Sara Germano
@germanotes.bsky.social
I write The Arena, a feature column on the business and future of sports for The Information. previously: FT, WSJ.
email: sara@theinformation.com
email: sara@theinformation.com
Reposted by Sara Germano
The most important thing you need to know about this article is that The Offspring are thrilled that Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin are skating to their music, lol #figureskating
About 2mo from now, you'll see a lot of figure skating at the Winter Olympics set to the Spice Girls, Madonna, and The Offspring. Some will even have AI music.
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Figure Skating Aims to Get Its Groove Back—With AI Music and the Spice Girls
Of all the places AI is seeping into, a program by a pair of Czech ice dancers angling for a spot at the Winter Olympics in February may be one of the most unexpected. Yet, at last weekend’s Skate Ame...
www.theinformation.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:54 PM
The most important thing you need to know about this article is that The Offspring are thrilled that Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin are skating to their music, lol #figureskating
About 2mo from now, you'll see a lot of figure skating at the Winter Olympics set to the Spice Girls, Madonna, and The Offspring. Some will even have AI music.
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Figure Skating Aims to Get Its Groove Back—With AI Music and the Spice Girls
Of all the places AI is seeping into, a program by a pair of Czech ice dancers angling for a spot at the Winter Olympics in February may be one of the most unexpected. Yet, at last weekend’s Skate Ame...
www.theinformation.com
November 24, 2025 at 5:21 PM
About 2mo from now, you'll see a lot of figure skating at the Winter Olympics set to the Spice Girls, Madonna, and The Offspring. Some will even have AI music.
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Before they go viral, here's the crazy backstory to the complex world of music licensing in sports www.theinformation.com/articles/fig...
Reposted by Sara Germano
Exclusive: Versant, Comcast’s planned spinoff of its cable channels, is exploring a sale of its youth sports app, SportsEngine.
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4p1oibL
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4p1oibL
Comcast Cable Spinoff Versant Explores Sale of Youth Sports App
Versant, Comcast’s planned spinoff of its cable channels, is exploring a sale of its youth sports management app, SportsEngine, people familiar with the matter said. It’s the latest indication that th...
thein.fo
November 11, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Exclusive: Versant, Comcast’s planned spinoff of its cable channels, is exploring a sale of its youth sports app, SportsEngine.
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4p1oibL
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4p1oibL
Curious sports business trend alert: the NFL, NBA, and venture capitalists are now taking their ambitions to Berlin. Why? It's the rare European capital without a successful globally recognized sports team, and US bigwigs want to change that:
www.theinformation.com/articles/nex...
www.theinformation.com/articles/nex...
The Next Wrexham? American Investors Bet on a Berlin Women’s Soccer Club
When Kara Nortman was looking to start a women’s professional soccer team in Los Angeles, she and her co-founders—actress Natalie Portman and entrepreneur Julie Uhrman—took meetings with sports expert...
www.theinformation.com
November 8, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Curious sports business trend alert: the NFL, NBA, and venture capitalists are now taking their ambitions to Berlin. Why? It's the rare European capital without a successful globally recognized sports team, and US bigwigs want to change that:
www.theinformation.com/articles/nex...
www.theinformation.com/articles/nex...
Thank you for the validation, New Yorker
November 6, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Thank you for the validation, New Yorker
Reposted by Sara Germano
Clara Wu Tsai is building the first $1 billion WNBA team: The New York Liberty governor believes the team's recent $450 million valuation is just the start, with multiple teams potentially reaching the milestone in the next 5-10 years. Full story here: https://thein.fo/49sLV8E
Clara Wu Tsai’s Plan to Build the First $1 Billion WNBA Franchise
When Clara Wu Tsai and her husband, Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai, bought the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2019, one of her first priorities was convincing her fellow team owners they needed to spend mone...
thein.fo
November 1, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Clara Wu Tsai is building the first $1 billion WNBA team: The New York Liberty governor believes the team's recent $450 million valuation is just the start, with multiple teams potentially reaching the milestone in the next 5-10 years. Full story here: https://thein.fo/49sLV8E
Recently a friend told me, “you’ll never believe how many apps I’ve had to download to take my son to soccer.”
That got me digging into the $12 billion market for youth sports tech: apps that schedule, score, and stream kids’ games.
It’s Moneyball for minors www.theinformation.com/articles/mon...
That got me digging into the $12 billion market for youth sports tech: apps that schedule, score, and stream kids’ games.
It’s Moneyball for minors www.theinformation.com/articles/mon...
Moneyball for Minors: Inside the Booming Business of Youth Sports Apps
Lauren Drapp has a hectic job working as a gas scheduler for a private equity firm in Houston, triangulating natural gas between suppliers, pipelines and customers. But she’s arguably even busier as a...
www.theinformation.com
October 17, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Recently a friend told me, “you’ll never believe how many apps I’ve had to download to take my son to soccer.”
That got me digging into the $12 billion market for youth sports tech: apps that schedule, score, and stream kids’ games.
It’s Moneyball for minors www.theinformation.com/articles/mon...
That got me digging into the $12 billion market for youth sports tech: apps that schedule, score, and stream kids’ games.
It’s Moneyball for minors www.theinformation.com/articles/mon...
Expanding on the issue of wealth inequality among sports owners with @mikevorkunov.bsky.social : why the net worth of your team’s owner matters more today
September 30, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Expanding on the issue of wealth inequality among sports owners with @mikevorkunov.bsky.social : why the net worth of your team’s owner matters more today
The @pablotorrefindsout.bsky.social reporting that Steve Ballmer may have circumvented the NBA salary cap underscores one under-covered trend: the exploding wealth inequality between (already super rich) sports owners.
Since 2019, the wealth gap between Ballmer and the bottom tier has grown >3X
Since 2019, the wealth gap between Ballmer and the bottom tier has grown >3X
September 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
The @pablotorrefindsout.bsky.social reporting that Steve Ballmer may have circumvented the NBA salary cap underscores one under-covered trend: the exploding wealth inequality between (already super rich) sports owners.
Since 2019, the wealth gap between Ballmer and the bottom tier has grown >3X
Since 2019, the wealth gap between Ballmer and the bottom tier has grown >3X
Reposted by Sara Germano
The Arena: Can Tennis Connect With Young Fans Through the Metaverse and TikTok?
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://bit.ly/41vjn9X
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://bit.ly/41vjn9X
Can Tennis Connect With Young Fans Through the Metaverse and TikTok?
For decades, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships has been a crown jewel of the global sports calendar. As the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season, it has hosted historic athletic feats by ...
bit.ly
August 30, 2025 at 5:15 PM
The Arena: Can Tennis Connect With Young Fans Through the Metaverse and TikTok?
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://bit.ly/41vjn9X
Read more from @germanotes.bsky.social 👇
https://bit.ly/41vjn9X
This was the inevitable next step after Paris 2024 opened the floodgates to product placement www.ft.com/content/4db4...
August 14, 2025 at 5:27 PM
This was the inevitable next step after Paris 2024 opened the floodgates to product placement www.ft.com/content/4db4...
One of the biggest stories in the sports industry that not enough people are talking about is the recent trend of major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS) establishing their own, in-house venture capital funds.
I spent a month digging into it:
www.theinformation.com/articles/spo...
I spent a month digging into it:
www.theinformation.com/articles/spo...
Sports Leagues Hunt for Startup Investments in a Chummy Style of Venture Capital
A couple weeks ago, LeBron James was in Las Vegas, seated courtside at the Thomas and Mack Center to watch his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, scrimmage against their crosstown rivals, the Clippers. The...
www.theinformation.com
July 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
One of the biggest stories in the sports industry that not enough people are talking about is the recent trend of major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS) establishing their own, in-house venture capital funds.
I spent a month digging into it:
www.theinformation.com/articles/spo...
I spent a month digging into it:
www.theinformation.com/articles/spo...
Say hi if you’re in the arena: sara@theinformation.com 🙃
July 15, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Say hi if you’re in the arena: sara@theinformation.com 🙃
Reposted by Sara Germano
I reported an offensive Caitlin Clark fake video on X to try and get it removed. Instead, I saw how deeply the platform is letting women down.
My story on one of the most disturbing issues affecting women in the age of AI, and X's failure to curb it:
www.sportingnews.com/us/wnba/indi...
My story on one of the most disturbing issues affecting women in the age of AI, and X's failure to curb it:
www.sportingnews.com/us/wnba/indi...
