Eva Longoria Among High-Profile Investors in Major League Pickleball’s 12 New Teams

Eva Longoria is getting in the game…

America’s fastest-growing sport continues to attract high-profile investors from entertainment and sports, including the 47-year-old Mexican American actress, director and producer, following this week’s announcement of Major League Pickleball ’s 12 new teams for 2023.

Eva LongoriaLongoria is among a roster of investors in the clubs that includes Kevin DurantHeidi KlumMichael Phelps and Tom Ricketts.

“The diversity in the backgrounds and expertise of our fantastic new owners is an incredible asset as we aggressively expand Major League Pickleball to reach more fans than ever,” Brian Levine, the interim MLP CEO, said in a statement on the news. “We always say pickleball brings people together, and this roster of leaders from across a wide variety of industries is a strong testament to that philosophy.”

Last month, MLP merged with Tom Dundon’s rival Professional Pickleball Association, which had just announced the launch of the VIBE Pickleball League with Mark Cuban as its first team owner.

The move allowed MLP to expand to 24 teams with six events and $5 million in prize money for 2023. It had eight teams and one event in 2021. Each team will feature two men and two women. MLP added casual dining chain Margaritaville as a title sponsor last week.

The newly announced teams drafted their co-ed rosters Monday night and will start at the Challenger Level in 2023. The 12 previously existing teams, whose cap tables include LeBron James, Drew Brees and Tom Brady, will start at the Premier Level.

Last week, those teams drafted the top 48 pro pickleballers. The two sets of teams will then swap leagues for the second half of the 2023 season and have a re-draft with the combined season results determining a team’s level in 2024. The 2024 season will feature promotion and relegation between the two levels with the Premier Level the higher tier.

The newly announced ownership groups showcase pre-existing ties. The D.C. Pickleball team is made up largely of existing investors in Liga MX Club Necaxa, including Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Longoria, Justin Verlander, Kate Upton and Mesut Ozil.

D.C. had the first pick in the draft and choose 10-time ATP Tour titlist Sam Querrey, who recently retired from tennis.

Miami has attracted investments from Naomi Osaka and her agent Stuart Duguid, who launched their own agency, Evolve, this year. Evolve’s only other client, Nick Kyrgios, also invested, as did Alex Cohen, who serves as a financial advisor to Osaka and, launched his own firm, Heights, in 2021 after more than a dozen years at Main Street Advisors. Chicago’s team features four women’s tennis Grand Slam champions, including Chris Evert.

Kevin Durant and his longtime business partner, Rich Kleiman, will own the team in Brooklyn through their venture fund 35V. The expansion fee for Durant’s franchise was $1 million, and fees for other recent franchises were at and exceeded $3 million, according to multiple sources familiar with the deals who were not authorized to speak publicly about them.

“This is not about simply writing a check, it’s about finding the right strategic partners to help us grow MLP and the entire sport of pickleball,” Anne Worcester, MLP’s strategic advisor and a board member, said in an email in October.

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association dubbed pickleball the fastest growing sport, with participation up 39% between 2019 and 2021. The sport’s governing body, USA Pickleball, says there are 4.8 million pickleball players in the U.S. and more than 10,000 locations to play, including nearly 800 added in 2021.

NEW MPL TEAMS/OWNERS

Atlanta Bouncers: Anheuser-Busch

AZ Drive: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Phelps, Devin Booker, Dierks Bentley, Robert Gary, Doug Hirsch, Sheila Gulati, John Merwin, Sam Frakes, Mark Dalton and Richard J. Schnall

Bay Area Breakers: Jeremy Lin, Mimi Mercado, David Mercado, Geoff Nguyen, Stacey Nishi, Jeff Nishi, Wayley Louie and Kathleen Louie

