Welcome to _Sportico’s_ [transactions](https://www.sportico.com/t/transactions/) wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
**MLS’ Houston Dynamo Hire Nicolò Zini as Chief Revenue Officer**
The Houston Dynamo announced the appointment of **Nicolò Zini** as chief revenue officer. Zini joins Houston after serving as vice president of commercial development for the Miami Host Committee of the FIFA World Cup 2026. In his new role, Zini will oversee all revenue-generating initiatives across the Dynamo and the NWSL’s Houston Dash, including partnerships, ticketing, premium hospitality and third-party event booking.
**Portland Fire Names Ashley Battle as VP, Basketball Ops, Strategy and Innovation**
The Portland Fire announced the hiring of **Ashley Battle** as vice president, basketball operations, strategy and innovation. In this role, Battle will oversee basketball operations, including roster construction and talent identification, while implementing innovative strategies across player performance and analytics. Battle joins the Fire after serving as assistant general manager for the Maine Celtics, the NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, and as a scout for the Boston Celtics.
**Ticketmaster Appoints Saumil Mehta as President, Mark Yovich to Become Chairman**
Ticketmaster has named **Saumil Mehta** as its new global president, reporting to Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino, effective Nov. 1. Mehta succeeds **Mark Yovich**, who has served as president since 2020 and will now become chairman of Ticketmaster with a focus on the company’s long-term strategy and global growth.
**AXS Appoints Nikhil Bobde as CTO, Alex Hazboun as CIO**
AXS, a provider of ticketing and live event technology, announced **Nikhil Bobde** as its new chief technology officer, reporting to CEO Bryan Perez. Additionally, **Alex Hazboun** will assume the newly created role of chief innovation officer and report to Bobde. Bobde joins AXS from Thumbtack and brings more than 20 years of experience with consumer technology platforms at Microsoft and Meta. Hazboun, a long-time AXS executive, will lead a dedicated team focused on next-generation technologies, architecture and strategic initiatives.
**Fastbreak AI Hires Chris Stuart as SVP**
Fastbreak AI announced **Chris Stuart** has joined the company as SVP of Growth and Partnerships for Fastbreak Connect. He’s former executive at NASCAR, MLB International and Starter, and will lead Fastbreak’s brand partnership strategy for Fastbreak Connect, which is the company’s experiential marketing network that connects brands with youth athletes and families through activations at games and events.
**Bibb, Haslam Sports Group Reach $100M Agreement on Use of Brook Park**
Cleveland mayor Justin M. Bibb and the Haslam Sports Group (HSG) announced an agreement for a $100M commitment from HSG to the City of Cleveland that they say will “accelerate the lakefront transformation and prepare the current lakefront stadium site for redevelopment.” The parties will work collaboratively to finalize a formal settlement agreement.
**Pet Food Brand Nulo Partners With Winter Athletes**
Nulo, a pet food brand, has partnered with a roster of winter athletes and their pets. The lineup of Nulo partners includes Madison Chock and Evan Bates, Olympic gold medalists and three-time world champion ice dancers. The campaign features a mix of digital media, print and television ads. The cornerstone is a 30-second television spot that will appear on the networks of NBCUniversal in select markets and nationally on Peacock, showcasing Nulo’s team of athlete ambassadors and their pets.
**AC Milan and Emirates Extend Partnership**
AC Milan and Emirates announce the renewal of their partnership, which began in 2007. The airline will continue as the Official Airline Partner and Principal Partner of the Rossoneri.
**Enjoy Basketball Partners With NBC Sports**
Enjoy Basketball, the digital media and lifestyle company co-founded by YouTube creator Kenny Beecham, announced a partnership with NBC Sports to bring its popular basketball podcasts to NBCUniversal’s streaming channels, Peacock and NBC Sports NOW. Beginning Oct. 20, three Enjoy Basketball podcasts—including its flagship program _Numbers on The Board_, _Small Ball with Kenny Beecham_ and _T’d Up with Pierre Andresen_—will air as part of _The Enjoy Basketball Hour_, a newly created weekday programming block from 12–1 p.m. ET on NBC Sports NOW.
**NBA All-Star Jalen Williams Leads ECKŌ UNLTD FW25 Campaign**
Streetwear brand ECKŌ UNLTD is partnering with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams to be the face of its fall 2025 campaign, and in early spring 2026, it will release a capsule collection designed in collaboration with Williams.
**Adidas Extends Multiyear Partnership With NBA, WNBA and NBA G League**
The NBA announced a multiyear extension of its global partnership with Adidas, which will continue as an official marketing partner of the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League. As part of the renewed partnership, Adidas will have a presence around Future Starts Now, a digital-first initiative aimed at showcasing rising basketball talent and amplifying their stories across social media and other platforms.
**Prevagen Becomes Official Brain Supplement Partner of U.S. Ski & Snowboard**
U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced Prevagen, a brain supplement, as its latest official brand partner. In addition to their official partnership designation, Prevagen will have commercial media spots throughout domestic World Cup broadcasts and highlights airing on NBC and CNBC. The deal also includes branded signage.
**Vero Debuts as New Marketing and Sponsorship Agency**
Sponsorship and marketing executives Kim Harland and Tanya Witty have launched Vero, a new agency for brand investments in corporate, sports and entertainment sponsorships. Based in Toronto but serving clients across North America and around the world, Vero launches ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a mandate to support both global and domestic brands that will be on full display and looking to maximize the impact of their sponsorships. The agency offers a full suite of services, including sponsorship strategy, research-driven activation planning, experiential marketing and fan engagement programs.
**Messi Cup to Debut in Miami in Dec. 2025**
525 Rosario, the production company founded by Lionel Messi, announced the launch of the inaugural Messi Cup, a youth football competition for global clubs and their top U16 players. The first edition will take place in Miami on Dec. 9-14, 2025. The tournament will feature eight clubs: Inter Miami CF, Barcelona FC, Manchester City, River Plate, Inter, Newell’s Old Boys, Atlético de Madrid and Chelsea FC.