakfast. It’s a strategic look at how value is being built, monetized, and multiplied in the fast-evolving sports economy:

→ From Icons to IP: How elite agents structure wealth through equity, licensing, and brand control.
→ PE’s Sports Playbook: What leading firms are buying, how they’re navigating league rules, and where the real ROI lies.

Featuring speakers from Carlyle, RedBird, Bluestone Equity, and WME Sports, this event offers a rare lens into how sports deals really get done.

Seats are limited. Register here before it sells out.

INVESTOR CORNER

M&A’s New Playbook: Fewer Hail Marys, More First Downs

The U.S. sports M&A market is in its efficiency era. Gone are the blockbuster, hype-fueled deals of 2018. In their place: smaller, deliberate transactions aimed at ROI, not headlines. With $11B raised across 176 deals YTD, 2025 is trending toward quality over quantity. Capital per deal is shrinking, but activity isn’t vanishing—just evolving. Investors are eyeing tech, data, and fan engagement tools over stadium naming rights. Consider this the “Moneyball-ization” of sports investing: fewer grand slams, more on-base percentage.

ENTREPRENEURS

Pacquiao’s Second Round

Manny Pacquiao isn’t just boxing’s only eight-division champion—he’s proof that athletes can punch above their weight in business. With nearly $500 million in fight earnings (and $1.25 billion in PPV revenue), Pacquiao parlayed the ring into a portfolio that stretches from real estate (a $12.5M Beverly Hills mansion) to cryptocurrency (PAC Coin launched via GCOX). He also founded MP Promotions in 2006, turning from prizefighter to promoter. The kicker: he once literally used four tickets from his 2015 Mayweather bout to sweeten his Beverly Hills mansion bid. The lesson? Brand equity built on sweat and blood can be converted into boardroom leverage. (More)

TOGETHER WITH SYNTHFLOW

The Enterprise Guide to Secure Voice AI Rollouts

Deploying Voice AI in a regulated industry? This guide shows how security isn’t just a requirement—it’s your rollout strategy.

Learn how HIPAA and GDPR compliance can accelerate adoption, reduce risk, and scale across 100+ locations.

From encryption and audit logs to procurement readiness, this guide outlines what enterprise IT, ops, and CX teams need to launch AI voice agents with confidence.

Download The Free Guide

TECH & INFRASTRUCTURE

Sports Tech Races Ahead on GenAI

When it comes to GenAI adoption, sports technology companies are pulling away from the pack. A striking 70% are already implementing processes, with only 15% having no plans. Compare that to the laggards: 53% of leagues and 60% of teams admit they’d “like to use GenAI” but haven’t started. Agencies (32% implementing) and investment firms (17% implementing, 58% planning) are also leaning forward. By contrast, government entities are dragging their feet—half have no plans at all. The takeaway? The early movers—tech providers and agencies—are setting the agenda for AI in sports, while rights owners risk being left behind. (More)

eSPORTS

What If the House Was on the Blockchain?

A fully blockchain-powered iGaming market in Europe isn’t a sci-fi pitch—it’s a regulatory and economic experiment that’s already quietly in motion. While early adopters have focused on fast payments and crypto bonuses, the real innovation is systemic: player accounts, game results, and identity verification all living on-chain, without a central authority.

That could unlock faster cross-border payments, lower transaction fees, and real-time KYC via decentralized ID systems—ideal for esports platforms where user friction kills growth. For operators, it also means a shot at higher retention through tokenized loyalty programs, where reward points become tradeable assets. But that’s not a free pass: advertising restrictions, tax regimes, and local compliance still apply, even if the platform is stateless.

For esports and gaming investors, this signals a key shift: blockchain is moving from gimmick to infrastructure. As provably fair gaming becomes standard, transparency may become the new moat in a saturated, trust-sensitive market.

Bottom line: if Europe goes fully on-chain, esports operators without a blockchain-native roadmap risk being priced out—on both margin and user acquisition. (More)

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TWEET OF THE WEEK

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Zig Ziglar