Brooklyn Aces: Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V

Chicago Slice: Ron Saslow’s 35 Capital, Heidi Klum, Tom Ricketts, David Justice, Doug Ellin, Chris Evert, Lindsay Davenport, Tracy Austin, Gigi Fernández, David Dobrik, Joe Bonamassa, Ted Foxman and Steve Bellamy

Columbus Pickleball Club: David Kass and Doug Ulman

Dallas Pickleball Club: Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, John Isner, Robert Herjavec, Chandler Parsons, and Todd Wagner

D.C. Pickleball Team: Al Tylis, Sam Porter, Eva Longoria, Justin Verlander, Mesut Ozil, Kate Upton, Shawn Marion, Rip Hamilton and Matt Walsh

Miami Pickleball Club: Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Patrick Mahomes, Rich Paul, Darius Garland, Mardy Fish, Alex Davis, Alex Cohen, Stuart Duguid, The Palm Tree Crew, Prakash Amritraj, Matthew Pritzker, Mark Ein, Romie Chaudhari and Swimmy Minami

Texas Ranchers: Tim Klitch, Dan Ferreri, Bryan Sheffield, Kit Sheffield and Richard Veitenheimer

Utah Black Diamonds: The Pardoe Family

Valhalla Volleys: To be determined

Andrea Salazar to Compete on Season 2 of Amazon’s “Making The Cut”

Andrea Salazar is making the cut

Making The Cut, hosted by Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum, will return to Amazon for season two July 16, with the Colombian fashion designer among the 10 designers vying for the top prize.

Andrea Salazar

Amazon also revealed that Shiona Turini and Prabal Gurung will guest judge season two looks, joining judges Jeremy Scott and supermodel Winnie Harlow.

Salazar, from Medellín, Colombia, is the founder of the world-renowned brand, SETA. Born and raised in Colombia, Andrea moved to England at 17, where she studied the English language and developed her passion for fashion.

She then moved to Brazil, where she graduated with a Master’s Degree in International Business. At 22, she moved back to Colombia, where she founded the fashion brand SETA with her sister Eliana.

Later, Andrea moved to Miami to expand her booming business. SETA is now an international brand that has participated in New York and Paris Fashion Weeks and has been featured in Vogue, Elle magazine and The Today Show.

Andrea is known for creating statement pieces, inspired by the inner power every woman has, and the uniqueness, versatility and sophistication of her style is what makes her one of the most influential designers in Latin America.

Making the Cut Season 2

Here’s the list of the season 2 competitors:

  • Ally Ferguson (Los Angeles, California)
  • Andrea Pitter (Brooklyn, New York)
  • Andrea Salazar (Medellín, Colombia)
  • Dushyant Asthana (Jaipur, India)
  • Gary Graham (Franklin, New York)
  • Joshua Scacheri (London, England)
  • Lendrell Martin (South Orange, New Jersey)
  • Lucie Brochard (Paris, France)
  • Olivia OBlanc (New Orleans, Louisiana)
  • Raf Swiader (Sosnowiec, Poland)

Making the Cut is filmed in Los Angeles. It premiered on Amazon in March 2020. Naomi Campbell, Nicole Richie, Joseph Altuzarra, Carine Roitfeld and Chiara Ferragni were among last season’s judges.

Sofia Vergara Returning to the Judges Table on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”

Sofia Vergara’s still got talent… 

The 48-year-old Colombian actress and former Modern Family star and her fellow America’s Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel will all return for season 16 of the hit NBC talent competition series.

Sofia Vergara

Terry Crews also will return as host.

The Season 16 premiere date will be announced later.

AGT will host one final nationwide “Last Chance Audition” for the upcoming season on Saturday, March 6. Interested acts can register at http://www.AGTAuditions.com for a virtual audition slot where they will perform live for show producers. The best acts discovered that day will then go on to perform for the AGT judges.

America’s Got Talent dominated the ratings last summer as the No. 1 series on the Big 4 networks in total viewers and led NBC to 18-49 wins among the Big 4 on every Tuesday night (excluding sports). The show was the most-watched entertainment program nearly every week it aired. Additionally, AGT amassed 2.95 billion views across all digital video platforms in 2020 and was ranked the No.3 most-social broadcast series last year.

