Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry.

PERSONNEL

United Soccer League Names McDonough President, CEO

The United Soccer League (USL) announced that Paul McDonough has been named president and chief executive officer, effective June 1. McDonough will lead the league’s strategy, operations and execution as the USL pursues its long-term vision for professional soccer in the United States. As part of this transition, Alec Papadakis will move from CEO to co-chair of the USL Board, and BellTower CEO Kewsong Lee will be elevated from vice chair to co-chair. Papadakis has led the USL for almost two decades.

Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Names Marmion President, CEO

The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association announces the selection of Dave Marmion as its next president and chief executive officer. He assumes the role of leading the CBAA, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation on June 29. Marmion succeeds Rick Baker, who retired after guiding the CBAA for 38 years. Marmion comes to the CBAA following nine years at the College Football Playoff.

Torey Korsunsky Elevated to Chief Business Officer at Novig

Torey Korsunsky has started a new position as chief business officer (CBO) at Novig, where he will help lead business strategy, growth, partnerships and operational expansion for the sports prediction market platform. Korsunsky joined Novig in 2025 as chief of staff, where he contributed to strategic leadership, operational scaling and business execution. 

PARTNERSHIPS

McDonald’s, Chicago Fire Set Stadium Naming Rights Partnership

McDonald’s and Chicago Fire Football Club announced a naming rights partnership that will see the Major League Soccer club’s new $750 million privately funded stadium named McDonald’s Park, opening in 2028. In its first naming rights partnership for a major professional sports stadium in the U.S., McDonald’s will design a flagship restaurant and bring “fan experiences, creative elements and in-game moments.”

Polymarket Named Official Prediction Market Partner of Serie A in U.S.

Polymarket and Serie A USA announced a multiyear regional partnership, naming Polymarket the official and exclusive prediction market partner of Serie A in the United States. Under the partnership, Polymarket will serve as the exclusive U.S. platform for Serie A prediction markets and will receive brand integrations across the league’s U.S. media and digital channels. Markets will have official Serie A data, with data services provided by Genius Sports.

North Face Becomes Official Outerwear Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard

The North Face announced an eight-year partnership as the Official Performance Apparel Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard that will span the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in the French Alps, the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and additional national and global competitions. The North Face will provide competition outerwear for national team athletes, coaches and staff across all 11 U.S. Ski & Snowboard disciplines.

Chelsea FC Sets Partnership With Roc Nation Sports International

Chelsea announced a new strategic partnership with Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI), calling it a “significant step in the club’s ambition to accelerate growth and deepen fan engagement across the United States.” The partnership will include crossovers between soccer, music, culture and entertainment.

Scripps Lands Multiyear Local Broadcast Partnership With Pistons

The Detroit Pistons announced a new local media television rights agreement with Scripps Sports beginning with the 2026‑27 NBA season. The move returns Pistons basketball to free, over‑the‑air television for fans throughout Detroit, metro Detroit and the state of Michigan. Under the agreement, WMYD TV20 Detroit, owned and operated by the E.W. Scripps Company, will become the official local broadcast home of the Detroit Pistons. TV20 Detroit will produce and air all locally available pre-season and regular season games.

Deel and Arsenal Announce Multiyear Sleeve Partnership

Arsenal Football Club announced that Deel, the global payroll and HR platform, will become the club’s Official Sleeve Partner from the 2026-27 season in a multiyear agreement. Deel’s logo will appear on the left sleeve of Arsenal’s home, away and third kit shirts from the start of the 2026-27 season. The agreement deepens the relationship between the two after Deel joined the Arsenal family as the club’s Official HR Platform Partner in December 2025. 

Seahawks Announce PayPal as Official Partner

The Seattle Seahawks and PayPal announced a new multiyear partnership to become the team’s Official Fan-to-Fan Payments & Exclusive Digital Ticket Payment Processing Partner. The Seahawks become the first NFL club partner for PayPal, following the company’s April announcement with the league. PayPal will also become the new presenting partner of the Seahawks Gameday Experience Program, which “gives fans access to exclusive opportunities such as pregame field passes, on-field access during player introductions and postgame press conference access for every home game.”

