The Denver Broncos are for sale, and billionaires are lining up to bid. The NFL’s reported top pick, however, is still reluctant to enter the fray.

League commissioner Roger Goodell is reportedly leaning on Robert F. Smith, the wealthiest Black person in the U.S., to bid on the Broncos. Smith or another potential bidder, Byron Allen, would make history as the league’s first Black owner.

Smith hasn’t committed to pursuing the team, which is expected to fetch at least $4 billion. 

Concurrently, the league is facing a lawsuit from former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores alleging racial discrimination. 

Several private equity executives are also eyeing a bid.

• Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner Josh Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, is exploring a bid. Harris is also a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and would have to sell his stake to buy the Broncos.
• Clearlake Capital Group co-founders Behdad Eghbali, Jose Feliciano, and his wife Kwanza Jones are considering a bid.
• Pabst Brewing Company owner Dean Metropoulos, investor Alec Gores, and United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia are reportedly exploring a bid, as well.

The Bezos Factor

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has looked into bidding on NFL teams in the past and could make a play. With $180.8 billion in net worth, Bezos could likely top any bid without forming an ownership group.

Former Broncos quarterbacks Peyton Manning and John Elway are also exploring bids as part of a larger group.

On July 1, the NIL era didn’t open up just for college athletes. Many high school athletes can now profit before they ever step foot on a college campus — and some are projected to make millions of dollars.

Bronny James is the latest to position himself for NIL earnings. The California prep star recently filed three trademarks with suggested use for video games, clothes, and NFTs, attorney Josh Gerben reported.

James could make $5.1 million, according to On3 — higher than any men’s player on the list. But he’s not the only one with major potential.

• Basketball player Mikey Williams, represented by Excel Sports Management, recently inked a deal with Puma. On3 predicts he could rake in $2.9 million.
• Basketball player Jada Williams signed with Spalding. The company declined to disclose financial details.
• Quarterback Arch Manning could also be worth $1.6 million, per On3.

Not All States Are Equal

Not every high school athlete can participate in NIL, however. A complex web of state laws, high school association rules, and lack of national regulation have created a landscape where only some states explicitly allow high school activities. Others don’t allow it, while many have no clear guidance at all.

California and New York, for example, have confirmed that high schoolers can participate. Texas, on the other hand, has a state law explicitly prohibiting it.

Metaverse-focused gaming and investment firm Animoca Brands is closing in on a major boost from private equity firm KKR.

KKR is in talks to lift Animoca’s latest funding round to $500 million from $359 million at a $5.4 billion valuation.

Animoca created the metaverse platform “The Sandbox” and blockchain-based game “Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022.” It has investments in Fan Controlled Football and NBA Top Shot.

• The round, announced in January, was led by Liberty City Ventures and included the Winklevoss twins and investor George Soros.
• Animoca raised $88.8 million at a $1 billion valuation in May 2021.
• It is already eyeing another funding round this year at a $10 billion valuation.

The TL;DR on KKR

The New York-based investment firm is in the midst of a complex bid for Italian telecommunications giant Telecom Italia, which holds Serie A broadcast rights.

It has recently loaded up on fitness investments, buying European cycling company Accell Group NV in January for $1.8 billion and taking on a $396 million stake in PureGym the previous month.

In September, it sold off its $852 million stake in Academy Sports.

Earlier this month, it announced an investment in high school sports media and technology company PlayOn! Sports.

Gamers who still have a Wii can pack their consoles up. Nintendo announced the launch of Nintendo Switch Sports, a game mirroring the activities found on Wii Sports.

With tennis, bowling, and chambara available once again, Nintendo added soccer, badminton, and volleyball to its list of virtual competitions. Similar to the Wii remote, users will be able to move the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers to serve, hit, and bowl with their very own customizable “Mii.”

Those who have an active Nintendo Switch subscription will be able to play Feb. 18-20 in an online play test ahead of the game’s official release on April 29. An annual subscription costs $19.99.

• This summer, Nintendo plans to release a leg-strap accessory for a soccer shootout, which will be included with the physical version of Nintendo Switch Sports.
• Later in 2022, Nintendo plans to add golf.

New & Old Nintendo

The Switch became Nintendo’s best-selling home console earlier this month at 103.54 million consoles sold, beating out the Wii’s 101.63 million. Nintendo also released its OLED Switch in October, but it hasn’t all been bright for Nintendo in the last year.

For the nine months ending Dec. 31, 2021, Nintendo’s sales fell 6% year-over-year to $11 billion — hardware sales deflated 21% year-over-year. The company also lowered its fiscal-year sales goal from 24 million units to 23 million due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage.