In the entertainment world, celebrities and professional athletes no longer seek only money as compensation for their product and service endorsements. Instead, many are looking to secure hybrid ‘sweat equity deals’ that offer a combination of cash and equity ownership and/or revenue participation in connection with the products, service companies, and corporate brands they are…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been making headlines recently by enforcing U.S. securities laws surrounding crypto assets. The SEC has also taken an extremely aggressive stance regarding high-profile celebrities and professional athletes who have promoted crypto assets, sending a strong message that any violations of these laws will be met with significant consequences.…
Investment companies looking for the next big revenue stream have taken notice of the second-most popular social media platform in the world, namely YouTube. Jellysmack, a company that works with YouTube creators to help them expand onto new platforms, is reaching out to the owners of the most popular YouTube channels with offers to license…
NFT lawsuits involving content creators, celebrity endorsers, content distributors, businesses, and startups are becoming more frequent as the debate about who owns the underlying asset’s copyright and who has the authority to create an NFT becomes more contentious, and as digital assets grow in popularity and desirability. On one side of the argument, those who…
The recent lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by G2 Esports against NFT developer Bondly should serve as a warning to IP content owners and creators considering working with an NFT developer/sales agent. To avoid major disagreements and fully protect themselves, IP content owners/creators need a lawyer with experience in documenting and negotiating…
The rise in popularity of the blockchain ecosystem and growth in ownership of digital currency (e.g., Bitcoin), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), digital wallets, and digital asset trading platforms have had a substantial impact on our financial system. The United States is a global leader with increased development and adoption of digital assets. The market capitalization of…
The increasing popularity of competitive video games has created a global Esports industry that in 2021 had an audience size of 474 million viewers and generated $1.6 billion. While the industry is generating billions off its’ tournaments and providing long term investments and sponsorship opportunities for brands, game publishers, and even private equity firms, many…
Sponsorship revenue for the NFL increased 12% during the 2021-22 season to a record $1.8 billion, according to sports partnership consultancy firm IEG. Despite not associating with gambling businesses in the past, sports betting and casinos saw the largest growth in sponsorship fees, growing more than 140%. In addition, teams took in 4% additional in…
Brand sponsorship deals, including sports jersey sponsorships have become increasingly common in professional sports. Jersey sponsorships are when a company pays substantial amounts to advertise their logo on an athlete’s jersey. These corporate sponsorships represent some of the most profitable deals in the sports industry today, working to generate revenue for the team while offering…
As big streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney Plus pivot from capturing market share to profitability, growth in European content supply may be about to hit a breaking point in 2022. European SVOD Slowing Down Resources for European content producers is expected to decrease in 2022, despite large investments from big streaming platforms. The…