College Players Not Entitled to Broadcasting Compensation

Former college players claiming they should be reimbursed for the broadcasting of games they played in recently endured another defeat. On August 17, 2016, the Sixth Circuit dismissed their claims after the district court had done the same in 2015. The suit was filed against ESPN, CBS, NBC, and other broadcasting networks and several conferences in 2014. Javon Marshall, former Vanderbilt football player, and the proposed class of former student athletes are claiming violations of the Sherman Act, Lanham Act, and Tennessee Law.

The …

October 3, 2014 NFL / TV

FCC Eliminates Its NFL Blackout Rule

Here in Buffalo, football fans are enraged by the words “Blackout Rule.” That reaction, however, may be a thing of the past. On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) voted unanimously to end the rule.

The nearly 40 year old rule was enacted by the FCC to promote attendance at local games. It did so by banning cable and satellite providers from airing local broadcasts of a game that did not meet attendance requirements. More specifically, a local broadcaster cannot air a game within a …