Good morning, ! It’s Thursday, and today we’re diving into how consumers are shaping their identities around fitness lifestyles, Wayne Gretzky’s growing legacy on corporate boards, and the rising costs of NHL media rights. Plus, we’re exploring why Formula One’s multimillion-dollar real estate ventures not only justify high ticket prices but also create long-term wealth for host cities.

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MEDIA & SPORTS

The NHL’s Media Power Play: Streaming Goals & Record Growth

The NHL isn’t just skating past expectations, it’s rewriting the media playbook. Now four years into its landmark $4.5 billion media rights deal with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, the league is firing on all cylinders. Annual revenues have soared past $6 billion, while viewership hit 504,000 per game last season, the best in nearly a decade. Oh, and total attendance? A record-breaking 23 million fans.

What’s fueling the growth? Innovation off the ice. Teams like the Seattle Kraken are teaming up with Amazon for local streaming rights, while the Dallas Stars launched Victory+, a free ad-supported platform. Chicago Blackhawks fans now tune into the new Chicago Sports Network, and the Florida Panthers have inked a multiyear deal with Scripps Sports for free local broadcasts.

Meanwhile, Amazon is doubling down in Canada, securing the first-ever exclusive national digital-only NHL broadcast rights with Prime Monday Night Hockey. As the NHL’s $5.2B deal with Rogers nears expiration, Amazon looks poised to expand its hockey footprint even further.

Bottom line: The NHL is scoring big in the media game. With streaming giants and broadcasters lining up, the league is skating straight into its most profitable era yet. (More)

PRESENTED BY BUILD WEALTH

WSJ Bestselling Author Walker Deibel’s BuildEnergy Fund Leverages 4-Decade Track Record (Over 80% Subscribed!)

​B​uildEnergy Fund I is officially open to accredited investors​! This $100 million cashflowing fund offers family office terms and 30%+ IRR to its investors. 

Why ​i​nvest? ​Walker Deibel, the serial entrepreneur, WSJ bestselling author, and founder of Build Wealth sees this fund as hitting all facets of his Growth Predictor Framework:

• Experienced Operating Team – A 4-decade / 6-fund track record of strong returns, including IRRs averaging 50%

• Attractive Returns – Prior fund is already cash flowing 15% cash-on-cash, and estimated 35% IRR only 18 months in.

• Institutional-Level Terms – Direct access to a $5M family office buy-in structure, reflecting a 7% immediate paper gain on a minimum $50,000 investment.

• Focused Sector Approach – A strategic, supply / demand imbalance play, acquiring $100 million roll-up of oil wells during a buyer’s market.

​If you’re an accredited investor, you can get access to the data room here:

Discover the deal 

For questions, reach out to Mike Brown, Head of Investor Relations: [email protected]

INVESTOR CORNER

Scoring Big: Sports M&A Powers Ahead

Private equity is treating sports as the next frontier of yield. In 2024, sports M&A surged 44%, hitting 410 deals, with PE-backed transactions nearly doubling. Blockbusters like Silver Lake’s $21.5B play for Endeavor and Oaktree’s Inter Milan acquisition lead the charge. The draw? Rock-solid media rights (think $77B NBA deal), new ownership rules (NFL opening to PE), and rising stars like women’s sports and fan-tech platforms. Even as global M&A stumbles, sports is flexing as a "safe-harbor" asset class. With streamers like Netflix crashing the party, this isn’t just a hot streak—it’s the start of a dynasty. (More)

ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT

The Great One (and Then Some): Wayne Gretzky’s Playbook for Business Wins

Wayne Gretzky didn’t just rewrite the record books on the ice, he’s also been quietly stacking Ws in the boardroom. From team ownership to vineyards, Gretzky’s portfolio is as diverse as his highlight reel.

His early days in ownership saw him take the reins at the Phoenix Coyotes, where he wore the dual hat of part-owner and head coach (2000–2009). Later, he joined the Edmonton Oilers front office, stepping in as partner and vice-chairman before exiting in 2021. But it wasn’t just team ownership, Gretzky's sharp eye extended to real estate, flipping luxury homes like a $13.5M mansion in California, and launching the Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery & Distillery, where he turned his passion for wine and whiskey into profitable pours.

Add in some smart collectibles plays (like buying and selling a T206 Honus Wagner card for a tidy profit) and long-running endorsement deals with brands like Nike and Upper Deck, and it’s clear: Gretzky plays the long game.

Off the balance sheet, he’s also skating in the right direction, his foundation helps underprivileged kids hit the ice, ensuring his legacy extends beyond wealth.

