sports

28 Jun 2024

Celine Dion Announces Montreal Canadiens’ First-Round Pick at 2024 NHL Draft: ‘Like a Movie’

Being selected in the first round of the NHL Draft is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Being announced by one of the most talented singers of all time is one in a million.

At the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday night (June 28), the Canadiens welcomed Celine Dion to the stage — described by Montreal general manager Kent Hughes as “our No. 1 fan” — to announce the night’s fifth overall draft pick.

Dion was accompanied to the stage inside Las Vegas’ Sphere by her 23-year-old son René-Charles Dion Angélil, who is also a singer and goes by RC Angélil. After a bilingual greeting toggling between French and English, Dion got down to business. “With the fifth overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens are proud to select Ivan Demidov.”

Thanks to Dion’s tense pause ahead of saying the 18-year-old Russian hockey player’s name, the NHL announcers called it “the most dramatic draft announcement of all time.” (The announcers also suggested that “Montreal is saying ‘merci’ to the Anaheim Ducks for not picking him,” after the California club had shown interest in choosing Demidov third overall.)

Trending on Billboard

In his post-draft press conference. reporters asked Demidov what it was like to have Dion announce his name. “It’s unbelievable. It’s like a book. Like a movie. It’s… me,” he laughed.

The reporters suggested he might be too young to know Dion’s music, but the Russian teen assured them, “No, I know. I watched the Titanic.” Dion, of course, performed “My Heart Will Go On,” the theme song from the 1997 James Cameron epic Titanic, which spent two weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Dion was born about 15 miles outside Montreal in Charlemagne, Quebec, and has been a vocal fan of the Canadiens for years. She has also called Las Vegas home for the past two decades, mounting a pair of residencies at Caesars Palace spanning 16 years.

The NHL Draft appearance comes just a few days after Prime Video released the new documentary I Am: Celine Dion, which chronicles Dion’s health battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder.

Watch Dion’s NHL Draft announcement and Demidov’s post-draft press conference below.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=G9Jn4QOhsnw&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent



27 Jun 2024

UFC 303 Livestream: How to Watch Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 Live Online

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Two premiere light heavyweight fighters face off against each other as the main event during UFC 303. Brazilian Alex Pereira (10-2-0) defends his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against the Czech Jiří Procházka (30-4-1) in a title fight re-match on Saturday, June 29.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 happens at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with a start time of 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. The main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Want to watch UFC 303 online? This event is streaming on ESPN+ with pay-per-view access, which goes for $79.99 for subscribers only.

Trending on Billboard

If you’re not a subscriber, you can get PPV access and an ESPN+ monthly subscription — which is $10.99 per month — for $90.98 in total, or pick up an ESPN+ annual subscription for $134.98. The annual subscription bundle is the best deal because it saves you nearly 30% overall instead of going month-to-month.

Check out the full UFC 303 fight card below, and PPV livestream here.

Main Card, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

  • Alex Pereira (c) vs. Jiří Procházka (Light Heavyweight) — Main Event
  • Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes (Featherweight)
  • Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze (Light Heavyweight)
  • Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson (Women’s Bantamweight)
  • Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Page (Welterweight)

Prelims Card, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

  • Joe Pyfer vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (Middleweight)
  • Cub Swanson vs. Andre Fili (Featherweight)
  • Charles Jourdain vs. Jean Silva (Featherweight)
  • Payton Talbott vs. Yanis Ghemmouri (Bantamweight)

Early Prelims Card, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

  • Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Gillian Robertson (Women’s Strawweight)
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Martin Buday (Heavyweight)
  • Rei Tsuruya vs. Carlos Hernandez (Flyweight)
  • Ricky Simon vs. Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)

Subscribers to ESPN+ can livestream the early prelim and prelim portions of UFC 303 for free. In fact, both cards air on the cable network ESPN, so it’s available to stream on DirecTV Stream and Fubo. Both streaming services offer free trials — for five days and seven days, respectively — for new subscribers.

Moreover, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV — which offers a three-day free trial — come with ESPN as well.

