An NFL star's VC fund | Inside LeBron James' new mansion | MLB's confusing TV ratings

Plus: A Nascar driver's big gamble

Sports Business

Even in the most challenging times, the best entrepreneurs find ways to excel. Bala, for instance, has sold 500,000 weighted fitness bracelets this year and now predicts its revenue will reach $19 million, up ninefold from last year. See our full list of 25 small-business survivors and thrivers here.

Pro Basketball

LeBron James has closed on his third home in the Los Angeles area, a 13,000-square-foot, $36.75 million mansion in Beverly Hills. Take a look inside the property here. James is also set to grace the iconic Wheaties box—alongside students and staff members from his I Promise School.

This year has been about survival for the WNBA, but even so, there are signs of growth under commissioner Cathy Engelbert, including a 68% increase in the average TV ratings for national games.

Baseball

In this upside-down season, MLB saw its local TV and streaming viewership increase while ratings were down. The news is mixed on the attendance front as well. Approximately 11,500 tickets will be made available for neutral-site NLCS and World Series games—but players will not get a cut of that revenue.

Auto Racing

Erik Jones' contract is not being renewed with Joe Gibbs Racing, which means he needs to find a new Nascar team, and fast. (He doesn't have sponsors to bring with him, but he does have valuable experience.) Corey LaJoie also needs to secure a ride for the 2021 season, but that is a gamble he wanted to take.

Soccer

USWNT star Alex Morgan is working her way back into shape after giving birth in May but is thrilled to have joined Tottenham Hotspur—"the only decision I could make," she tells us. On the men's side, Spurs has wrapped up an unusually successful transfer window. Can José Mourinho turn that into trophies?

College Sports

The University of Minnesota is set to drop four men's sports, representing 57 athletes, for a savings of around $1 million in 2021-22 and to cut 41 roster spots on the women's side as well. Where is that extra money headed? The football team, of course. The University of Georgia has also found some money to help ease its budget strain: approximately $14 million from season-ticket holders who have donated back the cost of unused tickets, seatbacks and seat donations.

Featured Story

Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins has launched Broad Street Ventures, a $10 million investment vehicle funded entirely by Black and Brown investors. "My peers are the ones typically left out of the VC world," says Jenkins, who is joined in the fund by fellow NFL players Devin and Jason McCourty, Rodney McLeod and Jordan Matthews. "We are being very intentional to bring Black and Brown people in and make them aware of this opportunity." Read more about Jenkins' fund and its strategy here.

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Upon Further Review

Derek Jeter has invested in Bespoken Spirits, a Silicon Valley startup that ages spirits to match a desired profile in three to five days, as opposed to the months or years aging would normally take. He's the latest celebrity to get into the liquor game, after Sean "Diddy" Combs, George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and, as of last year, Michael Jordan, who teamed with four other NBA owners to launch a super-premium tequila brand.

The Last Word

“I had to convince my parents to let me do it.”

Bryce Miller

South Florida redshirt junior receiver Bryce Miller is among the very few college football players who have made the leap from the NAIA to the Football Bowl Subdivision, having started his career at Southeastern University. He's now an important contributor for the Bulls, but the decision to transfer—without a scholarship waiting for him—was not an easy one. For more on Miller's journey to the top of the college football pyramid, read the full story here.