Sports & Entertainment Beat

Welcome back to the Spotlight! As we cross the Summer solstice and melt under the Sun’s searing rays of light, we at the Spotlight would like to remind you that too much light can be a bad thing (don’t forget your sunscreen!). Indeed much is to be said about the virtues of moderation. For instance, flashing and beaming stage lights shining upon you during your world tour are great – but adding flashing lights on top of a police cruiser and beams of light from a window-mounted searchlight. Pop icon Justin Timberlake is undoubtedly “in sync” with those sentiments, having just been arrested in the Hamptons this week for driving while intoxicated. Takeaways from this incident? Even the biggest, most seemingly polished stars falter – at the end of the day, they are human (and thankfully no one was injured).  For just about the entire entertainment ecosystem – brands, sponsors, talent and promoters--the immediate ripple effect is that there will be that much more attention paid to so-called “morals clauses” allowing for early termination in deals involving celebrity talent. For opposing counsel who might be reading this, I look forward to the dance. That all being said, the one light that you can never have too much of is the Spotlight (…right?) so I will just have to give the people what they want (I think…).

• • Women’s shapewear brand SPANX teams up with newcomer (not to be confused with Newcomber) League One Volleyball (or LOVB) in an apparel sponsorship deal that marks SPANX’s first sports marketing  endeavor. The brand is sure to be tested as its shapewear may be no match for volleyball’s bumps.
    
    
  • New Jersey became the first state to legalize wagering on “Car-Jitsu,” a sport in which people fight each other in a sedan.  Little did I know, growing up the youngest of three brothers, on long car trips, I was training to be a prize fighter and/or punching bag.
    
    
  • Battle rap competition series Verzuz, gets exclusive distribution through X (formerly known as “Twitter”) – which is great news for those hoping that the social media platform’s insults be by way of poetry rather than prose.