Inter Miami Names Mastercard Exclusive Payment Services Partner

Inter Miami CF announced a partnership with Mastercard, naming the global technology company as the Exclusive Payment Services Partner of Inter Miami CF and an Official Partner of the Club and Nu Stadium. Mastercard will provide cashless transactions across ticketing, concessions and retail at the stadium through its integrated payments technology, while having prominent signage and brand visibility throughout the venue.

Kickback Soccer Media Partners With Soccer.com, American Outlaws

Kickback Soccer Media announced an expansion of its World Cup 2026 plans, including the launch of a daily studio show First Touch, a dedicated U.S. Men’s National Team show under the Soccerwise brand, and official partnerships with Soccer.com and American Outlaws. Kickback’s U.S. Soccer show and World Cup Daily show will feature voices including Susannah Fuller, David Gass, Matt Doyle, Tom Bogert and Jordan Angeli. Soccer.com will serve as the presenting partner for all of Kickback’s U.S. and Mexico-related shows and segments throughout the tournament. 

Lucas Oil Expands RCR Partnership in 2026

Lucas Oil returns as the primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 8 Chevrolet, driven by two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, for three marquee NASCAR Cup Series races in 2026. The partnership continues the technical alliance between Lucas Oil, RCR and ECR Engines that stretches back more than a decade. Fans will see the red, white and blue Lucas Oil colors on Kyle Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet at three races in 2026: NASCAR All-Star Race, Enjoy Illinois 300 and Bank of America 400.

VanEck Becomes ETF Partner of Anglo American Padel Cup

VanEck announced that it will be the Exclusive ETF Partner of the Anglo American Padel Cup, set to take place in South Florida in February 2027. VanEck is a global investment manager offering active and passive investment strategies. The agreement represents the second sports partnership in VanEck’s history (the first being the NHL’s New York Islanders).

PRODUCTS

CW Network, ESPN Reach Sublicense Agreement for ACC

The CW Network and ESPN announced a new sublicense broadcast agreement for the CW to televise ACC football and men’s and women’s college basketball games through the 2030-31 season. The CW will air 14 regular season football games, 30 men’s basketball games, and 10 women’s basketball games each season. All games will be available to watch nationwide live on the CW’s linear broadcast network and stream live on the ESPN App with the ESPN Unlimited plan.

Steph Curry, Erick Peyton’s Media Company Launch Joint Venture

Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton’s Unanimous Media and Hard Carry Media have formed a joint venture to launch a new sports content platform they say is “built for how the next generation engages with content and connects with athletes and creators.” The content platform will live across YouTube and social platforms, with select projects developed for third-party partners. The companies will co-develop, produce, and distribute creator-led content, recurring formats and scalable original IP.

Manchester City Women Open New First-Team Facility

Manchester City has today opened a new £10 million ($13.4 million) state-of-the-art facility for its women’s first team at the City Football Academy. The opening marks one of the largest-ever investments in a dedicated, purpose-built first team environment for a women’s football team. Included are a world-class gym, with specialist strength and conditioning facilities, dedicated medical, rehab and physio spaces, hydrotherapy and recovery areas.  At its heart lies the City circular dressing room. This facility provides the team with a new dedicated home on campus, while maintaining full integration within Manchester City’s wider football and operational environment at the City Football Academy. The site includes the 7,000-capacity Joie Stadium, the first purpose-built stadium in the Women’s Super League, as well as access to over 1,000 staff across the wider club system.

DAZN Brings Robot Combat to Viewers With NHRL Pro Tour

DAZN will bring the National Havoc Robot League World Championship Pro Tour to fans worldwide, expanding its portfolio of sports competitions. The multiyear agreement sees DAZN broadcasting the NHRL series starting this month. The NHRL features elite robotics teams competing in head-to-head robot fighting events. The 2026 season on DAZN begins with round one of the NHRL World Championship Pro Tour this Saturday.

PURCHASES

The Sports Facilities Companies Acquires Power Wellness

The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) announced the acquisition of Power Wellness, the fitness center management company. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Lombard, Ill., Power Wellness partners with institutions to connect clinical care with community fitness through evidence-based, medically integrated wellness programs. Power Wellness currently manages 26 facilities in 13 states, serving more than 90,000 community members. Power Wellness will continue to operate under its existing brand, moving forward as Power Wellness by The Sports Facilities Companies. Ken Gorman will remain president & CEO of Power Wellness.

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