On the 558th Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a blockbuster sneaker deal. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry announced a 10-year agreement with Chinese brand Li-Ning earlier this week.
Curry was a sneaker free agent for less than a year, after abruptly separating from Under Armour in November. As part of the new deal, his Curry Brand will expand under Li-Ning, with lifestyle and golf products expected in the coming years. The deal appears aimed at replicating something like what Nike built with Jordan Brand over the last three decades.
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The hosts talk about the underlying deal motivations. Nearly 99% of Li-Ning’s revenue comes from China, and Curry Brand will provide a jumping off point for the company to increase sales in other parts of the world. The opposite is also true: Curry stands to make millions more in China by being associated with a domestic brand, especially now that Chinese consumers are increasingly choosing to avoid companies based in Europe and the Americas.
Next the hosts talk about the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. It’s a dream matchup for the NBA, which gets to pit a young, generational talent (Victor Wembanyama) against the country’s largest market, whose main team hasn’t been to the Finals in nearly 30 years.
They close by talking about the World Cup and the vibes in America with about a week left until games kick off. They talk about how the six-week tournament is really two separate events. At the start, a barrage of group stage matches will produce a lot of matchups with limited interest, empty seats, and plenty of soccer fatigue. Then, once the knockout stages start, the tournament’s most important matches will be among the biggest sporting events ever held.
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