iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I have a proposal for the NBA: waive the second apron for Finals-winning teams for one (1) year. Owners should not be jettisoning core players in the interest of "roster flexibility" before champion teams even receive their rings. My Substack debut for Club @sportico.bsky.social

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Why are face-value World Cup tickets (and Knicks tickets, and US Open, and Taylor Swift, and and and…) so freaking expensive now? It’s part of the so-called “extraction economy,” and it may be here to stay Story with @ebennovywilliams.bsky.social www.sportico.com/business/com...

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Since Modell's closed in 2020, largely the only 3rd-party retail belongs to Dick's Sporting Goods. Even Foot Locker was bought by DKS last year. But the only Dick's locations in the city are in Glendale, Queens and Staten Island. Here's the Queens store: Knicks merch displaced World Cup jerseys (!)

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

The Knicks are going to their first NBA Finals since 1999. For New York fans, the landscape for buying Finals merch has changed dramatically since then. With Fanatics not shipping Finals gear until June, I trekked across the boroughs to see where fans could get hats, shirts, and even Shamet jerseys

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

As a Gucci ambassador, tennis No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka carried one of the brand’s newest handbags at the Rome Open this month. But sources tell @sportico.bsky.social the episode is under review at the WTA for a possible marketing violation: players can only carry sports equipment on court

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Happy WNBA Draft Day. Tonight’s crop of rookies will be best paid in W history, with the No. 1 pick eligible for a $500k base salary. The only question is who will get it? @sportico.bsky.social has the draft rookie scale breakdown: www.sportico.com/leagues/bask...

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

ClicknClear CEO Chantal Epp tells me they signed a "multi-year" partnership with the ISU in 2024, and assisted with the ISU's production of a free, online training module about music rights, screenshot here via isu.org/erink/

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Thank you for the validation, New Yorker

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

The @pablotorrefindsout.bsky.social reporting that Steve Ballmer may have circumvented the NBA salary cap underscores one under-covered trend: the exploding wealth inequality between (already super rich) sports owners. Since 2019, the wealth gap between Ballmer and the bottom tier has grown >3X

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Say hi if you’re in the arena: sara@theinformation.com 🙃

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

In May, I wrote about the proliferating scourge of online hate speech against athletes, particularly in the WNBA. That day, one of the owners of the Chicago Sky emailed me, asking to be introduced to some of the security experts I interviewed. Today, they announced a partnership:

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Big Nike news: the company is going *back* to internal organization by individual sports, 5yrs after ex-CEO John Donahoe streamlined into men's, women's, and kids silos. In short, new CEO Elliott Hill is undoing everything Donahoe implemented. I wrote about these risks in '21

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

The WNBA says it has “not substantiated” allegations of racist fan behavior at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse during the Sky-Fever game. Regardless, the allegation itself led to actual abusive discourse on social media, according to experts who are independently reporting it to the platforms

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

The WNBA spent its offseason boasting of a new program to combat hate speech. Then came the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese foul and a maelstrom of alleged fan racism. I spoke to service providers who work w/ Team USA, the NCAA and others to fight athlete harassment. Why the W isn't doing enough:

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

oh, and I asked the NBA about NBACentel

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

The strategy is still relatively new, but it has wide ramifications across both the sports + media industries. What happens when you give influencers the keys to all the leagues' IP? And are creators like RealTalk with Tee ascendant while traditional sportswriting contracts?

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Who's that paying a record $6.1B for the Boston Celtics? Presenting @theinformation.bsky.social power list of tech moguls who own sports teams. It's a snapshot of how tech money is flowing into sports, and our corresponding feature reveals the intersecting influence of both industries⬇️

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Spring cleaning and found a real piece of OG tech (!!)

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

New York City bodegas are trying to keep prices of bacon egg and cheeses down by using liquid eggs. Patrons are NOT having it. Platonic ideal of a local economic story. www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-cit...

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Has anyone bought these, what’s happening here

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

hello from SF 👋 hoping to see many of you at All Star weekend but if you’re in tech / venture capital etc and want to talk sports industry while I’m in town drop me a line: sara@theinformation.com

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Quote that Mavs GM Nico Harrison gave to Fortune last month for its profile on the new Nike CEO

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Sara Germano @germanotes.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

For my 1st feature @theinformation I spoke to Sabrina Ionescu, Nike, Moolah Kicks & more about consequential debate within women's sports: should female athletes–& the companies behind them–cater exclusively to female audiences? Or should they create products for men & women alike?

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