Business of Sports

Sports Business in 2026: Women Get Paid and Dodgers Hate

The Bloomberg sports crew has predictions on everything from private equity in college sports to why there will be more criticism of baseball’s payroll divide.
A fan holds a sign saying “Pay the players” during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game.Photographer: Steph Chambers/Getty Images
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Last year we made a bunch of sporting predictions . We nailed a 100% win rate, (if we only focus on the ones we got right). The Women’s Rugby World Cup was a great success, the Club World Cup was all about FIFA’s Infantino and led to a glut of injuries, and the NBA on NBC was a hit.

So what does the murky future hold for 2026? Maybe our entire lives will become a prediction market. You’ll be able to bet on whether you’ll tear your ACL this year after taking up squash again (yes), and whether your kids have lost their school shoes over the holiday (yes). There are some major sporting events to focus on, none more so than the World Cup. Will football finally come home?! (Editor’s Note: No).