Biz News

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

February 20, 2026

Mining For Intel
Crypto Fool's Gold Shines Up A Little

Sydney, Australia to Wall Street, New York

Markets

ASX 200 futures down 44 points/0.5%: 9003
AUD +0.2% to US70.59¢

Bitcoin $66,744.93 +0.48%

Wall St:
Dow -0.5%
S&P -0.3%
Nasdaq -0.3%
VIX +0.61 to 20.23
Gold +0.5% to $US5000.44 an ounce
Silver 76.738 -0.86
Brent oil +2.2% to $US71.89 a barrel
Iron ore -0.4% to $US95.35 a tonne

10-year yield:
US 4.07%
Australia 4.78%

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.7048 USD (up $0.0008 USD) Iron Ore: $95.35 USD (down $0.60 USD) Oil Price: $66.60 USD (up $1.35 USD) Gold Price: $4,990.28 USD (up $11.22 USD) Copper Price: $5.7530 USD (down $0.0110 USD) Dow Jones: 49,319.56 (down 343.10 points)

News

ASX rallies as banks, oil stocks gain; Zip sinks 34pc

The Australian sharemarket performed strongly on Thursday, with the S&P/ASX 200 Index closing up 79.20 points at 9086.20. The big four banks all rose, while the rising oil price on the back of fears of a US-Iran conflict saw energy stocks in demand, with Santos up 5.6 per cent to $7, and Woodside Energy increasing 4.5 per cent to $27.10. Payments company Zip slumped after its results for the half year fell short of expectations, while Lifestyle Communities fell 7.1 per cent to $5.33 after its profit dropped to $15.8 million for the first half. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Shares Summary/Snapshot (near live)
*check Google Finance or Yahoo! Finance for totally live (as close to) for the latest ticker prices)

TKO Group Holdings Inc
$208.68 -4.60 -2.16%

Alphabet Inc Class A
$302.85 -0.48 -0.16%

Netflix Inc
$77.00 -0.99 -1.27%

News

Cryptos

Ethereum is resting on a 6-year trend

Market Overview
The crypto market cap fell by more than 1% in 24 hours to $2.31 trillion, approaching last week's lows but leaving the market 5% above its low point on 6 February. The market's range continues to narrow, suggesting that volatility is likely to soon break out of the $2.3-2.4T range. Given the previous dynamics and the increasingly cautious nature of growth in the US stock markets, there is a greater chance of an early update of local lows with a dip to the levels we saw in the second half of 2024.
Bitcoin is trading just above $67K, losing slightly under 1%, which is better than the market, as active selling has moved to altcoins outside the top five. BTC is trading at the bottom of the downward range of the last week and a half.
Ethereum is resting on a support line that originated in 2020 and was touched in early 2024 and at the February lows. This global trend line now also coincides with the area around $2,000, which further reinforces its significance. However, for such a serious event as the breakdown of the 6-year support, confirmation in the form of a failure below the recent lows at $1,500 is required. Until then, bulls may remain hopeful, attracting long-term buyers on dips. News Background

The indicator of Bitcoin inflows from large holders to the Binance exchange has reached record levels, indicating increased pressure on BTC from large players, according to CryptoQuant.
The current state of the crypto market resembles the final stage of the 2022 bear phase, which was followed by a protracted period of consolidation, according to K33.
Bitcoin has only entered the first phase of the bear cycle, according to Willy Woo, co-founder of the CMCC Crest investment fund. The second phase will be associated with a fall in global stock markets, and the third will mark a period of stabilisation.
Strategy bought 2,486 BTC ($168.4 million) over the past week at an average price of $67,710 per coin. Strategy now owns 717,131 BTC, purchased for $54.5 billion at an average price of $76,027 per bitcoin.
Japan's Metaplanet reported a net loss of $619 million for 2025. The negative financial result is due to the revaluation of the company's Bitcoin reserves.
Ethereum's share of staking exceeded 50% of the total supply of the asset for the first time in history, according to Santiment. The queue for Ethereum staking is near historic highs — 3.8 million ETH (waiting time — 67 days).

BlackRock has taken the first step towards launching a staking Ethereum ETF in the United States.
The Founders Fund, a venture capital fund owned by billionaire investor Peter Thiel, has sold all of its shares in the DAT company ETHZilla, one of the largest corporate holders of Ethereum. Back in August, Thiel's share was 7.5%.
Updated rules from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have scared American crypto investors. Starting in 2026, all US-licensed crypto exchanges will be required to disclose information about their clients, from the volume of investments to the profits or losses they have. (FxPro)

News

Bitcoin News

Bitcoin’s worrying slips down

Market Overview

The crypto market cap has been hovering around $2.34-2.35T for the third day in a row. Volatility seems to have been turned off in this market, while stock indices are much livelier. There, investors are actively buying up dips, relying on support in the form of important moving averages: 50-day for the Dow Jones and Russell 2000 and 200-day for the Nasdaq100. The crypto market is now below its 50- and 200-day curves by 17% and 31%, respectively. If cryptocurrencies still play a role as an indicator of risk appetite, it points to disaster.

By and large, the cryptocurrency sentiment index says the same thing, falling to 8 at the start of the day on Wednesday. The indicator has been in single digits for nine of the last fourteen days. This is worse than the darkest moments of 2020 and 2022. It seems that as the cryptocurrency market matures, it is becoming less optimistic. On the other hand, it is also becoming less volatile.

Bitcoin continues its downward drift, periodically bouncing along the way. At the end of US trading, the price of the first cryptocurrency fell to $66.7K but added about 1,000 at the time of writing. It is alarming that Bitcoin's dynamics mirror the recent strengthening of the dollar. When investors become convinced that the rise of the dollar is a trend, there may be a sharp increase in volatility.

News Background

Bitcoin's collapse to $60,000 has put psychological pressure on long-term BTC holders, comparable to the collapse of the Terra (LUNA) ecosystem in May 2022, Glassnode notes. They began to sell off assets at significant losses, which is typical of the later stages of a bear market.

A net outflow of stablecoins from the Binance exchange has been observed for the third month in a row, signalling a continuing liquidity squeeze across the crypto market, notes analyst Darkfost. The last time a similar dynamic was observed was during the 2023 bear market.

Standard Chartered Bank has significantly lowered its forecasts for major cryptocurrencies for 2026 amid market volatility. The forecast for Bitcoin has been lowered from $150,000 to $100,000, for Ethereum from $7,000 to $4,000, for Solana from $250 to $135, and for XRP from $8 to $2.8.

Bloomberg Intelligence commodities strategist Mike McGlone has reiterated his forecast for Bitcoin. According to him, the leading cryptocurrency could plummet to $10,000 this year, heralding a recession in the US economy and a stock market crash.

According to Token Terminal, Polygon has surpassed Ethereum in daily transaction fees for the first time. The Polymarket prediction platform has made the main contribution to the growth in activity.

Stablecoins are increasingly being used for payments, salaries and savings, according to a study by BVNK. The key factor was savings on fees, which average 40% compared to traditional payment services. (FxPfo)

News

Geopolitics saves Crude Oil

Asian demand is making the black gold market more bullish than last year

The fate of Brent depends on the outcome of negotiations between the US and Iran on the one hand, and Russia and Ukraine on the other.

Brent bulls believe that sooner or later, Russia and Iran will reduce production and exports of Crude. This will lead to price increases. The bears are convinced of the opposite: thanks to discounts, barrels of oil will be absorbed by buyers, most likely China. At the same time, the negotiation processes between Washington and Tehran on the one hand, and Moscow and Kyiv on the other, are of key importance.

According to a Bloomberg insider, Russian oil production did indeed decline for the second month in a row to 9.28 million bpd in January. This is approximately 300,000 bpd below OPEC+ quotas. Nevertheless, exports rose to 3.39 million bpd in the week ending February 15th. In the first half of the month, deliveries to China jumped to more than 2 million bpd. According to Kpler, they are being redirected from India.

Overall, Asian demand for oil continues to grow rapidly. The company expects record growth in imports to China, India and other countries in the region to 28.51 bpd in February. This growth could lead to a smaller market surplus than previously expected. This is especially true given the supply disruptions that have occurred, including those caused by sanctions.

Thus, even without geopolitics, the situation looks less bearish than it did in 2025. Last year, according to the IEA, onshore reserves of Oil grew by 477 million barrels, or 1.3 million bpd. The main reason for this was increased production in the US, Brazil and OPEC+. At the same time, global demand remained healthy.

The market's attention is focused on the negotiations between Washington and Tehran, where each side has its own version of the truth. The Iranian Foreign Ministry claims that the basic terms of the agreement have been reached. This will allow sanctions to be lifted and war in the Middle East to be avoided. US Vice President DJ Vance, on the other hand, believes that Donald Trump's demands have not been met and that Tehran has two more weeks to do so.

Iran has an important trump card. It knows the peculiarities of the US president's negotiating tactics, which involve moving from threats to retreat. Moreover, a rise in Brent to $150 per barrel is not part of Donald Trump's plans, especially in the run-up to the midterm elections. (FxPro)

News

Eric Trump Predicts Bitcoin Will Reach $1 Million Despite Slump

Speaking at the World Liberty Forum in Mar-a-Lago, hosted by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., Eric forecasted Bitcoin hitting $1 million, citing its average 70% yearly gains from $16,000 two years ago. The event ties to their World Liberty Financial platform, launched after banks closed Trump Organization accounts post-January 6, 2021, which the brothers call political debanking. Donald Trump Jr. called traditional banking a 'Ponzi scheme' favoring insiders, while WLFI announced a partnership with Apex Group for their USD1 stablecoin.

