From “In Da Club” to the pitch. Sports Illustrated announced its SI Beyond the Pitch series on Monday (May 11), which will serve up fan events across the U.S. in celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

SI — who partnered with Medium Rare and Authentic Live — is bringing plenty of star power to Miami, NYC, Los Angeles and Dallas, as 50 Cent, Diplo, The Chainsmokers, Nelly and Gordo are slated to perform in the World Cup hosting cities this summer.

50 Cent and Diplo will perform during championship weekend on July 18 in NYC at Cipriani Wall Street, while The Chainsmokers are set to take over Miami’s DAER on June 26. Formerly known as Carnage, Gordo will take the stage at SILO in Dallas for a DJ set, and Nelly’s heading to the Hollywood Palladium on June 12 to kick off the series.

“SI has firmly established itself as the place to be on sports’ biggest weekends,” said Matt Goldstein, EVP of Authentic Live, in a statement. “Whether it’s Travis Kelce and Justin Bieber or the next generation of athletes and icons, the guest list reads like a who’s who of sports and culture. That’s what we build toward every time.”

“This isn’t just a tournament; it’s the most significant sporting event of a generation to hit American soil,” added Joe Silberzweig, founder and CEO of Medium Rare, in a statement. “The scale of this moment is reflected in the unprecedented demand we’re seeing across the board. We are leaning into that energy to introduce the most high-octane nightlife experiences the global soccer community has ever seen, creating a cultural epicenter in each host city that matches the gravity of what’s happening on the pitch.”

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11 with Mexico taking on South Africa in Mexico City. As for the U.S., Team USA begins its quest for a World Cup on June 12 in a match-up with Paraguay in Los Angeles.

On the music side of the pitch, Shakira teased a clash of reggaetón and Afrobeats for a spicy collaboration with Nigerian superstar Burna Boy on Thursday (May 7), which is titled “Dai Dai.” The track is set to arrive on May 14 and will serve as the official soundtrack to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

See Sports Illustrated’s flyer for Beyond the Pitch below:

Sony Music Publishing, in a partnership with Singapore sovereign investment fund GIC, confirmed its agreement to acquire the music assets of the Recognition Music Group from Blackstone, the private equity firm. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and it’s still subject to customary closing conditions, which presumably includes a review by governmental agencies. 

According to the announcement, the acquisitions encompass the entire catalog of works acquired by Recognition, including songs such as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” Chic’s “Good Times,” Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This),” Shakira’s “Whenever, Wherever,” Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” 

“We are so proud and excited to represent this incredible catalogue of many of the greatest songs in pop history through this momentous acquisition,” Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer said in a statement. 

Beginning in 2021, Blackstone amassed some $3 billion in music assets through forming a partnership with Hipgnosis Songs Capital, which acquired Hipgnosis Songs Management and also invested about $800 million in acquiring music rights; and then in 2024 acquiring the publicly traded Hipgnosis Songs Capital fund for $1.6 billion and assuming some $600 million in debt for a total price of about $2.2 billion. 

“Our investment in this extraordinary catalog reflects our belief in the enduring power of great music — a belief that resonates deeply throughout Sony Music Group and is shared by our partners at GIC,” Sony Music Publishing chairman & CEO Jon Platt said in a statement. “These timeless songs continue to define culture and inspire generations, and it is privilege to champion their legacy as guardians of their next chapter.” 

The deal comes on the heels of two earlier Sony acquisitions of Recognition music: in the first deal Sony acquired Hipgnosis Songs Management administration business and about 4,400 copyright including songs recorded by Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Mendes, One Direction, Alex Warren, Teddy Swims and Panic! At The Disco; and then it acquired another group of music rights including works from songwriters of Jeff Bhasker and Jack Antonoff. 

With the agreement of the third sale of music assets to Sony, Blackstone MD and head of tactical opportunities international Qasim Abbas said in a statement, “This transaction delivers a strong outcome for Blackstone and our investors and represents a further vote of confidence in music rights as an institutionally established asset class. Sony is an exceptional home for these iconic catalogues, and we look forward to continuing to invest across the music sector through Recognition.”  

Along the way in accumulating its portfolio of music assets, Blackstone raised some $2 billion in debt through three separate assets backed securitizations. 

“It has been an honor to steward this phenomenal catalogue,” Recognition Music Group CEO Ben Katovsky said in a statement. “The team and I are incredibly proud of what we have built at Recognition — protecting and enhancing the legacy and value of these songs while in our care. This is a milestone moment for Recognition and testament to the enduring value of music.” 

