Sports & Entertainment Beat

Sports

Where Bengals rank in new NFL revenue projections
April 20, 2022 via Biz Journal
The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to make a big revenue jump the next few years on the heels of their AFC championship and Super Bowl appearance last season, according to a new projection.

MLB, MLBPA Rack Up Legal Win in ‘Vexatious’ Elk Supplement Case
April 20, 2022 via Sportico – Law (subscription may be required)
MLB and MLBPA sometimes disagree on questions of law, but the two concur on one point: They’re tired of being sued by a former minor league pitcher who claims they unlawfully ruined his business.

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Team on Story of Nike Sneaker Man Sonny Vaccaro
April 20, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are reuniting once again, "The Hollywood Reporter" writes, this time for the true-life story of former Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro in a feature project that will hail from Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports, who are in the process of finalizing their deal.

Adidas NHL Jersey Lawsuit Claims ‘Authentic’ Is Anything But
April 20, 2022 via Sportico – Law (subscription may be required)
What counts as an “authentic” jersey lies at the heart of a new lawsuit filed by a Florida man. David Inouye contends Adidas has relied on “omissions, ambiguities, half-truths” and other “deceptive representations” to sell authentic NHL jerseys that are neither identical nor substantially similar to those worn by NHL.

Goodell Prevails Over Anguished Browns Fan in Super Bowl Claims Suit
April 16, 2022 via Sportico – Law (subscription may be required)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been criticized in court over the years, but a federal appeals court agrees with Goodell on one topic: He’s right to let the AFC and NFC champs face off in the Super Bowl.

MAC Asks NCAA for Clarity on Sports Betting Rules as Deals Loom
April 15, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
The Mid-American Conference has asked the NCAA for clarity on the governing body’s sports wagering restrictions, a request that could usher in a new era for betting in college sports.

Warriors, Nets Have Advertisers Digging Deep for NBA Playoff Spots
April 15, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
LeBron James is sitting out the NBA playoffs for only the fourth time since he joined the league as the first overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Sports SPACs Face Expiring Clock as Billionaires Pull IPO Plans
April 14, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
Two years ago, DraftKings went public by special purpose acquisition company and seemingly single-handedly sparked a wave of sports-related SPACs. After DraftKings’ SPAC shares rose more than 600% from the deal announcement, 162 sports-related SPACs formed, according to Sportico data.

Music Biz

Cinq Music Gets $100 million from GoDigital Media Group - Will use the funding to purchase music rights, both masters and publishing, and to further its international expansion
April 20, 2022 via PRWeb
GoDigital Media Group, a media and technology holding company focused on intellectual property rights management, has infused Los Angeles-based music distributor, label and publisher Cinq Music with $100 million in Series D funding. The announcement was made by GoDigital Chairman and CEO Jason Peterson.

Simon Cowell Joins Canada's Got Talent for Spectacular Live Season Finale, May 17 on Citytv
April 20, 2022 via Yahoo Finance – Top Stories
Rogers Sports & Media – Entertainment mogul Simon Cowell joins #CGT judges Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, Trish Stratus, and Kardinal Offishall in-person for the finale, live from Niagara Falls.

BMAT Music Innovators and Audible Magic Partnership to Deliver Global Music Rights Administration Services to the Metaverse
April 19, 2022 via AZ Central
BMAT Music Innovators will team with Audible Magic to deliver a world-class rights and royalty administration service to Digital Service Providers (DSPs).

Here's Why Snoop Dogg Says He Pulled Death Row's Catalog From Streaming
April 19, 2022 via Billboard
Snoop Dogg 's first course of action after purchasing the Death Row Records brand and catalog in February was seemingly pulling the whole catalog off streaming services — now he's explained why.

Music Industry Moves: Danielle Price Joins Republic Records as Executive VP; Stem Raises $20 Million
April 18, 2022 via Greenwich Time
Thania Garcia provided by has named Danielle Price executive vice president, based in the label's New York headquarters. In this new role, Price will contribute to overall strategy, business development, and label expansion as well as serving as a member of the leadership team.

