Brian Roof

Great analysis from Jason Powers here. Another striking development here is the number of monopolization cases that the government has filed and litigated in the last two years. For good or ill, the government is seriously contesting the acquisition and maintenance of market power in allegedly concentrated industries.

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The new MCU movie Deadpool & Wolverine had a record breaking weekend at the box office. This film is a product of the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney in 2019. Check out my blog post below about the acquisition, and the intellectual property rights that allowed this movie to be made at Marvel Studios #intellectualpropertylaw #filmrights #iplaw #entertainmentlaw https://lnkd.in/etfpN5EY

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Rev up your sports investment with The CW Network! Whether it's on the field, on the court, or on the racetrack, nobody taps into the national action and local passion of sports like Nexstar and CW Sports. Find out more in this week's edition of The NEXT newsletter! https://hubs.li/Q02xtgQj0 #SportsMarketing #CWSports #Sponsorships

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From layoff to leveling up, Wheeler joins KROX ______________________________________ Zach Wheeler’s broadcasting career got off to a fast start. He graduated from Virginia’s Liberty University, then immediately accepted a radio sports director position in Missouri. Nine months into the job, he walked into the station one morning. He’d just broadcast a softball game the night before and had started preparing for another broadcast. Then the wheels came flying off Wheeler’s fast career start. He was told he was among Alpha Media’s nationwide layoffs. “I learned that it might be coming about 10 minutes before it happened,” Wheeler recalls. “But I was still in disbelief when I was called up to the GM’s office for the conversation.” Fortunately, Wheeler’s career quickly resumed its forward momentum. After less than two months of unemployment, Wheeler is back in the game as a play-by-play broadcaster and on-air host at KROX Radio in Crookston, MN. And his new position represents a step up. “The biggest draw to KROX was the opportunity to make the jump into covering and calling college games. The station covers the University of Minnesota at Crookston, and we broadcast several of their NCAA D-II sports as well as their ACHA Hockey team. “In addition, I’ll have the chance to continue covering sports I am familiar with while taking on the challenge of covering games for sports I’ve never called before. I also loved the idea of being the morning show host since I would have several hours of daily on-air reps.” Wheeler learned of the KROX opening in an STAA Job Leads+ email. He joined STAA after his layoff upon the suggestion of a college professor. “I learned about STAA while in school at Liberty University,” he states. “Some of my professors recommended the spotting templates and other free resources, but several of my colleagues there joined the agency while in college. One of my professors, Steve Stilwell, was one of the people who suggested I join following the layoff. “STAA offers so many great resources, especially in terms of job hunting. The layoff was one of the bigger challenges I’ve faced in my career thus far, but the guides on demo reels, résumé/cover letter creation, and even the posts about cold contacting SIDs about potential opportunities were big takeaways from my time here. “The job leads were great too, as I landed a few interviews and a couple of offers by the time my job search was over. STAA is a great platform to network with other professionals in the industry and get advice about almost anything that a relatively young broadcaster would need to know that they wouldn't learn in school.” Improving his presentation helped Wheeler land multiple job interviews. “I spent a good week updating (and in some cases, creating) demo reels and some substantial time making a more appealing résumé." Read more at https://lnkd.in/gUS9i7rt #sportscasting, #sportsbroadcasting

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It's here: legendary broadcaster Bob Costas on our PRCG | Sports podcast "Crisis Communication in Sports," interviewed by my two esteemed colleagues, Jim Rocco and Cris Bruce. It's a fascinating conversation on the impact betting has had - and will have - on the world of sports, and Mr. Costas, as always, is quite outspoken on the topic (Jim Rocco used to work with Bob at HBO Sports, so it's a reunion of sorts!). Here's the YouTube (we've just started video, so subscribe!). Audio podcast is here: https://lnkd.in/eTcbUd53

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I enjoyed this Bloomberg report summarizing ESPN's Stephen A. Smith's take on picking sports as if they were stocks, an interesting analogy. I fully agree with his views of women's basketball as a smart investment in a stock analogy, evidenced by the 2024 WNBA season setting records for viewership and attendance, a testament to the growing popularity women’s basketball (and women’s sports by and large). However, the perspective of shorting boxing as a hypothetical stock sounds overly pessimistic. While boxing faces challenges, such as fragmented governance, promoters, and broadcast rights, it remains an exciting sport that is regaining momentum, spurred by  unification fights, collaboration between networks that are licensed broadcasting rights (e.g. DAZN / Showtime, and ESPN / Fox), and the rising popularity of women's boxing. #sports #sportsbusiness #wnba #womensports #boxing #sportsmedia

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With #Meta’s recent announcement to scale back its oversight of content accuracy and the #TikTok battle looming, the regulation of social media will continue to be a hot topic in #2025. This great piece from Forbes highlights some of these upcoming trends as the year kicks off with a new administration that seems to favor deregulation, including a potential increase in #media consolidation and the mainstreaming of the #gaming industry. A lot to look out for!

