Sports & Entertainment Spotlight

Welcome back to the Spotlight! I am not sure what’s more amazing – that today marks exactly five years since the Spotlight’s inception or that I have not been shut down yet. Whatever the answer, the amazement pales in comparison to my bemusement that it appears you all forgot once again. According to my sources (Ask Jeeves), the traditional gift for a five-year anniversary is wood. Instead, it appears to be would—as in I would have appreciated a card, flowers, balloons—something to commemorate the occasion. Nevertheless, I will do as I have done for the past five years in this one-sided relationship and bring you this week’s sports and entertainment industry tidbits. In honor of 5 years, I’ll even highlight 5 headlines below.

• • Musician Charlie Puth joins “ethical” AI-powered music platform Moises as Chief Music Officer, emphasizing that artificial intelligence should not be viewed as a replacement to musicians but rather a useful tool to aid in the creative process. He may just be on to something, after all, without AI, he’d just be Chrle.

• • Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s studio, Artists Equity expands its relationship with Netflix, striking a first-look production and distribution agreement, effectively telling a competing streaming service, “how do you like them apples?”

• • Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are looking to duplicate their Wrexham success in Colombia with Colombian soccer club La Equidad. It will be no easy task for two of the hardest working guys in the business, but fortunately they’ll be able fuel their engines with kilos of Colombian co…ffee.

• • Seeking a place at which to kick it during the World Cup (or the NFL postseason), Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey invests in Dallas area soccer entertainment concept TOCA Social.

• • The Mississippi Legislature passes a bill that would make NIL income exempt from state taxes to decrease the difference what college athletes think they will receive and what they actually get to take home. Savvy move to attract talent by a state that knows a thing or two about deltas.