Highlight Reel: Kings League Kicks Off New Era on OneFootball ⚽
Plus, the $4B sports investment partnership shaking things up and the PGA Tour’s creative push to connect with younger fans...
Good morning!
It’s been a busy start to the year, and this week’s newsletter is no exception. First, a quick thank-you to those who joined our first Sports Pundit Coffee Break in London. It was great to see familiar faces and hear fresh perspectives over a cuppa. If you missed it, we’d love to see you next time (or help you set one up in your city!)
Now onto the good stuff. This week, we’re diving into conversations lighting up the WhatsApp Group:
Kings League’s bold move with OneFootball ⚽
The $4B sports investment partnership shaking things up 🌍
The PGA Tour’s creative push to connect with younger fans ⛳️
These stories aren’t just about what’s happening—they’re about what’s next. Whether it’s fan engagement, investments, or new audiences, they highlight how innovation is reshaping sports.
Let’s get into it:
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KING MAKERS
Kings League Kicks Off New Era on OneFootball ⚽
The Kings League has launched an official channel on OneFootball, bringing its dynamic competitions to a global audience via the platform's mobile, connected TV apps, and website.
For those unfamiliar, Kings League is the disruptive, fast-paced seven-a-side football competition founded by former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué. Known for its innovative rules, the league blends traditional football with elements of entertainment and gaming culture to engage younger audiences.
This partnership debuted at the Kings World Cup Nations 2025, which concluded on Sunday, offering highlights, on-demand content, and live-streamed matches from the quarterfinals to the final—all available for free in over 100 territories, including Spain, Germany, France, and the UK.
With over 200 million monthly users, OneFootball provides a prime stage for Kings League to engage a digital-first, football-savvy audience, while also opening up new sponsorship and advertising opportunities for brands.
The deal follows recent partnership announcements with the likes of DFL Bundesliga, Serie A, Saudi Pro League, and Major League Soccer.
Why It Matters:
This move not only amplifies the league’s visibility but also redefines how modern football content can be distributed, blending mass appeal with targeted fan engagement.
For rightsholders like Kings League, building a standalone OTT platform can be challenging and resource-intensive. This partnership offers a scalable way to achieve deeper fan engagement without the same operational burden, all while collecting valuable audience data.
By tapping into OneFootball’s audience—already deeply invested in football—it also captures fans further down the engagement funnel, complementing its broader top-of-funnel reach on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
🎧 Listen Up: Unlocking the Value of OneFootball's Owned and Operated Audience
📰 Read More: How Napoli’s Pre-Season Pass Helped OneFootball Score Serie A UK Streaming Deal
SP PODCAST
Jessica Hammond-Graf: Launching a Professional Women's Rugby League in the U.S. 🏉
On this week’s episode, I was joined by Jessica Hammond Graf, President of Women’s Elite Rugby - the first professional women’s rugby league in the US set to launch later this year.
Built upon the strong foundation of the Women’s Premier League and looking ahead to the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup to be hosted in the U.S., WER aims to usher in the next stage of evolution for world-class women's rugby and Jessica is the perfect fit at the helm. A former US rugby 7's player, and retired NCAA Division I Deputy Athletic Director, her career has been dedicated to creating empowered women to lead in the sporting world.
In our conversation, we discuss turning women’s rugby in the U.S. from pay-to-play to paid-to-play, selecting locations for the initial teams, securing sponsors and media distribution, the impact star players can have on a sport, and so much more.
Read More: Becoming Elite: Launching the First Professional Women's Rugby League in the U.S. 🏉
OPINION
🗣️ George Pyne: Are Athletes’ Future Earnings a New Frontier for Sports Investing?
“The trend of investing in emerging professional athletes is an intriguing development in the sports finance landscape, offering a blend of emotional engagement and potential financial reward. It is a strong representation of how premium sports and alternative investing alike are coming within the reach of retail investors, thanks in large part to advances in technology.
For institutional investors and asset managers, there lies a compelling opportunity to evolve this strategy, creating funds that reshape the way we view sports investment opportunities beyond teams and leagues.
As these new frontiers unfold, however, it is imperative to navigate the administrative considerations thoughtfully. The future of investing in promising athletes may hold exciting possibilities, but it must be approached with care and integrity.”
INVESTMENT SURJ
Enfield and SURJ Unite to Redefine Global Sports Investment 🌍
Enfield Investment Partners and Saudi Arabia’s SURJ Sports Investment have announced a strategic partnership to work together to invest in global sports properties and assets.
The collaboration coincides with the launch of Enfield’s $4 billion global sports asset fund, targeting investments in teams, leagues, media, and sports infrastructure worldwide.
SURJ, established in 2023 under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 framework, has been focused on accelerating growth in the MENA region by investing in event IP, fan engagement, and transformative sports technology.
By combining SURJ’s regional expertise with Enfield’s North American market presence, the two investment powerhouses aim to discover and capitalise on opportunities that strengthen fan engagement, enhance commercial value, and deliver meaningful economic and social returns.
As part of the agreement, Enfield will open a regional office in Riyadh, reinforcing bilateral ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.
Why It Matters:
For SURJ, this could represent a bold expansion of its vision beyond the MENA region, leveraging its expertise to create a lasting impact on the global sports ecosystem.