News

Shares (Yesterday - 24 Hour Ago)
The Lead Up
(For reference, historical and educational purposes)

Alphabet Inc Class A
$303.33 +1.31 +0.43%

TKO Group Holdings Inc
$213.40 +3.30 +1.57%

Netflix Inc
$77.99 +0.99 +1.29%

Palantir Technologies Inc
$135.38 +2.36 +1.77%

Tesla Inc
$411.22 +0.59 +0.14%

Microsoft Corp
$399.60 +2.74 +0.69%

Mercedes Benz Group ADR
$17.41 +0.030 +0.17%

Porsche Automobile Holding SE Unsponsored Germany ADR
$4.20 +0.011 +0.26%

Volvo ADR (Parent to Mack Trucks)
$38.13 +0.13 +0.34%

Formula One Group Series A
$81.70 +2.07 +2.60%

Wynn Resorts Ltd
$116.31 +1.91 +1.67%

MGM Resorts International
$37.19 +2.92 +8.52%

Light & Wonder Inc
$98.12 +0.020 +0.020%

Mineral Resources Ltd
$53.75 +1.73 +3.33%

St George Mining Ltd
$0.079 -0.0262 -4.76%

Lynas Rare Earths ADR
$11.00 +0.21 +1.95%

Arafura Rare Earths Ltd
$0.17 +0.0006 +00.35%

Rio Tinto plc ADR Common Stock
$98.93 +2.05 +2.12%

Rio Tinto plc ADR Common Stock
$98.93 +2.05 +2.12%

Fortescue Ltd
$20.20 (ASX)
+0.100 +0.50%

BHP Group Ltd
$52.29 -0.45 -0.85% (ASX)

News

Culture/Streaming

24 Hours Ago approx

YouTube Restores Service After Brief Global Outage

The outage hit around 2 a.m. UTC on February 18, blocking access to videos, apps, recommendations, YouTube TV, Music, and Kids for under two hours. TeamYouTube confirmed the issues and fixed them by 3:12 a.m. UTC, after Downdetector logged over 320,000 U.S. complaints alone. Users turned to X to share frustrations and jokes, while some reports of wider disruptions to services like Google and Netflix went unconfirmed by official status pages.

News

Sports/Formula One

Russell Edges Piastri to Top Bahrain Pre-Season Test Day One

On Wednesday at Bahrain International Circuit, Russell's 1:33.459 lap led Piastri by a whisker, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third after 70 laps. Mercedes piled on mileage at 145 laps combined, while Lewis Hamilton tested Ferrari's SF-26, calling it 'exciting' with his heavy sim input baked in. Drama came from Lance Stroll's gravel spin and Aston Martin's power issues, but off-track smiles shone in the 'Carlando' reunion photoshoot of Norris and Sainz. (Grok)

News

Culture

'Welcome To The Blockchain' aka

The Bitcoin Song

Intro

We're now standing on the precipice of a global revolution
Of economics, of politics, and government
Welcome to the blockchain

verse

Power corrupts, money is power
The power to control the money is one that is now
In the hands of those who pretend we can't function without them
So how can we do something about it? (Huh?)
Working hard to get a raise, lifting that wage up
Inflation takes it like a hidden taxation
Manipulated interest rates to give the banks
A way to create money with the loans that they're giving out daily (yup)
That means our money is debt
That we gotta pay back more than a hundred percent
No wonder then why the middle class is going under
When the one's above them gotta cover and come to collect
And many have no access to banking
Making payments, or saving, so more fees are taken
And every day the gatekeepers are trying to stop change
We can not wait, welcome to the blockchain

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

verse

Bitcoin is a decentralized ledger
And the currency is its first enterprise ever
Secured by the worldwide incentivized network
Can't be stolen or controlled by any sized effort
You can send it anywhere and instantly
No one can intervene, no third party in between
There's no counterfeiting
Algorithms control the outer limits of how many coins can get released
Programmable money, no government can seize it
Payments can be customized by sender and receiver
Contracts can be written cementing your agreements
With terms that can't be bent once you consent then it completes it
Autonomous businesses are possible
Where profit is distributed amongst those adopting it
Paradigm shift we must adjust to the ending
With the blockchain, bitcoin is just the beginning

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

bridge

Now that we got control
We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building
Now that we got control
We're not gonna let it go
My people all around the globe
We gotta keep building, building, building

chorus

Welcome to the blockchain
Things are about to change
Open up the gates
Systems get replaced
Bitcoin
Decentralize the trust
Security, transparency
The network's run by us
Bitcoin

Writer: Toby Ganger

News

Mining/Energy/Resources/Biz

Rio Tinto dodges merger bullet

Rio Tinto has dodged two 'bullets' due to Glencore's rejection of a merger proposal: a possible BHP takeover bid and a dangerous acquisition. BHP looked closely at whether to bid for Rio Tinto if the latter announced a merger with Glencore. The two companies would make excellent merger partners; amongst others things, their staff and senior people have similar cultures, they are co-operating on future Australian iron ore projects and they are copper joint venture partners in Chile and the US. Meanwhile, there are significance cultural differences between Rio Tinto and Glencore; there is little doubt that Rio Tinto's CEO Simon Trott would have had doubts about a merger once he understood these cultural differences. (RMS)

News/Snapshot

Australian Mining

Global Commodity Rankings

Australia holds some of the world's largest reserves and is a leading producer of several key minerals.

#1 Producer: Iron Ore, Bauxite, Lithium, Rutile, and Zircon.

#1 Reserves: Iron Ore, Gold, Lead, Nickel, Rutile, Uranium, and Zinc.

#2 Producer: Gold, Alumina, and Manganese.

Key Mining Hubs & Major Projects

Western Australia: The nation's "engine room," producing 98% of Australia's iron ore and 60% of its gold. Major sites include the Pilbara (iron ore) and the Super Pit in Kalgoorlie (gold).

Queensland: A global leader in metallurgical coal (Bowen Basin) and silver/lead production (Cannington mine).

South Australia: Home to Olympic Dam, which contains the world's largest single uranium deposit and significant copper and gold reserves.

Major Players

The sector is dominated by several multinational giants and significant domestic players:

BHP: Often ranked as Australia's most valuable company; major interests in iron ore, copper, and coal.
Rio Tinto: A world leader in iron ore (Pilbara) and aluminum.

Fortescue (FMG): Primarily focused on iron ore and rapidly expanding into green energy.

Hancock Prospecting: Australia's largest private mining company, led by Gina Rinehart, the nation's wealthiest person.

South32: Spun out of BHP; manages a diversified portfolio including manganese, silver, and nickel.

2026 Trends & Developments

Critical Minerals Push: The government has introduced a $23 billion package to support domestic processing and manufacturing of critical minerals to reduce global reliance on single-country supply chains.

Uranium Rally: Prices exceeding US$100/lb have sparked renewed interest in Australian prospects like the Kalkaroo project.

M&A Activity: Major merger talks continue between giants like Rio Tinto and Glencore as they seek to consolidate copper exposure for the EV market.

Workforce Challenges: The Minerals Council of Australia is currently calling for migration reforms to address a significant "skills crunch" in the sector.

News

Best Quotes Of The Day

Media Man

Cryptocurrency, Finance and World

"Volatility is Satoshi’s gift to the faithful." - Michael Saylor

"Bitcoin is a tool for freeing humanity from oligarchs and tyrants, dressed up as a get-rich-quick scheme." — Naval Ravikant

"We have elected to put our money and faith in a mathematical framework that is free of politics and human error." — Tyler Winklevoss

"You can't stop things like Bitcoin. It will be everywhere, and the world will have to readjust. World governments will have to readjust." — John McAfee

"Bitcoin is the most important invention in the history of the world since the Internet." — Roger Ver

"Cryptocurrency is such a powerful concept that it can almost overturn governments." — Charles Lee

"In the future, national currencies will become obsolete. Bitcoin will become the single global currency." — Jack Dorsey

"The future of finance is crypto, whether it’s in payments, contracts, or savings." — Changpeng Zhao

"Crypto offers freedom to the unbanked and hope to the underprivileged." — Elizabeth Stark

"The new frontier of innovation is in decentralization. Blockchain leads the charge." — Don Tapscott

"Digital currency is here to stay, and it’s only a matter of how long before governments embrace it." — Brad Garlinghouse

