Welcome back to the Spotlight! With our calendar pages turning over to August, we are right in the thick of the so-called “Dog Days of Summer” which get that name from the appearance of the dog constellation Sirius in the Northern Hemisphere. Siriusly.  For my longtime readers, you know it would be cavalier of me not to unleash an appropriately themed introduction (how farfetched!). For those barking up this tree for the very first time (first time collar?), allow me to be your shepherd. Though the tail end of summer may be approaching, I do not despair in melan-collie – for football season is near, and with it, the return of husky offensive linesmen and my favorite: wide retrievers. Of course, given that this space is dedicated to Sports and Entertainment industry business, I bet you have been hounding, but fear not, I will throw you a bone. I have the following for you to sink your canines into while I take a bow…wow.  

• NFL star wide receivers DK Metcalf and Odell Beckham, Jr. catch endorsement deals with athleticwear and lifestyle brand Lululemon. Dealing with these peak athletes is both easy to defend and nearly impossible to defend.
• Two businesses pushing immersive, interactive experiences rake in funding, with Batbox a baseball-centric restaurant with tech-enhanced batting cages raising $7.5 million, and Cosm, a company whose theatre-like venues deliver a front row seat to media and entertainment shows and events to the masses, brings in $250 million in its latest round. Meanwhile, I am fully invested in microcosm, watching shows and events on my couch in the comfort of my home.
• Online gaming company DraftKings shutters its NFT marketplace amid legal scrutiny and lawsuits, marking the first time that both DraftKings and its gamers saved money.
• Rugby continues its ascent in America as the U.S. Women’s Rugby Sevens win their first-ever Olympic medal, and on its heels, the Major League Rugby championship takes place this Sunday between the Seattle Seawolves (of whom Foster Garvey is a sponsor) and the defending champion (who you’ll just have to look up yourself).