FIFA plans to give each of its 211 national football associations $25m, not $10m, from World Cup money, five months before they vote on Infantino

The rest of the day

45 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   PSG win 4-2 at Manchester City

   Paris Saint-Germain, the French club that has won the last two Champions Leagues, beat Manchester City 4-2 in Manchester on Wednesday. [18][19] PSG led 3-0 at half-time, with goals from Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha. [19][20] Erling Haaland scored twice as City fought back, and City had 27 shots to PSG's 15. [21] City play under a cloud: the Premier League found them guilty of 114 breaches of its money rules, and they are appealing. [22][19]

   Why it matters — PSG are trying to become only the fifth club to win Europe's top trophy three years running. [18] Both clubs are owned from the Gulf: PSG by Qatar Sports Investments for about 15 years, and City by owners from Abu Dhabi. [18][22]

2. 03

   Missile strikes push Saudi events back

   The Six Kings Slam, a tennis exhibition in Riyadh with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, moved from 21-24 October to 27-30 December. [9][23] Its organiser is Riyadh Season, a yearly festival of sport and entertainment in the Saudi capital. [24] It decided after Houthi fighters from Yemen struck Riyadh's main airport on Saturday, killing at least 12 people. [9][25] The winner gets $6m, more than at any Grand Slam. [9] Saudi Arabia's football league also moved three matches, including Al Ahli against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. [10]

   Why it matters — The league said it moved its games for players' rest, not for safety. [10] Formula One must still decide on its races in Qatar on 29 November and Abu Dhabi on 6 December, and a Canelo Alvarez fight in Riyadh on 31 October is still on. [9]

3. 04

   Burnham's dinners with City's chairman

   Andy Burnham, Britain's prime minister, had two dinners with Manchester City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, at City matches in 2017 and 2018, when he was mayor of Greater Manchester. [26] A statement on Monday about his meetings with City left them out. [26] He had declared the dinners, worth about 300 and 699 pounds. [26] That record has since been deleted from the website of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the region's government. [26] A City staff member also joined a government trade trip to India this week. [22]

   Why it matters — City were found guilty of 114 rule breaches, and Burnham is under pressure over his ties to the club's Abu Dhabi owners. [22] Bev Craig, who followed him as mayor and led the India trip, said City should be punished if it broke the rules, and that east Manchester got a library and a leisure centre from the club. [22]

4. 05

   Brewers one win from the World Series

   The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 on Wednesday and lead baseball's National League final 3-0, so they need one more win. [27][28] Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hit home runs one after the other off Blake Snell in the seventh inning. [28] Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had left Snell in for the seventh, when Milwaukee's batters were facing him for a third time. [28] The Brewers last reached the World Series in 1982. [27] Resale tickets for Game 3 had already fallen 42%, to $97. [29]

   Why it matters — The Dodgers are baseball's biggest spenders. Sports Illustrated says a small-market club beating them will feed into the sport's coming fight between owners and players. [27] Game 4 in Los Angeles was moved to an earlier start. [30]

5. 06

   Jury finds Tyreek Hill liable on two counts

   A jury in Miami found NFL receiver Tyreek Hill liable on two of ten counts brought by his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, on Tuesday. [12][31] The two counts were batteries in January 2024 and April 2025, and the jury awarded her $500,000. [12] It cleared him of the other eight and gave no punitive damages; her lawyer had asked for $8m. [31] This was a civil case, about money, not a criminal trial. [12] Hill, 32, is a free agent recovering from a knee injury. [31][32]

   Why it matters — The NFL is still reviewing his conduct, and its rules let it suspend a player without any criminal charge. [12] Several teams need a receiver, and the review could decide where and when he signs. [32]

6. 07

   LIV tells a court Europe's tour is interfering

   LIV Golf, the breakaway golf league now in bankruptcy court, told the judge on Wednesday that Europe's DP World Tour is trying to interfere with its restructuring. [13][33] On Monday the DP World Tour said it will not give membership in 2027 to anyone who plays for LIV. [13] LIV's lawyer called it a false choice that raises competition-law concerns. [13] LIV players must commit to a 'LIV 2.0' by 25 October. LIV expects to tell the judge by the end of the month whether it goes on or winds down. [13]