Vergara, who has been the highest paid actress in American television for seven consecutive years, from 2013 to 2020, joined the judges panel last year for Season 15.

“America’s Got Talent” Releases First Look Photo of Sofia Vergara at Judges Table

Sofia Vergarahas taken her seat at the table…

America’s Got Talent has released a first look photo of the NBC talent competition show’s season 15 judges panel, with the 47-year-old Colombian actress as a new addition and the first ever Latin judge.

America's Got Talent - Season 15 Judges Table

In addition Vergara, the photo shows AGT creator and judge Simon Cowell, longtime judge Howie Mandel, returning panelist Heidi Klum and returning host Terry Crews.

The revamped panel comes after the NBC competition series filled its two vacant chairs last week, following the exits of Gabrielle Unionand Julianne Hough, who were let go in November after one season.

This will be Modern Family star’s first turn as a judge. Klum was a panelist on AGTfrom 2013-2018.

The first round of production for America’s Got Talent: Season 15 will take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium throughout the month of March.

The series is co-produced by Fremantle and Syco Entertainment

Sofia Vergara Named First Latin Judge on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”

Sofia Vergara’s got talent… and a new job…

The 47-year-old Colombian actress and Modern Family star has been added to the judges panel of  NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

Sofia Vergara

Vergara, a four-time Emmy nominee, will appear alongside Heidi Klum, who was a judge on AGTfor six seasons, from 2013-2018. 

They’ll be joined by returning judges Simon CowellAGTs creator and executive producer, and Howie Mandel, as well as host Terry Crews.

“I’m so happy to join my new family onAGT,” said Vergara, who’ll be making AGThistory. “This is a new and exciting next chapter for me and I’m extremely proud to be the first Latin judge on the show. I can’t wait to watch all the talent and have fun with all you guys!”

Vergara and Klum succeed Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough, who were let go in November after one season on AGT. Union’s ouster sparked controversy and triggered an investigation over allegations of a hostile work environment on the reality show. Results of the investigation, which was supposed to wrap by the end of January, have yet to be made public.

Shortly after Union and Hough’s exit, Vergara emerged as NBC’s top choice for a replacement. She met with executives from NBC and AGTproducer Fremantlein mid-December to discuss the possibility. By mid-January, word started getting out that Klum would be back, retaking her seat.

Klum never left the AGTfranchise — she’s been a judge on spinoff America’s Got Talent: The Champions since its launch last season.

Vergara is coming off an 11-season run as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s hit comedy Modern Family,a role that has earned her four Emmy nominations.

“Sofia’s infectious energy and sharp wit will blend perfectly with returning favorites Heidi, Simon, Howie, and Terry. As both a respected actress and successful entrepreneur, she embodies the American dream that is synonymous with AGT’s transformative stage,” said Meredith Ahr, President, Alternative & Reality Group, NBC Entertainment.

Angel Garcia Advances to Next Round on “America’s Got Talent” with Spanish Audition

Angel Garcia has nothing to be sadabout…

The 12-year-old Latino singer, who hails from Los Angeles, has made a major impression on America’s Got Talent.

Angel Garcia

Sounding like a true angel, Garcia wowed the judges during his official audition.

Inspired by his father to pursue music, Angel performs his take on Jose Jose’s Spanish classic “El Triste” during his audition airing July 10.

Although the clip doesn’t include Simon CowellMel B, Howie Mandell and Heidi Klum‘s reactions, the judges and crowd seem very impressed in this clip of the performance.

In the end, Garcia managed to advance  the next round, earning three yes votes, with only Mandell voting no.

Blacc to Serve as a Presenter at This Year’s American Music Awards

Aloe Blacc is set to make a statement at this year’s American Music Awards.