Pop Culture

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking

The Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Money INC vs Right To Censor
Santa vs Grinch
Bulls vs Bears
Crypto King vs Mr World Bank
Citizens vs NWO
Neo vs Agent Smith
John McAfee vs You Know Who!
TKO vs Naysayers
Jake Paul, Polymarket and BETR vs Naysayers
Pro Boxing vs Newspaper Reports
VKM vs The World
Paul Bros vs Mainstream Wokes
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky
Chris Jericho vs Dirtsheets
NFL vs everyone
Zuffa vs MVP
Netflix vs World
Meta vs Australia
White Light vs Dark Matter
Lexis King vs NIL's (WWE NXT)
Volk vs Naysayers (UFC: Sydney, Australia)
Brock Lesnar vs Everyone! (WWE Royal Rumble)
Roman Reigns vs CM Punk (WWE WrestleMania)
Green vs The Coal Miners Daughter
AC/DC vs Swifties
Triangle v World Bank
Sarah's Oil vs Big Oil
Mr X vs Mr VOX
Mr X vs Mr Platformer
Mr FOX vs Mr Vice
Fox And The Hound vs The View
The Masked Superstar vs Mr Jones
The Undertaker vs Mankind
UFC Legends vs Father Time
Vinnie Vegas and Oz vs Los Americanos
NXT GM vs The Don
Mr Moneymaker vs Mr Regulator
Mr Blockchain vs Mr EU
WWE Unreal vs The Old Guard
Reality TV vs John Pilger Type Journalism and Docos
Mr Real Deal vs Mr Grifter
Mr Truth vs Mr Shock Jock
Mr X vs Mr Bluesky: Rematch
WWE Wrestlers vs NFL Super Bowl Players
Logan Paul and Bad Bunny vs Jake Paul and The Don - Special ref: Damian Priest
Kelly Gang vs Snow White Clan
BKFC vs PFL vs ONE
Mr Sky vs Mr Vice
Marvel Universe vs DC Universe vs Monster Universe
Logan Paul vs Tom Brady
MMA vs Lucha Libre

Confirmed Matches To Happen:

Rousey vs Carano (Netflix) May 16
Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov (Netflix) April 11

Sport, Sports News, Sports Flashback, Sports Entertainment, Sports Watercooler, Sports Culture

Australian And World Update

Past, Present And Future

January 2026

What Is Sport?

Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

"Sport" means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.

A sport is generally defined as an organized, competitive activity that requires physical exertion and skill. While definitions can vary between organizations, most require a combination of physical ability, a set of formal rules, and a competitive element to determine a winner.

Key Characteristics of Sport

Physical Activity: Most traditional definitions require "vigorous bodily exertion" or specialized physical skills (e.g., athletics, soccer).

Competition: It involves individuals or teams competing against each other or a set standard (like a clock or distance).

Rules & Governance: Activities are typically governed by an institutional framework or set of codified rules to ensure fair play.

Entertainment: Beyond the participants, sports often serve as a major source of entertainment for spectators

News

Pro Wrestling Watercooler

Jade Cargill Fires Back at Critics Over 77-Day Undefended Title Reign

After pinning Tiffany Stratton at Saturday Night's Main Event, Cargill dismissed calls for a defense against SmackDown's rising star Jordynne Grace, posting that she won't face a 'walk up nobody' and only steps up for real competition. Grace, a three-time TNA Knockouts Champion, has been building momentum with quick wins and tense stare-downs, including pinning Chelsea Green after hyped segments with Cargill. Fans highlight Cargill's zero defenses in 77 days, some labeling her a 'paper champ,' while her supporters note similar reigns like IYO SKY's and praise her undefeated aura from AEW days. With Royal Rumble approaching, WWE teases the rivalry but books no match yet.

News

Pro Wrestling

Drew McIntyre Parades WWE Title in Triumphant London Return

McIntyre captured the gold by sweeping Cody Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match on January 9, then turned heel in his promo, denying Rhodes a rematch via contract clause while blasting doubting fans. Randy Orton interrupted demanding payback, sparking chaos with Jacob Fatu's ambush, leading SmackDown GM Nick Aldis to launch a tournament—sending Orton, Trick Williams, Sami Zayn, and Damian Priest to a Fatal 4-Way at Saturday Night's Main Event before Royal Rumble. Fans celebrated the moment, especially meaningful after McIntyre's pandemic-era reigns without crowds, with many calling him essential to WWE's draw.

News

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair Defeat Giulia and Kiana James on SmackDown

Charlotte Flair, back after missing a week due to illness, teamed with Bliss to topple Women's United States Champion Giulia and Kiana James in high-energy tag action Friday night. Post-match chaos saw Nia Jax and Lash Legend attack, with Giulia itching to fight back. The victory sets up a triple-threat tag match next week, where the winners earn a shot at the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships. Flair posted a sweet shoutout to Bliss, calling her indispensable.

News

American Football

Broncos Host Bills in First Home Playoff Game in a Decade

The No. 1 seed Broncos (14-3) welcome the No. 6 Bills (12-5) Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+, with Denver favored by 1.5 points. Rookie Bo Nix preps for his second playoff start after leading a turnaround season under Sean Payton, backed by a stout defense and receivers like Courtland Sutton. Buffalo's Josh Allen and top-ranked rushing attack with James Cook aim to advance despite injuries to Ty Johnson, Terrel Bernard, and Jordan Poyer, in ideal mid-40s weather at Mile High. (Grok)

News

American Football/NFL

NFL Divisional Round Opens with Broncos vs Bills and Key Matchups

The divisional round starts Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET with Buffalo challenging the top-seeded Broncos on CBS, pitting Bo Nix's revamped defense against Allen's dual-threat style. That night, the 49ers visit the Seahawks at 8 p.m. ET on Fox in an NFC West battle. Sunday brings Texans at No. 2 seed Patriots at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC, where Houston loses star Nico Collins to a concussion but gains no excuses against a bolstered New England secondary led by Christian Gonzalez. (Grok)

News

Boxing

Zuffa Boxing is a professional boxing promotion launched in June 2025 as a joint venture between TKO Group Holdings (the parent company of UFC and WWE) and the entertainment conglomerate Sela. Based in Las Vegas, the promotion is led by UFC CEO Dana White and Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.

Core Operations and Strategy

The promotion aims to restructure boxing by applying the UFC’s organizational model. Key strategic goals include:

Independent Ecosystem: Developing its own rankings and world championships to bypass traditional sanctioning bodies like the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO.

Standardized Competition: Reducing weight classes and ensuring even, high-level matchups ("the best fighting the best").

Broadcasting: Events stream exclusively on Paramount+ under a multi-year media rights deal.

Upcoming Events and Rosters

Zuffa Boxing plans to hold 12 events in 2026.
Inaugural Event (Z01): Scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2026, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.Main Event: Callum Walsh (15-0) vs. Carlos Ocampo (38-3).

Co-Main Event: Misael Rodriguez vs. Austin Deanda.

Major Signings:Jai Opetaia: The IBF and The Ring cruiserweight champion signed a major promotional deal in January 2026.

Other Reported Athletes: Jose Valenzuela, Radzhab Butaev, Justin Viloria, Eridson Garcia, and Vito Mielnicki.

Historical Milestone

While the promotion's league format officially begins in 2026, it held a massive debut event on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium, featuring an undisputed title fight between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford.

News

UFC/MMA

UFC 324

UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett is an upcoming event scheduled to take place on January 24, 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The main card will stream live in Australia on Sunday, January 25, starting from 1:00 pm AEDT.

The main event features an interim lightweight title bout between former interim champion Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.

Main Card Fights

Weight Class FightersLightweight (Interim Title)
Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett

Bantamweight
Sean O'Malley vs. Song Yadong

Heavyweight
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis

Women's Flyweight
Natalia Silva vs. Rose Namajunas

Featherweight
Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva

Preliminary Card Fights

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (Bantamweight)

Nikita Krylov vs. Modestas Bukauskas
(Light Heavyweight)

Ateba Gautier vs. Andrey Pulyaev
(Middleweight)

Alex Perez vs. Charles Johnson
(Flyweight)

Early Preliminary Card Fights

Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez
(Lightweight)

Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman
(Heavyweight)

Ricky Turcios vs. Cameron Smotherman (Bantamweight)

Adam Fugitt vs. Ty Miller
(Welterweight)

The original co-main event between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes was postponed due to a neck injury sustained by Harrison, requiring surgery. The fight is expected to be rescheduled for a later date.

News

Motorsport

The 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship

The 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the 56th racing season sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association.

The season consists of 11 rounds, featuring 45 full-season entries across the GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO, and GTD classes.

2026 WeatherTech Championship Schedule

The season follows a familiar 11-round calendar, with a notable change: the event at Road America has been upgraded to a 6-hour endurance race.

Key Class & Entry Updates

GTP (Grand Touring Prototype): Features 11 full-season cars, with BMW M Team WRT taking over the factory BMW program and the Aston Martin Valkyrie set to debut at the Rolex 24.

LMP2: Has 12 full-season entries, including new programs from Bryan Herta Autosport and Intersport Racing.

GTD PRO: Includes 8 full-season entries, with Paul Miller Racing joining the class.

GTD: The largest class with 14 full-season entries.
Support Series

Michelin Pilot Challenge: A 10-round season for GS and TCR classes starting in January.

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge: Introduces new LMP3 cars and a BMW M2 Challenge class.

Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup: Continues as a support series.

News

Dakar Rally

The 2026 Dakar Rally, the 48th edition of the iconic event, concluded on January 17, 2026, in Saudi Arabia. The race began and ended in the coastal city of Yanbu, spanning approximately 8,000 kilometers over 13 stages.

Top Results & Champions
Bikes (RallyGP): Luciano Benavides (KTM) claimed his first career victory in the closest finish in Dakar history, defeating Ricky Brabec (Honda) by a margin of just two seconds.

Cars: Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) secured the overall title, maintaining a lead over Toyota's Henk Lategan.