   Why it matters — Players must choose between the two tours before they know whether LIV will exist next year. [13] The judge said the tour's comments raised concerns and that he would wait for further action. [13]

7. 08

   Six years in prison for a basketball fixer

   Jalen Smith was sentenced to six years in a US prison on Tuesday for helping to lead a scheme that bribed college basketball players. [15] Prosecutors say players were paid to play badly so their team would miss the spread, the winning margin that bookmakers set for a bet. [15] The fixers then bet against those teams. [15] The scheme reached more than 39 players at 17 or more colleges, offered $10,000 to $30,000 a game, and produced more than $3m in fraudulent bets. [15]

   Why it matters — It is the case's first major prison sentence, and it lands just before a new college season with legal betting widespread. [15] A favoured team can still win the game and miss the spread, which makes this kind of fix hard to spot from the stands.

8. 09

   Kalshi will fine users who abuse athletes

   Kalshi, an app where people bet on events, told the US regulator that oversees it, the CFTC, that it is adding a rule against harassing athletes. [17] The filing is dated 13 October. [17] Breaking the rule can lead to a closed account, a report to the police, or a fine. [17] Kalshi has also signed with two firms, Signify Group and IC360, that search social media for abusive posts and match them to Kalshi accounts. [17]

   Why it matters — Players such as Jessica Pegula have said bettors send them abuse online while betting firms sponsor their events. [17] The NBA and WNBA started a campaign on Tuesday warning young fans about the risks of betting. [17]

9. 10

   Pietersen signs with a betting firm

   Kevin Pietersen, a former England batter, signed this week as an ambassador for Dafabet, a betting company based in the Philippines. [16] He is also England's mentor for white-ball cricket, the shorter games, for about 150 days over the next 13 months. [16] He has told the England and Wales Cricket Board, the ECB, that he will not promote betting while on England duty. [16] The ECB's anti-corruption code bans anyone in the game from encouraging bets on any match. [16]

   Why it matters — The ECB takes no gambling adverts and has banned betting sponsors for its Hundred teams from next year. [16] Three years ago it found England's then Test coach, Brendon McCullum, had not broken its code when he promoted another betting firm. [16]

10. 11

    SEC keeps its lawsuit against LSU

    The SEC, one of the biggest US college sports conferences, told a court on Tuesday night it will keep suing one of its own members, Louisiana State University. [14] The fight began when LSU said it would sign two football players who had signed NFL contracts. The SEC then passed a rule against it and sued. [14] LSU left the two out and asked the court to drop the case. [14] The SEC says LSU is still chasing former professionals, and wants the court to settle whether it can punish or expel a member. [14]

    Why it matters — The answer would set how much power a conference has over its own schools. [14] It is one of dozens of fights in court over who may play in college sport this year. [34]

11. 12

    Missouri waits on a fifth-year forward

    Mark Mitchell, a Missouri basketball forward who has played four college seasons, had a court hearing on Wednesday over his bid for a fifth year. [35] He averaged 18.3 points a game last season. [35] No ruling was expected that day, Sporting News reported. [35] The NCAA, which runs US college sport, gave every player five years in June but left out those who started college in 2022, and dozens have sued. [34] Florida's coach, Todd Golden, called the chaos self-inflicted. [34]

    Why it matters — Missouri's season starts in weeks, and the team does not know if its best scorer can play. [35] Some players have already won: a Florida court let Denzel Aberdeen return to Florida for this season. [34]

12. 13

    Real Madrid score three late goals in Rome

    Real Madrid came from 3-1 down to beat Roma 4-3 in Rome on Wednesday in the Champions League. [36][37] All three late goals, from Carlos Espi, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger, came from corners in the last seven minutes. [36] Real's coach, Jose Mourinho, managed Roma from 2021 to 2024, and its fans cheered him with banners and songs. [37] Hours before kick-off, Spain's football federation banned Real forward Vinicius Jr for four games for pulling an opponent's hair and protesting to the referee. [38]