It’s unclear if that debt has been retired or how Sony is using debt to pay for the latest deal other than to say Sony Bank Inc and GIC participated in the deal, presumably as funding partners. 

Bloomberg reports that the deal’s valuation could be $3.5 billion or more. Considering the two earlier Sony acquisition of Blackstone assets, that could put the total price of the three deals in the $4 billion range. 

Besides Sony Bank, Sony Music publishing was represented in the transaction by Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett LLP, Loeb & Loeb LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Ernst & Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP; while the Blackstone/Recognition team were advised by Shot Tower, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Deloitte. 

Blackstone still owns music assets through a New York based investment team which acquired SESAC, the performance rights organization; and eMusic, a record label with hip-hop, heavy metal, country and gospel recordings, which it renamed MNRK. 

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Season 24 of American Idol premiered in early 2026 with hundreds of auditions, but now, there are just three singers are left: Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough and Keyla Richardson.

The season finale not only feature performances from the top three singers, but will also showcase a wide range of special guests, including Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Nelly, Tori Kelly, Jason Mraz, En Vogue, Clay Aiken and others. Additionally, the three American Idol judges, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie, are set to perform together during the season finale.

How to Watch American Idol Season 24 Finale, At a Glance:

When Is the American Idol Season 24 Finale?

The American Idol season finale airs live coast-to-coast on Monday (May 11), with a start time of 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. It’s a three-hour TV event, so the winner won’t be announced until around 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

How to Watch the American Idol Season 24 Finale Online for Free

For the season finale of American Idol, the reality competition TV series broadcasts on ABC, as well as livestreams on DirecTV.

If you have access to live channels, through cable, streaming or satellite, check your local listings for channel information. Fans who don’t have cable can stream ABC and other live channel on streaming platforms, such as Fubo, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and others.

You can livestream American Idol with DirecTV, which includes ABC. The streaming service offers “Choice” in their signature streaming package with more than 125 live channels. For a limited time, new subscribers can join DirecTV for just $84.99 per month for the first 24 months of service (reg. $94.99 per month). Sign up for a five-day free trial to start watching now.

A subscription to Sling Blue, which comes with ABC for American Idol, gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels. You can watch local networks such as NBC and FOX (in select markets), while you can watch many cable networks too. Please note: Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market. You can learn more about Sling TV here.

For $48.99 per month for the first month of service, Fubo’s “Pro” plan is a cable alternative streaming service that offers the American Idol season finale broadcast on ABC. It features more than 200 other channels, including NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, MTV, VH1, CMT and others. Fubo comes with a five-day free trial, so you can try out the service before you commit month-to-month.

If you don’t have a Hulu + Live TV subscription, the streamer offers a free trial that’ll get you your first three days free to access ABC for American Idol. Once the free trial is over, you’ll be charged the regular subscription fee starting at $89.99 per month.

Meanwhile, the American Idol season finale drops the next-day on Hulu and Disney+ starting on Tuesday, May 12.

Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.

Britney Spears made her first public statement since a March DUI arrest resulted in a stay in a rehab facility. Though she did not specifically reference the case or her time in treatment, Spears, 44, was back on Instagram on Saturday (May 10) with a post alluding to recent headlines.

It opened with a story about going to a pet store with her kids to look at a baby snake — with a shot of a beautiful albino ball python wrapped around someone’s hand — before pivoting into a more personal tone. “Snakes are symbolic of good health, higher consciousness, and pure luck … I’m so damn thankful to my friends and so many new beautiful people I have met through my spiritual journey,” Spears said without going into detail about her journey.

“all a blessing in disguise,” she continued. “I still have to learn how to be kind to myself and the way I speak to myself… It’s a never ending journey and sometimes I just stop, look up and say wow God I think that was you and smile on!!!!”

TMZ reported last week that Spears recently left a rehab facility in Maine after spending around three weeks there following a probation sentence stemming from her plea deal in the March 4 DUI arrest Ventura County, Calif.

Spears got a year-long probation sentence on May 4 after pleading guilty through her attorney to a misdemeanor charge known as “wet reckless,” which is a downgrade from the more severe count of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol due to her low blood alcohol level and lack of a prior DUI history. According to the Associated Press, a prosecutor stated during the hearing that Spears had taken “full responsibility” for the incident. During her year of probation, Spears will have to participate in a DUI education program and continue regular therapy and psychiatry; Spears did not appear in court for the hearing.

Spears was arrested on March 4 after the California Highway Patrol found her driving “erratically at a high rate of speed on southbound US-101.” At the time, her reps called the arrest an “unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” adding that “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

The next month, the singer voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility.