Posts in Contracts
A Little Ditty on Naming Rights for the New Detroit Red Wings Arena

Olympia Entertainment admitted that it selected a buyer for the Detroit Red Wings' new arena in The District Detroit 50-block area renovation project. Who is it? Who knows! Chris Ilitch, owner Mike Ilitch's son and president and C.E.O. of Ilitch Holdings, disclosed that the formal announcement could come within the next month or so. In the meantime, it may be good to know how naming rights operate so when the announcement is made, we can discuss the deal in an educated fashion and form an opinion on whether it was a smart decision overall.

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What You Should Know About the Online "Fan-to-Fan" Ticket Marketplace

One of my friends asked me about a story she read involving a Kobe fan who bought tickets on StubHub to the Lakers' last home game of the season before Kobe announced his retirement. (Thank you, Angelic!) After the fan bought the tickets, the seller claimed to have typed the price incorrectly after Kobe announced his retirement and the price for comparable tickets skyrocketed. The seller canceled, relisted, and resold those same tickets. In the end, StubHub tried to find comparable tickets but came up short for the Kobe fan, and the Kobe fan was furious at how a giant like StubHub could play a role in such an injustice so nonchalantly.

The fan and the writer who posted the fan's story believe this is not right, though they use other words to get their point across. My friend asked me, "Is this legal?" My answer is a little long because the online secondary ticket market is full of complications, but the short answer is "Yes, this is legal from the online secondary ticket platform's stance."

With the convenience of this market comes risks for both buyers and sellers. Here are a few points y'all should be aware of to better understand how this market operates, what kind of role it plays in the sports industry, and why it is legal - however unfair it seems on the surface - for StubHub to handle the Kobe fan's situation the way it did.

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College Football On New Year's Eve: #thatmomentwhen Force Turns Into Love?

Would you believe it if I told you that ESPN tried to convince the College Football Playoff (CFP) that it should not put the semifinals on New Year's Eve? Well, it did, and we see how that turned out. Maybe ESPN did not fight too strongly, to be honest, because Disney Media Networks got your viewership either way with either football on ESPN or Ryan Seacrest on ABC unless you were out doing one of a variety of celebrations with your loved ones. The entity simply wanted to avoid its two powerhouse programs competing against each other if it was avoidable. For example, when Alabama found their stride against Michigan State, ESPN sensed that you might be tempted to turn the channel. So, they invited you to put your faith in Demi Lovato's live performance on ABC.

Akin to how the NFL rules Thanksgiving and how the NBA dominates Christmas, college football wants to hijack a holiday that is not a "national holiday" for which the majority of the workforce gets the day off. (Hence, the games held the 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. television time slots.) Those of you who are frustrated with the ultimate decision have every right to be frustrated that something you love - college football - can take advantage of you like this, but you cannot point your finger at the NCAA. The CFP is an entirely different beast unaffiliated with the national regulating body, making Division I FBS Football the only NCAA sport that does not have its champion determined by a yearly NCAA championship event. First and foremost, member conferences and independent member institutions run postseason play as the new entity CFP Administration, LLC with its own Board of Managers, Management Committee, and staff in Irving, Texas. From there, I will leave you to read the CFP's Story, including information about the Selection Committee that ranks the top 25 teams in the final handful of weeks, as it writes on its official website for yourself.

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NCAAM Tournament Broadcasting Revenues Under the Law

Since most of us are dedicated to sitting in front of multiple televisions addicted to March Madness, I decided to present this post in a more interactive format to liven up your life. If you are curious as to why the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament revenues are distributed the way they are or would like to learn how they are distributed to begin with, this is for you. The madness in March is not just in the games themselves. It also has roots (or, should I say, a lack thereof) in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.

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