‘Copyright Is Hard’ Defense Is Biggest Joke Surrounding Comedian Lawsuits Against Pandora
April 18, 2022 via Above the Law
Streaming music services dominate the listening landscape because they deliver content with the aid of mind-reading algorithms that consistently tear down the illusion of individuality and reveal that customers are exactly as basic as we all know they are.

COURT OUT The bitter showbiz disputes that ended up in court after DJ Calvin Harris accused of ripping off song
April 15, 2022 via Scottish Sun
Superstar DJ Calvin Harris faces a court battle after being accused of nicking a song by an unknown French artist.

Film & TV

Fox Sports consults Big Ten in media rights negotiations
April 19, 2022 via Biz Journal
A curious situation has been afoot during Big Ten media rights negotiations this year that has caused a lot of head scratching by TV network and digital executives.

Amazon, Reliance, Sony Vying for India Cricket Broadcast Rights
April 19, 2022 via Bloomberg (subscription may be required)
Amazon.com Inc., The Walt Disney Co. and billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd. are among those that have signaled an intention to bid for the broadcast rights of the Indian Premier League, or IPL, according to people familiar with the matter, setting the stage for an epic showdown.

With Fox reaching an extension with the Big Ten, what happens now for ESPN and other possible rights suitors?
April 18, 2022 via Awful Announcing
"Sports Business Journal‘s" John Ourand dropped a bomb that largely because of the timing of the scoop, has mostly flown under the radar of fans and media nerds alike. Ourand’s article mostly focused on the odd setup of the Big Ten rights negotiation process.

‘Black Ink Crew: Chicago’ Star Katrina “Kat Tat” Jackson Signs First-Look Development Deal With Paramount
April 18, 2022 via Deadline
Tattoo Artist Katrina “Kat Tat” Jackson, best known for starring in Black Ink Crew: Chicago on VH1, has signed a first-look development and executive producer deal with Paramount.

Amazon Sees a Bright Future in Free TV (With Lots of Ads)
April 18, 2022 via Bloomberg (subscription may be required)
Amazon sees a big opportunity in free, ad-supported TV. But first… today’s must-reads: Roll over, Pluto Next week, Amazon.com Inc. will change the name of its free streaming app IMDb TV to Freevee.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Reach May Heat Up Sports Rights Bidding
April 18, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
With its merger complete, expect the newly formed Warner Brothers Discovery to become an even more aggressive bidder for top live-sports rights in the months ahead.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Musicology Is Creating a Mind-Blowing Investment Opportunity by Building the Ultimate NFT Marketplace For Everything Music
April 19, 2022 via Atlanta New Online
The NFT music company is vested in an ecosystem of music on blockchain for people, by people. Music remains food for the soul that brings pleasure to the listener.

Eric Paslay talks about his new country album, U.K. tour, and NFT drops
April 18, 2022 via Digital Journal Top News
Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Eric Paslay chatted about his new album “Even If It Breaks Your Barefoot Friday Night,” his U.K. tour, and his NFT drops.

Marsha Raven® is Joining the NFT World with “swansong,” the Unique NFT Collection
April 14, 2022 via Atlanta New Online
Marsha Raven® is the firm of the artist Marsha Raven that distributes her art via digital music, CDs, and NFTs. Recently she released her NFT collection for sale which has been named “swansong Marsha Raven”.

NFT ‘Wild West’ Era Demands New Standards for Crypto Industry
April 14, 2022 via Sportico – Business (subscription may be required)
Today’s guest columnist is Todd Cooper, CEO and co-founder of NuArca Labs. Several weeks ago, Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox nixed his high-profile NFT project, “Swipa The Fox,” leaving 3,000 fans bitter and bewildered, holding the now-worthless NFTs.