Hand It Over: NCAA to Produce Redacted Broadcasting Agreement With CBS, Turner

On September 16, 2016, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael M. Cousins signed a stipulated order to produce redacted versions of the NCAA’s 2010 broadcasting agreement with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting. This 2010 agreement was extended back in April for another eight years for a rights fee of $8.8 billion.

This order comes after all five major collegiate athletic conferences similarly agreed to reveal their own television deals. The plaintiff student-athletes have argued that they need the conferences’ broadcasting agreements along with other business documents in …

September 21, 2016 NFL

Are Rates at Vegas Hotels Rising to Pay for Local NFL Stadium?

The proposal to bring an NFL stadium to Las Vegas is no surprise; however, the fact that some of the funding for this $1.9 billion project is expected to come from the public may be shocking to some.

In March 2016, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee proposed a plan to bring a NFL stadium near the Las Vegas Strip. The proposal initially suggested that over $700 million for the project come from public funding. As a result, the committee recently voted in favor …

September 20, 2016 Fantasy Sports / NFL

Daily Fantasy Sports Companies Investing Big Money in Lobbying

After the first two weeks of NFL football in 2016, once thing is apparent; there are far fewer commercials advertising for daily fantasy sports. The decline in the advertising of daily fantasy sports companies makes sense given the rising costs other factors associated with the legality of these sites. FanDuel Inc. and DraftKings Inc., the largest daily fantasy players, are fighting for their existence on a state-by-state basis. Daily fantasy sports companies are pushing to be classified as a “game of skill” instead of a …

September 20, 2016 Litigation / Privacy Rights

Fans Sue Golden State Warriors for Mobile Eavesdropping

Golden State Warrior fans filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the team and the companies who developed the team’s mobile app. The plaintiffs allege that the app unlawfully records audio from the microphone without user notification or permission, and that while the app is marketed for providing live stats, scores, and standings, it also tracks users through audio-based beacon technology for the purpose of marketing and advertising. The app determines a user’s precise physical location by secretly activating the user’s smartphone’s built-in …

September 19, 2016 Concussions / NFL

Knockout: NFL Commits $100M to Concussion Initiative

On September 14, 2016, the NFL announced a new initiative that targets the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of head injuries. As a part of this initiative, Roger Goodell explained that the league and its 32 owners will devote $60 million toward developing technology that will help player safety, such as improved helmets. The league will also provide $40 million over the next five years towards funding medical research, primarily dealing with neuroscience, or the ultimate effects of the head injuries.

This initiative, labeled as the …

September 16, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Going for the Sack: ESPN Argues that Jason Pierre-Paul Authorized Release of Medical Records

On September 12, 2016, ESPN and Adam Schefter filed an answer in Jason Pierre-Paul’s invasion of privacy lawsuit, claiming that the suit should be dismissed due to the fact that Pierre-Paul agreed to let his medical records go public. This is not the first time ESPN and Schefter have attempted to dismiss this case — back in May, ESPN claimed that dismissal was warranted under First Amendment protections for matters of public interest.

In the answer, ESPN and Schefter raise several affirmative defenses, two of …

September 15, 2016 Concussions / Litigation

Escaping the Chokehold: Former WWE Wrestlers Seeking to Withdraw Admission Statements in Brain Injury Lawsuit

On Monday, September 12, 2016, former WWE wrestlers Evan Singleton and Vito Lograsso argued in a Connecticut federal court that their “slightly delayed service” in response to the WWE’s request for admission should not preclude them from withdrawing statements regarding when they first became aware of the risk of concussion injuries.

While the wrestlers’ argument is that the WWE withheld vital information with regards to the health dangers of repeated concussions, the WWE’s response is that the suit is time-barred; the WWE insists that the …

September 14, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Class Dismissed: Fifth Circuit Affirms Denial of Super Bowl Fans’ Class Certification

On September 9, 2016, the Fifth Circuit upheld a district judge’s decision to deny class certification to those fans who were displaced or denied entirely from seats at Super Bowl XLV. Additionally, it affirmed the dismissal of the breach of contract claim against the Dallas Cowboys, agreeing that the Cowboys, whose home stadium served as the location for Super Bowl XLV, were merely third-party vendors of tickets to the event.

In doing so, the Fifth Circuit rejected several proposed classes of fans, including finding …

September 13, 2016 General

Alberta CFL Players Seeking Right to Pursue Workers’ Compensation Claims

As high-profile claims continue to roil in various professional sports leagues in the United States, the Canadian Football League continues to litigate its own protections for injured players. In Alberta, a three-member panel was created to review existing workers’ compensation legislation to review whether coverage should be provided to injured professional football players.

Unlike in the U.S., where professional football players are provided with workers’ compensation coverage, players in Canada are exempt from those protections and afforded one year of rehabilitation. Given that the starting …

September 12, 2016 Concussions / Litigation

WWE Rings the Bell Again, Asks Judge to Throw More Brain-Injury Claims Out

On Thursday, September 8, 2016, World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. requested that a Connecticut federal judge preemptively disallow four former professional wrestlers from bringing any claims relating to brain injuries spawning from their times working to the entertainment company. According to the WWE, the latest round of ex-pro wrestlers can’t bring such claims because they are timebarred. Connecticut has a three year statute of limitations for any general tort claim; as well, it recognizes a two year statutory time period for potential plaintiffs to bring suit …

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