Tom Brady brings CardVault to Chicago | Most Valuable Sports Empire

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July 23rd:  CST Pitch Night - TechWeek Chicago

Bears test waters on fan appetite for amenities, exorbitant prices at potential new stadium Since the Bears are apparently all-in on Arlington Heights, it’s time to gauge what prices the fanbase will stomach at the new stadium. We’ve seen multiple renderings rolled out over what feels like ages. The next phase before the project can officially begin is naturally to see what you can charge people once there. As most pro sports teams know, owning your stadium and making it a year-round attraction generates much more revenue. Instead of limiting yourself to just 10 home games (including preseason), why not include some dive bars and super fan shops to keep people there even in May? Bears’ president Kevin Warren has vowed to get some kind of construction going before the end of this year. With the clock ticking before another NFL season begins, everyone (perhaps excluding the front office) is hoping for a final resolution on the stadium to avoid another season riddled with distractions. See what types of prices the Bears were trying to float for season tickets here.

Angel Reese debuts signature Reebok sneaker on NBA video game cover Few in the sports industry know how to both capitalize on their rising fame and handle the pressure that goes with it better than Angel Reese. She’s at 20 endorsement deals and counting. Her debut on the cover of NBA 2K26 and her signature shoe with Reebok are the most significant so far. Reese has the personality backed by her play on the court that the WNBA continues to lean on to help the game grow. Reebok made Reese their top goal last year after Shaq became their president of basketball. If anyone knows how to capitalize on fame and game, it’s the man who you can find on display on your cruise ship (Carnival), while buying staples (Office Depot), and when you have the craving for pizza (Papa John’s). Don’t be surprised if you catch Reese brewing coffee or pouring wine as part of an ad the next time you’re on the L. Check out more on the sneaker design and how much Reese’s endorsement deals have earned her in just 2 years as a pro.

CardVault by Tom Brady opening Chicago store Brady has picked Chicago as CardVault’s first location outside of the northeast. The surefire Hall of Fame quarterback cemented his legacy over 20 seasons in New England, the natural location choice for the inaugural stores. It says a lot about what Chicago has to offer that he’s choosing to expand here first after success on his old stomping grounds. Brady has a 50% ownership stake in CardVault, one of several trading card companies that have boomed since the pandemic. Its location and timing are both prime to set up a successful store. It’s located in Wrigleyville right across from Wrigley Field, where the Cubs are playing some of their best baseball in almost a decade. High-spirited Cubbies are sure to drift into the store after a win and grab a Kerry Wood or Mark Grace card. Axios reports on when the shop will open.

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Wimbledon Makes Half a Billion Dollars Over Two Weeks Each Year The title says it all. The most prestigious tournament in the game makes good use of its brand name. Last year, Wimbledon generated $555 million in revenue, a 162% increase from a decade ago. This year, the two-week event had a 31% increase in U.S.-based viewership. Revenue numbers are expected to be strong again once they are released. Tennis viewership is up across the board after the Grand Slams averaged almost 2 billion viewers across 200 countries last year. Even though tennis superstars like Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal have retired, the new guard of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Coco Gauff is carrying the sport to new heights. Sportico details the numbers behind Wimbledon’s half-a-billion two-week stretch.

CNBC’s Most Valuable Sports Empires 2025: Here’s how the top 20 empires in the world stack up Back in school, kids learn about some of history’s great empires in Europe and Asia that dominated for centuries. The top 20 sports empires have similar power and influence on the sports landscape, but without the killing and pillaging. When you analyze each of the sports empires CNBC has painstakingly compiled, you notice some familiar names that you may not have realized have as diverse a portfolio as they hold. For example, Yankee Global Enterprises, ranked 10th at $10.48 billion, is true to its name and owns the NYC-based Yankees and MLS’s New York City FC. But they also own the Italian soccer giant AC Milan. Another interesting fact: only 8 of the 20 sports empires don’t own an NFL franchise, proving the NFL’s incomparable value within sports empires. Check out who else made the list here.

Chelsea Wins $110M in FIFA’s Revamped $1B Club World Cup FIFA knew it would have to dive deep into its vaults — Scrooge McDuck-style — to convince soccer’s giant clubs to participate in this makeshift competition. London-based Chelsea took full advantage of the money grab to boost their revenue for the upcoming season. Paris-based Paris Saint-Germain, who they beat, didn’t do too badly either after losing to Chelsea in the final. FIFA shelled out hundreds of millions to soccer clubs worldwide just for participating, but the real icing on the cake came in the form of incentive bonuses that increased by each round that clubs advanced. Even if some venues weren’t well attended, the final was played in front of 80,000 people at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will also host matches during next year’s World Cup. The Club World Cup can be viewed as an appetizer for next year, as the U.S. hosts its first World Cup in over 30 years. Fortunately for FIFA, it won’t have to shell out a billion to get players to play for their home countries; many would play for free for a chance to lift the trophy. See exactly how much FIFA paid out in performance bonuses vs participation fees here.

Apple is poised to win the rights to stream F1 racing in the US Streaming-based empires like Netflix and Amazon have been gearing up their interest in adding sports properties to their offerings. Netflix saw success with its Christmas Day NFL streams, and Amazon will broadcast NBA games next season, in addition to its existing Thursday Night NFL games. Apple has increasingly been hungry for a bigger slice of the sports pie. It already holds exclusive rights to the MLS and deals to stream MLB games. Apple’s F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt, has made waves at the box office. The movie’s success is helping drive their interest in securing the rights. Props to Apple for making a bold offer that ESPN reportedly wants no part of, and targeting sports like F1 and MLS that are poised to continue growing. But without any NFL broadcast rights, Apple is only hoping to match the potential impact that Amazon and Netflix are seeing with their NFL streaming rights. Business Insider reveals how much Apple is willing to pay annually for F1.