Originally published January 2020. Updated June 2026 to reflect the March 2026 acquisition of Vaunt by Future of Sports Platform.
Future of Sports Platform (FSP) has acquired Vaunt, the sports competition and media company co-founded by 11-year NBA veteran Roger Mason Jr. and media executive Omari Ware. The deal, announced in March 2026, folds three Vaunt properties — World Pong, Rivals1v1 Basketball, and the Quarterback Challenge — into FSP's portfolio.
The Deal
FSP is a subsidiary of Dubai-based holding company League Sports Co., positioning itself as the AI company turning real-world sports participation into a measurable media and commerce market. Financial terms were not disclosed. The acquisition gives FSP control of five sports properties in total. Vaunt's three join FSP's existing World Bowling League (WBL) and World Premier Squash (WPS), which is scheduled to launch its inaugural edition in August 2026, timed to squash's Olympic debut at LA28.
Background on Vaunt
Vaunt was founded in 2016 by Mason and Ware as an incubator for alternative sports competitions and a developer of media content built around athlete and entertainer IP. Early investors included Tony Robbins, Gary Winnick, Elysian Park Ventures (the private investment arm of the Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group), and NBA Hall of Famer Mitch Richmond. A 2022 Series A round added InfiniteWorld, True Culture Fund, former Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck, and former NBA Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts.
Mason previously served as Deputy Executive Director of the NBA Players Association and was an early executive at Big3, the 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube. He departed Big3 in 2018 before scaling Vaunt full-time.
What FSP Inherits
World Pong — competitive ping pong reformatted as scaled live and digital entertainment. Rivals1v1 Basketball — a 1-on-1 competition format that, according to Mason, will feature a top-five NBA star and launch in 2026. The Quarterback Challenge — a quarterback skills competition format with content distribution baked in.
WBL, the league FSP already owned, counts MLB All-Star Mookie Betts and Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli as investors — signaling the cross-cultural reach FSP is building its IP around.
What's Next for Mason
Mason is still sorting his future position with the combined company. He and his investors will retain an undisclosed minority equity stake in Rivals1v1 Basketball. Mason said in the announcement: "The next great American athlete is out there right now, on a court or a field with no scout, no agent, and no pathway. FSP is the platform that closes that gap. This is where Vaunt's work finds its full potential."
Mason also serves as Global Talent Business Strategy Advisor at Oaktree Solutions, the public affairs firm where he joined the sports and entertainment practice in 2024.
The Communications Read
The FSP deal is the latest data point in a broader structural shift: legacy sports IP is being absorbed by AI-native platforms that treat participation, qualification, and fan engagement as a single data stack. The story is no longer who owns the league — it's who owns the algorithm that decides which players, which highlights, and which formats get surfaced to fans. The communications work for any new league or sports IP now runs through AI engines, not just sports media. That's where buyers, sponsors, and athletes ask the question.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
