
Luka Doncic is named an ambassador for ESPN's Take Back Sports initiative
He is about to take part in the EuroBasket tournament overseas. The competition's exhibition slate of games will start on Friday, and the actual tournament will commence near the end of this month.
In the meantime, Doncic is teaming up with ESPN to become a Take Back Sports ambassador in order to promote an active lifestyle for children.
'Play changed my life. Every kid deserves the chance to play, learn, grow, have fun and make friends,' said Luka Dončić. 'The Luka Dončić Foundation and ESPN's Take Back Sports initiative are focused on making youth sports more accessible and less stressful for everyone. Together, we can bring the joy back to the game.'
The Take Back Sports initiative was started earlier this year in collaboration with Golden State Warriors living legend Stephen Curry and his wife Ayesha's Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. Now Doncic is a part of this large initiative that is not only encouraging kids to be active but is also looking to prevent kids from quitting sports.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry from the Baltimore Ravens and retired NFL stars Eli and Peyton Manning are just a few other athletes who have also been named as ambassadors for the Take Back Sports initiative.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
24 minutes ago
- New York Post
Roger Goodell suggests ‘RedZone' could expand beyond NFL after ESPN deal
Could college football be getting the 'RedZone' treatment after ESPN's seismic acquisition of the NFL property? NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opened the door as much Wednesday, hours after the league and ESPN formally announced a deal in which a number of NFL properties, including the beloved Scott Hanson program, would fall under the Worldwide Leader's umbrella. 'Obviously, in the context of that, though, ESPN purchased the RedZone name and they will be able to utilize that for other sports, college football and other things, and I think that could be an exciting thing for our fans also to see a RedZone, maybe in college football or other sports. That's something that they now own and have the ability to do that,' Goodell said during an appearance on 'SportsCenter,' according to Pro Football Talk. Advertisement 3 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell AP 'NFL RedZone' has become a fan favorite on Sundays, when host Scott Hanson brings viewers into the center of the action as teams ready to cross the goal line. In the wake of Tuesday's formal reveal — in which the NFL will receive a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN in exchange for the media assets — Hanson confirmed on social media he is staying put as 'RedZone' host. Advertisement 'It's official. (& for those wondering: yes, I will still be hosting RedZone.)' Hanson posted on X. 'Fired up for a great season! Optimistic about this new partnership! (& I get to call @AdamSchefter 'colleague' for the 2nd time in my career… nice bonus!)' Hanson has hosted 'RedZone' since its debut season in 2009. 3 Scott Hanson hosting NFL RedZone on Prime Video. NFL A college football 'RedZone' would certainly slot in nicely to a Saturday TV lineup given the abundance of games, not to mention the wild possibility of a 'RedZone' eventually reaching other sports. Advertisement As part of the 'non-binding agreement' announced Tuesday, ESPN 'would own broad rights to the RedZone brand and distribute the NFL RedZone Channel to pay TV operators for continued inclusion into their sports packages,' according to The announcement comes just as the 2025 NFL season is roughly a month away. 3 ESPN purchased NFL Network and other NFL medias. Getty Images It could also attract the casual football fan who does not have a college to root for and just wants to watch the game. Advertisement While that is the most logical first step, the next step could be a college basketball. ESPN continues to bring in important IPs as they are building their one-stop sports watching app that will release this fall. But even though ESPN now owns the RedZone name, Goodell confirms that the flagship show will not be changed. 'It'll continue to be produced right here in this building,' Goodell said, 'It will be the NFL RedZone. I don't think fans will see any difference to that.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
ESPN swallowing NFL RedZone, Hulu getting integrated, and Wrestlemania: Disney's big streaming swings, explained
The streaming wars entered yet another new iteration on Wednesday as Disney announced a major change to the division that it calls direct-to-consumer: Disney+ will integrate Hulu's operations, transforming into something that looks a lot like the old linear TV bundle. As CEO Bob Iger told investors on the company's third-quarter earnings call, 'combining Hulu into Disney plus [will] create a unified app experience featuring branded and general entertainment, news, and sports resulting in a one of a kind entertainment destination for subscribers.' The night before Disney released its third-quarter earnings, the company confirmed it had struck a deal with its long-time partner in sports, the National Football League, an asset and equity swap that sees the NFL getting a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN division and ESPN/Disney acquiring several streaming assets from the NFL. The NFL's 10% stake in ESPN is valued between $2 billion and $3 billion, per estimates from Octagon. ESPN will gain the rights to three additional NFL games per season, previously broadcast by the NFL's own networks, meaning more of America's highest-rated TV show, live football, will be Disney's as the company fortifies its streaming war chest. Disney has been reconstructing ESPN to survive the decline of linear TV with the launch of a standalone streaming service, and it will now plug in content beloved by football fanatics: the NFL Network, NFL RedZone distribution rights, and NFL Fantasy Football. In streaming, Netflix and Amazon have each acquired more NFL rights over recent years, so Disney's move shows its playing defense and some offense, too, on this front. Disney also announced an expanded agreement with the WWE, another recent Netflix partner, which subsequently emerged as a $1.6 billion deal that will make Disney the home of the marquee event, Wrestlemania. Iger said on the earnings call that ESPN 'will be the exclusive home for WWE Premium Live Events, further expanding ESPN's rights portfolio.' On Disney's plans in this area, Iger added Disney is 'building ESPN into the preeminent digital sports platform with our highly anticipated direct to consumer sports offering.' Disney revealed in its earnings that the sports division, anchored by ESPN, saw revenue fall 5% to $4.3 billion, mainly because of higher NBA and college-sports rights fees. Segment profit, however, soared 29% to $1 billion as a merger in its Indian unit took some losses off its balance sheet. Streaming profitable amid linear TV, movie studio decline Overall, third-quarter earnings showed resilience in key business segments for Disney such as streaming and theme parks, even as its traditional TV and film studio divisions showed fatigue. Total revenue for the quarter ending June 28 rose 2% year-over-year to $23.7 billion, just under Wall Street forecasts, while adjusted earnings per share climbed 16% to $1.61, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.47. Net income before taxes rose 4% to $3.2 billion. A headline achievement for Disney was the solid performance of its streaming business, which posted a 6% revenue increase to $6.2 billion and achieved operating profit of $346 million—a substantial turnaround from a $19 million loss reported in the same quarter last year. Subscriber metrics reflected steady gains, with Disney+ ticking up 1% quarter-over-quarter for a total of 128 million and Hulu by the same margin to 55.5 million subscribers. The combined Disney+ and Hulu subscriber base climbed to 183 million, up 2.6 million versus the previous quarter. Disney also finalized its acquisition of the remaining stake in Hulu from Comcast/NBCUniversal in June, setting the stage for a tighter integration of its streaming brands later this year. Meanwhile, Disney's studio entertainment segment saw a more modest 1% revenue growth to $10.7 billion, weighed down by a 15% drop in operating income to $1 billion. Theatrical releases, including original animated and live-action remakes, underperformed compared to last year's strong box-office showing with 'Inside Out 2.' Additionally, Disney's linear TV networks, including ABC and Disney Channel, recorded a 15% year-over-year decline in revenue to $2.3 billion, underscoring ongoing challenges from cord-cutting and lower international results following the Star India deal. Looking ahead, Disney expects total subscriptions for Disney+ and Hulu to rise by over 10 million in the next quarter, driven in part by an expanded agreement with Charter Communications. Theme parks and experiences shine Disney's 'Experiences' segment—which covers theme parks, cruise lines, and consumer products—delivered robust numbers, outstripping earlier forecasts. Q3 revenue increased 8% year-over-year to $9.1 billion, fueled by a 22% surge in operating income at domestic parks and experiences to $1.7 billion. Disney pointed to strong guest spending and higher occupancy rates in its parks and cruise lines, especially at Walt Disney World, despite the highly anticipated opening of competitor Universal's Epic Universe in Orlando. Executives emphasized the 'continued resilience' of Disney's park business in the face of new competition. Guidance raised, optimism for 2025 Notably, Disney raised its guidance for fiscal 2025, projecting adjusted earnings of $5.85 per share—an 18% increase over the prior year. The company also anticipates double-digit segment operating income growth in entertainment and sports, with an 8% gain in experiences for the full year. CEO Bob Iger affirmed Disney's commitment to global expansion, noting more active park expansions than at any time in Disney's history and highlighting ongoing strategic investments in streaming, theme parks, and sports as drivers for future growth. 'Disney is not done building, and we are excited for the future,' Iger said following the earnings release. For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. This story was originally featured on
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Most favorable SEC football schedules for 2025 season
13 SEC teams will kick off their 2025 football seasons on Aug. 30 in Week 1. Missouri will open its campaign on Aug. 28 against Central Arkansas, while Auburn will travel to Baylor on Aug. 29 and South Carolina is slated to face Virginia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia on Aug. 31. Tennessee will also kick off its season in Atlanta. The Vols will face Syracuse in a neutral site matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 30. Kickoff is slated for noon EDT (ABC). Ahead of Week 1 contests, ESPN Football Power Index released strength of schedule rankings for all 16 SEC schools. ESPN FPI determines rankings based on rank among all FBS teams of remaining schedule strength from perspective of an average FBS team. Tennessee has the third most favorable football schedule among SEC teams in 2025 and No. 15 nationally. Ole Miss and Missouri are ranked behind the Vols. Florida, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma have top three least favorable schedules and are opponents for Tennessee during the upcoming campaign. More: 2025 Tennessee football returning starters preview Below are national strength of schedule rankings for SEC schools for the 2025 football season. Team National SOS rank Florida 1 Vanderbilt 2 Oklahoma 3 Texas 4 Arkansas 5 Mississippi State 6 Kentucky 7 Georgia 8 Texas A&M 9 Alabama 10 LSU 11 South Carolina 13 Auburn 14 Tennessee 15 Ole Miss 16 Missouri 20 Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Ranking most favorable SEC football schedules in 2025