Serena Williams joins wave of new investors as – Sports News
Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 girls’s basketball league backed by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, has garnered financial assist from a slew of high-profile sports activities figures as it goals to construct on its profitable debut season.
The league introduced on Monday that its worth has skyrocketed to an spectacular $340 million after closing an oversubscribed Series B investment spherical led by Bessemer Venture Partners. This staggering valuation, following the league’s inaugural season in March, underscores the growing curiosity and momentum in girls’s sports activities.
Among the new investors are Serena Williams’ enterprise capital firm Serena Ventures, Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young, Orlando Magic’s Franz and Moritz Wagner, University of Maryland president Darryll J. Pines and his spouse Sylvia, and esteemed sports activities government Sam Rapoport.
Additionally, Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures and Warner Bros. Discovery have upped their current investments within the league.
This latest money infusion follows the league’s announcement final December that it had secured over $28 million in Series A funding, supplementing the $7 million raised during its seed spherical, which was introduced in May 2024.
A host of different stars invested in Unrivaled forward of its first season, together with NBA greats Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Carmelo Anthony, revered coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley, Coco Gauff, Michael Phelps, Billie Jean King and Wanda Sykes.
“We’re continuing to align with partners who elevate our league and accelerate our strategic growth. With Bessemer Venture Partners leading this round, Unrivaled is in an unprecedented position for a new sports league,” stated Alex Bazzell, President of Unrivaled, including that this spherical of investment proves “athlete-driven models can thrive at the highest levels of business.”
WNBA superstars Collier and Stewart established Unrivaled in 2023 to provide elite gamers one other likelihood to compete within the U.S. during the offseason whereas boosting their WNBA paychecks.
The league launched in January, delivering gamers the very best average compensation in girls’s skilled sports activities league historical past, with members receiving equity possession within the group.
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The league wrapped up its eight-week marketing campaign with Rose capturing the inaugural title. Showcasing main abilities together with Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky and Olympic champion Brittney Griner, Unrivaled drew an average of 221,000 viewers on TNT and truTV all through its common season.
Each contest of its two-day playoffs on the Miami venue was utterly offered out. Unrivaled’s sophomore season is scheduled to start in January 2026.
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