Streaming startup VENN — the Video Game Entertainment and News Network — has closed a $26 million Series A financing round to expand its audience.

The latest round of funding brings VENN to a total of $43 million raised, and was led by Nexstar Media Group and esports and gaming fund Bitkraft. Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, was among the other contributors. 

VENN, which launched in August as a live 24/7 streaming network for gaming and entertainment, is available on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook Gaming, Twitter, and other streaming devices. 

With its investment, Nexstar, which operates 197 local stations and over 100 local news sites, will get exclusive local TV broadcasting rights and the right to appoint a member to VENN’s board of directors.

Professional women’s sports organization Athletes Unlimited is adding a lacrosse league to its offerings, with six U.S National Team members already signing on. The first season of the new league is planned to run from July 19 to Aug. 22, 2021, at a yet-to-be-determined site.

As with softball —  the first sport to launch under the Athletes Unlimited banner —  the lacrosse league will employ a fantasy sports approach to scoring. That includes changing team captains who draft new squads each week based on leaderboard rankings.

Prior to lacrosse’s launch, the organization will debut volleyball in February 2021.

Former NBA All-Star Chris Bosh is joining the Drone Racing League as the dean of the DRL Academy, the league’s digital youth STEM program.

Bosh, an 11-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion, and two-time DRL champion Jordan “Jet” Temkin will “teach kids about the science behind the sport of high-speed drone racing” through an educational content series. The academy was developed in March to supplement remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kids participating in the academy will be able to test what they learn on DRL Simulator, the league’s immersive drone racing game — available on Xbox and online game distribution platform Steam — that teaches players how to build and fly drones through training missions.