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 The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Joint Policy Committee (JPC) announced an addendum to their COVID-19 Commercial Production Safety and Testing Protocol Agreement of April 16, 2021 (COVID-19 Safety Protocol Continue Reading
July 1st Marks First Day of School for Student-Athletes Seeking to Exploit NIL Rights
The Bottom Line The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has waved the white flag and surrendered on the issue of collegiate name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. This comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a resounding blow to the NCAA on the subject of Continue Reading
SAG-AFTRA Welcomes the Influencer
The Bottom Line After spending a decade carving out space in the industry, influencers are now being welcomed into the SAG-AFTRA union, which is recognizing them as a unique class of “multi-talented performers whose performances should be covered by a SAG-AFTRA contract.” Social media Continue Reading
Regulators and Businesses Are Racing to Fill the Collegiate NIL Void
The Bottom Line After years of court challenges and shifting public perceptions, 2021 promises to be a year of fundamental change for collegiate name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. As states continue to implement legislation and the NCAA formulates its own rules for managing NIL rights, Continue Reading
Ballots Continue to Come in for Legalized Sports Betting
The Bottom Line While more than $1 billion was wagered internationally on the 2020 U.S. presidential election, a different kind of betting was on the minds of voters in Maryland, South Dakota and Louisiana, who passed ballot measures to legalize sports betting in their states. Joining a Continue Reading
A Game of Inches: Measuring Sports Sponsorship Value and Planning for a Post-Covid World
The Bottom Line After four months of pausing operations, major sports leagues are beginning the process of restarting or resuming their seasons. As they do so, they must evaluate the state of both large and small sponsorships that span a wide range of industries. At the same time, sponsors must 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 The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has affected nearly every facet of daily life, and has taken a heavy toll on countless industries. The advertising industry, which relies heavily on the personal services of actors, performers and other talent, is no exception. As the first Continue Reading
Is Change Finally Bruin’ or is it a Trojan Horse? NCAA Takes Action on Name, Image and Likeness Rights
The Bottom Line In a process that began with lawsuits led by current and former players, including former UCLA forward Ed O’Bannon, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on April 29 its recommendations for approving a framework which allows college athletes to earn money Continue Reading