Deal Brief · Week of Jun 8
Tracking the deals shaping the business of culture.
Investments
Luka Dončić takes a stake in Italian club Vanoli Cremona
The Lakers star has joined an investor group, led by former Mavericks executive Donnie Nelson, that bought Lega Basket Serie A club Vanoli Cremona. The group plans to relocate the club to Rome for the 2026–27 season and has bid for it to represent the city in the NBA’s planned European league, which could launch as soon as 2027.
Anthony Edwards, Kyler Murray, Tracy McGrady and others take equity in EV maker Karma
Luxury EV manufacturer Karma Automotive launched Karma Nexus, an invitation-only ownership program. Athletes including Anthony Edwards, Kyler Murray, Bryce Young, Dylan Harper, Ron Harper Jr., and Tracy McGrady joined as investors in the company, in addition to becoming customers.
Elina Svitolina joins French startup Tiva as ambassador and investor
The tennis star has taken an equity stake in Tiva alongside a brand-ambassador role, combining the partnership with a direct investment in the company.
Fundraising and acquisitions
Khloé Kardashian’s Khloud raises $15M
The protein-popcorn brand raised $15M, bringing total funding to $27M since its 2025 launch. The brand says the round will fund distribution at Walmart, Target, and Starbucks and an expansion into chips.
Eli Manning's investment firm buys RCX Sports, the company behind NFL Flag
Brand Velocity Group — the PE firm where the two-time Super Bowl MVP is a partner — has acquired RCX Sports from Raine Partners. RCX runs the official youth programs for the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLS, NHL, and MLB, including NFL Flag, which has more than 830,000 players.
HarbourView acquires Stefflon Don’s music catalog
The investment firm has bought the British rapper’s music catalog, adding it to its roster of artist rights.
New ventures
Grupo Frontera launches its own label, BorderTown Records
The música Mexicana group has launched a record label, BorderTown Records, taking control of its output and release strategy.
Sydney Sweeney launches production company Honey Trap
After the finale of Euphoria, Sweeney formed Honey Trap with collaborator Kaylee McGregor, who will serve as president of production and development. The company has a first-look deal with Sony Pictures, where Sweeney starred in and executive-produced Anyone But You.
Brand endorsements
Stephen Curry signs a 10-year, $400M-plus deal with Li-Ning
After ending his Under Armour partnership, Curry signed with Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning to expand Curry Brand globally. The deal covers basketball products, athleisure, a golf line, and the ability for Curry to sign other athletes, and Li-Ning plans Curry Brand stores in the U.S. and China.
BLACKPINK's Jennie becomes Vaseline's first global ambassador
Unilever-owned Vaseline named Jennie its first global ambassador for body care — the first such appointment in the brand's roughly 150-year history — fronting its Gluta-Hya and Pro Derma lines.
Kendall Jenner becomes K-beauty brand Anua's first global ambassador
Anua named Jenner its first-ever global ambassador in a multi-year deal. The brand surpassed $500M in global revenue in 2025 across 160 countries and was TikTok Shop U.S.'s top beauty brand in 2024.
WNBA's Sophie Cunningham and Monique Billings sign with European Wax Center
The two WNBA players have signed an endorsement deal with European Wax Center.
Partnerships
Rafa Nadal Academy's Padel Tour expands across Europe with Holafly as global partner
The academy's amateur padel circuit is adding stops in Poland, the UK, and Germany — having already launched in the U.S. — with travel-eSIM company Holafly as its global partner.
Media deals
Jay Shetty’s podcast lands a joint Netflix–Spotify deal worth up to $100M
The On Purpose host signed a multi-year deal to bring his video episodes exclusively to Netflix and Spotify starting July 13, moving them off YouTube. It is the first time the two companies have jointly signed a creator, and the deal follows the end of Shetty’s run with iHeartMedia.
The detail buried in the Curry-Li-Ning deal is the real story: he didn't just sign a bigger shoe contract, he got the right to sign other athletes under Curry Brand. That turns his name from a single endorsement into a platform other players can build a career inside of - he's not just the face of the brand anymore, he's running a piece of the roster. Anthony Edwards, Kyler Murray and that group taking equity in Karma instead of just being customers is the same instinct at a different price point: buy into what you already spend on, don't just spend on it.