Welcome back to the Spotlight! This week I am reporting to you on location in the land of Maverick, Ron Burgundy, the Padres and once upon a time, the Chargers—San Diego, California. I am here for my firm retreat, so tempus fugit. All I really have to say is that the weather is beautiful until the sun goes down—after which I’d be shivering in my knickers if not for the warm feeling of the New York Knicks’ dominant 51(!) point victory over the Atlanta Hawks to propel them to next round of the NBA playoffs. Still I made time (couldn’t sleep due to jet lag) to deliver a few quick hitters.
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- Projected first pick in this year’s NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa trades in his $4 million NIL deal with Nike for a multi-million dollar professional endorsement deal with the brand, complete with his own logo for signature shoes. Through Nike’s investment in the young talent, they see Dybantsa a shoe-win.
- Last week’s London Marathon featured two runners (Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha) becoming the first ever to finish the race in under two hours, due in part to $500 pairs of Adidas sneakers Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3. In other words, two two-hour feats on two feet thanks to what two were wearing on two feet.
- *Non-foot/shoe story*: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently launched a sunscreen product under his PAPATUI men’s skincare brand, presumably driven by a desire to capitalize on the men’s skincare market as well as to protect sunbathers who have over-consumed his Teremana tequila.
Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments
Taking Formation: Soccer Advisor Tackles Investing ‘Bottleneck’
April 30, 2026 via Sportico
LIV Golf Announces New Focus and Board After Saudi Arabia Pulls Funding
April 30, 2026 via USA Today
Haslams’ $205M NWSL Expansion Fee Guarantees $165M Blank Check
April 28, 2026 via Sportico
Why Some Celebrity Restaurants Last 30 Years and Most Die in 18 Months
April 27, 2026 via Restaurant News Resource
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Wants Men to Stop Skipping Sunscreen — So He Made One That’s ‘Simple, Effective and Easy’
April 24, 2026 via New York Post
Sports
Tubi Set to Premiere New Klutch/UTA-Backed Docuseries About World Cup Prep
April 30, 2026 via Sports Business Journal
Dybantsa Ups NIL Deal to Pro Nike Partnership
April 29, 2026 via ESPN
Lions Star Files Lawsuit Claiming NCAA, Conferences Unlawfully Profited from his Likeness
April 28, 2026 via Fox
New York City to Hold Free World Cup Fan Events in Each Borough
April 27, 2026 via Associated Press
Sub-2-Hour Marathon Marks Symbolic Zenith for Adidas
April 26, 2026 via Sportico
Music Biz
Taylor Swift Wants to Trademark Her Likeness. These TikTok Deepfake Ads Show Why
April 29, 2026 via Wired
Universal Music Group to Sell Half of Its Spotify Stake, Reports $3.3 Billion in Revenue
April 29, 2026 via Hollywood Reporter
Jimi Hendrix Bandmates’ Estates Lose Court Case Against Record Label
April 28, 2026 via The Guardian
Spotify Apparently Has No Solid Plan to Label AI-Generated Music
April 28, 2026 via Digital Trends News
Concord Acquires Mothership Music Publishing and its 5,000-Song Catalog
April 27, 2026 via Music Business Worldwide
Film & TV
L.A.'s Comedy Scene is in a Golden Era. Netflix Is a Joke Proves it
April 29, 2026 via AOL
NBA Sees Early Playoff Ratings Boost, Driven by Over-the-Air Games
April 29, 2026 via Awful Announcing
‘Casper’ Live-Action Series In Works At Disney+ From Rob Letterman, Hilary Winston, Steven Spielberg & UCP
April 29, 2026 via Deadline
YouTube’s Ad Business Hit $9.88 Billion Last Quarter
April 29, 2026 via Hollywood Reporter
CW Lands Long-Awaited Streaming Outlet in New Deal with ESPN App
April 29, 2026 via Sports Business Journal
NFL, Skydance Sports Deepen Partnership with Creation of Content Studio
April 28, 2026 via Awful Announcing
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