Deal Brief · Week of Jun 22
Tracking the deals shaping the business of culture.
Investments
Jake Paul closes oversubscribed $100M growth fund
Anti Fund — the venture firm Paul co-leads with Geoffrey Woo — closed its oversubscribed $100M Growth Fund I, bringing total AUM north of $180M. The portfolio already includes OpenAI, SpaceX, Anduril, Cognition, and Helion, backed by a global LP base spanning institutional investors and family offices.
Gareth Bale launches $500M+ sports private equity fund
The retired Wales and Real Madrid star has formed a sports-focused fund with American PE firm Juggernaut Capital, targeting north of $500M. The vehicle plans to invest across teams and leagues in both men’s and women’s sports.
Kat Stickler joins potato chip brand Snackish as part-owner
The creator has taken a stake in Snackish — a chip brand founded by SmartSweets’ Tara Bosch — which just made its nationwide retail debut at Target.
New ventures
Justin Bieber expands SKYLRK into audio equipment
Justin Bieber is taking his lifestyle brand SKYLRK into consumer tech with an audio line — headphones and speakers merging streetwear aesthetics with personal electronics.
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode drops its first bronzer under e.l.f.
Rhode released Pocket Bronze — its first cream bronzer — as part of its Summer 2026 collection. It’s the first new product since e.l.f. closed its acquisition of the brand last August for up to $1B.
Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions brings World Series of Poker back to ESPN
Omaha Productions will produce the 2026 WSOP Main Event and Final Table for ESPN, marking the tournament’s return to the network.
Ice Cube takes BIG3 public at $290M valuation
The league co-founded by Ice Cube has struck a deal with SPAC Graf Global Corp. to go public later this year at a $290M valuation — giving fans a chance to buy stock in the league. Investors include former Baltimore Orioles owner John Angelos and Fortress Investment Group’s Peter Briger and Drew McKnight.
Brand endorsements
Priyanka Chopra joins Rolex as global brand ambassador
Priyanka Chopra Jonas has officially joined Rolex’s roster of Testimonees — alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Zendaya, and Martin Scorsese — representing the brand from the world of cinema.
Madonna becomes KIKO Milano’s global brand ambassador
The Italian cosmetics brand named Madonna its global ambassador as it makes its first push into the American market — anchoring a U.S. retail rollout starting with three Macy’s doors, with 27 more planned in the coming months.
Harry Kane and Declan Rice sign with Ōura ahead of the World Cup
England’s captain and vice-captain have both signed as global ambassadors for Ōura, using the Ring 5 to monitor sleep, recovery, and daily readiness as the tournament gets underway.
Antoine Semenyo named Ahmad Tea’s global brand ambassador
The Bournemouth and Ghana winger is the lead face of Ahmad Tea’s new “Preparation is Everything” campaign, spanning TV, digital, retail, and on-pack activations globally.
Tyler “TD” Davis named Guardian Sports’ first-ever Loop signature athlete
The former NFL player and flag-football competitor is now the face of Guardian Sports’ Loop headband — a bet that safety gear becomes the next category as flag football heads to the Olympics.
Neymar licenses his AI likeness to microdrama platform FlareFlow
Neymar has licensed his AI likeness for a 16-title vertical microdrama franchise with FlareFlow, spanning sports redemption drama to science fiction — produced using AI-powered live-action workflows.
OG Anunoby is getting a Skechers signature shoe
After his Knicks title run, Skechers confirmed Anunoby is getting his own signature shoe — only the brand’s second basketball signature athlete after Joel Embiid, and the first to win an NBA Finals in a Skechers.
Kelsey Plum joins Adidas
The WNBA star has signed with Adidas, joining a women’s basketball roster that includes Candace Parker, Aliyah Boston, and Satou Sabally. Plum was previously with Under Armour, whose partnership ended in April.
Ice Cube taking BIG3 public is the most interesting play on this list because it flips who gets to own the upside. Most leagues raise money from a handful of PE firms and family offices behind closed doors. This lets any fan buy stock and actually own a piece of the thing they already watch and talk about for free. That's the real unlock for sports and creator brands - turn the audience into shareholders instead of just viewers, and their attention starts compounding for you instead of just for the platform. Gareth Bale launching a $500M fund to buy into teams and leagues is the same thesis from the other side: athletes stop being customers of the sports economy and start being the capital behind it.
Kind of crazy how the new celebrity playbook is no longer just “launch a brand” - it’s build a fund, buy equity, own the upside.