Deal Brief · Week of Jun 29
Tracking the deals shaping the business of culture.
Investments
Jalen Brunson takes equity in Just Salad
The Knicks star and 2026 Finals MVP has become a partner and equity owner in the New York–born fast-casual chain — its first-ever athlete partnership and his first restaurant investment. Brunson will be embedded in operations, working with the leadership and culinary teams.
Pat McAfee joins PB&J brand Jams as co-owner
The host's first food and beverage investment is a leadership position with Jams, a PB&J brand that launched in July 2025 and has nationwide distribution at Walmart and Target.
Baker Mayfield, Jalen Williams, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone invest in OKC's new soccer club
The Heisman winner, Thunder forward, and Olympic gold medalist are backing Oklahoma City's new professional soccer club and its surrounding stadium district, developed by Echo Investment Capital.
New ventures
Grace Beverley becomes co-owner of Water2
The serial founder behind TALA and SHREDDY has taken a co-ownership stake in Water2 and launched Water2skin, a shower-filter range for skin and hair. She was a customer first — her fiancé installed the filters at home before she signed on.
Matty Matheson and Ricky Staffieri launch film studio Super Athletic Film Co.
The Bear’s Fak brothers have teamed with producer Hannah Welever to launch a production company focused on original film and TV. Its first feature, Grind, won the 2026 Frontières Platform at Cannes’ Marché du Film.
NBA players union launches commercial arm PLYRS UNTD
The NBPA has launched PLYRS UNTD, a consumer-facing brand built to commercialize the collective name, image, and likeness rights of NBA players — created in collaboration with Kendrick Lamar’s creative agency, Project 3. It will pursue licensing, merchandise, content, and player-brand collaborations.
Fundraising and acquisitions
L Catterton invests in Mara Roszak’s haircare brand Rōz
The consumer-focused PE firm has taken a significant minority stake in Rōz, the clean haircare line from celebrity stylist Mara Roszak — whose red-carpet clients include Emma Stone and Zoe Saldaña. Existing backers Silas Capital and G9 Ventures joined the round.
Brand endorsements
Darryn Peterson signs one of the richest rookie shoe deals in NBA history
The No. 2 pick re-upped long-term with Adidas — the brand that first signed him at 16 — in one of the richest rookie sneaker contracts the league has seen.
Jude Bellingham joins men’s grooming brand Onside
The Real Madrid and England midfielder has signed as partner and global ambassador for Onside, the premium men’s personal care brand co-founded by NBA star Jayson Tatum.
Kaia Gerber named Uni’s first Creative Partner in Residence
The luxury body care brand tapped Gerber for a long-term role spanning content, product innovation, and creative direction — launching with a Theo Wenner–shot campaign for its 24-Hour Body Serum.
Kim You Jung joins Charles & Keith as global brand ambassador
The Singapore-based footwear and accessories brand named the South Korean actress its newest global ambassador.
Kilian Jornet joins AI running app Kotcha as athlete founder
The trail-running legend has come on as an athlete founder at Kotcha, alongside marathon great Eliud Kipchoge. The AI platform turns elite training philosophies into adaptive plans that flex around a runner’s life.
Media deals
Mercedes Ron signs first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios
The My Fault author has signed a first-look deal to executive-produce every future adaptation of her books, and can bring other authors’ IP to the studio for adaptation.
Alex Cooper partners with Google Pixel on microdrama
Cooper is entering the microdrama space with Moving On, a 14-episode branded vertical series produced by her media company Unwell in partnership with Google Pixel.
Roles and appointments
Novak Djokovic joins General Atlantic as Global Strategic Advisor
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is joining the growth-equity firm as a Global Strategic Advisor, working directly with leadership, portfolio companies, and investors across healthcare, life sciences, consumer, and tech.
PLYRS UNTD is the most important story on this list and it's buried at the bottom. The NBPA isn't just protecting players anymore, it's building a commercial vehicle that owns the collective NIL rights of an entire league. That's leverage no single athlete can build alone - a brand deal that can license the whole roster is worth more than the sum of individual deals, and now the union captures that premium instead of leaving it for whoever licenses players one at a time. Jalen Brunson taking equity instead of a sponsorship fee in Just Salad is the individual version of the same instinct: stop renting out your name, start owning the thing you're promoting.