Big-ticket newsmakers of the year

Verizon’s broadcast deal with the NFL (US$2.5 billion)

With just a few weeks left of 2017, the US National Football League announced a five-year deal with the US wireless carrier Verizon that is worth an estimated $2.5bn. It will allow the company to stream matches live on its various online platforms, which include Yahoo.

Sale of the Houston Rockets ($2.2bn)

Tilman Fertitta, an American businessman and television personality, paid $2.2bn to purchase the Houston Rockets in a deal that was rubber-stamped by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in October. The seller, the US attorney and financier Leslie Alexander, had owned the franchise for 24 years, which demonstrates how rarely prestigious sporting teams come on the market in the US.

Construction of Las Vegas Stadium ($1.9bn)

The Oakland Raiders are relocating to Las Vegas, meaning the NFL franchise will require a new venue. Construction of a 72,000 capacity stadium on the outskirts of the city is currently underway and should be completed by 2020.

Sale of Miami Marlins ($1.2bn)

A group led by the venture capitalist Bruce Sherman paid $1.2bn for the Miami Marlins. The MLB franchise has endured eight consecutive losing seasons and have not reached the play-offs since 2013, setting an unwanted national league record. The former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter is a member of the group that paid $1.2bn for the franchise and will be hoping he can revive the team’s fortunes.

Sale of 49% of Brooklyn Nets ($1.13 bn)

Joseph Tsai, the co-founder and executive vice chairman of Alibaba, reportedly paid $1.13bn for a 49 per cent stake in the NBA team Brooklyn Nets. This deal valued the franchise at $2.3bn and represented a huge return on investment for Russian Mikhail Prokhorov.