    Why it matters — The ban rules Vinicius out of the match against Barcelona on 25 October. [38] Mourinho called the timing shameless, saying the player found out two hours before a game that mattered for Spanish football. [38]

13. 14

    Aston Villa's biggest European win

    Aston Villa beat Fenerbahce, the Turkish club, 6-0 at Villa Park on Wednesday, the biggest win in their history in European competition. [39][40] It was also Villa's first home win of the season, after three home games without one. [39][40] Nicolas Jackson, a 65 million pound signing, and Ross Barkley each scored twice. [39][40] One stand, the North Stand, is being rebuilt, and Villa scored three goals at that empty end. [40]

    Why it matters — Villa now look well placed to reach the knockout rounds. [39] Manager Unai Emery says he is still fitting in ten new players after a chaotic summer. [39]

14. 15

    Barcola's first goals for Liverpool

    Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick, the first of his career, as Liverpool won 6-3 at LASK, an Austrian club, on Wednesday. [41][42][43] Liverpool paid Paris Saint-Germain 123 million pounds for him and had not seen him score in six games. [41][42] It was LASK's first home game in the main stage of the Champions League. [41] Liverpool had 26 shots, equalling their record for an away game in the competition. [41]

    Why it matters — Liverpool lost 3-0 to Manchester City on Sunday, and their two most expensive signings had been asked to justify their fees. [42] Lewis Koumas became the youngest Liverpool player to score and set up a goal in one Champions League game. [41]

15. 16

    Martinez stands by his attack on United's bosses

    Lisandro Martinez, Manchester United's Argentine defender, said on Wednesday that he spoke out of anger and frustration after Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Atletico Madrid. [44] After the game he said he expected more signings and more from the club's director of football, Jason Wilcox. [45][44] His statement stopped short of an apology. [44] About ten months ago United sacked their manager, Ruben Amorim, a day after he publicly criticised Wilcox's staff. [46]

    Why it matters — Martinez also said head coach Michael Carrick had not been given enough new players. [45] The Athletic says several of his points about the squad were accurate. [45]

16. 17

    Semenyo froze at racist abuse, court hears

    Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo froze when a fan shouted a racist insult at him at Anfield in August 2025, a court in Liverpool heard on Wednesday. [47] Semenyo was playing for Bournemouth at the time. [47] The fan, Mark Mogan, 47, denies racially aggravated behaviour. [47] Prosecutors said Semenyo reported it to the referee, Anthony Taylor, and that Mogan was removed from the stadium at half-time. [47]

    Why it matters — Semenyo did not answer back and took the throw-in, the court heard, and another fan said Mogan later threatened to assault police. [47] The same week, chants at Millwall stopped a match for seven minutes. [48]

17. 18

    Anti-racism group criticises Millwall's manager

    Kick It Out, a British anti-racism group, criticised Millwall's manager, Alex Neil, on Wednesday. [49][48] He had said that stopping Tuesday's game against Swansea for seven minutes over racist chants at Swansea's Eom Ji-sung only killed the momentum. [48][49] Kick It Out said player welfare must always come before the flow of a match. [48] Police in London are investigating, and Millwall say they have zero tolerance for abuse. [48]

    Why it matters — Neil admitted that if his team had scored he would probably not feel that way. [48] Swansea's coach said the referee and Millwall's staff followed the rules for these stoppages. [48]

18. 19

    Cliftonville stripped of a cup they won 4-0

    Northern Ireland's football league took the women's League Cup from Cliftonville on Wednesday, because two of their players in the July final were not properly registered. [50] Cliftonville had beaten Glentoran 4-0. [50] Glentoran complained, and the league gave them a 3-0 win instead. [50] Cliftonville were also fined 500 pounds. [50]

    Why it matters — It ends Cliftonville's hopes of winning three trophies this season, though they already won the league by nine points. [50] The two sides meet again in the Irish Cup final on 24 October. [50]

