Sports & Entertainment Spotlight: WWE Hopes To Capitalize On Name, Image, And Likeness Groundswell, And NFTs Compete For Centerstage At Art Basel In Miami – Media, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment

Maybe I am exhausted by the pandemic, jaded by having
unvaccinated members of my fantasy football team spend weeks on the
National Football League’s (NFL) COVID-19 Reserve List,
disheartened by people not looking out for one another or all of
the above. But, regardless of one’s views of the virtues of
getting vaccinated (or not) against this scourge, if failing to get
vaccinated is a selfish choice, then failing to get vaccinated and
obtaining a forged vaccination card to evidence your vaccination
status to skirt public health protocols is the pinnacle of
selfishness. Enter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Antonio
Brown, who was recently suspended by the NFL for the latter.
Brown’s conduct not only calls into question the type of
teammate and member of the community he is (prior media reports
indicate this is just the tip of the iceberg) , but also may have
amounted to a criminal offense – one that could likely give rise to
a termination right under Brown’s player contract for a
so-called (but in this case, aptly named) “morals
violation.” Whatever the case, I will be keeping an eye on
that, while hoping that common sense and rationality once again
come back into fashion. For now, here’s a knowledge booster
dose I like to call the “Spotlight”:

Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships &
Investments

New Balance Taps Sports
Agent Rich Paul for Latest Product Endorsement

December 6, 2021 via Wall Street Journal – US
Business

Sports agent Rich Paul has spent years helping athletes such as
LeBron James ink sponsorship deals with major brands. Now he is
putting his own stamp on a line of products. New Balance Athletics
Inc. has tapped the high-profile executive to customize and launch
a shoe and apparel collection.

Notable Celebrities
Featured in Profile by Sanford Ad Campaign

December 5, 2021 via Tech Register – Top Stories

The health system announced Profile’s new star-studded
endorsement lineup in February. “This partnership of
strategically selected stars of music, sports and pop culture
showcases Profile’s commitment to delivering personalized
nutrition plans and one-on-one health coaching to transform
lives,” a news release stated at the time.

Skateboarder Bryce Wettstein Named Style
Director of Skate Apparel Company GEO, Will Launch Signature
Line

December 1, 2021 via Forbes – Business (subscription may be
required)

At 17 years old, Bryce Wettstein already has a collection of
accolades on her résumé that for most appear only on
their bucket lists. She is best known, of course, as a teenage pro
skateboarder who recently competed for Team USA in the Tokyo 2021
Olympics.

How Artist-Branded Fast-Food Meals Became
Music’s Hottest Partnerships

December 1, 2021 via Register Citizen

The most coveted collaboration in music in 2021 isn’t a track
from Kenny Beats or a guest verse from Justin Bieber. It’s an
artist-branded meal or menu item with a national fast-food chain,
thanks to a trend kick-started by Travis Scott and
McDonald’s.

Kaia Gerber Earns Calvin Klein Cash in Her
Undies

December 1, 2021 via Inquisitr, The (Global)

Kaia Gerber is earning her cash while in skimpy undies. The
20-year-old model and daughter to Cindy Crawford continues to prove
her endorsement potential on social media – alongside fronting Marc
Jacobs’ Daisy fragrance, Kaia is a Calvin Klein face, with a
recent photo showing her going #mycalvins.

Paige Bueckers, a College Athlete
Who’s Cashing In

December 1, 2021 via Bloomberg – Top Stories (subscription may
be required)

The basketball star has signed two of the most high-profile
“name, image, and likeness” deals since college athletes
were free to pursue them starting in July. Her nickname is Paige
“Buckets.” Her game day trademark is a Targaryen crown of
blond braids.

Sports

NFL Wins Oakland ‘Cartel’ Case
After $790 Million St. Louis Payout

December 7, 2021 via Sportico – Law (subscription may be
required)

In the wake of the NFL agreeing to pay $790 million to St. Louis
over the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, a federal appeals court has
ruled the league owes nothing to Oakland over the Raiders’ move
to Las Vegas.

WWE Turns to College Athletes Via NIL
Talent Search Program

December 2, 2021 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be
required)

WWE is creating a new collegiate pipeline to find its next
generation of stars. The wrestling giant is launching a new NIL
program geared toward recruiting and developing college athletes
from different backgrounds.

Denver Broncos Interviewing Bankers in
Advance of NFL Team Sale

December 2, 2021 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be
required)

The Denver Broncos are moving closer to being sold. In the clearest
indication yet that an ownership change is imminent,
representatives for the team last month interviewed potential
sell-side bankers, according to multiple people familiar with the
meetings.

NFL Suspends Antonio Brown, Two Others for
Lying About Vaccine Status

December 2, 2021 via CNBC

The NFL said Thursday that it had suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers
wide receiver Antonio Brown and two other players for three games
without pay for lying about their Covid-19 vaccination
status.