Stock Class: Rokas Baciuška (Defender) won in commanding fashion, securing 13 stage victories from 13 stages in his debut.

Rally2: Toni Mulec (KTM) took the class victory.

Original by Motul (Malle Moto): Benjamin Melot (KTM) won after multiple years of podium finishes.

Key Highlights of the 2026 Race

Record-Breaking Finish: The bike category was decided in the final kilometers after Ricky Brabec lost a three-minute lead on the last stage due to a navigational error.

Aussie Grit: Defending champion Daniel Sanders (KTM) heroically completed the final stages with a broken collarbone and sternum to finish 5th overall.

Route Features: The 2026 course introduced a "Sea Camp" concept and a loop starting and ending in Yanbu, passing through the Empty Quarter and AlUla.

New Entrants: The race marked the debut of the Dacia Sandriders and the Defender brand in the Stock class.

Final Bike Standings (Provisional)
Luciano Benavides (ARG) - KTM: 49:00:41
Ricky Brabec (USA) - Honda: +0:00:02
Tosha Schareina (ESP) - Honda: +0:25:12
Skyler Howes (USA) - Honda: +0:56:41
Daniel Sanders (AUS) - KTM: +1:03:15

News

Surfing

WSL 2026

The World Surf League (WSL) 2026 season begins on April 1-11, 2026, with the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event in Australia and concludes with the Pipe Masters at Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii in December.

The season features major changes, including a return to a cumulative points system to crown the world champion and the removal of non-elimination rounds.

2026 WSL Championship Tour Schedule

The 2026 Championship Tour features 12 events across nine countries:

Stop Event Name Location Dates

1. Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia
April 1–11

2. Margaret River Pro
Western Australia, Australia
April 17–27

3. Boost Mobile Gold Coast Pro
Snapper Rocks, Australia
May 2–12

4. Surf City
El Salvador Pro
Punta Roca, El Salvador
May 28–June 7

5. Oi Rio ProSaquarema, Brazil
June 12–20

6. J-Bay Open
Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
July 10–20

7. Lexus Pipe Pro (Tahiti)
Teahupo'o, Tahiti
August 8–18

8. Cloudbreak Pro
Cloudbreak
Fiji
August 25–September 4

9. Trestles Pro
Lower Trestles, USA
September 11–20

10. Surf Abu Dhabi Pro
Abu Dhabi, UAE
October 14–18

11. Peniche Pro
Peniche, Portugal
October 22–November 1

12. Pipe Masters
Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii
December 8–20

Key Format Changes

Cumulative Points System: The world champion is now determined by the highest cumulative points total across all 12 events, replacing the controversial single-day final.

Pipeline Finale: The iconic Pipe Masters at Banzai Pipeline returns as the final event of the season, and it offers 1.5 times the standard points, creating a high-stakes finish.

Expanded Women's Field: The women's Championship Tour field has been increased to 24 surfers from 18 for the regular season events.

No Non-Elimination Rounds: Every heat now carries direct consequences for a surfer's ranking, with all non-elimination rounds removed to increase stakes and event efficiency.

*correct at time of publication to best of knowledge

Live Sports Dates: Jan

Australian Dates And Intel

02: ICE HOCKEY: Florida Panthers v New York Rangers in NHL’s Winter Classic

02-11: TENNIS - United Cup in Perth/Sydney, Australia

03: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup giant slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

03-05: FOOTBALL - Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, last 16

03-17: MOTOR SPORT - Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia

04: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia

04: SKI JUMPING - 3rd leg of 4 Hills at Innsbruck, Austria

04-08: CRICKET - Australia v England 5th Test at Sydney

04-11: TENNIS - WTA/ATP in Brisbane, Australia; ATP in Hong Kong

05-11: TENNIS - WTA in Auckland

06: SKI JUMPING - 4th leg of 4 Hills at Bischofshofen, Austria

07: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 1st T20 at Dambulla

07: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup slalom at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy

08-11: GOLF - LIV Golf at Black Diamond, Florida

09: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 2nd T20 at Dambulla

09-10: FOOTBALL - Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, quarter-finals

09-11: RUGBY UNION - Champions Cup/Challenge Cup round 3

10: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup giant slalom at Adelboden, Switzerland; Women’s World Cup downhill at Zauchensee, Austria

10: ATHLETICS - World cross-country championships at Tallahassee, USA

10-12: AMERICAN FOOTBALL - NFL playoffs, wild-card round

11: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 3rd T20 at Dambulla; India v New Zealand, 1st ODI at Vadorada

11: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup slalom at Adelboden, Switzerland; Women’s World Cup super-G at Zauchensee, Austria

12-17: TENNIS - WTA and ATP in Adelaide, Australia; ATP in Auckland, New Zealand; WTA in Hobart, Australia

13: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup slalom at Flachau, Austria

13-18: FIGURE SKATING: European Championships at Sheffield, England

14: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 2nd ODI at Rajkot

14: FOOTBALL - Africa Cup of Nations, semi-finals in Tangier and Rabat, Morocco

15-18: GOLF - PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii; European Tour’s Dubai Invitational

16: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup super-G at Wengen, Switzerland

16-18: RUGBY UNION - Champions Cup/Challenge Cup round 4

17: FOOTBALL - Africa Cup of Nations third-place play-off

17: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup downhill at Wengen, Switzerland; Women’s World Cup downhill at Tarvisio, Italy

17-18: AMERICAN FOOTBALL - NFL playoffs, divisional round

18-FEB 01: TENNIS - ATP/WTA at Australian Open in Melbourne

18: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup slalom at Wengen, Switzerland; Women’s World Cup super-G at Tarvisio, Italy

18: FOOTBALL - Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, Morocco

18: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 3rd ODI at Indore

18: BASKETBALL - NBA international game Orlando v Memphis in London

19: AMERICAN FOOTBALL - US college national championship in Miami

20: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup giant slalom at Kronplatz, Italy

20-21: FOOTBALL - UEFA Champions League matchday 7

20-25: CYCLING - Tour Down Under, Melbourne, Australia

20: CRICKET - BBL Finals begin, Australia

21: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 1st T20 at Nagpur

21-25: FIGURE SKATING: Four Continents Championships at Beijing, China

22: FOOTBALL - Europa League, matchday 7

22: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v England, 1st ODI at Colombo

22-25: GOLF - PGA Tour at La Quinta, California; European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic

23: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 2nd T20 at Nagpur

23: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup super-G at Kitzbuhel, Austria

23-25: FOOTBALL - CAF African Champions League, matchday 3

24: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup downhill at Kitzbuhel, Austria; Women’s World Cup giant slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic

24: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v England, 2nd ODI at Colombo

25: CRICKET - BBL Final, Australia

25: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 3rd T20 at Guwahati

25: FOOTBALL - CAF Confederations Cup, matchday 3

22-25: RALLYING - Rally of Monte Carlo

25: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup slalom at Kitzbuhel, Austria; Women’s World Cup slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic

25: AMERICAN FOOTBALL - NFL playoffs, conference championship games

27: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v England, 3rd ODI at Colombo; South Africa v West Indies, 1st T20 at Paarl

27: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup giant slalom at Schladming, Austria

28: ALPINE SKIING - Men’s World Cup slalom at Schladming, Austria

28: FOOTBALL - UEFA Champions League matchday 8

28: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 4th T20 at Visakhapatnam

29: CRICKET - South Africa v West Indies, 2nd T20 at Centurion

30: CRICKET - Sri Lanka v England, 1st T20 at Pallekele

28: CRICKET - India v New Zealand, 5th T20 at Thiruvananthapuram

29: FOOTBALL - Europa League, matchday 8

29-FEB 01: GOLF - PGA Tour at Torrey Pines, San Diego; European Tour’s Bahrain Championship; LPGA Tour at Orlando, Florida

30: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup downhill at Crans-Montana, Switzerland

30-FEB 01: FOOTBALL - CAF African Champions League, matchday 4

31: ALPINE SKIING - Women’s World Cup super-G at Crans-Montana, Switzerland

*correct at time of publication to best of knowledge

News

Sports Movies

Sports movies cover a vast range of genres, from gritty biographical dramas to lighthearted comedies

Here are some of the most notable sports films categorized by their themes.

Acclaimed 2025 & 2026 Releases

F1: The Movie (2025): A high-octane Formula One drama starring Brad Pitt as a retired driver returning to mentor a younger teammate.

Marty Supreme (2025): Inspired by the life of ping-pong champion Marty Reisman, exploring the pursuit of greatness in a niche sport.

The Smashing Machine (2025): A biographical film about the intense life and career of MMA champion Mark Kerr.

GOAT (February 13, 2026): A new high-intensity "roarball" film following a small goat with big dreams of joining the pros.

Youngblood (March 6, 2026): A hockey drama centered on a Detroit prodigy joining the Hamilton Mustangs.
Inspiring True Stories

The Blind Side (2009): Consistently ranked as one of the most popular sports movies of the 21st century, focusing on the life of NFL player Michael Oher.

King Richard (2021): The story of Richard Williams and his instrumental role in training tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.

Remember the Titans (2000): A seminal film about the 1971 integration of a Virginia high school football team.

Moneyball (2011): Starring Brad Pitt, this film depicts the Oakland A’s use of sabermetrics to build a competitive baseball team on a budget.

