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The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NASCAR, UFC and WWE have unveiled an agreement with Fanatics, the White House and America250 that will see an exclusive USA 250 patch and logo featured on athlete uniforms and performance gear, as well as in the venues where they compete during marquee moments throughout 2026.
As is usually the case in the current era of measurement, the numbers come with some caveats. To begin with, TNT delivered larger audiences for its primetime MLK Day games — including as much as 4.7 million for Cavaliers-Warriors in 2017. The NBA stopped scheduling primetime TNT games on MLK Day in 2022, when the NFL began playing playoff games on the holiday, but prior to that point they were a regular occurrence. In addition, NBC differs from the other networks in using a separate company (Adobe Analytics) to measure its streaming viewership.
The commissioners of four major U.S. sports leagues are in conversations over being present at the Oval Office next week when President Donald Trump unveils the latest plans regarding the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Four people briefed on the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, confirmed to The Athletic that the NFL’s Roger Goodell, the NBA’s Adam Silver, the NHL’s Gary Bettman and MLB’s Rob Manfred are currently set to attend the event. The exact date may be subject to change in accordance with the president’s schedule and the schedules of those expected to be in attendance. The White House and the four major leagues did not respond to requests for comment.
The commissioners of four major U.S. sports leagues are in conversations over being present at the Oval Office next week when President Donald Trump unveils the latest plans regarding the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. Four people briefed on the planning, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter, confirmed to The Athletic that the NFL’s Roger Goodell, the NBA’s Adam Silver, the NHL’s Gary Bettman and MLB’s Rob Manfred are currently set to attend the event.
“Me and Jayson talk a lot,” Haliburton said. “Dejounte has been great for me. We didn’t really have that cool of a relationship, it was just an NBA relationship, but Dejounte has checked on me so much since I’ve gotten hurt. “Dejounte’s just a solid dude and I appreciate him very much.” Tatum and Murray share advice, encouragement and status updates on their individual recoveries with Haliburton. They understand the isolation, the determination to get back and the anxiety that can creep in. Each is at a different phase of the road back but their shared routines make it easier for them to check on one another. “I think that this Achilles thing, it brings people closer together, and I think that’s important. And in the NBA, there’s a few of us going through the same thing and us being able to check on each other is important,” Haliburton said. “There’s guys in the NFL that have reached out to ask where I am in the process, and how have I been able to get through it.”
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For joy in each win, there is a slight difference between Kerr and Sirianni. In the NBA, there are 82 games. You must move on to the next one. In the NFL, Sirianni’s opportunities are less frequent, and the implications are greater. “I’m always blown away by the NFL and just the importance of each and every game,” Kerr said. “You lose three in a row, and you’ve basically gone a month without winning a game. And (in the NBA) it’s different in that there’s so many games and so losses are … more routine. I mean, even the best teams lose, you know, quite a few games every year. So, to me, the way I see it, the joy has to be there when you’re losing. It shouldn’t feel that different at practice the day after a loss than it does the day after a win. The consistency of that value is important to me.”
Ice Spice sparked dating rumors with NBA player Michael Porter Jr. after her split from NFL star Sauce Gardner. The “Barbie World” rapper was seen cozying up to the Brooklyn Nets forward at Loosie’s Nightclub in New York City Sunday night, an insider exclusively tells Page Six. “They definitely were close, chatting in each other’s ear, and she had her arms around him,” the source shared.
New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and Gov. Jeff Landry have a big trip planned to New York next week. During the two-day excursion, the tandem will visit with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA commissioner Adam Silver to update them on the business affairs of the Saints and Pelicans, and to re-emphasize the state’s interest and readiness to host future Super Bowls and NBA All-Star Games. Benson arranged the meetings and invited Landry to attend them as her guest.
The NBA saw its best slate of Christmas Day games since 2018, even as the NFL had three games airing up against the five hardwood games. ABC/ESPN/ESPN2 averaged 5.5 million viewers for five games on Christmas, which is the league’s best figure since 5.8 million in 2018 and up 4% from 5.3 million last season. The three afternoon windows saw gains, while the primetime windows were down. The top game was a showdown of the Spurs and Thunder at 2:30pm ET on ESPN/ABC, with that game drawing 6.7 million viewers. That’s the best NBA Christmas game in that window since Cavaliers-Warriors in 2017 drew 8.8 million.
New Orleans Saints-Pelicans owner Gayle Benson and Gov. Jeff Landry are leaving this weekend. They have a big trip planned to New York next week. During the two-day excursion, the powerful tandem will visit with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NBA commissioner Adam Silver to update them on the business affairs of Saints and Pelicans and to re-emphasize the state’s interest and readiness to host future Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game.
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Marc Stein: Charles Barkley in fine Christmas morning form on Inside: "The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourself but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now. ... Christmas is an NBA day."
Statements made by Panini inside a private sales pitch meeting, as well as within a 90-page confidential document given to potential buyers earlier this year and seen by The Athletic, raise questions about Panini’s court claims that the company would be seriously harmed without NFL, NBA and other top league licenses — the key to allowing team names and logos to appear on sports cards. In its ongoing lawsuit against Fanatics, Panini claims that “any firm that fails to win the rights to produce and sell trading cards for players of at least one of the Leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA) is eliminated as a competitor” in those markets.
Dave McMenamin: JJ Redick philosophized about the additional requirements of coaching in the age of social media and the differences in the value of each possession in the NBA vs. the NFL at the end of practice today. Worth the 2 1/2 minutes.
JJ Redick philosophized about the additional requirements of coaching in the age of social media and the differences in the value of each possession in the NBA vs. the NFL at the end of practice today. Worth the 2 1/2 minutes. pic.twitter.com/zJYK6e8r6N
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 9, 2025
Identity thieves have in recent years narrowed in on a particularly lucrative target: athletes on the verge of going pro. A report from the fraud detection company SentiLink found that NBA and NFL draft picks from a recent five-year period were far likelier than the average American to be victims of attempted financial fraud such as fake loans and credit cards taken out in their names.