Fanatics is pushing into collectibles auctions with a major acquisition.

The multifaceted sports company is purchasing PWCC, it confirmed to Front Office Sports. Terms were not disclosed. The acquisition grows Fanatics’ presence in collectibles after it purchased Topps for a reported $500 million in January 2022. 

PWCC offers technology, a collectibles vault, and an established marketplace to Fanatics Collectibles after bringing all its technological operations in-house due to a dispute with eBay. The legacy auction platform removed its items in December 2021 amid accusations of shill bidding to raise prices — which PWCC vehemently denied.

While Fanatics holds trading card rights with several leagues and player associations — including MLB, MLBPA, the NBA, NBPA, and NFLPA — it didn’t have as strong a presence in the auctions space. It can now compete with Heritage Auctions and Goldin, subject of the Netflix show “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch.”

“I think that for the sports collectible business, Fanatics is going to have the biggest impact,” Goldin founder and CEO Ken Goldin said on Front Office Sports Today earlier this month.

Earlier this month, Fanatics made another high-profile acquisition, growing its sports betting division by buying PointsBet for $125 million. The company is working toward launching a media division called Fanatics Live.

Mercedes is looking to the future to recreate its past. 

The once-dominant team in Formula 1 finds itself lagging behind rival Red Bull on the grid, but it’s investing $87 million in its facility and staff in Brackley, England, in the hopes of creating a long-term advantage.

The team wants to attract top talent by looking beyond the standards of F1.

“We are not orienting ourselves toward our competitors in our sport,” Mercedes principal and CEO Toto Wolff told Motorsport.com. “We are orienting ourselves toward the best technology campuses that we know from the United States.” 

The changes to the facility — which Mercedes has used since 2017 and purchased last year — will include office buildings, restaurants, and gyms. The facility will use 100% renewable energy and aim to reduce water consumption by 50% per person per day, as well as 60% of office waste.

Wolff wants a facility where people want to work, especially with F1’s $135 million cost cap challenging the efficiency of the team once known for lavish spending: “We need to attract and retain the best people. We’ve seen with the cost cap that sometimes we are limited in the possibilities of paying people the same as any other industries.” 

Red Bull principal Christian Horner said last month that he believes six F1 teams violated the cost cap last year.

There’s another proposed “super league” in soccer poised to net a sizable financial boost — this time in Africa, courtesy of Saudi Arabia.

The Guardian reports the Confederation of African Football is in talks with Saudi Arabia on a $200 million deal to support the new African Super League, a move that also would theoretically aid the country in winning hosting rights for a future FIFA World Cup.

Somewhat mirroring the themes of the prior, ill-fated Super League proposal in Europe, the African tournament plans to offer $100 million in prizes, including $11.6 million for the winner — more than five times the top prize for the current CAF Champions League. 

CAF and FIFA announced plans for an African Super League last year. That effort, however, is now targeted to begin with the 2024-25 season — to coincide with the start of the Saudi sponsorship — in a reduced, eight-team format.

The Saudi involvement also builds on a recent, five-year cooperation and development agreement between the CAF and Saudi Arabian Football Foundation. CAF has been seeking firmer financial footing since the 2019 termination of a $1 billion rights agreement with Lagardére. 

The initiative also represents the latest attempt by Saudi Arabia — a country widely rebuked in global circles for its poor record on human rights — to use sports as a means to help boost its international standing. 

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is the lead backer of LIV Golf, another high-profile investment that has attracted controversy and debate. 

Tom Brady has agreed to acquire a minority share in the Las Vegas Raiders, his second investment in a team owned by Mark Davis. The legendary quarterback purchased a stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in March. 

Brady’s deal with the Raiders has been submitted to the NFL for approval, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. The ownership transaction isn’t expected to impact Brady’s $375 million, 10-year agreement with Fox Sports to broadcast NFL games starting in 2024.

Reports of ownership discussions between Brady and the Raiders emerged two weeks ago from ESPN. In 2020, the Raiders were rumored to be interested in signing Brady as the team’s quarterback before he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the final three seasons of his playing career. 

The Raiders had a valuation of $5.1 billion last year, per Forbes. In addition to the Raiders and Aces, Brady’s ownership portfolio includes a stake in a Major League Pickleball expansion franchise expected to begin play this year.

Brady’s other business endeavors include his NFT startup Autograph, which raised $170 million in 2022. He also has his own clothing company called Brady Brand and is a co-founder of the sports media production company Religion of Sports.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion was also a significant shareholder and ambassador for FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange that filed for bankruptcy last year.