The Iron Claw (2023): A biographical drama about the tragic but legendary Von Erich professional wrestling family.

Award-Winning Classics

Rocky (1976): The definitive boxing underdog story, winning Best Picture at the Oscars.

Raging Bull (1980): Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece about the turbulent life of boxer Jake LaMotta.

Chariots of Fire (1981): A classic British film depicting two track athletes in the 1924 Olympics.

Million Dollar Baby (2004): A poignant drama directed by and starring Clint Eastwood about an aspiring female boxer.

Popular Sports Comedies

Happy Gilmore 2 (2025): The long-awaited sequel where a retired Happy Gilmore returns to the golf course.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004): A cult classic comedy about a misfits' tournament entry to save their gym.

Talladega Nights (2006): A satirical look at the world of NASCAR racing starring Will Ferrell.

Caddyshack (1980): An iconic golf comedy featuring an exclusive course and a destructive gopher.

Mining/Energy/Rare Earths/Biz/Culture/Politics: Australia, U.S and World

News

November 2025

Markets

Nov 19

Australian Dollar: $0.6520 USD (up 0.0040 USD)
Iron Ore: $104.45 USD (up $0.20 USD)
Oil: $60.87 USD (up $1.07 USD)
Gold: $4,069.77 USD (up $44.86 USD)
Copper: $4.9775 USD (down $0.0055 USD)
Bitcoin: $93,135.56 USD (up 1.46% in last 24 hours)
Dow Jones: 46,229.59 (down 360.65 points)

Bitcoin: (Near Live) $93,331.83 +1.13%

News

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

News

Lithium giant's forecast hikes mining stocks

Chinese media outlet Cailian recently reported that Ganfeng Lithium chairman Li Liangbin has forecast that demand for lithium could rise by 30 per cent in 2026 and boost the price of the battery metal to around 200,000 yuan ($43,000) per tonne. Li's comments at an industry event have prompted a rally in the price of both lithium and the share prices of lithium producers; indeed, Australian lithium miners defied the downward trend on Tuesday, which saw the local bourse shed 1.9 per cent. (RMS)

News

Australian Mining News

Recent Developments (November 2025)

Market Debuts and Conferences: Red Mountain Mining (ASX: RMX) saw shares rise 36% on its OTCQB listing, highlighting US-Australia critical minerals ties. The company presents at the Virtual Investor Conference on November 19, focusing on antimony and rare earths projects.

Tech Advancements: Southern LiDAR's underground mapping tech is gaining traction for safety and efficiency in Australian mines.

Policy and Investment: A global mining giant committed AU$35M to NSW's zero-emissions steel demonstration plant, amid debates on taxpayer funding versus competitiveness against Chinese imports. Meanwhile, the Australian Mines and Services Handbook 2026 booking rush signals optimism.

Broader Discussions: Social media buzz includes critiques of environmental impacts (e.g., highway projects versus mining) and state rivalries, with Western Australia's mineral dominance contrasting Victoria's challenges.

News

Markets

S&P/ASX 200 846 9.10 -1.28%
S&P 500 6617.32 -0.83%
NIKKEI 48702.98 -3.22%
FTSE 9552.30 -1.27%
AUD/USD 65.06 +0.22%
GOLD 4067.32 +0.83%

News

Wyloo bets on nickel future as part of critical minerals boom

Wyloo's financial accounts show that it booked a $377.6m profit in 2024-25, after a massive impairment charge on its nickel assets resulted in a $352.8m loss for the previous financial year. The private company of Andrew and Nicola Forrest is continuing to explore for nickel near its mothballed mines in Western Australia, while it is also considering the construction of a nickel concentrator near Kambalda. Wyloo's CEO Luca Giacovazzi stated in its latest annual report that its future growth is likely to be on mining and selling nickel, while this focus is expected to be expanded to include rare earths. (RMS)

News

Nov 19

US fears, Nvidia nerves wipe $60b from ASX

The Australian sharemarket retreated on Tuesday, recording its biggest one-day fall since the Trump administration's 'liberation day' tariffs in April; the S&P/ASX 200 shed 1.9 per cent to close at 8,469.1 points. Tony Sycamore from IG says the local bourse was hit by a "perfect storm", with investors awaiting the release of Nvidia's latest financial results and US jobs data for September. BHP was down 3.7 per cent at $40.90, TechnologyOne ended the session 17.2 per cent lower at $29.26 and DroneShield fell 5.8 per cent to $2.45. Pilbara Minerals bucked the trend, rising 3.3 per cent to close at $4.09. (RMS)

Nov 18

ASX wipes out $60b in second-worst day this year

The Australian sharemarket suffered its second-biggest drop this year on Tuesday as investors erased $60 billion in value on growing anxiety about chip giant Nvidia’s upcoming results and concerns that interest rates in the US won’t fall soon. Losses accelerated in afternoon trading with the S&P/ASX 200 Index closing down 167.3 points, or 1.9 per cent, to 8469.1, the lowest level since late June. It was the worst session since US President Donald Trump unleashed hefty tariffs early April.

Ownership of 'Solar Energy Systems' is on the rise

(Roy Morgan Summary)

New data from Roy Morgan shows that 32% of Australian households (more than 3.3 million) now have some form of solar energy system, such as a solar hot water system, a solar heated swimming pool or rooftop solar panels with or without battery systems. These figures include 27% of households with solar panels and 5% with both solar panels and storage batteries. Western Australians are leading the way in solar panel ownership (37%) along with South Australian households (also 37%), followed by Queensland (33%). Households in these States are more likely to have solar panels than an average Australian household. Meawhile, households in South Australia and the Northern Territory (Darwin and Alice Springs) have a higher take-up of solar batteries (9% and 7% of households, respectively) compared to the national average (5%). While ownership of solar power storage batteries is at a much lower rate compared to solar panels, the federal government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program is set to boost the future take-up of storage batteries nationwide. (RMS)

Nov 15

Make coal great again or China gets your data: Hanson

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson will release details of the party's energy policy during the last parliamentary sitting week for 2025. However, Hanson contends that amongst other things Australia must withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and extend the operating lives of the nation's existing fleet of coal-fired power stations. Hansen has emphasised the importance of coal-fired power generation to data centres in Australia, warning that they will not be able to compete with China. Hanson adds that it "frightens the hell out of me" that China will dominate global data storage due to its lower electricity prices, which will be at least partly due to coal imported from Australia. (RMS)

News

Former Rio boss called to Mongolian probe

A Mongolian parliamentary inquiry into cost blowouts at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine was announced in September, with public hearings due to be held between December 8 and 12. Slated to be one of the world's top-five producers of copper by the end of the decade, the Oyu Tolgoi mine cost almost $US1.7 billion more than planned and took almost two years longer than expected to build. Former Rio Tinto CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques is one of close to 300 witnesses called to appear before the inquiry, with Jacques having been CEO of Rio from 2016 to 2020. (Roy Morgan Summary)

Nov 14

BHP to learn class action fate for $72b Brazil dam disaster

The UK's High Court will shortly issue a ruling on whether BHP is legally for an iron ore tailings dam disaster in Brazil which killed 19 people and caused massive environmental damage in November 2015. The tailing dam was owned by the Samarco joint venture between BHP and iron ore rival Vale. Should BHP be found to be legally liable, individual claimants' eligibility for compensation and the size of any payouts will be determined in the next stage of the long-running case. BHP and Vale have already paid billions in compensation to people who were affected by the disaster. (RMS)

News

Fresh probe launched into MinRes, Ellison

It has been revealed that the Australian Taxation Office has launched a new investigation into Mineral Resources and its billionaire founder Chris Ellison. News of the investigation was revealed in a request sent by the ATO to the Federal Court in October for access to previously sealed documents that had been filed in the unfair dismissal case brought by MinRes' former procurement manager Steve Pigozzo in 2022. The new investigation will focus on how MinRes and Ellison calculated income and fringe benefit taxes, with the revelation regarding the new probe coming as MinRes prepares to hold its AGM next week, at which shareholders will be asked to approve a lucrative share options package for new chairman Malcolm Bundey. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Rio ends two-decade Serbia lithium mining dream as cost cuts bite

Rio Tinto has advised that its Jadar lithium project in Serbia has put in 'care and maintenance' mode. The company will cease undertaking environmental, heritage and geological surveys at the site in the Jadar Valley, four years after revealing plans to invest $US2.4bn ($3.7bn) on developing what it claimed would be the biggest lithium mine in Europe. There is growing competition for capital within Rio Tinto's lithium division, and its $10bn deal to acquire Arcadium Lithium earlier in 2025 added several mines that are already in production to its lithium portfolio. (RMS)

News

American activist claims IperionX more dud than minerals gem

Trading in the shares of Australian-listed IperionX were halted on Thursday, following the release of a report into the company by New York hedge fund Spruce Point Capital Management, which specialises in short-selling. With the US-based IperionX seeking to develop titanium extraction technology and having been backed by the Trump administration as part of its bid to secure domestic production of critical minerals, Spruce Point's report sought to raise doubt about IperionX's prospects. (RMS)

News

Biotech gets $20m in critical minerals push

US-based biotechnology firm Endolith has raised $US13.5m ($20.6m) via its initial round of venture funding, while it aims to raise an additional $3m in a second tranche. The start-up is developing technology that can be used to extract critical minerals such as copper from low-grade ore and waste rock that would be unprofitable to process using traditional methods. Endolith's technology uses microbes and artifical intelligence, and the company aims to commence real-world trials at a mine site within 6-12 months. (RMS)

News

Oversupply of oil could create glut of 4m barrels a day, says energy watchdog

The International Energy Agency has stated in its latest monthly report that the world is producing more oil than it needs, and that there could be a glut of 4m excess barrels a day entering the market by 2026. The IEA's warning has come in the same week that it issued its latest energy outlook report, which included a controversial scenario in which global oil demand would continue to grow until 2050. It had dropped the scenario in 2020 after it was accused of repeatedly criticised for underestimating the growth of renewable energy in its annual report, but returned the scenario to its outlook this year after calls from the White House to present a more optimistic view for the future of oil. (RMS)

News Lead Up

News

The cryptocurrency market is stagnating, lagging its competitors

Market Overview

The cryptocurrency market capitalisation has changed little over the past day, fluctuating around $3.5 trillion. The cryptocurrency fear index has fallen to 15, its lowest level since 4 March. Notably, the cryptocurrency market has been left out of the recent rally in precious metals and stock indices. If this is not an attempt by whales to lock in profits from the rally since April or even from the growth of the last two years, then it is an alarming signal of deep-seated risk aversion that is about to manifest itself in larger markets.

