Kurt Badenhausen

New York

Sports Business Reporter at Sportico

Sports business reporter at @Sportico. Former @Forbes. Tips/pitches: [email protected]

Articles

How the Warriors Became the NBA’s Most Valuable Team at $9.14 Billion

6 days ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

The Golden State Warriors punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs Tuesday night with a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament. As the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, they will face the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in a series that tips off Sunday. NBA rightsholders TNT and ESPN should be pleased, as the Warriors are a massive TV draw.
How Much Do NBA Players Get Paid for Playoffs? Explaining Playoff Pay

1 week ago | wp.me | Kurt Badenhausen |Lev Akabas

The NBA playoffs tip off this week with the Oklahoma City Thunder coming in as the slight favorite over the Boston Celtics to win the title, with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers the next top picks. The Thunder were the NBA’s youngest team and also had one of its lowest payrolls, but Thunder players can earn an NBA-high $12.4 million in total bonuses if they win the title after posting the best record in the NBA.
NBA Players to Split $35 Million for 2025 Playoff Bonuses

1 week ago | sports.yahoo.com | Kurt Badenhausen |Lev Akabas

The NBA playoffs tip off this week with the Oklahoma City Thunder coming in as the slight favorite over the Boston Celtics to win the title, with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers the next top picks. AdvertisementThe Thunder were the NBA’s youngest team and also had one of its lowest payrolls, but Thunder players can earn an NBA-high $12.4 million in total bonuses if they win the title after posting the best record in the NBA.
How Much Paige Bueckers Will Earn in 2025 as WNBA No. 1 Pick

1 week ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

The Dallas Wings selected UConn star Paige Bueckers first overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday night. The No. 1 pick was largely preordained, like Caitlin Clark in 2024, as soon as Bueckers confirmed in March her intention to enter the draft. Bueckers’ base salary will be $78,831 for the 2025 season as part of a four-year, $348,198 contract, per details of the rookie salary scale system in the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement.
Rory McIlroy Wins First Masters, $4.2 Million in Prize Money

1 week ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

Rory McIlroy won the 89th edition of The Masters golf tournament in a sudden-death playoff over Justin Rose. It marked McIlroy’s first major title since 2014 and made him just the sixth men’s player to capture a career Grand Slam. He joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods with wins at all four majors. McIlroy earned $4.2 million for the win, a $600,000 increase over the $3.6 million Scottie Scheffler banked last year for his second green jacket in three years.
Masters Winner to Earn $4.2M, Up 14%; Total Prize Money $21M

1 week ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

The Masters golf tournament released its 2025 prize money Saturday after the cut line was settled, as is its tradition. Players will compete for a record $21 million purse, a $1 million increase over the 2024 winnings. In addition to the coveted green jacket, the winner will earn $4.2 million, a $600,000 bump versus $3.6 million last year when Scottie Scheffler won for the second time in three years at Augusta National. It marks a 14% increase, while most of the other finishes are up around 5%.
World’s Highest-Paid Golfers: Rahm, Scheffler Both Top $100M

2 weeks ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

This week’s Masters golf tournament reunites the best players in the world for the first time since the British Open nine months ago, as golf’s Cold War between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf drags on. While the competing tours have struck out in their attempts to join their commercial interests nearly two years after the “framework agreement” was reached, players across the board have struck gold thanks to the upstart tour.
Michael Malone Firing Leaves Only 3 NBA Coaches Hired Pre-2020

2 weeks ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

The Denver Nuggets fired coach Michael Malone Tuesday, less than two years after he led the franchise to its first NBA championship. The club also said it would not extend the contract of general manager Calvin Booth. The timing of the move stunned NBA circles. The Nuggets have only three games left in the regular season and are fourth in the Western Conference as they jockey for playoff positioning.
Chelsea Women’s Team Valued at Record $257M in Sale, 17 Times Revenue

2 weeks ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

Chelsea F.C sold its women’s team for £200 million ($257 million based on the exchange rate when sold). It is a record for a women’s soccer club, topping the $250 million valuation when Willow Bay and Bob Iger bought control of the NWSL’s Angel City FC last year. But this was not your typical sports team deal. Chelsea’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, sold the women’s team to themselves.
Major Manchester United Shareholder Continues to Cut Stake

2 weeks ago | sportico.com | Kurt Badenhausen

British investment firm Lindsell Train has again sold some of its holdings of Premier League Club Manchester United, according to a Friday morning SEC filing. During the first quarter of 2025, Lindsell Train dumped more than 700,000 shares, or 13% of its stake. The firm now owns 9.3% of the Class A shares that trade on the New York Stock Exchange.