Welcome to The Sports Road

Welcome to the first-ever edition of the Sports Road by SportsIcon - the Sports and Technology newsletter that will make you laugh, make you cringe and make you think - similar to a press conference with Jose Mourinho.

Quick note - we’ve gone pretty crazy on the rewards for referrals to this newsletter (sports tickets, $2000 and more!) check the referral link here and at the bottom.

Here's what we got for ya today:

• Football star Gerard Pique is bringing a new audience to football with the launch of the Kings League, a 12-team, seven-a-side competition with team presidents from the worlds of football, streaming and social media.
• The WWE is taking steps towards a potential multi-billion dollar sale and entering high-stakes TV negotiations for its next cycle of media rights
• Sports merchandiser Fanatics is selling its 60% stake in sports-focused NFT (non-fungible token) firm Candy Digital to an investor group led by Michael Novogratz's Galaxy Digital
• Robots are taking over baseball - the Automated Balls and Strikes System (ABS) will be used in all 30 Triple-A ballparks in 2023.

Most valuable public market sports teams

Now, onto the good stuff...

Kings League founded by Pique launches

Fresh off a public pasting from ex wife Shakira (her new song includes the lyrics ‘I’m worth two 22 year olds, you traded a Ferrari for a Twingo. Brutal 😂)

Barcelona legend Pique has launched the Kings League

• The league format is similar to cricket's T20, with a focus on speed and drama
• The first 10 players were picked via a draft that was streamed on Twitch in December, with the 11th and 12th players as ringers, often ex-professionals
• Big names involved include Sergio Aguero, Iker Casillas, and Javier Hernandez
• The league aims to attract a younger audience to the game and showcase the skills of technical players

UPDATE Pique has now struck back by buying a Twingo and driving it to training, incredible scenes

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Vince looks to sell the WWE!

• WWE has retained The Raine Group as financial advisor, Kirkland & Ellis as legal advisor, and August LLC as strategic communications advisor
• Will review "strategic alternatives" to maximize shareholder value
• Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has emerged as a potential bidder, with $620 billion in assets and already bankrolling the breakaway LIV Golf tour
• Other potential suitors could Comcast's NBC Universal Media, Fox Corp, Amazon, The Walt Disney Co, Endeavor, Liberty Media and Global talent agency CAA.

Bear market bites back as Fanatics give up on NFTs

Sports merchandiser Fanatics is reportedly selling its 60% stake in sports-focused NFT (non-fungible token) firm Candy Digital to an investor group led by Michael Novogratz's Galaxy Digital.

• The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
• Candy Digital is said to have raised $100 million in a Series A funding round in October 2021, at a $1.5 billion valuation.

Robot umpires are taking over baseball

If you think baseball is just a game, it's not anymore.

It's a sport facing technological advancements & automation.

Which could change the way we see and enjoy the game.

• So it makes sense that the Automated Balls and Strikes System (ABS) will be used in all 30 Triple-A ballparks in 2023.
• The ABS system will be deployed in two different ways; half of games will have all calls determined by an electronic strike zone, and the other half will have an ABS challenge system.
• This is a big deal because it brings the electronic strike zone closer to the MLB and could lead to even bigger changes in the future.

Exhibit A, ladies & gents, for how baseball is evolving with technology.

Quick bites

NFL Using Computer Simulation to Study Concussions and Injuries: Digital Athlete Initiative Reconstructs Injury Scenarios for Research

Apple TV Eyes Premier League Broadcast Rights: Company Looks to Transform Topflight Broadcast with Potential Bid, Building on Upcoming 10-Year MLS Contract and Recent Documentary Release

Netflix to Release Documentary on 2022 World Cup in Qatar: Special Access with all 32 teams to be Included in Summer Release

Meme of the week

Dieunerst Collin, also known as "The Popeyes meme kid," has been signed to a deal by Popeyes. He is currently a freshman offensive lineman at Lake Erie College, a Division II school.

Quote of the week

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare."

Muhammad Ali

Photo of the week

Messi and Pele ❤️

Messi wearing a tribute to Pele