The Bottom Line The NCAA’s revised constitution pushes governing authority down to its divisions, conferences and schools. The NCAA’s definition of amateurism has been simplified but leaves unresolved questions for student-athletes and sponsors. Team-wide NIL are the initial target of Continue Reading
SAG-AFTRA and JPC Allow for Mandatory Vaccine Policies on Production Sets
The Bottom Line Agencies and advertisers producing commercials under SAG-AFTRA may require mandatory vaccination for talent, subject to compliance with union protocols.Virtual auditions must be made available when an audition location requires proof of vaccination in order to enter.SAG-AFTRA’s Continue Reading
July 1st Marks First Day of School for Student-Athletes Seeking to Exploit NIL Rights
The Bottom Line As a new era of collegiate sports marketing begins, sponsors and student athletes will need to navigate a patchwork of state, college and conference rules to ensure compliance with eligibility requirements.For those that do, the exploitation of NIL rights by collegiate athletes Continue Reading
SAG-AFTRA Welcomes the Influencer
The Bottom Line SAG-AFTRA now covers influencer-produced advertising under its new Influencer Agreement with the goal of bringing influencers into the union’s membership.The Influencer Agreement applies to audio and video content produced by signatory influencers for non-union advertisers. It Continue Reading
Regulators and Businesses Are Racing to Fill the Collegiate NIL Void
The Bottom Line As the NCAA and states continue to assert their own jurisdiction over the exploitation of NIL rights by collegiate athletes, three starkly different visions of appropriate federal regulation are making their way through Congress. Amidst this uncertainty, businesses in the sports Continue Reading
Ballots Continue to Come in for Legalized Sports Betting
The Bottom Line Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana join 18 states plus the District of Columbia that have already implemented legalized sports betting and four others that have legalized it pending regulatory legislation, pushing sports betting to the half-way point in the United States. Continue Reading
A Game of Inches: Measuring Sports Sponsorship Value and Planning for a Post-Covid World
The Bottom Line As major sports begin to plan for play in the COVID-19 era, leagues, teams and brands should each be rethinking their approach to sponsorships to:Examine the assumptions built in to the sponsorship;Reevaluate how to measure the elements of the partnership; andEngage in advance Continue Reading
Production Industry Recommends Guidelines for Returning to Work
The Bottom Line Entertainment production has resumed in California amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the Department of Public Health approved the “back to work” recommendations that an industry-wide Task Force had previously submitted to state governments. However, many of the thorniest issues, such Continue Reading
Talent Deals and the Impact of a Pandemic: Rethinking Force Majeure
The Bottom Line As state and local governments lift coronavirus restrictions, performers who have a credible fear of contracting COVID-19 while performing their obligations may not be able to invoke the force majeure clause in their talent agreements to be excused from their commitments.Agencies Continue Reading
Is Change Finally Bruin’ or is it a Trojan Horse? NCAA Takes Action on Name, Image and Likeness Rights
The Bottom Line The NCAA recommendations to permit student-athletes to earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness rights should be viewed as a tentative step forward in the long-running battle over student-athlete rights. Yet, a closer examination reveals significant Continue Reading