Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
On Location Appoints Shawn Doss as Chief Revenue Officer
On Location, an experiential hospitality company, has appointed Shawn Doss to the role of chief revenue officer. Doss will join On Location in early May. On Location was recently acquired by TKO Group Holdings, a sports and entertainment company. Doss joins On Location from sports consultancy Elevate, where he was chief business officer, international, bringing over 15 years of experience working in senior roles within sports hospitality sales and business development. In his role at On Location, Doss will be responsible for optimizing global sales resources and structure across On Location’s business, with the company’s sales leadership and enablement teams reporting to him.
Stewart Johnston Named Commissioner of CFL
Stewart Johnston has been named the 15th commissioner of the Canadian Football League. As a longtime Bell Media executive, Johnston has knowledge of content distribution strategies and holds relationships across major distribution partners. As senior vice-president, content and sales at Bell Media, Johnston led the creation of content across all English- and French-language video, audio and digital platforms for Bell Media’s assets, including Canada’s No. 1 broadcast network, CTV and the largest Canadian-owned video streaming service, Crave. Randy Ambrosie, the 14th commissioner of the CFL, will continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the league office until Johnston officially takes the role on April 24.
DJ van Hameren Joins Arctos as Operating Advisor
DJ van Hameren has joined Arctos as an operating advisor. He previously served as chief marketing officer at Nike, where he led a global team of more than 2,000 people. Van Hameren was also executive vice president, Olympics for Nike, where he led enterprise planning across Nike, Jordan and Converse in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games. The Arctos operating platform comprises industry experts in areas such as international expansion, tech and innovation, real estate, franchise and league operations, media and ticketing, who lend their expertise to the firm and its Arctos Sports portfolio.
TNT Sports and Grant Hill Reach Long-Term Extension
TNT Sports has reached a long-term extension with Grant Hill, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and two-time NCAA basketball champion. Hill will continue to be a lead game analyst on TNT Sports and CBS Sports’ collective coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. He will also expand the scope of his contributions to TNT Sports, including its coverage of Big East and Big 12 basketball, with both set to begin during the 2025-26 season. Hill joined TNT Sports in 2013. He will be calling the upcoming NCAA men’s national championship on April 7, marking his 10th time providing game analysis for the event.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee Names Fred Mangione CBO
The New York New Jersey Host Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has named longtime sports business leader Fred Mangione as chief business officer. Mangione will lead the host committee’s revenue-generation efforts, including commercial partnerships with the region’s business community. Most recently, Mangione’s agency MM Sports Consulting provided commercial and marketing services to several brands in the sports industry, including the Big 12 Conference, New York Islanders and New York Red Bulls. Mangione has spent three decades leading sports properties in this region, including serving as the SVP of sales & marketing for the New York Jets.
Portland WNBA Franchise Names Inky Son as Team President
The expansion Portland WNBA franchise has named Inky Son as its team president. As the first employee of the yet-to-be-named franchise, Son will oversee all aspects of the business, including marketing, ticket and sponsorship sales, community relations, finance, legal and human resources. She will be responsible for establishing the infrastructure and culture of the team and hiring across all verticals. Son most recently served as chief administrative officer for the National Basketball Players Association.
Off Season Appoints Victoria Picca as President to Lead Expansion
Off Season, the sports-fashion brand founded by Emma Grede and Kristin Juszczyk in collaboration with the NFL and Fanatics, has named Victoria Picca as president. Picca will lead the company’s business operations, brand strategy and growth initiatives, including future licensing partnerships, global expansion opportunities and continued product innovation. Picca joins Off Season from Fanatics, where she served as senior vice president of business affairs, overseeing Fanatics licensing management and a global portfolio of more than 700 licensees. During her tenure, she negotiated agreements with major sports leagues and clubs, helping drive more than $2 billion in sales.
