Two fitness industry giants are now ensnared in conflict.

On Wednesday, Nike filed a lawsuit against Lululemon, alleging the latter’s sale and distribution of the Mirror Home Gym and other apps constitutes infringement of “several” patents.

In the complaint, which Front Office Sports reviewed, Nike detailed its history of fitness apps and workout technology that track athletes’ performance. The Oregon-based company alleges that Lululemon is now using the same technology that it developed.

On Nov. 3, Nike sent a letter to Lululemon informing it of the claim. Lululemon refused to stop production and sale of the products.

Nike is requesting not only that Lululemon stop making these items, but that it receive damages and “profits for any continuing post-verdict infringement.” 

Neither of the two companies immediately responded to requests for comment.

More Disputes

This isn’t the only time Lululemon has been embroiled in a dispute over intellectual property.

Peloton previously filed a lawsuit against Lululemon, alleging it had copied apparel designs. In response, Lululemon counter-sued.

Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner David Blitzer has a deal in place to add another team to his portfolio: Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.

Blitzer will become the controlling owner of the club in a deal that also includes the Real Monarchs of the USL Championship, a Division II league associated with MLS, and Rio Tinto stadium. 

Arctos Sports Partners, which recently became the first private equity investor with stakes in NHL teams, is also involved in the transaction.

The deal will put Blitzer in rare territory among sports owners. In addition to the Devils and 76ers, Blitzer has equity in:

• The Pittsburgh Steelers
• The Premier League’s Crystal Palace
• Bundesliga’s FC Augsburg
• The New York Yankees’ triple-A affiliate Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
• The Belgian Jupiler Pro League’s Waasland-Beveren

He is also nearing the purchase of a 35% stake in MLB’s Cleveland Guardians.

The Hot MLS Market

With soccer growing in the U.S., which is set to host the World Cup in 2026, MLS teams have been hot commodities as of late. 

The Houston Dynamo and the NWSL’s Houston Dash were sold to Ted Segal for an estimated $400 million in May 2020, and the Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings, bought Orlando City SC, the Orlando Pride, and their stadium for between $400 million and $450 million.

The league is seeking around $300 million annually in its next media rights deal.

Intel is ramping up its hardware capabilities as it expands in the gaming industry. 

The company said Tuesday that it has begun selling new PC gamer-focused graphics chips as it looks to challenge Nvidia in that market.

Intel has deals with Samsung, Dell, and Lenovo, among others, to offer the chips in 50 different models, the company announced at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. 

• The company’s new set of chips target lower-end PCs which have less space and cooling capacity than other models.
• Intel announced a total of 22 new CPUs, largely replacing the company’s current lineup.
• Intel’s “Adjacent” wing of its consumer-focused segment, which includes graphics chips, earned $710 million in the fiscal quarter ending Sept. 25, 2021, down 34.6% year-over-year. The rest of the segment earned $9 billion, up 2% year-over-year.

Nvidia Still Final Boss

Nvidia reported Tuesday that its newest graphic chips will be in 160 PC models on Tuesday. The Santa Clara-based company’s gaming segment made $3.2 billion in the fiscal quarter ending Oct. 31, 2021, up 41.8% year-over-year.

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission sued to block a $74 billion merger between Nvidia and SoftBank-owned Arm, a chip technology company.