I reported a deepfake of Caitlin Clark on X. Instead of it getting removed, here's what happened | Sporting News
Trying to get a Caitlin Clark tweet taken down turned into a deep dive on the growing problem of deepfakes on X
www.sportingnews.com
July 2, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I reported an offensive Caitlin Clark fake video on X to try and get it removed. Instead, I saw how deeply the platform is letting women down.
My story on one of the most disturbing issues affecting women in the age of AI, and X's failure to curb it:
www.sportingnews.com/us/wnba/indi...
My story on one of the most disturbing issues affecting women in the age of AI, and X's failure to curb it:
www.sportingnews.com/us/wnba/indi...
In May, I wrote about the proliferating scourge of online hate speech against athletes, particularly in the WNBA.
That day, one of the owners of the Chicago Sky emailed me, asking to be introduced to some of the security experts I interviewed. Today, they announced a partnership:
That day, one of the owners of the Chicago Sky emailed me, asking to be introduced to some of the security experts I interviewed. Today, they announced a partnership:
July 1, 2025 at 9:48 PM
In May, I wrote about the proliferating scourge of online hate speech against athletes, particularly in the WNBA.
That day, one of the owners of the Chicago Sky emailed me, asking to be introduced to some of the security experts I interviewed. Today, they announced a partnership:
That day, one of the owners of the Chicago Sky emailed me, asking to be introduced to some of the security experts I interviewed. Today, they announced a partnership:
Big Nike news: the company is going *back* to internal organization by individual sports, 5yrs after ex-CEO John Donahoe streamlined into men's, women's, and kids silos.
In short, new CEO Elliott Hill is undoing everything Donahoe implemented. I wrote about these risks in '21
In short, new CEO Elliott Hill is undoing everything Donahoe implemented. I wrote about these risks in '21
June 26, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Big Nike news: the company is going *back* to internal organization by individual sports, 5yrs after ex-CEO John Donahoe streamlined into men's, women's, and kids silos.
In short, new CEO Elliott Hill is undoing everything Donahoe implemented. I wrote about these risks in '21
In short, new CEO Elliott Hill is undoing everything Donahoe implemented. I wrote about these risks in '21
This week, Faith Kipyegon will try to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile, an almost unthinkable athletic feat.
Behind the race is Nike, which is using the stunt to further its own impossible goal: making athletic gear entirely via 3D printing www.theinformation.com/articles/com...
Behind the race is Nike, which is using the stunt to further its own impossible goal: making athletic gear entirely via 3D printing www.theinformation.com/articles/com...
Coming to Amazon: A 3D-Printed Nike Sports Bra?
More than 1,700 men have broken the 4-minute mile, but no woman has ever done so. The fastest any female runner has ever covered the distance is 4 minutes and 7.64 seconds, the current world record se...
www.theinformation.com
June 23, 2025 at 5:37 PM
This week, Faith Kipyegon will try to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile, an almost unthinkable athletic feat.
Behind the race is Nike, which is using the stunt to further its own impossible goal: making athletic gear entirely via 3D printing www.theinformation.com/articles/com...
Behind the race is Nike, which is using the stunt to further its own impossible goal: making athletic gear entirely via 3D printing www.theinformation.com/articles/com...
When a gambler harassed her at a track meet this week, Gabby Thomas got him banned from FanDuel. After exiting Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula shared a cascade of death threats on her IG.
Athletes in individual sports have to fight online abuse alone. And betting is making it worse ⬇️
Athletes in individual sports have to fight online abuse alone. And betting is making it worse ⬇️
June 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
When a gambler harassed her at a track meet this week, Gabby Thomas got him banned from FanDuel. After exiting Roland Garros, Jessica Pegula shared a cascade of death threats on her IG.
Athletes in individual sports have to fight online abuse alone. And betting is making it worse ⬇️
Athletes in individual sports have to fight online abuse alone. And betting is making it worse ⬇️
The WNBA says it has “not substantiated” allegations of racist fan behavior at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse during the Sky-Fever game.
Regardless, the allegation itself led to actual abusive discourse on social media, according to experts who are independently reporting it to the platforms
Regardless, the allegation itself led to actual abusive discourse on social media, according to experts who are independently reporting it to the platforms
May 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The WNBA says it has “not substantiated” allegations of racist fan behavior at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse during the Sky-Fever game.