Betsy Riley Named Sr. VP & Coordinating Producer, NBC Olympics
Betsy Riley has been named senior vice president & coordinating producer, NBC Olympics. Riley will oversee production of the Olympic Primetime Show, beginning with Milan Cortina 2026. Riley rejoins NBC Olympics full-time from Prime Video, where she served as senior coordinating producer, overseeing game production and playing a pivotal role in the launch of the streamer’s Thursday Night Football franchise. Riley also developed, launched and led the first Black Friday Football game in 2023 and oversaw Prime Video’s launch and production of the National Women’s Soccer League. Riley has been a key contributor to the production of nine Olympic Games, including the primetime swimming segments for Paris 2024.
On Names Martin Hoffman CEO as Part of Leadership Structure Change
On, a sportswear brand, will transition to a single-CEO structure with current co-CEO and CFO Martin Hoffmann assuming the role of CEO. After 12 years of leadership, current co-CEO Marc Maurer has decided to depart On. The founders of On—David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti as executive co-chairmen, and Olivier Bernhard as an executive board member—will continue to manage On’s product organization and lead On together with CEO Hoffmann and the senior leadership team. On also named Katarina Berg as chief people officer, joining from Spotify where she held the position of chief human resource officer; Scott Maguire as chief innovation officer, joining from Specialized where he served as CEO; Adib Sisani as chief communications officer, joining from Axel Springer, where he was head global head of communications; and Craig Jones as chief supply chain officer, joining from Levi Strauss, where he held the position of SVP of distribution and logistics operations.
MAI Capital Management Adds Jon Hayes and Tim Hightower
MAI Capital Management, a registered investment advisor, has added Jon Hayes as senior wealth advisor, managing director, and Tim Hightower as wealth specialists, senior associate. They come from Cincinnati-based Constellation Sports Council, a privately held wealth management firm serving professional athletes, where Hayes was president and co-founder. Hayes, a former collegiate football and baseball player, has spent almost three decades working with professional athletes to help them manage their finances. He and Hightower will extend MAI’s focus on long-term wealth preservation and lifestyle management.
PARTNERSHIPS
Steelers, Borussia Dortmund Join Forces in Partnership
The NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers and Bundesliga’s Borussia Dortmund (BVB) announced a partnership meant to further both club’s efforts in each other’s markets through joint team activities, content and fan engagement initiatives. This is the first partnership of its kind for the two clubs. To inaugurate the partnership, BVB recently hosted a Steelers delegation visit to Dortmund to experience a home match at Signal Iduna Park and its world-famous “Yellow Wall,” the largest standing terrace in European football. Prior to that, in December 2024, a BVB delegation was welcomed to Pittsburgh for a Steelers home game at Acrisure Stadium. The visit included jersey swaps, content collaborations, and the requisite tailgating.
Daou Vineyards Named Exclusive Wine Partner of LIV Golf
Daou Vineyards has entered into a three-year partnership as the Exclusive Wine Partner of LIV Golf beginning with the 2025 season. The partnership debuts at LIV Golf Miami from April 4-6. As the Official Wine Partner, Daou Vineyards will have a prominent presence at all 2025 LIV Golf tournaments and unveil an immersive wine experience at the U.S. season opener in Miami. The activation space, “Daou on the Green,” will offer a setting within the Fan Village where attendees can learn more about the company and its products. Daou Vineyards will also serve as the Official Wine Partner of 4Aces GC, one of LIV Golf’s 13 teams, led by captain Dustin Johnson, with wines poured in the team’s hospitality chalet at select U.S. events.
UFL Names New Era as Sideline Cap and On-Field Headwear Provider
The United Football League has selected New Era as the Official Sideline Cap and On-Field Headwear Provider for the spring league and all eight of its teams. As part of this multi-tiered partnership, New Era will serve as the co-presenting partner of the UFL Conference Championships. In addition, the brand will be the official cap of the league’s major events, including UFL kickoff weekend and the UFL championship game. Throughout the season, besides players and coaches donning New Era caps, the company will be featured on signage during television broadcasts of UFL games, custom digital content across league media assets, in-venue signage, and product integration at the UFL headquarters in Arlington, Texas, and at all UFL postgame press conferences.
TNT Sports to Partner With Men in Blazers’ Media Network on AltCast
Saturday’s match in Los Angeles between the U.S. women’s national team and Brazil will feature a return of the Men in Blazers’ Media Network’s The Women’s Game Altcast on truTV and Max. The alternative viewing experience, hosted by Sam Mewis and Roger Bennett, will be the first of three for TNT Sports and The Women’s Game in 2025. The USWNT and Brazil will meet again on Tuesday, April 8, at 10:30 p.m. in San Jose with coverage airing on TBS and Max. USWNT coverage from Los Angeles and San Jose, respectively, will include on-site pregame shows.
MSG Family of Companies Enters Marketing Partnership With Liquid Death
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. and Sphere Entertainment Co. have entered into partnership with Liquid Death, naming the beverage company an Official Partner across the MSG Family of Companies. Liquid Death, a non-alcoholic drink brand, will have significant brand presence as an Official Sparkling Water Partner across the MSG Family of Companies’ portfolio of sports and entertainment assets, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Sphere in Las Vegas, the New York Rangers and more.
Little Dot Sport Renews YouTube Agreement With Team GB
Little Dot, a studio and digital network, has agreed to a four-year extension of its YouTube agreement with Team GB, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team, under its sports-specialist label, Little Dot Sport. The renewal follows its performance at Paris 2024, where the Team GB YouTube channel, managed by Little Dot Sport saw a 55% surge in subscribers. As Team GB prepares for both the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina 2026 and the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles 2028, Little Dot Sport will continue to manage and produce content for Team GB’s official YouTube channel.
PURCHASES
Alex Morgan Leads Togethxr Fundraise
Togethxr has announced a raise, led by co-founder Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures, meant to bolster the company’s continued expansion in the women’s sports marketplace. These new institutional investors—including Susan Lyne’s BBG Ventures, Olivia Walton’s Ingeborg Investments, Vansa Chatikavanij’s Present Ventures, Heraean Capital and Lead’s Locker Room Capital—will provide strategic advice and counsel to Togethxr’s existing ownership group in addition to an influx of capital. Additionally, Togethxr has said it is profitable for the first time.
Atlanta Braves Acquire Office Complex Adjacent to The Battery
Atlanta Braves Holdings, through the Braves Development Company, has acquired Pennant Park, a six-building office complex adjacent to The Battery Atlanta. Owned by Rubenstein Partners since 2017, Pennant Park features 763,465 square feet of office space situated on 34 acres and includes 2,699 parking spaces. The property currently has 24 industry-diverse tenants anchored by organizations such as Home Depot. With addition of leasable office space, this purchase brings total available square footage to over 3 million across the Braves’ various properties.
Sports Raises Series D Funding Led by Dream Sports
FloSports has completed a successful closing of its Series D funding round, led by Dream Sports, a sports technology company based in India. Dream Sports joins existing investors Causeway Media Partners LP, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., DCM Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments and Fertitta Capital. This round brings total funding raised by FloSports to more than $100 million to date. The investment will be used to fuel FloSports’ content acquisitions that will expand the company’s sports portfolio. It will also be allocated toward product experience efforts, scale production and streaming capabilities, and increase the company’s distribution efforts. LionTree Advisors acted as the exclusive financial advisor to FloSports for this transaction.
Pro Padel League Completes $10 Million Seed Round
The Pro Padel League has completed a $10 million seed round. This marks the league’s first institutional investment, as PPL attempts to capitalize on the sport’s global growth. The round was led by Left Lane Capital, with additional support from Tony Tamer’s family office, Kactus Capital, Gary Vaynerchuk and Eric Padel, among others. With this capital, PPL plans to increase player incentives, expand events, update tournament events, hire front office talent, including CRO, CFO and commissioner, and set up a permanent headquarters.