You can also get the Disney Trio — which comes with ESPN+, Hulu and Disney+ — starting as low as $14.99 per month.

Want to attend UFC 303 in person? There are last-minute tickets available via Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and StubHub. Prices vary depending on seats available at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 303: Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 is streamable on ESPN+ on Saturday, June 29, starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT, with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

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

24 Jun 2024

Sha’Carri Richardson Earns Spot On U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team After Impressive Performance, X Salutes Her

Cassius Life Featured Video

CLOSE

Sha'Carri Richardson Punches Ticket Paris Summer Olympics

Source: Patrick Smith / Getty Sha’Carri Richardson

We love a good redemption story. Three years after losing a spot on the U.S. Olympic track team due to outdated doping rules regarding marijuana use, Sha’Carri Richardson will get another opportunity to represent Team USA in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Even after getting off to a bad start, Richardson knew she had the race in the bag, ending her race with a resounding victory. Putting an exclamation mark on her “I’m No Back, I’m Better” tour with an impressive 10.71-second sprint in the 100 meters during U.S track trials over the weekend.

Her performance on Saturday cemented her as the fastest woman on the planet. Richardson was also .09 seconds ahead of training partner Melissa Jefferson, the 2022 U.S. champion.

After her win, Richardson spoke about her performance, saying, “I feel honored,” Richardson said. “I feel every chapter I’ve been through in my life prepared me for this moment.”

After easily punching her ticket to the Summer Olympics, Richardson, overwhelmed with emotion, went down on one knee. She also spoke on that moment.

“The emotion was just joy because of the hard work I put in, not just physically on the track, but mentally and emotionally to grow into the mature young lady I am today,” Richardson said.

She also entered the stands to embrace her family in a touching moment.

A Tale of Redemption For Sha’Carri Richardson

Richardson’s redemption has been a pleasure to watch. Only three years ago, we saw her dominate the same race, only to see her lose her chance to compete on the world stage because of a positive marijuana test.

The fallout revealed that Richardson was also struggling with depression while shining a spotlight on the anti-doping agency’s out-of-date rule book.

Salute to Sha’Carri.

You can see reactions to her impressive showing in the gallery below.

2. Love to see it

3. SAY THAT LOUDLY

4. LET’S GO!

21 Jun 2024

How to Get Copa América 2024 Tickets: Where to Find Cheap Seats to the Soccer Tournament Online

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Copa América 2024 marks a historical moment for the United States as it’s the second time that the country has hosted the international men’s soccer tournament. The matches officially kicked off on Thursday (June 20) with Colombian singer Feid opening the event, and while you can stream the games at home, last-minute tickets are still available to watch the soccer matches live and in-person — including the legendary Lionel Messi who returns to the field representing Argentina.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Throughout 25 days, Copa América will take over the U.S. with games spread across major cities like Houston, Miami, East Rutherford, Inglewood and also Atlanta. The group stage will complete on July 2 with the Quarter Finals taking place July 4, all leading up to the finals on July 14. If you missed when the tickets initially went on sale, you can still find last-minute cheap options through resale sites.

Trending on Billboard

Keep reading to learn where to find ticket to Copa América 2024 online.

How to Get Copa América Tickets Online

to help you find cheap tickets to Copa América 2024, ShopBillboard put together a list of resale sites below for you to get last-minute tickets.

Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster has ticket options for Copa América games starting at $56 (at the time of this writing). You can customize your options based on the price, how many tickets are needed or pick based on the spot in the venue you’d like to sit in.

StubHub

StubHub is another affordable ticket option that has Copa América tickets for as low as $40. The site shows you what events are happening closest to you in addition to filters that’ll let you find tickets based on price recommended ones from the site, or you can use on the interactive map to click exactly where you want to sit. Purchases also comes with the FanProtect Guarantee, which you can learn more about here.

Vivid Seats

Vivd Seats has tickets for Copa América for as low as $41 and provides a 100% Buyer Guarantee to help protect purchases. To find the type of tickets you want, the site lets you sort options by price or seating area in the arena. For extra savings, you can get $20 off orders of $200+ when you use the code BB2024 at checkout.