19. 20

    West Ham's biggest away win in 103 years

    West Ham beat Lincoln 6-0 away in the Championship, England's second division, after Lincoln had two players sent off in the first 23 minutes. [51] Tomas Soucek scored twice, and Konstantinos Mavropanos, Edvin Austbo, Jarrod Bowen and Pablo got the others. [51] It was West Ham's biggest away win for 103 years, manager Nuno Espirito Santo said. [51] Southampton won 1-0 at Norwich, their second 1-0 win in four days. [51]

    Why it matters — Nuno said Lincoln still caused problems with ten men, and his team only settled after the second goal. [51] Norwich have now lost four league games in a row. [51]

20. 21

    SEC boss defends referees after a missed call

    Greg Sankey, head of the SEC college conference, defended the referees of Georgia's 20-17 win over Alabama, at the conference's basketball media day. [52] Late in the game an Alabama receiver was hit early in the end zone and no flag was thrown, and Alabama never got the ball back. [52] Georgia's player, KJ Bolden, said this week a penalty should have been called. [52] The SEC did not comment on the officiating, and Sankey said it does not comment on judgement calls. [52]

    Why it matters — A penalty would have put Alabama in range to tie the game. [52] Alabama's coach said his team must not leave a game where a referee's call can decide it. [52]

21. 22

    EU weighs penalties for Russia's sporting return

    European Union diplomats are weighing ways to keep Russia out of world sport, according to a document dated 16 September and seen by Politico. [53] Ideas include sanctions on athletes, cutting EU money to sports bodies that welcome Russia back, and pressure on broadcasters and sponsors. [53] Judo, the favourite sport of Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, became the first major sport to fully restore Russian athletes under their own flag, in November 2025. [53] The International Judo Federation did not answer Politico's questions about its president's ties to Russia. [53]

    Why it matters — The International Olympic Committee says each sport decides for itself, outside the Olympics. [53] Russia hopes to be back for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. [53]

22. 23

    NFL keeps its Paris game despite protests

    The NFL said on Wednesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints will still play at the Stade de France, just north of Paris, on 25 October. [54] Protests in Paris over France's run-down schools are in their third week, and police have detained more than 5,000 people, CBS News reported. [54] It would be the first NFL game ever played in France. [54] The Saints' home stadium in New Orleans has only a small event booked that morning, so the game could move there if needed. [54]

    Why it matters — The league says it works with local police on security for every game abroad. [54] It plays nine games outside the US this season, and must consult the players' union to play more than ten. [55]

23. 24

    Bears stadium fight reaches the governor's race

    The Chicago Bears' search for a new stadium became a clash in a TV debate for governor of Illinois on Tuesday night. [56] Governor JB Pritzker said the state would agree a plan to keep the NFL team in November, but not at taxpayers' expense. [56] His challenger, Darren Bailey, said the Bears are already going to Indiana. [56] Indiana has approved public money for a domed stadium in Hammond, just over the state line, and the Bears call that project their sole focus. [56]

    Why it matters — Illinois' six-day law-making session in November and December is likely its last chance to keep the team. [56] A bill to help the Bears build on their own land in Arlington Heights died in the spring. [56]

24. 25

    Eagles keep a retired player on the roster

    The Philadelphia Eagles are keeping tackle Lane Johnson on their 53-man roster even though he retired this month, an agent's analysis for CBS Sports says. [57] Johnson earns $23m this year, almost all as a $21.7m bonus, half of it already paid and half due on 1 December. [57] The NFL spreads such a bonus over up to five years of a team's spending limit, the salary cap. [57] Keeping him avoids a charge of about $42.9m on the Eagles' 2027 cap for a player who no longer plays. [57]

    Johnson's pay this year$23m

    2027 cap charge if released now$42.90m

    Why it matters — The roster move is about money already promised, not about football. [57] It also leaves Johnson free to change his mind and play again this season, which the writer thinks unlikely. [57]

25. 26

    Who pays for a college basketball roster

    Memphis's athletic director, Ed Scott, said coach Penny Hardaway had not passed $2.6m of his own money to players, as Hardaway had suggested. [58] The university is funding a $9m roster budget, and Hardaway has promised to cover any gap in fundraising by the end of the financial year. [58] Payments from a coach straight to players could break the new rules on how colleges share money with players. [58] At a conference on Tuesday, NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico said donors to weaker teams may stop giving $6m-8m a year. [59]