Bitcoin continues to struggle to remain within the bull market on weekly timeframes, trying to stay above the 50-week moving average. Last week's close was on the edge and attempts to develop an offensive this week are running into sell-offs, despite the favourable external backdrop. The previous such transition occurred at the end of 2021, and so far, everything aligns with the 4-year halving cycles that many were quick to dismiss.

News Background

Over the past three months, a clear break has occurred in the correlation between Bitcoin and the stock market. The S&P 500 stock index has risen 7% during this time, while BTC has lost 15%. Judging by four years of close correlation, it can be argued that Bitcoin is currently undervalued, according to Santiment.

Jan3 founder Samson Mow attributes Bitcoin's decline to a massive sell-off by investors who bought it over the past 12 to 18 months. They are rushing to lock in profits amid rumours of an imminent bearish trend in the crypto market.

The crypto market's growth phase is nearing its end, so it is time for investors to consider locking in profits and reducing the share of crypto assets in their portfolios, according to Morgan Stanley, which cites a four-year cycle that the cryptocurrency market has consistently followed since 2009.

The bitcoin mining industry is facing a difficult period due to growing competition and declining profitability, said MARA CEO Fred Thiel. According to him, only those miners who have access to cheap energy or new business models will survive.

According to SoSoValue, spot Solana ETFs in the US have attracted more than $350 million in 11 trading sessions. The steady inflow of funds into new SOL ETFs came as a surprise to the market. The results significantly exceeded initial conservative forecasts, according to LVRG Research.

Visa has unveiled a pilot project called Visa Direct, which allows US customers to make direct cross-border payments in USDC stablecoin to recipients' wallets. The initiative is aimed at content creators and freelancers.

The crypto industry is entering a new phase of capital raising. The launch of Coinbase's ICO platform is expected to be a key event in this trend, according to Bitwise. The exchange will select and launch one verified project per month. (FxPro)

News

The dollar emerging from the data fog

• The US government shutdown is over. • Central bank policy convergence helps EURUSD. • Political scandal causes the pound to fall. • Japan's currency interventions are ineffective The House of Representatives voted 222 to 209 to resume government operations. The president immediately signed the document. The record-long shutdown is over. This fact promises that the Fed and investors will soon begin to exit their positions. The president immediately signed the document. The record-breaking shutdown is over. This fact suggests that the Fed and investors will quickly start to emerge from the fog once statistics are published again, allowing them to make data-driven decisions. But will they like what they see when the picture becomes clearer?
Alternative sources show a slowdown in the US GDP. The IMF forecasts a decline in its growth rate from 2.8% to 2% in 2025. The eurozone, on the other hand, is expected to accelerate from 0.9% to 1.2%. At the same time, the Bank of France plans to raise its estimates for the country, despite the ongoing political turmoil. The narrowing divergence in economic growth argues in favour of maintaining the upward trend for EURUSD. The same can be said about monetary policy. The ECB has most likely ended its easing cycle, barring any major shocks. The federal funds rate is likely to continue falling amid a cooling US labour market and economy. The euro has advantages over the dollar. However, in the short term, mixed data could lead to mixed movements in EURUSD.

The conflict on Downing Street has allowed GBPUSD bears to launch a new attack. When Labour came to power in Britain in 2024, the pound gained preference thanks to hopes for political stability after constant ministerial changes under the Conservatives. However, since then, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's ratings have been falling. Rumours of a plot to replace the leader have made investors nervous and prompted them to sell sterling. Doubts about the effectiveness of potential currency interventions continue to push the USDJPY pair higher. The current conditions differ from those of last year. Back then, Tokyo intervened in the FOREX market before raising the overnight rate. Now, Sanae Takaichi is sticking to a policy of fiscal and monetary stimulus. Any purchase of the yen will only have short-term success. In addition, it will require the expenditure of foreign exchange reserves. These are needed to make the investments in the US economy promised to Donald Trump. (FxPro)

News

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

News

Media

Google Finance wins Media Man 'Business News Website Of The Month' award; Runner-up: Yahoo! Finance

Netflix wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award; YouTube and Paramount Plus are runner-ups! Strong mention: Tubi

News

Pop Culture News

Landman (Paramount Plus)

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields, Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions, and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer, weaving in elements of drug cartels.

Landman is an American drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and geopolitical shifts.

The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, and has been renewed for a second season.

Landman: Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg

"You think you understand how this business works, but you don't." Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.

"Death and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025

"Sins of the Father"
November 23, 2025

"Almost a Home"
November 30, 2025

"Dancing Rainbows"
December 7, 2025

"The Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025

"Dark Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025

"Forever Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025

"Handsome Touched Me"
January 4, 2026

"Plans, Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026

"Tragedy and Flies"
January 18, 2026

News

Gold Movie

Gold is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character names and story details were changed.

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

Gold is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Crypto News

Bitcoin to soar as ETFs on cusp of approval
- January 9, 2024

The price of Bitcoin is spiking and one analyst predicts it could more than triple in value and hit $300,000 by the end of 2025.

Bitcoin has risen above $US47,000 (A$70,000) for the first time since April 2022 and one analyst is predicting it could more than triple in value to be worth US$200,000 (A$298,000) by the end of 2025.

The prediction comes after news that US regulators appear ready to finally approve Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

In a note, Standard Chartered head of crypto research Geoff Kendrick wrote: “If ETF-related inflows materialise as we expect, we think an end-2025 level closer to US$200,000 is possible.”

It has been over a decade since the first applications for ETFs that invest directly in the digital currency were filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Prospective ETF issuers BlackRock, Fidelity, Invesco, Ark, Galaxy Digital and WisdomTree filed amended forms on Monday in what is seen by analysts as a final push to offer the investment products.

The regulator has until Wednesday to make a decision on the applications, which could result in an investment product tracking the daily price of the most popular digital currency traded on a stock market for the first time.

If approved, the advent of Bitcoin ETFs is expected to drive up Bitcoin’s price due to increased accessibility and liquidity of the digital currency.

The rise in Bitcoin also flowed through to a surge in the price of other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum, Cardano, SOL and Polkadot, while the share prices of listed crypto exchanges and miners such as Coinbase Global, Riot Platforms and Marathon Digital also rose.

Bitcoin’s previous all-time high of almost $US69,000 (A$103,000) was reached in November 2021.

#Bitcoin #BitcoinNews #BitcoinETF #BitcoinETFs #ETF #cryptonews #cryptocurrencynews #cryptocurrencies #fintech #BTC #SEC #BlackRock #Fidelity #Invesco #Ark #GalaxyDigital #Galaxy #WisdomTree #Ethereum #Marathon #SOL #Polkadot #Riot #RiotPlatforms #bizneews #biz #finnews #digitalnews #research #trends #trending #buzz #hype #cryptoculture #culture #AI #X #media

(Newsfeeds)

Bitcoin Rally Cools in Countdown to US Spot ETF Decision by SEC - 9 January 2024

Bitcoin consolidated after briefly rallying past $47,000 on optimism that regulators are set to approve the first US exchange-traded funds investing directly in the world’s largest digital asset.

The token dipped to $46,739 as of 6 a.m. Tuesday in London after a 6.5% jump on Monday in the US to a 21-month high. Bitcoin’s new year climb now stands at 10%, contrasting with drops over the same period in stocks and gold.

The crypto market expects a green light for US spot Bitcoin ETFs by a Jan. 10 deadline. Prospective issuers such as BlackRock Inc., Fidelity Investments and Ark Investment Management updated paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the regulator has until Wednesday to take action on at least one of the applications.

Speculators are wagering that the agency will announce a slew of decisions at once to avoid handing out a first-mover advantage. If the funds are approved, the next question is how much money they will woo. Bitcoin is up 172% in the past 12 months in a sign that traders anticipate wider adoption of the token.

“Participants seem to be coming around to thinking that the initial flows will actually exceed expectations,” said Kyle Doane, a trader at Arca.

Applicants amended forms on Monday in the US in a final push to offer spot Bitcoin ETF products more than a decade after the first attempt.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler has repeatedly argued that crypto is rife with fraud and misconduct. The agency cracked down on the sector following a 2022 rout and collapses such as the bankruptcy of Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange.

