Sports Ticker #139 - FIFA faces NFT probe and Apple accelerates into F1 partnership - a speed read of commercial updates from the sports world

In a fortnight which saw Jannik Sinner win his fourth ATP Tour title at the Vienna Open, Team GB bring home a record 14 medals from this year's Track Cycling World Championships, and Brendan Rodgers' resignation from Celtic Football Club, we bring you news of a criminal complaint against FIFA for its World Cup 2026 NFTs, women's volleyball netting new major venture capital backing and Apple's $700 million streaming partnership with Formula 1.

Swiss scrutiny surrounds FIFA's football tokens
Switzerland's gambling regulator Gespa has filed a criminal complaint against FIFA, following the Federation's decision to sell “Right to Buy” NFTs as part of its ticketing offering for the 2026 World Cup. The tokens, tradeable on a secondary market called FIFA Collect, provide the holder with an opportunity to purchase tickets for specific matches in the tournament, separate to the ballot system. Many of the NFTs allow the purchase of tickets for a round of the tournament only if a specific country makes it that far – the “Right to Final: England” token allows holders to purchase a ticket to the final (at further cost) if England make it all the way. The regulator concluded that the FIFA Collect platform constituted “gambling services that are not licensed in Switzerland, and are therefore illegal.” The referral remains under review by Swiss law enforcement, who will decide whether to pursue charges against FIFA, which is headquartered in Zurich.

Apple races ahead with $700 million entry into American F1 market
Apple has secured a $700 million, five-year deal to stream Formula 1 races in the US from 2026, taking over from ESPN as F1's US broadcaster. Senior VP of services at Apple, Eddy Cue, has revealed plans to “bring everything that Apple has to offer” to its F1 offering, potentially utilising Apple's full ecosystem as a one-stop shop for fans. Races will air on Apple TV, while the sport is amplified across Apple's retail stores and proprietary apps including Apple News, Apple Music, and Apple Sports. The move follows the recent success of the Apple Original, “F1: The Movie”. The film became the highest-grossing sports film in history and drew in a younger, more diverse audience that traditionally favours streaming. The partnership, described by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali as “the perfect match”, gives F1 a shot at pushing deeper into the US market and capturing the attention of American fans as it works to embed itself in the nation’s sporting DNA. 

Seven Seven Six serves up its new volleyball vision

US women's volleyball has netted major backing, with venture capital firm Seven Seven Six announcing that it will lead the ownership group for a new Los Angeles-based women's professional volleyball franchise. The firm, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has previously invested in other women's sports teams, including Chelsea FC Women in May this year. The team will compete in League One Volleyball (LOVB), the largest volleyball organisation in the US, from January 2027. Women's volleyball has seen ever increasing popularity, with more participation, views, coverage and sponsorships. LOVB's first season began this January with six city-based franchise teams, attracting 38.9 million views of cross-platform match content. The size of the investment has been undisclosed, though it has been stated that the decision was influenced by the social media market and the fact that the athletes have “massive followings and real fan engagement”. Rosie Spaulding, the president of LOVB Pro stated that the league is “thrilled to partner” with Seven Seven Six, calling the firm “true women's sports champions”. 

Spotify strikes shirt sponsorship with Spanish superclub
Spanish footballing powerhouse FC Barcelona has agreed a multi-year sponsorship extension with music streaming giant Spotify. Spotify and Barcelona first partnered at the beginning of the 2022/2023 season, with the Swedish company obtaining rights to front of kit branding rights until 2026. Financial details have not been officially released by either party, though the deal is reportedly worth as much as €460 million, which is €120 million more than the total value of the original four-year sponsorship contract. The extension to the deal means that Spotify will continue to feature on the front of Barcelona's famous first team kits, as well as the training kits for both the men's and women's teams. Spotify will also retain naming rights over Barcelona's stadium, the Spotify Camp Nou, until 2034. In a statement released this month, FC Barcelona stated that the extension “further strengthens the shared goal of exploring new ways to bring fans, football and music together”. 

British Basketball benched: FIBA suspension sparks game cancellations
FIBA, the international governing body for basketball, has suspended the British Basketball Federation (BBF), preventing Great Britain’s men’s team from taking part in any international matches. The suspension follows an investigation by a FIBA taskforce set up in August 2025 to look into governance problems and rule breaches in British men’s basketball. The dispute began when several Super League Basketball clubs took legal action against the BBF. The clubs sued the BBF because they disagreed with the BBF’s decision to hand over control of a new national league to a private consortium for 15 years in exchange for £15 million of funding. FIBA’s investigation found that the BBF had mishandled the situation. As a result, the federation has been suspended, and FIBA will now work with UK basketball stakeholders and the Government to set up an interim system for running men’s basketball competitions. The suspension has already caused disruption: the GB men’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, scheduled for 27 November, has been cancelled. UK Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock said she was “deeply concerned” by the developments and called for urgent reform to restore stability to British basketball.

Extra time...

…and finally, WWE has reportedly made a bold strategic play into the tech world, hiring a new Senior Director of Creative Strategy to spearhead integration of AI into its graphics, video production, and potentially storytelling. The famed wrestling company is renowned for embracing technology, becoming one of the first sports entertainment businesses to launch its own streaming service with the WWE Network in 2014. While not yet deploying AI performers in the ring, WWE is positioning itself at the intersection of entertainment and tech, signalling a shift in creative production methods across sports and media.