    Why it matters — Colleges now pay players directly, and the money for a strong roster is coming partly from donors and even coaches. [58][59] Tirico said 65 to 80 schools in the big conferences cannot keep up with the rising costs. [59]

26. 27

    US women get a new cup with record prize money

    US Soccer announced the Crest Cup on Wednesday, a knockout competition for women's clubs from the NWSL and the USL Super League, two US professional leagues. [60] Its winner will get $1.1m, a record for a women's soccer competition in the US, and a place in the region's women's Champions Cup. [60] It is named after Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, who gave $50m towards US Soccer's new $250m training centre. [60][61] Blank's Atlanta City FC will join the NWSL in 2028. [60]

    Why it matters — The NWSL commissioner says the average value of its clubs has tripled in a couple of years. [61] Atlanta and a team in Columbus, Ohio, will be its 17th and 18th clubs. [61]

27. 28

    Lions women's first match will be in Cardiff

    The British and Irish Lions, a team picked from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, will play their first ever women's match against France in Cardiff on 27 August 2027. [62] France are ranked fourth in the world. [62] The game is the start of a five-match tour of New Zealand, with three Tests against New Zealand from 11 September. [62] Men's Lions tours have taken place since 1888. [62]

    Why it matters — The Lions considered starting abroad, as the men have done before, but chose Cardiff after the Welsh union offered to host. [62] A crowd of 21,186 at the same stadium in 2025 set a record for a Wales women's home game in any sport. [62]

28. 29

    Shakhtar's long road to London

    Shakhtar Donetsk, a Ukrainian club that cannot play European games at home because of the war, played their Champions League home game at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. [11] The trip from their base near Lviv can take up to 18 hours by road and air, through the Polish border. [11] They train under air-raid sirens, and one of their league games was delayed 20 minutes by an alarm this week. [11] The club has also played its home games in Poland, Germany and Slovakia. [11]

    Why it matters — A club official said each year away gets harder, like losing sleep night after night. [11] Their coach, Arda Turan, says he wants to keep reminding people that Ukraine is at war. [11]

29. 30

    Kartal beats a top-12 player in Wuhan

    Britain's Sonay Kartal beat world No 12 Belinda Bencic 6-0 7-5 at the Wuhan Open in China on Wednesday. [63] Kartal, 24, is ranked 170th after six months out with a stress fracture in her back. [63] She has won four of her five matches since coming back. [63] In the same tournament, the top seed, Aryna Sabalenka, lost to Ann Li of the US after saving nine match points. [63]

    No 170Sonay Kartal

    vsvs

    No 12Belinda Bencic

    Why it matters — Kartal next plays Jasmine Paolini, the 15th seed, for a quarter-final place. [63] It was Sabalenka's second early loss in a row. [63]

30. 31

    Jodar given a warning over a ball boy

    Rafael Jodar, a young player close to the world top 10, received a code violation at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday. [64] The umpire heard him swear at a ball boy for being slow with his towel. [64] It was the first time he has been punished over his treatment of ball kids. [64] Players can be fined up to $60,000 for each code violation at an event of this level. [64] Jodar won the match and plays Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. [64]

    Why it matters — Two years ago at the same event Frances Tiafoe was fined $120,000 for a rant at the same umpire. [64] Jodar is just outside the eight players who qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals. [64]

31. 32

    Britain's sprinters at the track worlds

    Britain's women won silver in the team sprint at the World Track Cycling Championships in Shanghai on Wednesday, losing the final to China. [65] Britain's men went out in the first round. [65] They were without Matt Richardson, one of their best sprinters, who was pulled from the team on Monday over claims of misconduct. [65] His team-mate Joe Truman said they started on the back foot. [65]

    Why it matters — Richardson says he will co-operate with British Cycling's investigation into the claims. [65] Emma Finucane, his partner, rode in the women's silver-medal team. [65]

