NFL teams are gearing up to let more fans into stadiums. In Week 1, just the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars allowed fans. The Cleveland Browns — hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in the so-called “Battle of Ohio” — were able to welcome up to 6,789 fans last night.

As teams are starting to let fans into the building, they’ll still need to be wary: a fan and groundskeeper at Arrowhead Stadium in attendance on opening night tested positive for COVID-19. However, players and coaches for the Houston Texans and Chiefs all tested negative.

The Tennessee Titans are taking a tiered approach, welcoming up to 7,000 fans — or 10% of the stadium’s capacity — in the lower bowl and club levels on Oct. 4. In the following home games, the team will allow 12.5%, then 15%, and possibly up to 21% of capacity — or 14,500 fans.

Week 2 Fan Plans: 

• Bengals at Browns, up to 6,789 fans
• Bills at Dolphins, up to 13,000
• Vikings at Colts, up to 2,500
• Falcons at Cowboys, up to an estimated 20,000

The investment round was led by returning investor L Catterton — an early Peloton backer. Also included were NBA players Steph Curry, Paul George and Rudy Gay; NFL players Kyle Rudolph and Bobby Wagner; and golfer Michelle Wie. Previous athlete investors include Serena Williams and Tony Gonzalez.

Controlling more than 95% of the “connected strength training” market share, Tonal will use the new round to “accelerate marketing initiatives and scale up its supply chain” as demand for the platform — and connected fitness in general — continues to surge. The company said they have 12 times more sales compared to 2019.

Workout Wrap-Up:

9/10 — Peloton reported a fourth-quarter sales jump of 172% year-over-year and a 210% increase in online subscriptions.
9/14 — Gym chain Town Sports International filed for bankruptcy.
9/15 — Apple Fitness+ was announced in a move Peloton CEO John Foley said legitimized fitness content. Another gym chain, Flywheel Sports, filed for bankruptcy.
9/16 — Online fitness platform Zwift announced a $450 million round of fundraising.

With a stadium right across from multiple MGM Resorts properties, the Las Vegas Raiders have made BetMGM their first official sports betting partner. It’s an expansion of the team’s existing deal with MGM Resorts.

It was not an exclusive deal, so the Raiders could end up with multiple sports betting partners — similarly to the Denver Broncos, which has deals with BetMGM, FanDuel and Betfred. Of note, even though the Raiders play in the gambling capital of the U.S., Allegiant Stadium will not have a sportsbook inside because of the stadium’s lease agreement.

BetMGM — which has deals with most major leagues — also has a partnership with the Detroit Lions. Compared to last year, the sportsbook operator took 12 times the amount of bets during Week 1 of the NFL season.

This Week In NFL Sports Betting News: 

• DraftKings signed an exclusive betting deal with the New York Giants that includes a virtual sports lounge.
• Fox Bet will open a branded interactive studio and lounge at Lincoln Financial Field as part of its deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
• PointsBet reportedly has agreed to a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

Under Armour released its UA HOVR Breakthru sneaker yesterday — the company’s first basketball shoe designed by, and for, women. The apparel company furthered its focus on products cultivated specifically for women with the launch of the Meridian + Moisture Infuse line coming Sept. 23.

The sneaker design was the result of extensive testing with a variety of high school and collegiate women’s teams, as well as the Chinese national 3×3 team — and Under Armour is confident it meets the “unique” demands of women’s feet. The M+MI line was developed with feedback from consumers and athletes at the forefront.

Under Armour has struggled in 2020, but its focus on women-centric products — after years of the “shrink it and pink it” marketing strategy — seems to be paying off. 

Under Armour’s Women-Driven Growth: 

• Women’s activewear sales grew 77% year-over-year from January to May.
• Before the pandemic, online sales for women’s apparel were up 214%.
• Girls’ apparel online sales are up 46% year to date.