Seat Geek

Seat Geek is providing Copa América tickets from $53 with each option ranked on a scale of 1-10 to tell you how good of a deal is. Ticket options ranked a one are considered the worst deals, while ones given a score of a 10 are the best deals. You can include fees when looking at prices and also sign-up to get notified if ticket prices drop in cost. Bonus offer: first purchases can use code BILLBOARD10 to score $10 off orders of $250+.

Gametime

For affordable last-minute tickets, Gametime has options starting at just $51. The site uses a map of the venue to help pick exactly where you want to sit and labels ticket options that are consider a good deal or the cheapest option available. Want more savings? Get $20 off purchases of $150+ when you enter the code SAVE20 at checkout.

Click here to see the full schedule of matches at the tournament.

18 Jun 2024

Boston Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Quotes Ye’s 2005 Grammys Speech After Winning NBA Finals

Hoops star Jayson Tatum reached the apex of the basketball world when capturing his first NBA championship with his Boston Celtics defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night (June 17).

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

After all the champagne and cigars ran dry at the TD Garden following the game five win, the afterparty continued at a nearby Boston nightclub, where Tatum recited a line from a classic speech by Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).

The former Duke Blue Devil didn’t let the Larry O’Brien Trophy leave his arms as he got on the mic and did his best Ye impersonation, quoting Yeezy from the 2005 Grammy Awards after the artist took home best rap album honors for The College Dropout.

“I know everybody would wonder what would happen if we didn’t win,” Tatum began quoting Ye before delivering the punchline. “I guess we’ll never know!” The homage to the 24-time Grammy winner — who has since faced condemnation for his hate speech — drew an ovation from the Celtic crowd piled into the club.

Trending on Billboard

The rapper’s soulful debut beat out his mentor Jay-Z’s The Black Album, Nelly’s Suit, LL Cool J’s The Definition and The Beastie Boys’ To the 5 Boroughs to win the Grammy. The College Dropout arrived in February 2004 and reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 441,000 albums sold in the first week.

Tatum — who is rumored to be dating British singer Ella Mai — along with Jaylen Brown played integral roles in leading the Celtics to the franchise’s first title since 2008.

Brown ended up beating out Tatum for NBA Finals MVP honors, but JT carried the Celtics with a game-high 31 points to go along with 11 assists and eight rebounds to lead the team to the clinching victory.

Watch the speech from Jayson Tatum below.

17 Jun 2024

Snoop Dogg Throws First Pitch & Offers Hilarious Commentary at Brewers vs. Reds Game: Watch

Snoop Dogg is essentially completing life’s side missions at this point. The Doggfather tried his hand in the announcer booth to broadcast a couple of innings of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds game on Saturday (June 15).

Before his performance in the booth in Milwaukee, Wisc., Snoop had an eventful afternoon at American Family Field. The Death Row legend threw out the ceremonial first pitch, signed some autographs after meeting members of the team and more before heading up to the call a couple innings of Brewers baseball in the booth.

Snoop was the star of the show as he hilariously brought his shrewd wordplay and charisma to the baseball diamond. A couple calls that headlined his appearance included a stolen base. “Oh, he taking off. He gone. Let him get there. Way to go, Perk. Earn mine. You got to earn mines,” the sports enthusiast said without interruption.

Trending on Billboard

A second standout moment came when Snoop was blown away at the arm strength of Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who he compared to having a “rocket in his pocket” while the MLB player threw the ball to first, sending Brewers batter Brice Turang back to the dugout.

“Oh he safe, he can’t throw that. He don’t got no arm like that,” Snoop thought initially. “Who is that with that rocket. Oh lord, he got a rocket in his pocket!”

Snoop departed the announcer’s booth after the third inning. The Milwaukee Brewers ended up holding on for a 3-1 victory over the Reds to extend their lead in the NL Central division.

It’s not the first time Snoop Dogg has played the role of sports broadcaster. He joined the Los Angeles Kings booth for an NHL hockey game in December 2021, where he shined as well. The iconic rapper is also set to report on the Summer Olympics for NBC.