32. 33

    Red Bull keep their F1 boss to 2031

    Red Bull extended the contract of its Formula One team boss, Laurent Mekies, to the end of 2031. [66] Mekies replaced Christian Horner, who was sacked in summer 2025 after 20 years in charge. [66] After a hard start to 2026, Max Verstappen has won the last two races, in Malaysia and Singapore. [66] Verstappen himself signed on to the end of 2030 less than two months ago. [66]

    Why it matters — Oliver Mintzlaff, who oversees Red Bull's F1 team, said keeping the same leaders is a key to lasting success. [66] Horner said in a recent interview that Red Bull had lost its mojo. [66]

33. 34

    Wallabies change their fly-half for Sydney

    Australia's rugby coach, Les Kiss, named Declan Meredith at fly-half for Saturday's second Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Sydney. [67] His first two choices for the position are injured. [67] New Zealand won the first Test 50-19 in Auckland, which kept the Bledisloe Cup, the trophy the two countries play for, in their hands for the 24th year in a row. [67]

    Why it matters — It was the first defeat of Kiss's time as coach. [67] Injuries and a suspension also forced changes in the centres and on the wing. [67]

34. 35

    Shai Hope's record century levels the series

    West Indies beat India by 24 runs in the fourth Twenty20 match on Wednesday, levelling the five-match series at 2-2. [68] Shai Hope scored 102 not out, his third T20 hundred, the most by a West Indies batter. [68] West Indies made 247 for 3, the second-highest first-innings total against India in this format. [68] Keemo Paul took five wickets for 41 runs. [68]

    Why it matters — The deciding match is in Bengaluru on Saturday. [68] Hope has now scored four hundreds in seven innings on this tour. [68]

35. 36

    Wrigley rooftop owner appeals the Cubs' win

    Wrigley View Rooftop, a business across the street from the Chicago Cubs' ballpark, has appealed a ruling that stops it selling seats to watch Cubs games. [69] A federal judge banned the sales this month, finding it wrong for one property to profit from watching events on a neighbour's. [69] The rooftop charged about $125 to $150 a seat. [69] The judge leaned on a 1938 case in which baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates stopped a radio station describing games from a nearby roof. [69]

    Why it matters — The appeal goes to a higher US court, and Sportico notes judges there could see it differently. [69] The rooftop has stopped selling tickets meanwhile. [69]

36. 37

    Women's golf waits on the men's TV deals

    The LPGA, the main women's golf tour, says its next TV deals depend on what the PGA Tour and the NFL agree first. [70] Its current deals with Golf Channel, NBC and CBS are tied to the PGA Tour's $700m-a-year contracts, and the LPGA gets only a small share. [70] Both tours' deals run to 2030. [70] LPGA broadcasts averaged 200,000 viewers this season, up from 150,000 in 2025, commissioner Craig Kessler said on Tuesday. [70]

    2025 average150,000 viewers

    2026 so far200,000 viewers

    Why it matters — If the NFL's next contracts cost broadcasters much more, there may be less money left for smaller sports. [70] Kessler called the LPGA one of the most undervalued properties in sport. [70]

37. 38

    NFL will be choosy about odd game days

    The NFL will be selective about playing on days other than Sunday, Monday and Thursday, its media chief, Hans Schroeder, said on Tuesday. [55] This season it also plays on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, including Christmas Day, a Friday. [55] Schroeder said a Super Bowl outside the US feels a little far off. [55] He said fans would love an 18-game season if the league and the players' union agree to it. [55]

    Why it matters — Schroeder said the league will try new days only when the viewing numbers back up its instincts. [55] This season's opening game moved to a Wednesday because of a quirk in the Week 1 schedule. [55]

38. 39

    Buck and Aikman row over contracts

    Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who have called NFL games together for 25 years, argued before Monday's game, Front Office Sports reports. [71] Buck has a new six-year deal with ESPN, and Aikman has had no formal offer. [71] The pair will call ESPN's first Super Bowl this season. [71]

    Why it matters — ESPN signed both away from Fox in 2022 on five-year deals, and only Buck's has been renewed. [71] Viewers could not tell anything was wrong during Monday's broadcast, a source said. [71]

