Aug 12, 2026 · 11 min
Lakers sale sets new benchmark for sports valuations
The Lakers Just Became the Most Highly Valued Sports Team Ever. Again.
The episode connects a record sports-team sale with cooling inflation, Fed policy uncertainty, and consumer risks in ticket resale.
- 1The Lakers’ $12.5 billion sale shows how iconic sports franchises continue attracting major investment.
- 2July inflation cooled to 3.4%, giving the Federal Reserve more room to delay raising interest rates.
- 3StubHub posted record revenue while customers reported invalid World Cup tickets and delayed refunds.
Don't miss
Andrew Beaton explains why the Lakers can command a $12.5 billion valuation despite an unusually quick resale.
The brief
July inflation slowed to 3.4%, helped by lower energy prices, easing pressure on the Federal Reserve and lifting markets, with technology shares leading gains.
The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to a group led by Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion, an unusually quick resale that underscores investor demand for iconic franchises.
Andrew Beaton explains how the Lakers deal reflects the financial appeal of major sports teams and the forces pushing valuations higher, even as ownership changes quickly.
StubHub reported record quarterly revenue, but some World Cup customers were denied entry after resale tickets failed, exposing limits in its replacement guarantee and refund process.
Hanna Krueger details how StubHub’s resale model, layoffs, and restructuring shaped customer-service complaints as the company handled delayed refunds.
Featuring
Los Angeles Lakers
StubHubListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.