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Cancel the Wedding
If you love it, put a ring on it. Like engagements, the closing of a deal is often cause for celebration and joy. Last November, LVMH cinched a deal to acquire Tiffany & Co. for an eye-watering $16.6 billion. Quite an expensive engagement indeed, the largest ever in the luxury sector. But, like a groom […]
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“Money”Ball is Back
A new player has entered the sports acquisition industry, and a familiar face is involved Billy Beane’s new project seems to be the antithesis to his infamous “Moneyball” scheme. Private-equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, with whom Beane is now partnering, has not shied away from making splashy, lucrative acquisitions in the sports industry. RedBird, through […]
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NFL Catches COVID
The NFL caught its first COVID outbreak of the young season after the Tennessee Titans confirmed eight positive test results among players and other personnel. The Titans immediately halted in-person activities, as did the Minnesota Vikings, the Titans’ previous opponent. As of Thursday morning, the Titans had one additional player test positive, putting their Week […]
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The State of College Sports, Part 2: NIL and Alston
College sports are in a state of upheaval. Recent legal outcomes and legislative maneuvers have continued to upset the control of the NCAA as pandemic-induced turmoil has thrown competition schedules completely out of whack. The state of college sports is in flux, and this is the perfect time to check in on the industry as […]
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The State of College Sports, Part 1: Return-to-Play
College sports are in a state of upheaval. Recent legal outcomes and legislative maneuvers have continued to upset the control of the NCAA as pandemic-induced turmoil has thrown competition schedules completely out of whack. The state of college sports is in flux, and this is the perfect time to check in on the industry as […]
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Six More Years of Turducken: EA Sports and NFL Agree to Extend Madden Until 2026
Eli Nachmany is the Managing Editor (Print) of the Harvard Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law and a rising second-year student at Harvard Law School (Class of 2022). Madden NFL is not going anywhere. This week, the National Football League (“NFL”) and the NFL Players Association (“NFLPA”) struck a deal with Electronic Arts (“EA”) […]
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Forced Blackout: What Contract Law Tells Us About Coronavirus and the NBA Broadcast Deals
After Utah Jazz Center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended its 2019-20 season indefinitely. The move has major implications for the league’s broadcast partners, who stand to lose a serious amount of advertising revenue without games to air. Having no NBA games also undercuts […]
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Lucky 7s: NFL Looks to Expand Playoffs to Seven Teams per Conference in New CBA
ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that the National Football League (NFL) is considering some changes to its playoff structure in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NFL’s CBA could be finalized as soon as next week, and it appears that the biggest change will be expansion of the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams. Traditionally, […]
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Disney Extends “Baby Yoda” Infringement Battle on Etsy Website
Disney has unleashed a wave of takedown notices targeting vendors who are selling merchandise featuring “Baby Yoda,” the viral breakout character from its new streaming series, The Mandalorian, on DIY sales site, Etsy. The studio becomes the latest company to struggle to protect its intellectual property on the site, despite its formidable legal resources and […]
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A Wild Card Proposal: Should the NFL Get Rid of Divisions and Change its Playoff Format?
Another NFL season, another chance that (as of the start of Week 15) an 8-8 or 7-9 makes it into the playoffs (and hosts a game on Wild Card weekend). One of the Dallas Cowboys/Philadelphia Eagles will take the NFC East title this season, and it is possible that a record under .500 will be […]
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Be Like JuJu: How NFL, MLB Players Can Best Capitalize on Latest Venture
The National Football League and Major League Baseball’s players associations have entered into a deal with RedBird Capital Partners to maximize profits from player likenesses, the Wall Street Journal reports. This agreement is a major milestone in cross-sport partnerships, as it “marks the first time players unions have joined forces across sports in this way.” […]
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Amidst Basketball Program Sanctions, the Kansas Jayhawks Aren’t Backing Down
With the 2019-2020 NCAA College Basketball season tipping off, most would expect the Kansas Jayhawks to be looking to make a run at the National Championship. However, amidst program allegations, could Kansas’s performance in the courtroom be more important than its on-court performance for the future of Kansas Basketball? When the National Collegiate Athletic Association […]