For Enfield, the collaboration provides unparalleled access to Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing sports sector, which has already transformed global perceptions through high-profile investments, hosting major sporting events, and their recent successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
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HIGHLIGHTS
The Snow League, a NYC-based professional winter sports league for snowboarding and freeskiing, has raised $15M in funding led by Left Lane Capital 🏔️
The Australian Open is streaming matches on YouTube with a twist: players are animated as cartoon avatars resembling Nintendo Wii Sports characters. The move is reportedly designed to circumvent media rights restrictions 🎾
The National Cycling League (NCL) has ceased operations after a year-long hiatus, with CEO Andrea Pagnanelli announcing she's exploring new opportunities 🚴♂️
A group of investors, advised by Maverick Carter, is reportedly raising $5B to form an international basketball league to rival the NBA 🏀
Amateur team Bourgoin-Jallieu shocked five-time winners Lyon with a penalty shootout victory to reach the French Cup round of 16, sparking a pitch invasion from ecstatic home fans ⚽
Arsenal legend Sol Campbell leans into his infamous 2001 Spurs-to-Arsenal transfer in a new Google Pixel ad by Fuse agency, reigniting one of football’s most notorious rivalries 📱
A CREATIVE DIRECTION
PGA Tour Turns to YouTube Creators to Attract Younger Fans ⛳️
The PGA Tour is betting big on YouTube creators to drive interest in its events, announcing a new Creator Series that will showcase popular golf content creators competing in tournaments tied to key Tour events.
Building on the success of last year’s Creator Classic, which debuted at the 2024 Tour Championship, the PGA Tour and its production partner, Pro Shop, plan to feature over 20 creators, including several returning participants.
This year's series will include competitions at The Players Championship (March), The Truist Championship (May), and The Tour Championship (August).
The matches will be streamed across the PGA Tour YouTube Channel, ESPN+, Peacock, and the PGA Tour’s free streaming platforms.
Why It Matters:
The PGA Tour’s inaugural Creator Classic proved the potential of this strategy, with PGA Tour Senior VP Chris Wandell noting it as a “valuable testing ground” for connecting fans with creators in new ways.
For younger audiences, creators bring authenticity and relatability that traditional media often lacks. By leveraging creators’ reach and influence, the PGA Tour not only draws attention to its events but also builds deeper connections with digital-first fans.
As Pro Shop co-founder Chad Mumm put it, “This model could become a blueprint for other sports leagues to follow.” With a successful test run under its belt, the PGA Tour is leaning into the creator economy as a way to redefine fan engagement and future-proof its audience.
N.B. Its importance to clarify a distinction between ‘creator’ and ‘celebrity’ - as one SP member put it “some creators are celebrities but most celebs are not creators.”
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OPINION
🗣️ Praveen Gopal Krishnan: Going out of India is easier than going out in India
“There’s a fundamental truth that’s becoming increasingly apparent to many Indians—if you want to attend live events like concerts, sporting events or performances, it’s not worth doing it in India. The experience overseas is enormously better, and you don’t have to worry about all the unpredictability that goes into attending events in India. It’s always been fashionable for a certain class of Indians to fly out of India to attend events, but after witnessing the Boxing Day Test, I’m convinced that the intensity with which this will happen in the future is going to surprise a lot of people. We are at the early stage of a major inflection point in event tourism—millions of Indians will prefer to take their passport and fly 4,000 km to Singapore to watch a concert instead of travelling 50 km by road to NICE Grounds in Madavara, Bengaluru.”
WRAP UP
That’s a wrap for this week—thank you to everyone who’s part of our growing community and for making it such a dynamic space to share and learn.
I’d love to take a second to acknowledge Dr Chris Busey - a former guest on the SP Podcast - who recently received the Black Soccer Coaches Hercules Award. An amazing achievement 👏
A massive shoutout also goesto Mike Shapiro for his generous offer to facilitate learning through introductions to people well connected to topics that took the group’s interest, as well as sharing an insightful question from his interview process. His contributions earn him this week’s ‘Contributor of the Week.’
We’re thrilled to continue to welcome amazing new members to the Sports Pundit community! Shoutouts to:
Wyatt Burrows (DC Power FC)
Lucien Okill (ENS)
Ian Tussie (T8 Partnerships)
Chris Mullock (Lancashire Cricket Club)
Tom Anderton (TEAM Marketing)
Brant Hubber (Australian Football League)
Chantal Epp (ClicknClear & World Champion Cheerleader)
André Antonelli (Machina Sports)
Luke Pileggi (SponsorUnited)
Anna-Rose Gabbitass (Sports Industry Group)
Julian Smith (Sportian)
Martí Ruiz (Guinew Agency, Sports World Congress)
Kevin Dunford (First 5 Media)
Lisa Furfine (Linkroom)
James Middleton (Decollare Capital)
Mark Scoles-Haas (Centrefield)
Dele Oniya (SideLynes)
Not part of the group yet? What are you waiting for?
EVENTS
The group chat is fantastic, but we know the best connections happen face-to-face. That’s why our community events are all about being simple, accessible, and meaningful—hosted by members, for members.
Want to attend an event or even host one yourself? It’s super easy—just head over to the website and apply. Here’s to building connections that matter!
Next event: Happy Hour in London (Victoria) on the 30th of January 🍻
Not yet a subscriber? Join over 3,000 sports business leaders, from Formula 1 to the Premier League, that read Sports Pundit every week to get impactful industry insights.