But the SEC last year lost a key legal fight against crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments LLC, spurring speculation that the regulator will have to acquiesce to the spot ETFs. The spat was over the $29 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust’s desire to convert into such a product.

ETF Critics

Critics contend that spot crypto ETFs would pose a risk for investors given that digital assets are notorious for volatility and attracting illicit activity.

“What’s going to happen, unfortunately, is lots and lots of Americans in our view, are going to get hurt financially,” said Dennis Kelleher, chief executive officer of financial reform nonprofit Better Markets.

The months-long advance in Bitcoin has lifted the digital-asset market more broadly, bolstering smaller tokens like Solana and Avalanche. US crypto-linked stocks mostly rose on Monday, providing a tailwind for Asian peers such as Japan’s Monex Group and Woori Technology Investment Co. in South Korea.

Pullback Risk

Some crypto watchers wonder whether Bitcoin is ripe for a pullback if and when SEC approval finally lands, since speculators may decide to bank a slice of profits from the token’s rally.

There are “no signs” of a so-called sell-the-news event just yet, Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group Ltd., wrote in a note. Based on chart patterns, the $51,000 level is a possible target before any such retreat, according to Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Australia Pty.

Looking past short-term price gyrations, “the main result of Bitcoin spot ETF approval will be the marketing machine behind greater Bitcoin awareness, powered by some of the largest names in traditional finance,” wrote Noelle Acheson, author of the Crypto Is Macro Now newsletter.

The token reached a record high of almost $69,000 back in 2021 during a pandemic-era bull run fueled by ultra-low borrowing costs.

#Bitcoin #BitcoinETF #ETC #crypto #cryptonews #cryptocurrencies #SEC #markets #finance #fintech #digitalnews #digitalbiz #digitalbusiness #newsmedia #newsfeeds #media

Bitcoin News Media

January 8, 2024

Bitcoin ETF Insider Leak Powers Bitcoin Price Surge Over $45,000 After $1.6 Trillion Ethereum, XRP, Solana And Crypto Boom

Now, as panicked traders try to get ahead of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) "rug pull of the decade," an insider leak has revealed BlackRock has readied a huge $2 billion bazooka if its spot bitcoin ETF bid is approved.

"I heard from a pretty well placed source that BlackRock has more than $2 billion lined up in week one in new incremental flows from existing bitcoin holders who are adding to positions," Matthew Sigel, head of digital assets research at investment company VanEck, said during an X Spaces broadcast organized by The Block.

"I can't vouch for that," Sigel added. "But you know, that's what everyone is doing. Just making phone calls and trying to find the folks who can write checks into these products. And our estimates—that, you know, if that $2 billion happened in week one, you know, that would blow away our estimates."

1/8 update: The bitcoin price has shot over $45,000 per bitcoin as the Wall Street race to get a bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) to market enters its final week. The price surge boosted the price of ethereum, XRP and solana as traders bet a historical spot bitcoin ETF would boost crypto prices across the board.

This week, spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls, including BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale, have met the deadline to file their amended documents.

This filing "is another important step towards uplisting GBTC as a spot bitcoin ETF," Grayscale spokeswoman Jenn Rosenthal said in a statement to Coindesk. Grayscale has been trying to convert its bitcoin trust to a fully-fledged spot bitcoin ETF for years, last year successfully suing the SEC over its rejection of its bid. "At Grayscale, we continue to work collaboratively with the SEC, and we remain ready to operate GBTC as an ETF upon receipt of regulatory approvals."

"Market participants maintain expectations for the approval of the 21Shares filing, potentially triggering a cascade approval for all issuers," Matteo Greco, a research analyst at investment company Fineqia International, said in emailed comments, referring to the Ark 21Shares spot bitcoin ETF bid that's first in line.

"Numerous meetings between the SEC, issuers, and exchanges have fuelled the narrative of an imminent approval. The introduction of ETFs could usher in new investor cohorts from traditional finance, significantly improving market transparency and liquidity and bringing long term capital inflow in the digital assets market."

Sigel said VanEck was anticipating "$2.5 billion in the first quarter of trading," a figure derived from "past flows into the first gold ETF and adjusting by the U.S. money supply. And we have a $40 billion market opportunity over two years based on a similar analysis."

"$2 billion week one into BlackRock alone would blow expectations out of the water," Travis Kling, the chief investment officer of Ikigai Asset Management, posted to X. "Half that from all ETFs combined would have been a pretty good outcome."

VanEck, along with other spot bitcoin ETF hopefuls BlackRock, Fidelity, Grayscale, Valkyrie, ARK 21Shares and InvescoIVZ +1.8% have rushed to finalize their applications this week ahead of a January 8 Monday morning deadline.

Five SEC commissioners will reportedly vote on the spot bitcoin ETF bids next week, according to Bloomberg, citing an anonymous source.

#Bitcoin #BTC #BitcoinNews #Crypto #CryptoNews #cryptocurrency #XRP #ETF #Ethereum #BitcoinETF #BitcoinETFs #fintech #digitalnews #newsmedia #newsfeeds #trend #trends #buzz #hype #bitcoinnewsmedia #x #media

(Sources: Wires, Newsfeeds, X)

Crypto needs a new king. These are the contenders - December 15, 2023

The price of bitcoin is surging again. Major financial firms are showing renewed interest in digital currencies. And crypto fanatics are celebrating the end of a long period of depressed prices and business collapses.

But the sudden explosion of optimism has come at a turbulent moment for the cryptocurrency industry.

The last time crypto prices were skyrocketing, the industry’s most influential executives were Sam Bankman-Fried and Changpeng Zhao, rival billionaires whose online sparring could move markets. Now Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX crypto exchange, and Zhao, who ran the world’s largest crypto firm, Binance, both face prison time after parallel falls from power.

A federal jury convicted Bankman-Fried last month on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from FTX’s collapse. Three weeks later, Zhao pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge and agreed to relinquish control of Binance.

With the two men out of the picture, a crowded field of crypto entrepreneurs, Wall Street executives and government regulators are vying to control the industry’s next chapter. Their scramble for influence could determine whether crypto survives in the United States, where a regulatory crackdown has made it increasingly difficult for the industry to operate.

Some executives have argued that the crypto world needed to purge figures like Zhao and Bankman-Fried — aggressive entrepreneurs who gave priority to growth over compliance — to win over regulators and the public.

After Zhao’s guilty plea, Brian Armstrong, CEO of the US-based crypto exchange Coinbase, hailed the case as a turning point for the industry.

“We now have an opportunity to start a new chapter,” Armstrong posted on social media last month. “This industry should be built right here in America, in a compliant way, under US law.”

But the crypto world remains filled with companies that engage in risky business practices and don’t offer much transparency about their experimental products.

“There is no intrinsic value to any of this,” said Hilary Allen, an expert on financial regulation at American University. “The only hope is to have more money sloshing around, and more people willing to buy into it to create demand.”

Crypto has always had its share of influential leaders. The vision behind bitcoin, the original and most valuable digital currency, was first laid out by someone using the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, whose mysterious identity became its own brand.

As the crypto world expanded, new centres of power and influence emerged. Zhao founded Binance in 2017 and built it into the world’s largest marketplace for buying and selling experimental coins. The exchange’s size and reach turned Zhao into a star on Twitter, now known as X, where he accumulated more than 8 million followers, dismissing government lawsuits and allegations of illegal conduct as disinformation spread by crypto’s enemies.

Zhao’s chief rival was Bankman-Fried, who appeared on billboards and magazine covers, cultivating a persona as the responsible adult who would help the fledgling industry work with regulators.

In the end, both Zhao and Bankman-Fried fell from grace. Bankman-Fried is set to be sentenced in March and faces the prospect of decades behind bars. Zhao is likely to receive a lighter sentence, with prosecutors expected to request about 18 months.

“Having those characters not in the plot any more is a really good thing,” said Jeremy Allaire, CEO of the crypto company Circle. “I’m focused and have been focused on: How do we make this useful for the world?”

A new generation of executives is already emerging as the industry’s top cheerleaders. Paolo Ardoino, an outspoken crypto enthusiast with a vast online following, recently took over as CEO of Tether, the company that oversees one of the most popular digital currencies. At Binance, Zhao was replaced by Richard Teng, a key executive at the exchange who had been groomed to step into Zhao’s shoes.

On paper, Teng is Zhao’s opposite. The Binance founder was antagonistic toward regulators, while Teng is a veteran of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country’s central bank.

Binance’s future is uncertain. As part of a settlement last month, the company agreed to pay a $US4.5 billion ($6.7 billion) fine to several government agencies and have a US monitor embedded in the business for the next three years.

“My general sense is there’s a real ‘wait and see,’” Allaire said. “I don’t think anyone knows the details of what that monitorship means.”

A Binance spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Arguably the biggest beneficiary of crypto’s current reshuffle is Coinbase’s Armstrong, who declared this month that bitcoin “may be the key to extending western civilisation”. Coinbase’s share price has nearly tripled over the past six months, even after the Securities and Exchange Commission sued the firm as part of the agency’s broad crackdown on the industry.

“Coinbase is now the last man standing,” said John Todaro, an analyst at Needham who tracks the crypto industry. “There’s less competition out there.”

Coinbase has also positioned itself to profit from a potentially seismic development in the crypto world — the possible approval of an exchange-traded fund, or ETF, that tracks the price of bitcoin.

“Having those characters not in the plot any more is a really good thing.”

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

In recent days, bitcoin’s price has surged to over $US43,000 ($65,600), its highest level since a wave of bankruptcies sent the industry into crisis last year. Much of the enthusiasm is fuelled by growing confidence that the SEC is poised to approve a bitcoin ETF that would trade on traditional stock exchanges, potentially bringing new money into the industry.

Coinbase has agreed to store the bitcoin that would underlie an ETF offered by BlackRock, one of the world’s largest asset managers. BlackRock is the biggest of several major financial firms, including Fidelity, that have applied to offer the investment product.

Wall Street was once the enemy of the insurgent crypto industry, but after a bruising 18 months of bankruptcies and arrests, crypto proponents have greeted the collaboration between Coinbase and BlackRock as a potential salvation.

“Crypto isn’t disrupting Wall Street; it’s merging with it,” Allen said. “It’s fairly obvious — they think they can make some money here.”

News

TKO MERGES UFC® AND WWE® GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS TEAMS TO CREATE SPORTS MARKETING POWERHOUSE

Websties

TKO Group

UFC

WWE

WWE.com - Corporate

01/04/2024

TKO MERGES UFC® AND WWE® GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS TEAMS TO CREATE SPORTS MARKETING POWERHOUSE

Combined Unit to Offer Blue-Chip Brands Unprecedented Integration within Two of the World’s Most Iconic Sports and Entertainment Properties

NEW YORK, Jan. 04, 2024 – KO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company, today announced that it has combined the UFC and WWE global partnerships teams into one unit, providing brands with access to one of the most formidable sports marketing portfolios in the world.

UFC and WWE, which collectively serve more than one billion young and diverse fans in 170 countries, provide brand partners unparalleled scale and reach across multiple platforms, including premium live events, original content, and digital media. Further powered and enhanced by the Endeavor flywheel, the company’s global infrastructure that also includes IMG’s dynamic sales teams around the world, UFC and WWE together can offer marketers significantly expanded inventory, vastly increased brand visibility, extensive international reach, and unique integration opportunities across UFC and WWE premier content.

Grant Norris-Jones, who has played a key role in driving UFC’s global partnerships to six consecutive years of record revenue, has been elevated to lead the integrated unit as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO, which includes the entirety of UFC and WWE properties. Norris-Jones will work alongside Lou Koskovolis, who is also taking on an expanded role as TKO’s Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships. Together, they will focus on delivering unique, authentic integrations for TKO’s corporate partners. This new joint effort will further benefit from additional support and collaboration with the Endeavor Partnerships team to maximize value for brands across the entire Endeavor portfolio of assets.

With partnership sales, activations, and operations teams in New York, Las Vegas, Stamford, Conn., London, Sao Paulo, Sydney, Shanghai, and Toronto, the newly combined unit will focus on creating new revenue opportunities and brand integrations across UFC’s and WWE’s must-watch live and original content.

“Since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has become a significant growth area,” said Andrew Schleimer, Chief Financial Officer, TKO, “and we believe WWE’s partnerships business has similar potential. Together, UFC and WWE create a sports marketing powerhouse, with hundreds of live events per year and a reach that’s equal to, or better than, the world’s biggest sports properties. The newly integrated global partnerships team will offer premium brands the opportunity to integrate and activate within UFC’s and WWE’s extraordinarily popular content to engage their massive fan bases around the world.”

In recent years, UFC has partnered with brands that are consumer product and category leaders, including Anheuser-Busch, Crypto.com, DraftKings, Jose Cuervo, Monster Energy, PRIME Hydration, Timex, and VeChain.-

In addition, WWE has worked with dozens of blue-chip brands across its roster of promotional assets. Over the last year, WWE has activated with Applebee’s, General Mills, Mattel, Netflix, PepsiCo, Pizza Hut, Slim Jim, and Snickers.

About TKO
TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) is a premium sports and entertainment company that comprises UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and WWE, an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment. Together, our organizations reach more than 1 billion TV households in approximately 170 countries, and we organize more than 350 live events year-round, attracting over one million fans. TKO is majority owned by Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EDR), a global sports and entertainment company.

About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 243 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 900 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.

About WWE®
WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), is an integrated media organization and the recognized global leader in sports entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family-friendly entertainment on its television programming, premium live events, digital media, and publishing platforms. WWE’s TV-PG programming can be seen in more than 1 billion homes worldwide in 25 languages through world-class distribution partners including NBCUniversal, FOX Sports, TNT Sport, Sony India and Rogers. The award-winning WWE Network includes all premium live events, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library and is currently available in more than 180 countries. In the United States, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock, is the exclusive home to WWE Network. Additional information on WWE can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com.

Media Man

Media Man Int Blog: "Sports Marketing Powerhouse" official; WWE and UFC combo

The UFC and WWE global partnerships teams have officially become one in its pitch to provide brands with access to “one of the most formidable sports marketing portfolios in the world”.

Sports and entertainment company, TKO Group, announced the news this after the MMA (mixed martial arts) promotion and the professional wrestling based Goliath merged under the new company late last year.

Per media statement TKO said the move to join the teams will offer marketers expanded inventory, increased brand visibility and international reach.

Grant Norris-Jones will lead the new unit as Executive Vice President and Head of Global Partnerships for TKO (including all UFC and WWE entities), while Lou Koskovolis will take on the expanded role as TKO’s Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships.

“Since Endeavor acquired UFC in 2016, UFC’s global partnerships business has become a significant growth area,” TKO’s chief financial officer, Andrew Schleimer, said.

“And we believe WWE’s partnerships business has similar potential. Together, UFC and WWE create a sports marketing powerhouse, with hundreds of live events per year and a reach that’s equal to, or better than, the world’s biggest sports properties.

“The newly integrated global partnerships team will offer premium brands the opportunity to integrate and activate within UFC’s and WWE’s extraordinarily popular content to engage their massive fan bases around the world.”

The UFC is currently preparing for its highly anticipated, pub and cafe talk fodder UFC 300 event in Vegas in April, while the WWE’s February premium live event, Elimination Chamber, is set to go ahead at Perth’s Optus Stadium on 24 February.

WrestleMania Season has come early for many fans around the world. 2024 may end up being the biggest year in history for the WWE in most boxes including the bottom line, as well as excitement, perhaps equal to the very first WrestleMania back in 1985. This is cinema!

Media Man

WWE PLE's 2024

WWE Royal Rumble

January 27.

Tropicana Field

St. Petersburg, Florida

WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth

February 24.

Optus Stadium

Perth, Western Australia, Australia

WWE WrestleMania 40

April 6, April 7.

Lincoln Financial Field

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WWE Backlash: France

May 4.

LDLC Arena

Décines-Charpieu, Greater Lyon, France

WWE Money in the Bank

July 6.

Scotiabank Arena

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

WWE Bash in Berlin

August 31.

Mercedes-Benz Arena

Berlin, Germany

Media Man

News

5 Ways Every Business Can Save Money

When it comes to increasing your bottom line, the side of the equation that usually gets the most attention is increasing your sales. However, this process isn't always in your control. One thing that every business owner can do is to cut down on expenses. No matter how small your business, there are always ways that you can save money.

In doing so, you'll be left with more funding to put towards meaningful growth in your company. Many money-saving methods can also save you time, which is another extremely valuable and limited commodity. To help you make the most out of every penny at your disposal, here are five ways every business can save money.

Reduce Your Resource Usage

Consider taking a few simple steps to reduce the amount of resources your business uses, such as replacing older bulbs for LEDs, using Energy Star rated office equipment and taking operations into the digital space to prevent wasting paper. This will not only save you money, but also improve your public image and do the environment a favour in the process.

Focus on Digital Marketing

Gone are the days of spending absurd amounts of money getting your business on radio and television - or for that matter, billboards and flyers. We now have the internet, which offers a plethora of cost-effective advertising methods. In fact, there are many ways that you can market your business on the internet without even spending a cent.

For instance, working on the SEO of your website will help you bring in more converting customers, without spending any money on advertising. You can improve on this by setting up social media profiles, getting your business on listings and review websites, as well as writing content for your blog or even creating YouTube videos related to your business.

Compare Prices

This applies to just about every recurring expense your business pays. There are online quote websites where you can compare prices for internet service providers, insurers and business gas rates. You don't know whether you're being overcharged until you find out. For instance, around 80% of businesses are overpaying for gas.

Switch to Open Source Software

If you haven't already, you should seriously consider taking your business operations into the digital space. This is because business software will help you carry out daily tasks more cheaply and efficiently. You can find software for just about every function, from accounting to presentations to marketing to communication to management and more.

Of course, these applications do often come at a cost, and it's one that can prove too steep for smaller businesses. This is where open source software comes in. It's free to use and in most cases, cloud-based, which makes it even more affordable to run your business on.

Outsource

From office space to insurance to salaries, employees can be costly to keep around. Outsource work to independent contractors on an as-needed basis. You can further save money by negotiating rates and finding lower-charging contractors.

More often than not, saving money is as simple as looking at your monthly statement. Take some time to run through your expenses and follow up on those that you deem too high.