sheppard mullin
our Sports Industry Team
MLB’s New
After-Death Rule
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the reinstatement of Pete Rose, along with other deceased individuals on MLB’s permanently ineligible list, effectively making them eligible for Hall of Fame consideration. Pete Rose, MLB’s all-time hits leader, was barred for life in 1989 for betting on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds, but his passing in September 2024 has now made him eligible under MLB’s new posthumous policy. Rose will be considered by the Hall of Fame’s Era Committees, which evaluate candidates with significant historical impacts on the game, with the Classic Baseball Era Committee voting on his candidacy in December 2027. This decision reflects a shift in MLB’s approach to lifetime bans, raising questions about whether posthumous reinstatements dilute the deterrent impact of such penalties or offer overdue acknowledgment of historical contributions.
MLB’s New After-Death Rule Makes Pete Rose Hall of Fame Eligible
Connecticut Suns Explore Potential Sale
YouTube’s First Exclusive NFL Game
ESPN Unveils New Streaming Service
Alex Morgan Invests in San Diego Wave FC
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision
Sports Team Leaders
Partner | Los Angeles
213.617.4252
dsunkin@sheppardmullin.com
David Sunkin
Partner | San Francisco
415.774.3287
banderson@sheppardmullin.com
Brian Anderson
Sheppard Mullin's Sports Industry Team is uniquely positioned to address the complex and dynamic needs of our sports industry clientele. Our sports practice offers the expertise necessary to provide full service legal counsel to owners, teams, leagues, governing bodies, facility operators, key rights holders, advertising companies, sponsors and others involved in sports-related transactions or disputes.
Learn More
A weekly summary of the key trends and stories in sports business.
Go Deeper
The owners of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun have hired Allen & Company to explore a potential sale of the franchise, with expectations of a control sale that may include franchise relocation. As WNBA franchise values have surged—recent expansion teams reportedly valued at over $200 million—operational costs, including dedicated practice facilities, have also escalated, potentially influencing the tribe's decision to sell. The Sun, valued at $80 million in 2023 and playing in the league’s smallest media market, have faced criticism for limited practice accommodations and challenges in maintaining competitiveness amidst the league’s "arms race" of infrastructure investments. The potential sale of the Sun highlights the growing commercial pressures within women's professional sports as franchise valuations rise, emphasizing a critical need for operational investment and resource equity to sustain expansion-era growth.
WNBA’s Connecticut Suns Explore Potential Sale
Go Deeper
YouTube will broadcast its first exclusive NFL game on September 5, 2025, featuring the Los Angeles Chargers as the home team in an international matchup in São Paulo, Brazil, with reports suggesting the Kansas City Chiefs as the visiting team. The streaming giant will present this game for free globally and in the U.S., leveraging its platform to enhance engagement and promote its Sunday Ticket product, while integrating creators and interactive features into the viewing experience. The partnership, reflective of YouTube’s expanding role in sports broadcasting, aligns with its strategy to dominate living room TV screens, where its viewership now leads in the U.S. by watch time. This collaboration underscores how streaming platforms are reshaping the landscape of sports media rights, providing both broader accessibility and personalized experiences that cater to the evolving demands of modern sports fans.
YouTube’s First Exclusive NFL Game will Stream for Free
Go Deeper
ESPN has announced that its new direct-to-consumer streaming service will bear the name "ESPN”, reflecting the decades-long trust, recognition and power of its brand identity. The service will offer tiered pricing options, with an unlimited plan costing $29.99 per month and bundling options with Disney+ and Hulu available at varying price points. While ESPN+ will continue as a standalone service temporarily to honor existing contracts, the new app is expected to integrate comprehensive content from ESPN networks and launch in time for college football season. This branding decision demonstrates ESPN's commitment to leveraging its legacy and industry dominance, providing a competitive edge as digital platforms increasingly challenge traditional sports broadcasting models.
ESPN Unveils New Direct-to-Consumer Streaming Service
Go Deeper
Alex Morgan, a two-time World Cup and Olympic champion, has become a minority investor in San Diego Wave FC, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club she previously played for before retiring. Morgan, known for her advocacy for player safety and her contributions both on and off the field, believes in the transformative power of investing in women's sports and aims to strengthen the Wave's cultural and competitive reputation. Her investment follows the Wave's valuation between $113-120 million after a record-setting ownership deal last year, with her specific stake not disclosed amid ongoing legal challenges faced by the club. Morgan's move shows the growing trend of former players actively shaping the future of the leagues they played in, underscoring the vital intersection of athlete leadership, equity investment, and organizational accountability in professional sports.
Alex Morgan Invests in San Diego Wave FC
Go Deeper
A U.S. District Court jury ordered the National Football League to pay more than $4.7 billion in damages for antitrust violations. The ruling held that restricting negotiations over rights to broadcast teams’ out-of-market Sunday games to a single, bundled TV package violated competition laws. The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for out-of-market games from 2011 through 2022 on DirecTV. The plaintiffs claimed that the NFL broke antitrust laws by selling its Sunday games package at an inflated price. While the League plans to appeal the decision, the ruling could prompt changes in how rights to air games are distributed, potentially benefiting football teams and fans alike. If the ruling stands, the NFL could lose out on one big-ticket payday. But dicing up rights could spark a wider feeding frenzy. The pot for sports rights is expected to grow to $30 billion annually by 2024.
NFL Can Leverage a Major Court Decision to Boost How Teams and Fans Watch Games
Read More
Share on LinkedIn
Download Current Issue
Subscribe
Previous Issue
sports page
Weekly Trivia Question
Weekly Trivia Question
Who is the youngest player to win the NBA MVP award?
Weekly Trivia Question
Answer
Derrick Rose, at age 22, in 2011
REveal Answer
Who is the youngest player to win the NBA MVP award?
Weekly Trivia Question
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
Hide Answer
Incorrect
try Again
Hide Answer
In which organization are teams individually owned and belong to governing bodies which promote and relegate teams to different leagues based on performance?
Weekly Trivia Question
a. National Football League (American Football)
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
c. Major League Soccer (Soccer)
d. Serie National de Beisbol (Cuba) (Baseball)
Correct!
b. English Premier League (Soccer)
Hide Answer
Incorrect
try Again
YouTube will broadcast its first exclusive NFL game on September 5, 2025, featuring the Los Angeles Chargers as the home team in an international matchup in São Paulo, Brazil, with reports suggesting the Kansas City Chiefs as the visiting team. The streaming giant will present this game for free globally and in the U.S., leveraging its platform to enhance engagement and promote its Sunday Ticket product, while integrating creators and interactive features into the viewing experience. The partnership, reflective of YouTube’s expanding role in sports broadcasting, aligns with its strategy to dominate living room TV screens, where its viewership now leads in the U.S. by watch time. This collaboration underscores how streaming platforms are reshaping the landscape of sports media rights, providing both broader accessibility and personalized experiences that cater to the evolving demands of modern sports fans.
YouTube’s First Exclusive NFL Game will Stream for Free
Go Deeper