The 35-year-old Panamanian American singer has been added to the list of presenters set to take the stage at the upcoming AMAs.

Aloe Blacc

Blacc joins Orange Is the New Black stars Taylor Schilling and Uzo Aduba, along with reality siblings Kendall and Kylie Jenner, as the latest additions.

Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Foxx, Julianne Hough, Jessie J, Heidi Klum, Olivia Munn and Emmy Rossum also are set to present at the fan-voted awards show, which will air live on ABC starting at 8:00 pm ET on Sunday, November 23, from the Nokia Theater L.A. Live. 

As previously announced, the show will feature performances by 5 Seconds of Summer, Iggy Azalea, Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Charli XCX, Fergie, Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, Lorde, One Direction, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift and Pitbull.

Pitbull will also serve as the event’s host. Voting is currently ongoing.

 

Mota to Reportedly Compete on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”

Bethany Mota  may have reason to dance in the near future…

The 18-year-old half-Mexican YouTube vlogger and fashionista has reportedly been cast for season 19 of ABC’s celebrity ballroom dance competition Dancing with the Stars, according to TMZ.

Bethany Mota

If Mota’s casting news holds true, the decision seems to recognize that there’s more to a “star” than someone who appears on a television or film screen. There’s another screen that counts these days… the computer screen.

Not only does the charming and charismatic Mota have more than nine million subscribers across her two YouTube channels (Macbarbie07 and BethanysLife), she also has 3.6 million Instagram followers, 1.9 million on Twitter, and even a line at Aeropostale.

Mota recentlt judged an episode of Project Runway alongside Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Zac Posen earlier this year, and even scored a winning surfboard at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards for Choice Female Web Star.

Mota would reportedly  dance alongside other reported celebrities: Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson, Pretty Little LiarsJanel Parrish, Olympian Lolo Jones and soap star Antonio Sabato Jr., among others.

Armisen to Present at This Year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards

Fred Armisen is about to get creative

The 47-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor and former Saturday Night Live star, who received his first-ever Emmy nomination in an acting category this year, will be among the presenters at the 2014 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on August 16, according to the show’s executive producer Spike Jones Jr.

Fred Armisen

Armisen, who earneda best supporting actor in a comedy nod for Portlandia, the IFC series filmed and set in Portland, joins a list of presenters that includes Jane Lynch, Morgan Freeman, Tony Goldwyn, Heidi Klum and much of the nominated cast of Orange Is the New Black.

Other presenters include Patrick Adams (Suits), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Judy Greer (Archer), Jonathan Groff (The Normal Heart), Tim Gunn (Project Runway), Tony Hale (Veep), Allison Janney (MomMasters of Sex), Keegan Michael Key (Key and Peele), Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Joel McHale (The Soup; Community), Aisha Tyler (Archer), Matt Walsh (Veep), Matt Weiner (Mad Men) and Bellamy Young (Scandal).

This year’s awards show will take place a week and a day before the Primetime Emmy Awards. An edited version of the show will be broadcast on the FXM cable network.

The entire show will be streamed on Emmys.com from noon to 3 p.m. on Monday Aug. 25, just before the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Rodriguez to Appear on Kelly Clarkson’s NBC Christmas Special

Jai Rodriguez will have a cautionary Christmas

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican/Italian American actor and musician is among the stars joining Kelly Clarkson for her upcoming holiday special Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, according to NBC.

Jai Rodriguez

Rodriguez, best known as the culture vulture on Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, joins Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, William Shatner and Blake Shelton as guests for the night.

Clarkson’s special will celebrate the season with a comedic musical take on the traditional Christmas morality tale, and will feature songs from her just-released Christmas album, Wrapped in Red.

The special, slated to air Wednesday, December 11 at 10:00 pm, will also include Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Jay Leno, Matt Lauer, Danica Patrick, Heidi Klum and Ken Jeong.

Rodriguez most recently starred opposite McEntire on her ABC comedy series Malibu Country.