SBJ Unpacks: Net gains for basketball's U.S. popularity

Basketball is the favorite participation sport in the U.S. A new smart hoop, Huupe, is being developed to tap into that popularity.

Brand Velocity Group makes its first acquisition in sports. Athletes Unlimited raises a $30 million funding round. Dale Jr. expands his media reach and the Big 12 adds a leadership team.

Sock brand Lasso lands Ezekiel Elliott partnership with AGA. Brand Velocity Group makes its first acquisition in sports.

Basketball is the most popular sport in the U.S. according to the 2022 State of the Industry Report. Pandemic-related restrictions negatively affected the participation rates of indoor and team sports. Golf and tennis are the second and third most played sports, respectively. For the Forum Abe Madkour visits LakePoint Sports complex north of Atlanta.

Huupe is a smart basketball hoop/backboard that combines computer vision and subsets of machine learning. It's slated for release in 2023. Its screen can gamify, stream live broadcasts, FaceTime, track shots, identify shot trajectory, calculate makes and misses, correct shooting mechanics and automate coaching.

Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott will be a brand ambassador for performance sock brand Lasso. Lassos is using two marketing strategies to promote its product. Poker player Phil Hellmuth invests in Lallos and VaynerSports CEO AJ Vynerchuk also does. The company's product mimics the effects of wearing an ankle brace or tape. It's a medical technology. Elliott's endorsement will help the brand reach more people. He will also help Lellos connect with other athletes throughout the NFL.

MLB will promote responsible gambling through the AmericanGaming Association. The league will work with AGA to develop baseball-themed PSAs during the offseason. AGA will offer turnkey PSA, consulting and education services to MLB clubs that opt in. MLB is the first of the "Big 3" North American leagues to sign on to AGA's program.

The NFL Referees Association was locked out by the NFL in 2012. A Monday Night Football game changed the direction of the labor talks. The replacement refs ruled a play a touchdown. The union didn't have to talk about it. SBJ's Liz Mullen looks back at what the "Fail Mary" meant in this week's magazine.

Brand Velocity Group bought Score Sports, a 47-year-old maker of youth team uniforms and equipment. American Cornhole League and Legends signed a multiyear deal centered around driving commercial growth for the league. Athletes Unlimited has raised a $30 million funding round.

Brand Velocity Group has bought Score Sports. It's the first deal since Eli Manning became a partner in January.

The American Cornhole League and Legends signed a multiyear deal to drive commercial growth for the league.

Athletes Unlimited has raised $30 million in a funding round.