Switching the World Cup from every four years to two could bring in $4.4 billion in additional revenue for FIFA — totaling $11.4 billion — according to a study conducted by Nielsen. 

Soccer’s governing body earned $6.4 billion between 2017 and 2020, with more than 70% of that amount coming from the 2018 World Cup. FIFA officials told delegates at the summit that $3.5 billion of the additional revenue would be put toward a “Member Association Solidarity Fund.”

A date has not been set for an official vote, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino would not confirm if it was on the agenda at the FIFA congress in Doha at the end of March.

Conflicting Opinions

The plan has faced continued opposition from top soccer organizations and sponsors, though Infantino is confident he has a majority backing for his biennial World Cup proposal. 

• The European Club Association, which represents 234 clubs, condemned the proposal in September.
• UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, and CONMEBOL, South American soccer’s governing body, also opposed the biennial proposal and threatened to boycott.
• Adidas CEO Kasper Rørsted said in October that a biennial World Cup would overcrowd the soccer landscape. Adidas has been the official supplier of soccer balls for the competition since 1970.

A study commissioned by domestic leagues earlier this year showed that biennial World Cups could cost UEFA and domestic leagues $9 billion. The Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A have all voiced their disapproval.

By 2030, the fitness app industry could be worth a total of $120.37 billion, according to a study by Allied Market Research. 

• In 2020, the fitness apps market was worth a total of $13.78 billion. 
• The compound annual growth rate would be 24.3%.

North America held the largest market share in 2020, with one-third of the global market. But the report projects that the market in the “Asia-Pacific” will grow at the fastest rate worldwide.

The study suggested that an increased awareness of “a healthy lifestyle” and “diet-related diseases,” as well as an increased use of devices carrying these apps, will all contribute to the boom.

But it also put a major emphasis on how the global pandemic — and a movement toward working remotely — has pushed consumer interest toward at-home fitness solutions. 

Choose Your Device

The study found that smartphones accounted for the largest share of devices used for fitness apps in 2020, but suggested that fitness wearables would see the largest growth of all devices. 

Meanwhile, brands are getting creative with their fitness interfaces. When Facebook rebranded as Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled several workout options using the brand’s Quest VR headset.

The PGA Tour announced it has granted waivers for 30 players, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, to compete in the Saudi International on Feb. 3-6 — the same week as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

The decision goes against the PGA’s own rules, which state players can’t play in a tournament during the same week as a PGA event. 

It also gives the commissioner the right to deny a request that it would “harm the PGA Tour and its partners” – especially if it would violate a sponsor agreement.

• This year, the Saudi International has a prize purse of $5 million – a major increase from last year. 
• The Pebble Beach Pro-Am has a total purse of $8.7 million.

Players will be allowed to compete in the Saudi International on one of two conditions.

If a player has attended the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the last five years, they need to commit to attending again in one of the next two events. If a player hasn’t competed in the event, they have to commit to playing twice in the next three years.

In its release, the PGA Tour noted that the decision is “not precedent setting.” 

Political Controversy

Attending the Saudi International could serve up political controversy given the Saudi Arabian government’s human rights record, which has received criticism from the international human rights community.

The government also has plans to give $200 million to the Greg Norman-led Asian Tour, which could threaten the PGA Tour’s dominance.

German luxury carmaker Porsche is ramping up its rivalries in motorsports with the Mission R, an all-electric concept race car. 

The Mission R prototype is the first representation of Porsche’s zero-emission road racing cars and has a price tag of $10 million. The car has a similar build to those used in Formula E, a single-seater motorsport championship that only uses electric cars. 

Porsche competes in Formula E and the GT series — and like its competitors, it’s investing in EVs.

• Nissan announced its long-term commitment in March to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship through 2026. 
• In June, McLaren, the British carmaker and racing team, announced it will compete in Extreme E and will hit the road in 2022. 
• Luxury carmaker and racing team Bentley plans to become carbon neutral by 2030 with hybrid editions coming by 2023. 
• Lamborghini is spending $1.8 billion to develop hybrid cars and EVs, while Ferrari plans to offer them by 2025.

Future Plans

Porsche is considering an IPO to fund its move into electric models. Parent company Volkswagen AG is undertaking its own $87 million push into EV manufacturing and software. 

In July, Volkswagen offloaded its minority stake in Bugatti to Porsche, giving its subsidiary 45% of the high-end brand. Electric luxury carmaker Rimac owns the remaining 55% of Bugatti.