Bottom line: The Great One doesn’t miss, on the ice or in the market. Gretzky’s business playbook is all about diversification, passion plays, and giving back (More).

COLLEGE ATHLETICS

Hoop Dreams: The Tough Road from College Courts to the NBA & WNBA

Everyone’s heard the dream: from high school gym to NCAA March Madness, and finally, to the pros. But the hard truth? The leap from campus to courtside under NBA lights is reserved for a razor-thin slice of players.

Let’s run the numbers. For men’s basketball, just 3.5% of high school players make it to college ball, and if you’re talking Division I, it shrinks to 1%. From there, the jump to the NBA gets even steeper: only 1.2% of NCAA players land a spot in the league.

The story is equally daunting on the women’s side. High school women’s players have a slightly better shot at the college game (4.1% overall, 1.3% for Division I), but with fewer pro teams and smaller rosters in the WNBA, just 0.8% of college players make it to the next level.

That said, March Madness remains the biggest scouting stage for rising stars, with draft boards and pro dreams hanging on every buzzer-beater. For the athletes still in the tournament hunt, this isn’t just about a trophy, it’s about punching their ticket to a future on the biggest stage.

Bottom line: The odds are long, but the opportunity is real. Every game is a spotlight, and for a select few, a pathway to pro ball. (More)

TOGETHER WITH RYSE

Tariffs Surge — This Tech Disruptor Moves Faster Than Global Shifts

Consumer electronics may have dodged the tariff bullet, but one smart home disruptor isn’t waiting for luck.

They’ve strategically secured production outside China, staying ahead of the global manufacturing shift.

That’s exactly how this company has hit 200% year-over-year growth while expanding into over 120 major retail locations.

Their smart shade technology is reshaping home automation, protected by patents and backed by powerful retail partnerships.

Smart investors spot the pattern: companies that turn global challenges into strategic wins often deliver the biggest returns.

At just $1.90 per share, you’re looking at a company that’s not just prepared for supply chain shifts — it’s already capitalizing on them.

INVEST NOW BEFORE THIS OPPORTUNITY ENDS

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TECH & INFRASTRUCTURE

F1’s Construction Circuit: Where Billions Burn at Every Turn

Formula 1 isn’t just burning rubber — it’s burning billions. Building a modern F1 circuit costs anywhere between $200M to over $1B, with annual hosting fees alone hitting up to $60M. Cities like Abu Dhabi and Las Vegas have turned their races into infrastructure moonshots: $40B for Yas Island, $1B for the Vegas Strip debut. Add safety features, medical facilities, marketing, and pop-up structures, and you’re looking at a price tag that could make even Wall Street wince. But the payoff? Vegas alone clocked $1.5B in economic impact. In the global scramble for calendar slots, countries are treating F1 like an Olympic bid on steroids. (More)

CONSUMER & SPORTS

Running for Identity, Not Just Fitness

The active consumer isn’t just hitting the gym — they’re building a lifestyle (and a wardrobe) around it. McKinsey’s latest survey points to an expanding gap between active and inactive populations, with active consumers doubling down on fitness as a core piece of their identity. Forget casual jogs: today’s exercise routines are the emotional anchor and status signal of choice. Brands that understand this shift can move past mere performance gear to create loyalty ecosystems, designing products that hit both functional and emotional notes. (More)

eSPORTS

MOBA Masters: How One Genre Dominated the Esports World Cup

If there’s a king of esports, it’s clear who’s wearing the crown: MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) games absolutely dominated the Esports World Cup in August 2024, capturing a massive 59.7% share of total hours watched. No other genre came close.

Trailing behind, FPS titles carved out a respectable 14.2%, while the Battle Royale craze clocked in at 18%. Meanwhile, smaller niches like fighting games (2.7%), RTS (2.1%), and other genres (3.3%) kept the ecosystem diverse but far from the top tier.

What’s driving the MOBA madness? Think global tournaments with colossal prize pools, massive fan engagement, and hyper-competitive team dynamics that keep viewers glued to their screens. 

Bottom line: MOBAs aren’t just games, they’re cultural juggernauts. With nearly 60% of total viewing time, they’re the clear MVP of the Esports World Cup, and the safe bet for anyone looking to invest time or capital in competitive gaming.

INTERESTING ARTICLES

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2. Shohei Ohtani’s $700M Deal: How One Contract Rewrote Sports History

3. Why Sports Deals Are Booming While M&A Stalls Everywhere Else

TWEET OF THE WEEK

"Success is not just about making money. It's about making a difference."

Kathy Calvin