Film & TV

Korean Formats Agency Something Special
Strikes Development Deal With MY Entertainment

December 7, 2021 via Register Citizen

As Korean formats continue their international expansion, Michael
Yudin ‘s MY Entertainment has partnered with Seoul-based
formats agency Something Special to cultivate more creative IP.

BBC Sport Secures Media Rights to
Broadcast Next Five World Athletics
Championships

December 3, 2021 via BBC – Front Page

The next five World Championships will be broadcast by BBC Sport
after an extension to its World Athletics deal. The 2022 World
Championships are in Oregon in August, with Britons Dina
Asher-Smith and Katarina Johnson-Thompson expected to defend titles
won in Doha in 2019.

Nascar Roots Live Racing Events Moving to
FloSports, as NBC Sports Gold Winds Down

December 2, 2021 via Variety

Nascar inked a multiyear deal with FloSports that will make the
sports streamer the exclusive global home of the Nascar Roots
series of 280-plus annual racing events starting in 2022.

Toronto Production Boom Leads to Talent
Crunch as Workforce Catches Up to Future Studio
Space

December 2, 2021 via Register Citizen

Toronto may have shut down production for nearly four months due to
COVID-19, but its film industry has come roaring back stronger than
ever now that strict protocols have been launched to manage the
pandemic’s impact.

Music Biz

$20 Million In Music Royalties Were Stolen
From YouTube

December 6, 2021 via Ubergizmo

Musicians, publishers, and record labels make money from the music
they produce through royalties.

ABBA Sues Over Abba Mania Cover
Band

December 5, 2021 via Inquirer

In a complaint filed with the United States District Court in
Manhattan, lawyers for ABBA accused Abba Mania’s managers of
“parasitic and bad-faith conduct” by trading off
ABBA’s goodwill and cachet in promoting Abba Mania.

Comedy Albums by John Mulaney, Patton
Oswalt Removed From Spotify Amid Royalties
Battle

December 4, 2021 via Register Citizen

Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Jim Gaffigan and dozens more members
of creator’s rights group Spoken Giants have content pulled
from streaming service.

Musicians Are Dragging Spotify’s CEO
For Funding A Military AI Company

December 3, 2021 via VICE

Posting Spotify Wrapped playlists has become an annual end-of-year
tradition on social media – and in many ways the shareable
listening stats are symbolic of the streaming platform’s
dominance over the music industry.

Recording Artist Michael Bublé
Receives Official Cease and Desist from Comedian/Upstart Jazz
Impresario Bret Raybould

December 2, 2021 via MENAFN – Top Stories

Recording Artist Michael Bublé Receives Official Cease and
Desist from Comedian/Upstart Jazz Impresario Bret Raybould.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

DraftKings Enters Gamified NFT Market With
NFLPA Deal

December 7, 2021 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be
required)

DraftKings has signed a licensing deal with the NFLPA that
indicates the sports gaming company’s intent to expand its
blockchain-based offerings. Starting next year, DraftKings’
existing NFT marketplace will sell so-called “gamified
NFTs,” digital collectibles featuring the names, images and
likenesses of active NFL players.

Platinum-Selling Country Artist Parker
McCollum Selects MusicFX

December 7, 2021 via Yahoo Finance – Top Stories

MusicFX.io, a digital community connecting artists to their fan
bases through NFTs, is pleased to announce that platinum-selling
country artist Parker McCollum has partnered as MusicFX’s first
artist.

Artmarket.com: Here’s Why the Art
Market, Via the NFT Revolution, Will Enjoy Exponential Growth With
Artprice

December 7, 2021 via Yahoo Finance – Top Stories

For 25 years now, Artprice by Artmarket – world leader in art
market information – has been studying, analyzing and researching
the structure of the art market from every possible angle.

Deadmau5 Wants to Go Platinum With a New
NFT Song-And a Bus Campaign at Art Basel Miami Is Helping Promote
It

December 3, 2021 via Forbes – Business (subscription may be
required)

Since the Recording Industry Association of America introduced the
idea of “going platinum,” the milestone of selling 1
million albums has been coveted by musicians throughout the
evolution of formats. Now, DeadMau5 has a plan to go platinum in
the crypto era.

NFTs Next Hit May Be Music Industry,
Former Manager For Elton John, Beyonce Says

December 2, 2021 via Yahoo Finance – Top Stories

As a former music manager who once counted Elton John, Beyonce and
Guns N’ Roses as clients, Merck Mercuriadis has an eye for
talent and a knack for identifying trends.

Independent Musicians Are Making Big Money
From NFTs. Can They Challenge the Music
Industry?

December 2, 2021 via News Break – Top Stories

Independent musicians are making big money from NFTs. Can they
Challenge the music industry?

Sports NFT Sales Projected to Double in
2022, Deloitte Says

December 1, 2021 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be
required)

Sports NFTs aren’t going anywhere, according to predictions
released by Deloitte Wednesday. Its experts predict sports-related
NFTs will account for more than $2 billion in transactions next
year, roughly doubling the 2021 figure. By the end of 2022,
Deloitte projects up to five million sports fans getting into
crypto collectibles.

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