_{Prices as of the close on Thursday 22 October 2026. Weekly moves are measured against the close on Friday 16 October.}

Skydance $SKYD ( ▼ 1.02% )
Price: $7.79 | Week: +12.7% | YTD: -41.9% | LTM: -53.0%
The shares rose 10.85% on 21 October to $7.87 after Semafor reported talk of a possible SpaceX investment, which has not been confirmed.

Zepp Health $ZEPP ( ▼ 3.62% )
Price: $2.66 | Week: -11.9% | YTD: -90.1% | LTM: -94.6%
No company-specific news; the move tracked the wider market. Third quarter results are estimated for 4 November, and the shares are down 90.1% this year.

Wearable Devices $WLDS ( ▲ 2.96% )
Price: $1.39 | Week: +11.2% | YTD: -86.5% | LTM: -94.2%
On 22 October the neural wristband maker announced a strategic collaboration with Encord, signed on 16 October, covering device sales and usage-based revenue, according to its release.

DraftKings $DKNG ( ▲ 2.0% )
Price: $20.94 | Week: +10.8% | YTD: -39.2% | LTM: -39.7%
The shares bounced from a 52-week low of $18.35 on 16 October after Wells Fargo raised its price target to $30 on 19 October.

IBM $IBM ( ▲ 0.26% )
Price: $252.11 | Week: +8.6% | YTD: -14.9% | LTM: -12.3%
On 21 October IBM reported third quarter revenue of $17.1bn, up 5%, and adjusted earnings of $2.95 a share against $2.86 expected, and raised its free cash flow outlook, CNBC reported.

By category this week:

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On Tuesday 20 October, NFL owners voted at their October meeting in New York to approve a global strategic partnership between 32 Equity, the league's investment arm, and General Atlantic, General Atlantic announced. The partners will make growth investments across the sports industry, backing companies building new technologies, platforms and fan experiences, and aiming to broaden access across markets around the world. No fund size or financial terms were disclosed. PJT Partners advised 32 Equity. General Atlantic manages about $130bn, Bloomberg reported.

The structure matters more than the headline. 32 Equity was founded in 2013 with $1m from each team, and two capital calls have taken it to about $250m, excluding returns, according to Sports Business Journal. Axios reports that both sides will act as general partners, that talks ran for about a year and that marketing to investors is likely to begin early next year. Sportico reports that outside capital is likely and that, as a general partner, the league would share in carried interest, which sits outside the revenue split with players.

That last point is the commercial heart of the deal. Media and sponsorship income flows into the pot the NFL shares with the NFL Players Association. Fees and carry from a fund manager are a different kind of income. Our view: owners have found a way to monetise their access and their network, the thing every sports investor is really paying for, without growing the shared pie. Expect the players' union to ask questions about that at the next bargaining table.

The track record helps. 32 Equity has backed 46 companies, including Fanatics, On Location and the security company Clear, and is led by Sumit Varshney, according to a briefs.co summary of the reporting. Partnering with a growth investor of General Atlantic's size gives that portfolio a much bigger cheque book and a global deal team. It also puts the NFL alongside, rather than behind, the private capital buying into its clubs. On Wednesday Bloomberg reported that Blackstone and a unit of Apollo are in preliminary talks to join the league's list of approved private equity firms. The talks are early, both firms would probably need a team deal first, and approval would likely come next year. More approved buyers means more competition for a fixed supply of NFL stakes.

There is an obvious tension. A league fund that backs ticketing, data, betting adjacent or media technology could end up investing in suppliers to its own clubs, or in rivals to its partners. The release names no sectors beyond sport, and nobody has yet published rules on conflicts, co-investment or how deals are allocated between the fund and 32 Equity's existing book. Those details will decide whether this is a smart use of the league's brand or a governance headache.

For Asia, the interesting phrase is "markets around the world". The release names no regions, so any Asian angle is our inference, not the plan. But a growth fund chasing fan engagement and access would struggle to ignore the region's streaming, fitness and sports technology companies. If the fund does invest here, it would give the NFL a stake in Asian fandom long before it plays regular games in the region. What we will watch next: the fund size and outside investors when marketing begins, the first deal and whether it sits outside the US, and whether the NFLPA raises the carried interest point in public.

Nike Signs Mumbai Indians, Men and Women:

Nike will be the official kit partner of both the Mumbai Indians men's and women's teams in India from the 2027 season in a multi-year deal, Nike announced on 21 October. It covers match kit, training wear and sportswear for players, coaches and staff, and Nike will offer fan ranges inspired by Mumbai. Players start wearing Nike team gear this month. No financial terms were disclosed, The Economic Times noted.

The WPL Sets a Tight Auction in Kochi:

The 2027 Women's Premier League auction will be held in Kochi on 28 October, the WPL announced. There are 146 players on the list, 119 Indian and 27 overseas, including six from Associate nations, competing for 27 slots: 20 for Indian players and seven for overseas players.

