Esports (real-time multiplayer video games) are a relatively new entrant to the sports entertainment industry. And as a newcomer, the credibility of the esports enterprise has been subject to no shortage of scrutiny and controversy. People continually debated the primary question: Are esports “real” sports? But the COVID-19 outbreak may have made that question moot.…
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team and sports franchise known for bold moves on the court and high revenue generation for team owners and investors. Everyone positioned within a wide, sprawling revenue chain—from merchandise licensing to broadcast rights—stands to make money when LeBron James winds up and Tomahawk Dunks a basketball. And that revenue-generating…
Corporate sponsorship has long provided a reliable advertising and business development vehicle for companies looking to reach out to a target audience of sports fans. Businesses often see outsized returns when they attach a logo or brand to a formula 500 car, a skateboard, a well-placed shoe or hat, a well-known face delivering a message…
According to the current rules of the NCAA, scholarships for student athletes are limited to four areas of compensation: tuition, room and board, books, fees and attendance costs. But as of a judge’s ruling last Friday in Alston vs NCAA, a California antitrust lawsuit, the organization will no longer be able to limit compensation or…
When ordinary, non-famous people—people like you and me—pay a tattoo artist for inking the visible parts of our bodies, we don’t typically generate much controversy or legal intrigue. The general consumer public most likely thinks the tattoo itself belongs to the person wearing it, since it’s part of their bodies. But when a professional athlete…
More professional athlete and celebrity endorsement deals involve giving spokespeople ownership shares in emerging businesses, rather than large cash payments. An attorney can help businesses arrange these endorsement deals. Apple Inc. made headlines in May 2014 when it announced it was going to purchase Beats Electronics and Beats Music for $3 billion. A less widely-reported…
Salaries in traditional sports are determined based on a number of factors: skill, performance, ability to attract fans, and others. No matter which factors are major determinants of a player’s salary, the players themselves always have a role in negotiating their own pay – and they always have a lawyer at their side. In this…