highlights
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Not Yet Over the Goal Line: Understanding What Happened with the NCAA Compensation Vote and What Comes Next
On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) made headlines when its governing board voted to “start the process of modifying its rule to allow college athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses ‘in a manner consistent with the...
CASE Act Passes House in Win for Entertainment Lobby
The Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act sailed through the House of Representatives last week after a 410-6 vote, a move industry organizations and lobbying firms are calling a major win. “The Recording Academy applauds the House for...