DAZN is actively on the hunt for even more pro team local media rights, bringing additional emphasis to one of the most unlikely stories this year across sports media.
In the last six months, the London-based streamer has acquired local rights to 19 teams across MLB, the NBA, NHL, and WNBA, a collection that includes some smaller-market clubs such as the Grizzlies and Pacers, but also dominant and popular teams such as the defending NBA champion Knicks and runner-up Spurs, and the Yankees.
I’ve got a problem when it comes to guessing who’ll win the standalone games. Basically, I currently suck. For the games that had the stage to themselves in Week 4, I was 0-4. Fortunately, I was otherwise 10-2. And a final result of 10-6 is better than the Week 3 mark of 8-8. But every week is a clean slate. A new opportunity to turn 0-0 into something that isn’t embarrassing. For the year, I’m 37-27. Which is good, but far from great. At least it’s not horrible, which is mainly what I’m trying to avoid. The best pick for Week 4 was the 49ers over the Broncos. Worst pick: Lions over Panthers. Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami pick: Saints over Falcons.
My seat-of-the-pants prognostications for all 15 of the Week 5 appear below, one wild-ass guess at a time. (The Panthers and Chiefs are off, as the bye weeks begin.)Buccaneers at Cowboys (Thursday night)Could undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels make a big splash in prime time? Yes, especially if the Cowboys take the Buccaneers too lightly. Every Tampa loss has come in a one-score game. If the Bucs can withstand the early onslaught, they have a chance.
The Sacramento Kings' top draft pick, Darius Acuff Jr., looked efficient and dynamic in the team's preseason debut. But, how will he fare through a full 82-game season, especially with defenses already honing in on his offensive capabilities.
NBA offense has steadily improved over the past decade, but it experienced its biggest year-over-year decline between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns in more than two decades (assuming you exclude the 2011-12 lockout season). What happened? Well, offense improved steadily as league-wide shooting and shot selection improved. Layups and 3s replacing mid-range jumpers inevitably made offense more efficient. However, the closer we get to optimized shot selection, there is less room for growth and more defenses have been able to adjust to that style of offense. Yet last year got us back on track with the highest league-wide offensive rating in NBA history. Instead, last year's offensive growth came in a few subtler areas that took a backseat during the 3-point revolution:The NBA had its highest league-wide offensive rebounding rate since the 2012-13 season. After years of small-ball, the NBA is starting to get bigger again. The average NBA team played at its fastest pace since the 2019-20 season. Last season represented only modest growth on that front, but faster offense tends to be better offense, so more teams prioritizing pace has led to better offense.
Luka Dončić is truly one of one. Back in August, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix tagged along with the Lakers for a trip to the superstar’s hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, for a glimpse at what makes him tick. In the feature story, Dončić opens up about his personal life, his on-court demeanor and his one big regret from last season. Dončić is the cover athlete of Sports Illustrated’s 2026–27 basketball preview magazine, which will hit newsstands in October and is available for purchase now:Scroll forth for the best pictures from Dončić’s photoshoot with SI:Dončić is entering his second full season with the Lakers in 2026–27. | Erick W. Rasco/ Sports IllustratedDončić and the Lakers visited his hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia, this offseason. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedWith LeBron James in Philadelphia, the Lakers are officially Luka’s team now. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedDuring his cover shoot, Dončić wore a bracelet made by one of his two young daughters. | Erick W. Rasco/Sports IllustratedOff the basketball court, one of Luka’s newfound passions in life is the sport of golf. | Erick W.
Stepping down after 27 years, the outgoing commissioner points to rising phenom Cavan Sullivan as proof of the league's global rise
Outgoing commissioner Don Garber has backed the bright young things of the MLS to establish the competition as "one of the top leagues in the world", highlighting Cavan Sullivan as a prospect who can help improve the standing of the competition even after departing the Philadelphia Union. MLS has struck a rich seam of youth talent this season, one that USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino exploited in the first set of post-World Cup fixtures where the U. S. won all four of their friendly matches. Sullivan was among the star performers in those games, scoring twice, while Adri Mehmeti won his first three caps. These two were named among the 60 best young talents in world football by The Guardian this week, a group that includes three other youngsters who ply their trade in MLS. Real Salt Lake's Van Parker has a strong record at youth level with Canada, while Jahmarie Nolan of Toronto FC has already made his senior debut with Jamaica.
by The National News DeskThu, October 8th 2026 at 10:08 AMUpdated Thu, October 8th 2026 at 10:10 AMSadie Schreiner competes in the Women's 200m dash during The Lions Invitational at The College of New Jersey on April 26, 2025 in Ewing, New Jersey. Sadie Schreiner is a transgender sprinter who rose to prominence competing for the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where she became a two-time NCAA Division III All-American in the 200m and 400m. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)TOPICS:Transgender athletesRepublicansDemocratsGirls sportsFairnessSafetyLGBTQ rightsVoter concernsDo you think biological males should be allowed to play women’s sports? Vote in the poll above or click here. Republicans are renewing attacks on Democrats over transgender athletes in girls’ sports, prompting some Democrats in competitive races to stress fairness and safety. The debate is exposing party divisions between moderates focused on voter concerns and LGBTQ advocates defending transgender rights.
With Nintendo Switch Sports Resort right around the corner, Nintendo has released a seven-minute overview trailer to showcase all of the exciting things that await on Wuhu Island.
Aside from introducing the game's 12 sports (many of which will be familiar to anyone who played the last series entry), the trailer also showcases a bunch of the game's single-player content, including simpler game modes, Island Crown challenges, free roam collectibles and more.
Sports teams are big businesses, but new exchange-traded funds that allow investors to bet on MLB and NHL team performance look more like gambling, experts say.
The 2027 NFL Draft is still more than six months away, but offseason priorities are starting to bubble after a full month of the regular season. Granted, there are a few winless teams that never would have expected to be in the position they're in. Moreover, a quarterback class that looked like it could be an all-timer before the college season has underwhelmed. So a lot can and will change between now and late April. But take this early mock draft as it is intended to be: a guide of today's top prospects as well as a forecast of the biggest positions of need for each NFL franchise. *Draft order set by current standingsWe all know that the value of quarterbacks could push one up to No. 1 overall, but I’m old enough to remember that this franchise once shocked the world by selecting Mario Williams over Reggie Bush in 2006. Put simply, Smith is the best prospect in this class. The Texans already have a talented receiver corps on paper, but injuries at the position have held the franchise back for too long.
The heavy rain had just let up in Ljubljana when Luka Dončić’s e-bike zipped around a corner, splashing through a puddle deep enough to make any Lakers fan wince. Standard NBA contracts prohibit players from off-court activities—motorcycling, skydiving, even skiing—that might put a team’s nine-figure investment at “substantial risk.” Dončić has had a few of those vices. He snowboarded until he was 13, hitching rides to Krvavec Mountain nearly every winter weekend. He dabbled as a skateboarder for a few weeks. “Took too many falls,” he says. Gymnastics lasted a couple of months before Dončić grew tired of it. Biking scratches that outdoorsy itch. In Los Angeles, early risers might catch sight of a 6' 7" Slovenian riding between Manhattan Beach and Hermosa. In late August, Dončić skids his bike to a stop on an empty blacktop. He had been here before. Or had he? These days Dončić doesn’t venture into the city center too often. “Too many tourists,” Dončić says. Slovenia, a lush, green country that looks like it was pulled from a van Gogh painting, has a population of around two million. Seven million tourists flow through each year, most to the capital, Ljubljana.
The Golden State Valkyries are pursuing their first WNBA championship, but the second-year franchise have already achieved a historic financial milestone, according to a report from Sportico. The outlet reported on Wednesday that the Valkyries have exceeded $100m in annual revenue, becoming not only the first WNBA team to reach that mark but also the first women’s professional sports team to do so. CNBC valued Golden State at $1bn earlier this year, making them the most valuable women’s sports franchise. The Valkyries sold out all 22 regular-season home games in 2026, their second season. Fans witnessed a 32-12 campaign, good enough for the second-best record in the league. The Valkyries parlayed that success into a first-round series win over the Dallas Wings, and Golden State lead their best-of-five semi-final series against the Las Vegas Aces 2-0. Sportico also reported that a run to the WNBA finals could push the franchise’s gross revenue past $130m.
Returning to Wuhu Island with greater fidelity and accuracy than ever before
Summer is right around the corner for those of us living in the southern hemisphere. Here in Australia, summertime is all about beach and barbecue. If you're in the northern hemisphere, summer is now fading into memory as the daylight recedes. And while winter is full of delights, if you're anything like me, you may reach a point where you begin to crave a tropical getaway. Fortunately, you'll soon be able to travel to the ultimate resort destination whenever your heart desires: the iconic Wuhu Island. I recently spent a good few hours playing the upcoming Nintendo Switch Sports Resort with Elliot Burns at Nintendo Australia HQ. While not all activities were available for preview, we got a good sense of what this Switch 2 exclusive will offer. If you've never played a Switch Sports game before, the main thing to know is that this series is essentially a continuation of the original Wii Sports games, which were a massive phenomenon in their own right.
In September, a game-worn Michael Jordan jersey from Game 3 of the 1998 NBA finals sold for $12,260,000, claiming the No. 2 spot on the list of the most expensive sports jersey sales in history.
We assess the NFL title race after Week 4 and identify three upcoming games that could reshape the Super Bowl picture
The NFL International Series rolls on in Week 5 with the second of three games in London, and it marks the first of two consecutive contests in England for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Liam Coen's team returns to its "home away from home" across the Atlantic Ocean for a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles: A contest between two teams trending in opposite directions. If the Eagles are to save their season and return to Super Bowl contention after back-to-back losses, this is an ideal spot to prove they can beat one of the best teams in the league. If the Jaguars handle their business as favorites, they will extend their winning streak to three games and improve to above .500 all-time in games held in London. That is not the only impactful showdown on the road to the Super Bowl this week. In fact, even more seismic collisions occur on the West Coast with an NFC West battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks and a meeting between the two Super Bowl favorites in the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills.
It’s Week 5! Our writers and editors successfully rebounded from a rough Week 3 by all finishing .500 or better on our picks in Week 4. We will look to continue that momentum as we pick all 15 games—the Panthers and Chiefs are on their byes—in Week 5. For the second consecutive week, the Sunday slate kicks off at 9:30 a.m. ET with a London game, this time featuring the Eagles and Jaguars. The Eagles are in transition after trading Cam Jurgens and seeing Lane Johnson retire while the Jaguars look like one of the NFL’s best teams so far. This is reflected in our predictions, as our whole panel has picked the Jaguars to win. Later in the early slate, the Packers will look to hold off Ben Johnson and the Bears while the Raiders will try to keep their surprising start going against the Patriots. This week really heats up in the late afternoon on Sunday, when the 49ers head to Seattle for a key divisional matchup between these two NFC West rivals. The Seahawks went 2–1 vs. the 49ers last year, but our experts are split on who will get the win this time around.
