The NHL playoffs have not disappointed this year as nearly every series has been exciting to watch. With the Blackhawks up big, it appears it will be Chicago vs Tampa Bay for the Stanley Cup. It’s hard not to root for the Lightning and their well respected owner, Jeff Vinik. Darren looked at Nike’s potential involvement in some of the FIFA briberies this week on FORBES: (1) New York’s Chance To Be King Of The Online Poker Hill; (2) Nike Implicated In Soccer Bribery Scheme. And, as always, the weekly wrap-up:
Basketball
- Butler is now charging $30,000 for a two hour appearance [Why this Chicago Bull is cracking the celebrity club]
- WME will be handling Kobe’s post-basketball opportunities [Kobe Bryant Signs With WME]
Sports Business
- FanDuel’s explosive growth has led to many new hirings [FanDuel Hires the Majority of Zynga’s Recently Discarded Sports Division]
- I expect many more sports teams to invest in STEM students [Sporting KC Partners With Engineering Company To Launch STEM Company]
- FanDuel’s marketing/activation opportunities are in new hands [Horizon’s Scout Sports And Entertainment Scores FanDuel Account]