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Welcome to Office Chair Sports! Your home for everything Sports & Biz! Today, we’re covering top news about:

• EA College Bball Revival

• Koch Family Buys In Giants

• NIL Monthly Payments Still High

• Crypto.com + Underdog Sports

• NFL Redzone

1. EA’s College Bball Revival May Be Over Already

In a surprising turn of events, EA Sports has reportedly canceled its plans for a new college basketball video game. A memo from EA Sports vice president Sean O'Brien indicates that the company has rescinded licensing offers to schools. The reason given is that some schools have instead accepted a competing offer from rival 2K Sports for inclusion in their own basketball games.

This decision comes just a year after EA successfully relaunched its college football series, "EA Sports College Football 25." The company's last college basketball game, "NCAA Basketball 10," was released in 2009. The cancellation leaves 2K Sports as the dominant force in the basketball video game market.

EA's college basketball revival may be over before it really began

How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups to unlock outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut’s valuation increased 89,900% in the same timeframe.

No wonder 10K+ everyday people are taking the chance on Pacaso.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso’s co-ownership tech reshapes the $1.3T vacation home market. They’ve earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same institutional investors behind Uber, Venmo, and eBay backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Pacaso’s investment opportunity ends September 18.

Invest While You Still Can

_{Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.}

2. Koch Family To Buy Stake In Giants

The Koch family has reportedly agreed to purchase a 10% minority stake in the New York Giants, a deal that would value the team at a record-breaking $10 billion. The transaction, led by Julia Koch and her family, is pending approval by NFL owners. This marks the second recent sports investment for the Kochs in New York, following their acquisition of a stake in the company that owns the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty. The Mara and Tisch families will remain the majority owners of the Giants.

Reports: Koch family to buy stake in Giants at $10B valuation

3. NIL Deals Reach $80M in July

In its first report since launching in June, the new College Sports Commission announced it has cleared over 8,300 NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals for college athletes, totaling nearly $80 million.

The commission's NIL Go platform, which vets all NIL contracts of $600 or more, has seen over 28,300 athletes and nearly 3,200 agents register since June 11. While the majority of deals have been approved, 332 were not cleared due to common issues like missing information, contradictory terms, or a lack of "valid business purpose." The highest-value deal approved to date was worth $1.8 million.

More than 8,300 NIL deals worth $80M approved by new commission

4. Underdog & Crypto.com Partner

Underdog and Crypto.com Partner on New Sports Prediction Market

Fantasy and sports gaming operator Underdog has partnered with Crypto.com to launch a new type of sports betting. The companies will offer sports prediction markets in 16 states, with a focus on areas where traditional sports betting is not legal.

Unlike a traditional sportsbook, these markets allow users to trade contracts based on the outcome of a sporting event. The odds change in real time based on market movements, similar to financial trading.

This move positions Underdog as a pioneer in the rapidly growing prediction market industry. It also aims to tap into large markets like California, Texas, and Florida, where legal sports betting faces regulatory or tribal-gaming hurdles. The legal status of these prediction markets is still being reviewed by federal regulators. Analysts estimate the sports prediction market could be worth over $500 million this year.

Crypto.com and Underdog partner to offer sports prediction markets

5. NFL Redzone with Commercials?

Get ready for a big change to your Sunday ritual: NFL RedZone will air commercials for the first time ever this season.

After years of its "seven hours of commercial-free football" promise, host Scott Hanson confirmed the shift on "The Pat McAfee Show." He assured viewers that while the business side of the broadcast is changing, the on-field action won't be compromised. According to Hanson, the broadcast will "not miss a touchdown" and won't sacrifice any football coverage for the business side of things.

The change comes after ESPN's recent acquisition of NFL Network and other NFL media assets, including the rights to NFL RedZone. 

NFL RedZone will have commercials for the first time, host says

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