39. 40

    A video game could pull young fans from TV sport

    Grand Theft Auto VI, a video game out on 19 November, may draw young men away from watching sport, Sportico reports. [72] About 6.08 million copies have been sold before release, worth about $594m. [72] The last game in the series, in 2013, passed $1bn in sales in three days and has earned an estimated $10bn. [72] That is more than all but three NBA clubs are worth. [72]

    Why it matters — Amazon's Prime Video may be most at risk: viewers aged 18 to 34 are 20% of its NFL audience, against about 15% for the older TV channels. [72] Media buyers do not expect a big drop in sports viewing next month. [72]

40. 41

    SportsGrid up for sale

    SportsGrid, which runs a 24-hour TV channel about sport and betting, is being offered to buyers, Front Office Sports reports. [73] Its revenue has fallen since 2022, when it was about $20m. [73] Its partnership with FanDuel, a big betting company, ended in mid-2025. [73] The buyer will likely be a betting or online gaming company, two sources said. [73]

    Why it matters — Its sellers tell buyers it can grow again through licensing and sales deals. [73] Since 2017 it has raised about $8.7m from outside investors. [73]

41. 42

    Zalatoris will miss all of 2027

    Will Zalatoris, a 30-year-old golfer, will miss the whole 2027 PGA Tour season for back surgery, he said on Wednesday. [74] It will be his third major back operation since 2023. [74] He has played only four PGA Tour events in 2026. [74] Zalatoris finished second at three majors in 2021 and 2022 but has won only once on the tour. [74]

    Why it matters — He will play one more event, in Austin in November, before the operation. [74] He said three of the tour's physical therapists told him the surgery had to be done. [74]

42. 43

    NBA tests a ball with a chip inside

    The NBA and Wilson, the ball's maker, have built a ball with a sensor weighing about one gram that records its movement and spin, Sports Illustrated's Mexico edition reports. [75] It could help referees from 2027. [75] It has been tried in the development league, the Summer League and some pre-season games, but only for research. [75] Players could not tell it from a normal ball, commissioner Adam Silver said. [75]

    Why it matters — It would show who touched the ball last before it went out, when cameras cannot. [75] The NBA moved carefully because a new ball in 2006 cut players' fingers and was dropped. [75]

43. 44

    Utah Jazz owner shows a new downtown district

    Ryan Smith, whose company owns basketball's Utah Jazz and hockey's Mammoth, showed plans on Wednesday for a 35-acre district in downtown Salt Lake City. [76][77] It includes a 6,000-seat concert hall, a hotel, an art museum and a new east entrance for the teams' arena, the Delta Center. [76][77] The city raised its sales tax by 0.5% in 2024 to help pay, which should raise $1.2bn over 30 years. [76]

    Why it matters — Most of that tax money is set aside for the project, so shoppers in Salt Lake City are paying for part of it. [76] It is meant to be ready before the Winter Olympics there in 2034. [76]

44. 45

    NASCAR says sponsors are coming back

    Sponsorship is coming back to NASCAR, the US stock-car series, its chief executive, Steve O'Donnell, said on Tuesday. [78] FedEx, a delivery company, will sponsor its Truck Series from 2027 after almost 20 years backing one team. [78] NASCAR now gives $5 to a 'swear jar' for every curse on drivers' radios, and posted a fight between two drivers online, where it drew nearly two million views. [78]

    Why it matters — O'Donnell said letting drivers show emotion is drawing sponsors back. [78] He said team owners like the swear jar less than fans do. [78]

45. 46

    NBA's Instagram hacked to push a crypto coin

    The NBA's official Instagram account briefly showed a post urging people to buy a new crypto coin called NBA Coin on Wednesday. [79] The post was soon taken down. [79] The coin was worth about $3,500 in all by the evening, so few people bought it. [79] The league's accounts were hacked for the same kind of scam in March 2025. [79]

    Why it matters — In the 2025 attack, official NBA accounts in Spain, Britain and elsewhere posted the same kind of fake coin, and NASCAR's account was hit too. [79] The NBA had not commented by Wednesday evening. [79]