Watch Snoop’s throw out the first pitch and call the Brewers-Reds game below.

15 Jun 2024

Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever Game: How to Watch Angel Reese & Caitlin Clark Play for Free

The WNBA is taking on Father’s Day. With a season that has already seen a record number of ratings, the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever will meet on the court for the second time this season.

Angle Reese, Caitlin Clark and Kamilla Cardoso, three of the most talked-about rookies of the WNBA season, are expected to take the court for the Father’s Day game airing on CBS on Sunday (June 16).

Trending on Billboard

The last Sun vs. Fever game became the most watched WNBA game in ESPN history, averaging 1.56 million viewers. In just over a month, the WNBA 2024-25 season has become the most-watched and highest-attended season in WNBA history.

Keep reading for ways to stream the Fevers vs. Sky game live.

When & Where to Watch

The Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever game will air live on CBS at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.  

If you don’t have access to local channels, you can stream CBS live on DirecTV, Fubo and other platforms (ExpressVPN for international streaming). CBS is also available with a digital antenna and on Paramount+ with Showtime.

To watch CBS and other live channels for free, subscribe to DirecTV Stream or Fubo and enjoy up to a week of free streaming, plus over 90 live channels and DVR for less than $80/month.

How to Watch CBS on DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream is a convenient way to stream live channels. You’ll get a free trial for five days and access to 90+ channels including CBS, ABS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, TLC, TNT, Lifetime, MTV, HGTV, WEtv, VH1, USA, TCM, FX and A&E.

How to Watch CBS on Paramount+

Get live access to your local CBS station and limited ads when you subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. You can join for free for the first week and pay just $11.99/month after the trial period.

Paramount+ with Showtime lets you stream on two platforms: Paramount+ and Showtime. Enjoy Paramount+ Originals and Showtime exclusives such as Mayor of Kingstown, Criminal Minds Evolution, Knuckles, Halo, 1883, Evil and Special Opps: Lioness, along with Showtime hits like Yellowjackets, Fellow Travelers, Your Honor, The Chi and Billions.

And if you’re a sports fans, you can watch soccer, football, basketball and more on Paramount+.

13 Jun 2024

David Beckham Hopes ‘Brutal’ Sports Fans Are Kinder to Taylor Swift Than They Were to Victoria

Before there was Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, there was the ultimate sports-music crossover couple of David and Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice. And in a new interview with Variety, the soccer legend says he hopes that certain parts of history don’t repeat themselves when it comes to the “Anti-Hero” singer’s entrenchment in the sports world.

Recalling how football fans treated Victoria poorly throughout their relationship in the ’90s, David said, “Hopefully that’s improved.”

Trending on Billboard

“It’s ridiculous that we’re even talking about it,” he said when asked about Swift and Kelce. “I think back in the day with Victoria going to games, the fans were quite brutal. They sang songs about her.”

Though most of the world seems to be enamored with the “Karma” musician’s romance with the tight end, it has attracted a few complaints from NFL fans that some have deemed sexist. Whether the rhetoric surrounding the famous significant others of athletes has gotten better or worse, though, David says he’s “sure Taylor’s strong enough to handle whatever.”

The interview comes over a month after David helped his wife celebrate her birthday with a surprise Spice Girls reunion. It marked a rare instance of all five women being in the same room at the same time, and the group gave an impromptu performance of their hit “Mama” and re-created their dance routine to “Stop.”

As for whether the girls will make a comeback any time soon, David advises fans not to get their hopes up. “Unfortunately, that’s not happening,” he told the publication. “Victoria was so pleased to see the girls, and it was a massive part of her life, the girls, but obviously, all the girls have got their own things going on. They will do certain things together at certain times. But Victoria’s full on with her beauty and fashion businesses. If anyone’s busier than me, it’s her.

“There’s nothing more that I’d like to see than the girls on stage again,” he noted. “So I’ll still work at it, don’t worry!”

