Deal Brief · Week of Aug 10
Tracking the deals shaping the business of culture.
Investments
Bryce Harper and Andy Roddick invest in Jimmie Johnson's Legacy Motor Club
The two-time NL MVP and the 2003 US Open champion join a new ownership group at the Cup Series team alongside IndyCar’s Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan, plus Kelly Slater, Chase Utley, Darius Rucker, Guy Fieri, Away’s Jen Rubio and CrossHarbor’s Sam Byrne. Johnson stays majority owner with Knighthead Capital Management.
Jack Draper, Tom Segura, Gunna and Bethenny Frankel back watch marketplace Bezel
Authenticated luxury watch marketplace Bezel has added four new investors: comedian Tom Segura, rapper Gunna, tennis player Jack Draper, and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel. They join a cap table that already includes Kevin Hart, John Legend, J Balvin, and Michael Rubin. Founded in 2022, Bezel has since passed $1 billion in watch listings.
Arthur Fils takes a stake in performance cosmetics brand Tiva
The French tennis player invested and signed on as ambassador, closing out the funding round the startup opened earlier this year. Tiva makes grip gels and friction balms for athletes and is stocked in 130 retailers across France.
New ventures
Stephen and Ayesha Curry open three restaurants with Michael Mina in Charlotte
The Currys are collaborating with award-winning Chef Michael Mina to roll out a trio of new concepts at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. The first, Bourbon Steak, will be a steakhouse. The second, The Eighth Rule, will be a bourbon-forward cocktail lounge and social dining destination. The third, Sweet July Cafe, will be a lifestyle-forward café.
Mookie Betts launches baseball glove company LGND
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts has launched LGND, a new baseball glove company that is set to debut with two collections: the MOOK Series and MVRK Series. In addition to its premium glove offerings, LGND will feature an interactive glove customization platform that allows players to design a glove that reflects their individual style and preferences.
Kevin Love opens a Topps partner card store in Lake Oswego
Kevin Love and his brother Collin launches The Alley, a new store that sells trading cards, carrying everything from packs of Pokémon cards to a special, mint condition shiny Michael Jordan card. The Topps partner store includes a wall for individual cards, a card pack bar, and a community lounge and breaking studio.
Fundraising and acquisitions
IG Group buys Underdog for up to $1.3 billion, cashing out several early athlete-investors
The London-listed trading firm is paying $1.1 billion upfront plus a $200 million earnout, with up to $850 million more to employees if the company clears $400 million EBITDA in 2028. Kevin Durant, Jared Goff, Matthew Dellavedova and Wilson Chandler came in on a $10 million round in 2021, when Underdog was valued at $485 million.
Beyoncé buys out Moët Hennessy’s stake in SirDavis
She now owns the American whisky outright, two years after launching it with the LVMH group as its first US spirits brand built in-house rather than acquired.
Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions merges with the PFL
The combined company runs under the MVP banner with close to 400 fighters across boxing, MMA, live events and distribution, led by PFL chief John Martin, previously chairman and CEO of Turner. Paul and Nakisa Bidarian stay on as co-founders and board members, with existing shareholders 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management coming in as founding investors.
Partnerships
Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS enters India through an exclusive deal with Reliance Brands
Reliance will operate SKIMS across physical retail and digital, opening first in Delhi and Mumbai before a phased rollout. India follows London and Dubai on the brand’s international map, with Hong Kong and Seoul next.
Sydney Sweeney launches a $22 Erewhon smoothie for her lingerie brand SYRN
Sydney Sweeney has landed an Erewhon collab, launching the Blueberry SYRN — it blends MALK organic almond milk, blueberries, açaí and almond butter with vanilla bone broth protein and Erewhon’s organic A2 whey. The name does double duty. SYRN is Sweeney’s own lingerie brand, launched in January 2026 and backed by Coatue Management, so the smoothie doubles as a media buy for a business she wholly founded rather than a one-off endorsement.
De’Aaron Fox launches a Sharpie capsule with Under Armour
The limited-edition D. Fox x Sharpie collection turns hand-drawn sketches inspired by the Spurs guard’s story into footwear and apparel built on his signature line.
Brand endorsements
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz sign long-term deals with Oura
Oura has signed tennis players Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz to long-term partnerships, announced heading into the 2026 US Open. Gauff’s leans on her reading life and family legacy. Fritz’s campaign frames him as the athlete-entrepreneur, launching with a digital takeover in The Athletic and extending to LinkNYC kiosks across New York City and print in The New York Times.
Luka Modrić joins Kerma Games as brand ambassador and celebrity IP partner
The Croatia captain joins a roster of global names the studio has been assembling across sport and entertainment.
Nike signs 11 high school football players to NIL deals
The prep class was selected at The Opening Finals at Nike’s Philip H. Knight Campus and spans the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes, the brand’s largest disclosed high school group.
Bella Hadid fronts Alo’s Pre-Fall 2026 campaign
Her second for the brand after Fall 2025, shot in Los Angeles by Mert & Marcus and running across the Airlift Rebel bra, the Trail sneaker and the Softsculpt Precision tank.
Karina joins Converse as global brand ambassador
Converse has officially announced K-pop group Aespa member Karina as its newest global brand ambassador. She models two key sneaker styles: the refined Chuck 70 X and the bold platform Run Star Crush.
Pomellato names Yang Zi global brand ambassador
Kering-owned Milanese jeweler Pomellato has appointed Chinese actress Yang Zi as its global brand ambassador. Her debut campaign for the maison spotlights the Nudo collection, shot by photographer Chen Man.
Montblanc names Wang Anyu brand ambassador
Luxury maison Montblanc has appointed Chinese actor Wang Anyu as its newest brand ambassador. Known for roles in “Dreaming Back to the Qing Dynasty,” “The Last Immortal,” and “Romance in the Alley,” Wang has nearly 9.5 million followers on Weibo.
The number that should stop every athlete mid-scroll: Durant, Goff, Dellavedova and Chandler put $10M into Underdog back in 2021 at a $485M valuation. Four years later it sells for up to $1.3B. That's not a check for showing up to a campaign, that's what happens when you take equity early in something you actually believe in and let it compound while everyone else is cashing endorsement fees. Sydney Sweeney's Erewhon smoothie is the same instinct on a smaller scale - it's not a one-off collab, it's a media buy for the lingerie brand she actually owns. Same math, different stage.