Regardless, the allegation itself led to actual abusive discourse on social media, according to experts who are independently reporting it to the platforms
Regardless, the allegation itself led to actual abusive discourse on social media, according to experts who are independently reporting it to the platforms
Reposted by Sara Germano
The WNBA spent its offseason boasting of a new program to combat hate speech. Then came the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul and a maelstrom of alleged fan racism.
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
May 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The WNBA spent its offseason boasting of a new program to combat hate speech. Then came the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul and a maelstrom of alleged fan racism.
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
The WNBA spent its offseason boasting of a new program to combat hate speech. Then came the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul and a maelstrom of alleged fan racism.
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
May 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The WNBA spent its offseason boasting of a new program to combat hate speech. Then came the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul and a maelstrom of alleged fan racism.
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:
Huge retail news. Nike is coming back to Amazon, years after breaking up with the ecommerce giant because it didn't crack down on counterfeiters.
Now, as Nike is trying to rebound from slumping sales and a failed DTC strategy, the swoosh needs the everything store.
Scoop w/ @theowayt.bsky.social
Now, as Nike is trying to rebound from slumping sales and a failed DTC strategy, the swoosh needs the everything store.
Scoop w/ @theowayt.bsky.social
Exclusive: Nike is returning to selling directly on Amazon, six years after a high-profile breakup.
Read more from @theowayt.bsky.social and @germanotes.bsky.social👇
Read more from @theowayt.bsky.social and @germanotes.bsky.social👇
May 21, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Huge retail news. Nike is coming back to Amazon, years after breaking up with the ecommerce giant because it didn't crack down on counterfeiters.
Now, as Nike is trying to rebound from slumping sales and a failed DTC strategy, the swoosh needs the everything store.
Scoop w/ @theowayt.bsky.social
Now, as Nike is trying to rebound from slumping sales and a failed DTC strategy, the swoosh needs the everything store.
Scoop w/ @theowayt.bsky.social
Reposted by Sara Germano
Creator Economy: Sports Influencers Edge Into Journalists’ Turf
Influencers are increasingly crowding into the space once dominated by sports journalists. That’s good, but there are drawbacks, writes our columnist @germanotes.bsky.social.
Read more👇
Influencers are increasingly crowding into the space once dominated by sports journalists. That’s good, but there are drawbacks, writes our columnist @germanotes.bsky.social.
Read more👇
May 7, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Creator Economy: Sports Influencers Edge Into Journalists’ Turf
Influencers are increasingly crowding into the space once dominated by sports journalists. That’s good, but there are drawbacks, writes our columnist @germanotes.bsky.social.
Read more👇
Influencers are increasingly crowding into the space once dominated by sports journalists. That’s good, but there are drawbacks, writes our columnist @germanotes.bsky.social.
Read more👇
Remember when sports leagues would vigilantly police people sharing game highlights on social media?
Nowadays, the sports establishment is cozying up to YouTubers, Instagrammers, and TikTokers, hoping content creators can convert distracted Gen Zers into dedicated sports fans ⬇️
Nowadays, the sports establishment is cozying up to YouTubers, Instagrammers, and TikTokers, hoping content creators can convert distracted Gen Zers into dedicated sports fans ⬇️
May 2, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Remember when sports leagues would vigilantly police people sharing game highlights on social media?
Nowadays, the sports establishment is cozying up to YouTubers, Instagrammers, and TikTokers, hoping content creators can convert distracted Gen Zers into dedicated sports fans ⬇️
Nowadays, the sports establishment is cozying up to YouTubers, Instagrammers, and TikTokers, hoping content creators can convert distracted Gen Zers into dedicated sports fans ⬇️
The WNBA Draft kicks off tonight, and with it some of the highest demand for jersey sales. Last year, the W was caught flat-footed without enough Caitlin Clark gear.
I spoke with sources in front offices and at retailers to get a fuller picture of what's different this year:
I spoke with sources in front offices and at retailers to get a fuller picture of what's different this year:
April 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
The WNBA Draft kicks off tonight, and with it some of the highest demand for jersey sales. Last year, the W was caught flat-footed without enough Caitlin Clark gear.
I spoke with sources in front offices and at retailers to get a fuller picture of what's different this year:
I spoke with sources in front offices and at retailers to get a fuller picture of what's different this year: