From SAG-AFTRA's Breakthrough to Seasonal Tunes and Casino Bets – This Week in Sports & Entertainment

Welcome back to the Spotlight! It seems the spotlights on film and television sets across the country are primed to be turned back on, as actors’ union SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) finally reached a tentative agreement to extend and modify the expired collective bargaining agreement. That the strike lasted for over six months – the longest of its kind in history is notable and raises questions about why the parties waited so long for this breakthrough. Perhaps the AMPTP thought they could win the war of attrition, but ultimately underestimated the actors’ skill at being waiters (many of whom will remain as such notwithstanding the strike ending). Perhaps SAG-AFTRA was satisfied that the wage and pension benefit increases and accompanying restrictions around the use of artificial intelligence in productions under the final proposal were indeed the “best and final” offer from the AMPTP. Or perhaps both sides felt that there were more compelling stories to tell and portray than that of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (blasphemy, I know). Whatever the reason, it sounds as if we will be assured at least three years of a détente between actors and studios. Until then, let the champagne (and popcorn) pop and revel in that and other news in this installment of the spotlight.

Death, taxes and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” invading the airwaves during the holiday season – those things are certain. Another possible entrant might soon be copyright litigation around the lattermost. Clearly, plaintiffs are misinterpreting the lyrics.
As the dust settles from FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried being convicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, additional pressure is put on the various athletes and entertainers (Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Larry David) facing lawsuits for their roles in having endorsed the platform. Short of settlement of the lawsuits for pennies on the dollar, the best outcome might be an appeal that renders Sam Bankman, freed.
Hedge fund billionaire and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is leading the charge on an $8 billion bid to bring a casino to Flushing Meadows, Queens right across from the Mets’ CitiField ballpark. If the move encourages wagers on the Mets to win, it might be the ultimate hedge.

Endorsement Deals, Sponsorships & Investments

Athlete FTX Endorsers Face Uphill Battle After Bankman-Fried Conviction
November 7, 2023 via Front Office Sports

Carolyn Tisch Blodgett Joins NWSL’s Gotham FC Ownership
November 7, 2023 via Sportico

Sources: Legends to buy ASM for $2.4-plus billion
November 7, 2023 via VenuesNow

Mets owner Steve Cohen proposes $8 billion casino complex at Citi Field
November 7, 2023 via ABC7 NY

Sports

Tiger Woods to own, play for Florida team in his tech-heavy golf league
November 8, 2023 via Honolulu Star Advisor

Michigan prepared to take Big Ten to court if punished without full investigation, AP source says
November 8, 2023 via Michigan Lawyers Weekly

Las Vegas Is Quickly Becoming The Newest Sports Mecca
November 7, 2023 via Forbes

Chiefs want to be ‘world’s team’ by going global with star power and Super Bowl success
November 4, 2023 via ABC News

Music Biz

UMG Quietly Pushing SoundExchange Aside, Taking Over Performer Payouts—New Report Says
November 7, 2023 via Digital Music News