Peacock Is Profitable Again as the World Cup Lifts Comcast:

Comcast reported third quarter revenue of $29.3bn, down 6.1%, with adjusted earnings of $1.07 a share against about $0.98 expected, CNBC reported. Peacock delivered adjusted EBITDA of $261m against a $217m loss a year earlier, with revenue up 34% to $1.8bn and 48m paid subscribers, flat on the second quarter, according to Comcast. The World Cup added $224m of incremental advertising in the quarter and $664m in total.

FIFA Opens Bidding for the 2030 World Cup in the US:

FIFA has opened bidding for US media rights to the 2030 World Cup, with an option on 2034, Variety reported. Bids are due by noon on 19 November and a decision is expected by the end of the year. FIFA prefers English and Spanish rights to be bundled, Sportico reported, which Front Office Sports suggests could favour NBCUniversal, owner of Telemundo, over Fox. Published estimates of past fees vary between outlets, so we have left them out.

The Hawks Put Local Games on Prime Video:

The Atlanta Hawks made Prime Video their exclusive local streaming partner for the 2026/27 season, the team announced on 20 October, saying it is the first NBA club with such a deal, Yahoo Sports reported. Prime members across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and Mississippi can stream every game that is not a national broadcast at no extra cost. Games still air free on Gray Media's WANF and Peachtree Sports Network. No fee was disclosed.

UFC Moves to Disney+ in the Philippines:

UFC, Disney+ and ESPN announced a multi-year exclusive rights deal making ESPN on Disney+ the home of UFC in the Philippines, UFC announced on 19 October. Coverage starts with this week's UFC 333, headlined by Alexander Volkanovski against Movsar Evloev, Sportcal reported. Terms were not disclosed.

AFC Wimbledon Weighs an £87m Offer:

The 6,265 members of the Dons Trust will vote on an £87m investment in AFC Wimbledon from Sloane Street Capital, a consortium led by Ryan Bertrand and funded by Omar Mir, The Athletic reported. It would pay £16m for about 34% this season and £71m over five years, ending with 90% of the club's economic value. The Trust would keep at least 50.01% of voting rights and a veto over the club and the stadium freehold. Voting closes on 17 November and needs a 75% majority.

NBA Europe and the EuroLeague Go to War on Paper:

The EuroLeague's 13 shareholder clubs rejected an NBA merger proposal and backed a ten-year plan to pay teams €3.4bn and reach €648m of annual commercial revenue, Sportcal reported on 19 October. A day later NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said NBA Europe would triple those payouts and still launch in October 2027, SBJ reported. The NBA plans to invest $3bn, with the NBA and FIBA owning 52% at first.

F1's Fintech Grid Fills Up:

Singapore-based Airwallex will become McLaren's Official AI Finance Partner from January 2027 in a multi-year extension, Airwallex announced on 21 October, adding a sleeve logo to its existing placements. A day earlier Mercedes named Stripe its Official Global Payments Partner, with car branding from the first race of 2027, the team announced. Neither disclosed terms.

Fage Takes the WTA Finals Title:

Fage is the new title partner of the WTA Finals through 2029 and the WTA's Official Yogurt Partner, the WTA announced on 20 October. The deal starts at Indian Wells from 8 to 15 November, before the event moves to Charlotte from 2027 to 2029, and was brokered by THE·TEAM with SPORTFIVE. Terms were not disclosed.

Lxme Takes the Indian Women's League Title:

Lxme has signed a multi-year deal as title sponsor of the Indian Women's League, Business Standard reported, with terms undisclosed. It follows Capri Sports' 15-year deal with the All India Football Federation. The season starts on 13 November with eight clubs and 56 matches across Kolkata, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru, with the final on 23 January 2027.

Pickleball's Richest Asian Event Lands at Kai Tak:

The Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam runs at Kai Tak Arena from 19 to 25 October as the finale of the 2026 PPA Tour Asia, according to the tour. It is billed as the first 1500-level event in Asia, with up to $1.1m in professional prize money and payouts, which organisers call the richest purse in Asian pickleball history. Amateur brackets play on the same courts as the professionals, and US stars including Tyson McGuffin are in the draw, the PPA Tour reported.

Padel's Hexagon World Series Names Its Hosts:

Hexagon presented the first Hexagon World Series season at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi on 21 October, Mundo Deportivo reported. The move from a single Madrid event to a circuit was announced last December, Sportcal noted, so the new detail this week is the calendar. There will be four events: Madrid's Caja Mágica from 21 to 24 January 2027, North America in March, Scandinavia in June and an Abu Dhabi finale from 21 to 24 October 2027. Eight teams will take part, including the new Dalma Team and the Rafa Nadal Academy Padel Team. Prize money and investors were not disclosed.