13 Jun 2024

Brian Windhorst’s Luka Dončić Rant Gets Hilariously Set Over ‘Meet the Grahams’ & ‘Not Like Us’: Watch

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić has a history of complaining to the refs, and apparently, Brian Windhorst has had enough.

On Wednesday (June 12), after Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the basketball journalist made an appearance on SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt.

After he was asked to respond to Dončić fouling out with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Windy eviscerated the Slovenian superstar for his decision to not only draw a foul in that moment, but to also complain about the call.

His rant was so epic and so out of character for the usually subdued reporter, fans decided to make a meme out of it by setting the “Meet the Grahams” and “Not Like Us” beats behind his vocals. Watch:

Here’s Windhorst’s full rant:

I thought it was perfect that Luka fell onto the ground there in an unacceptable position to put himself in with four minutes left with five fouls and then immediately looks at the bench and says, ‘You better bleeping challenge it,’ as if it’s the bench’s fault that he just made a terrible play. I’m standing here in the Mavericks’ tunnel. Over there is the Celtics’ tunnel. That’s where the winners are.

Trending on Billboard

If Luka’s ever gonna be a winner coming out of this tunnel here, he is gonna have to use what’s happened in this Finals as a learning experience. His defensive performance is unacceptable. He is a hole on the court. The Celtics are attacking him. They are ahead in this series because they have attacked him defensively; and you’ve got a situation here where Luka’s complaining about the officiating. They have begged him; they have talked with him; they have pleaded with him. He is costing his team because of how he treats the officials.

He’s a brilliant player, he does so many things well. They are here because of how he did. His performance in this game is unacceptable and the reason why the Mavericks are not gonna win. He’s got to get over this, and the fact that he came out after the game and blamed the officials showed me he’s nowhere close yet.

So maybe over the summer, somebody will get to him because nobody with the Mavericks or anybody else in his life has, and that’s where the Mavericks are at this point. They’re never gonna get to this tunnel with the trophy if he doesn’t improve those aspects of his game.

Luka — who’s only 25 years old and playing in the Finals for the first time — had 27 points, six boards and six dimes, but it wasn’t enough as his team is now starting down the barrel of a 3-0 deficit to the Boston Celtics.

No team in NBA history has yet to come back from being down three games to none in the playoffs.

Here’s a bonus fancam of Windy with 50’s “Many Men” as the soundtrack.

It’s a beautiful thing when NBA and Rap Twitter connect like this.

13 Jun 2024

Clash at the Castle 2024: How to Watch the Pro Wrestling Event Live Online

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

WWE takes the show across the Atlantic Ocean with the second edition of Clash at the Castle on Saturday, June 15.

The premium live event takes place at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, with a start time of 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

“We are excited to bring both Friday Night SmackDown and Clash at the Castle: Scotland to our amazing fans in Scotland at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow this June,” said WWE President Nick Khan in a press release. “The world will see that this is one of the U.K.’s best venues and Scottish crowds are some of the loudest, craziest and most passionate on the planet.”

Want to watch WWE Clash at the Castle 2024 online? This PLE event is available to stream on the WWE Network on Peacock for Premium or Premium Plus subscribers only.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, you can get access with a Peacock monthly subscription, which starts at $5.99 per month. Currently, you can get 12 months of service for only $19.99 per year with promo code “STREAMTHEDEAL” at checkout. That breaks down to just $1.66 per month!

Check out the WWE Clash at the Castle fight card below, and PLE livestream here.

Trending on Billboard

Fight Card, 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT

  • Damian Priest (champion) vs. Drew McIntyre (World Heavyweight Championship) — Main Event
  • Bayley (champion) vs. Piper Niven (WWE Women’s Championship)
  • Sami Zayn (champion) vs. Chad Gable (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
  • Cody Rhodes (champion) vs. AJ Styles (Undisputed WWE Championship)
  • Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill (champion) vs. Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)

Want to attend WWE Clash at the Castle in person? There are last-minute tickets available with StubHub and Ticketmaster. Prices vary depending on seats available at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.

WWE Clash at the Castle is streamable on Peacock on Saturday, June 15, starting at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT.

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