Sports

On, the Swiss sportswear company, announced on September 18, 2026 that it has signed Kylian Mbappé as a global ambassador and product collaborator, ending his roughly two-decade relationship with Nike, and appointed Thierry Henry as Director of Football. The company reported equity in On as part of Mbappé's deal, though financial terms, share structure, and vesting details remain undisclosed. On's first football boots are targeted for 2027 based on secondary reporting, with no exact date confirmed in the company's primary announcement.

Fortescue Zero has acquired the Penske Formula E operation and announced plans to enter the 2026/27 GEN4 season as the first Australian-owned team in the championship, using a Jaguar powertrain across two cars. The entry remains conditional on approval from Formula E Operations and the FIA, with no timetable published for either. Key details including purchase price, transferred personnel, and the final driver lineup have not been disclosed in official materials.

Major League Soccer is in early-stage conversations for a league-wide presenting sponsorship valued in the eight figures, according to a September 2026 Sportico report, with London advisory firm Altius8 retained to assist. No deal has been signed, no rights package is finalized, and MLS has confirmed the league's own name will not be altered, distinguishing the arrangement from European title sponsorships such as Ligue 1 McDonald's or EA SPORTS FC LaLiga. The exploration is timed to the league's 'MLS 3.0' transition, which includes a new calendar, new playoffs, and a new commissioner taking over January 1, 2027.

The 2026 UCI Road World Championships open Sunday in Montréal, with elite individual time trials launching eight days of competition across a 39.2-kilometre course that finishes uphill at Jeanne Mance Park. Around 1,000 riders from 80 to 100 nations will contest 13 world titles, making this the city's first hosting of the event since 1974, when Montréal became the first non-European venue in the championship's history. Defending champions Remco Evenepoel and Marlen Reusser enter with recent time trial victories at the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes respectively, though final confirmed start lists have not yet been published.

Connor Hellebuyck was suspended by the Winnipeg Jets on September 17, 2026, after failing to report to training camp, triggering CBA provisions that forfeit his salary at a rate of 1/275 of his $8.5 million annual value per missed day. His reported refusal to waive his no-trade clause for Canadian destinations limits the pool of potential trade partners, while Winnipeg has not yet received what it considers fair value for a goaltender under contract through 2031. With the regular season opening September 29, both sides retain leverage: the Jets hold five years of contractual control, and Hellebuyck holds veto power over proposed destinations.

NFL games averaged 19.5 million viewers in Week 1 of 2026, down 13% from the record 22.3 million in 2025, with schedule differences and unquantified Nielsen methodology changes complicating the comparison. The decline reflects a return to competing Fox and CBS Sunday doubleheaders absent in 2025, plus inclusion of an international game on Netflix, factors that diluted the per-game average even as marquee matchups drew 23 to 26 million viewers. Claims that total consumption rose 3% or that a comparable average exceeded 2025 levels are not supported by any retrieved source.