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More M&A entertainment from two entertainment giants -- this time involving the "Go Shop."  In July 2024, Skydance Media and Paramount Global announced their entry into a definitive agreement to form “New Paramount” – a next-generation media and technology leader, through a two-step transaction including the acquisition of National Amusements, Inc. (NAI), which holds the controlling share stake in Paramount. The transaction has not been without controversy.   ·      Early in the merger talks, the entertainment giant controlled by Shari Redstone reduced its board from 11 to 7 (almost unheard of without pressure from activists); allegations swirled that such steps were taken to remove those directors not supportive of a transaction. ·      Further allegations were made of excess cash payments to Shari Redstone and the controlling shareholder NAI, whose separate and controlling class of shares would receive an additional cash premium for their shares (over and above what would be paid to the non-controlling class). ·      Failed merger talks in June followed by a signed deal in July. ·      Initial push to hold a vote among all NAI shareholders on the deal to help shield NAI from shareholder lawsuits claiming the terms were skewed to favor the controlling shareholder. ·      Ultimately, NAI delivered a written consent approving the transaction and no further stockholder approval was required or sought. ·      Shareholder litigation filed following the deal announcement. The latest controversy involves the “Go Shop”. What is it? ·      Paramount has a right to “shop” its deal to other potential buyers pursuant to a “go shop” provision. ·      A “go shop” provision is fairly customary in a public company merger and allows the board (or its special committee) to solicit and evaluate other bids for a limited period of time (in this case, 45 days). ·      Such a provision is typically included to minimize the risk of shareholder litigation and, should any litigation be filed, to demonstrate that all reasonable steps were taken by the board or its special committee to maximize shareholder value. What’s the controversial issue with this “Go Shop”? ·      Skydance is accusing Paramount’s special committee of breaching the terms of its deal by extending the “go shop” period beyond the agreed-upon 45 days. ·      Paramount extended the “go shop” by approximately 2 weeks, after it received a $6 billion deal proposal from Edgar Bronfman Jr., for Shari Redstone’s NAI that controls Paramount, and a stake in Paramount.  ·      Under the terms of the deal with Skydance, the special committee had to decide if Bronfman’s bid “is or would reasonably be expected to lead to a superior proposal,” relative to Skydance’s offer. ·      Skydance is arguing that the bid wasn’t superior, as defined in the transaction agreement, and thus the committee shouldn’t have extended the window. For continued entertainment, watch this channel! Be well. Winston & Strawn LLP

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The Royals continue their winning ways in the shadow of the 2014 AL Championship Team's Anniversary Celebration. How do these two teams compare? Rany Jazayerli (Co-Founder Baseball Prospectus/@Jazayerli) and Soren Petro (Sports Radio 810-WHB, 810whb.com/@SorenPetro) discuss where this team is better and worse than the '14 bunch as well as... - The latest Playoff Optimism Meter. - What teams are threats to the Royals? - Time to give up on having a quality OF? - Kris Bubic timeline. - Where the '24 Rotation ranks? - Remembering the 2014 team.

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Last blog of the year for me! It will be interesting to follow how gaming continues to develop in the online context.

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Oasis' long-standing 15-year dispute concluded with the announcement of a series of concerts, yet many fans expressed disappointment due to Ticketmaster's use of dynamic pricing for ticket sales. As the debate intensifies, experts have weighed in on the risks associated with dynamic pricing in the live music industry, the potential for capping price surges, and the increasing necessity for regulatory measures. In this article published in CNBC-TV18, I highlight how dynamic pricing was initially introduced to curb scalping—where tickets were bought and resold at inflated prices, akin to black market practices in movie ticket sales. However, this strategy has now led to the emergence of new challenges. Read the full article here.  https://lnkd.in/deCC3wDW #PioneerLegal #LawAtPL #DynamicPricing #TicketScalping #MarketChallenges #PricingStrategy #ConsumerTrends #CNBCTV18

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If you're at all working in the sports and sports betting space, you need to carve time out of your day or commute to listen to Michael Lewis' "Against the Rules" podcast. It's an incredibly engaging look at the sociology of American sports, fandom, and how gambling has, and is, playing a part in it. Well produced and exceptional storytelling. #publicrelations #sportsmedia #sportsbetting #sportsmarketing #fanengagement

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The Hollywood Reporter article discusses significant changes within Liberty Media, particularly focusing on its ownership of Formula 1 and the leadership transition involving John Malone. Leadership Transition: Greg Maffei, who has served as Liberty Media's CEO since 2006, is set to step down at the end of 2024. Under his leadership, Liberty Media expanded its portfolio, notably acquiring Formula 1 in 2017. John Malone, the company's chairman and founder, will assume the role of interim CEO upon Maffei's departure. Malone, often referred to as the "Cable Cowboy," has a longstanding history in the media industry and is expected to guide the company through this transitional phase. Strategic Restructuring: Liberty Media plans to spin off its non-motorsport assets into a separate entity named Liberty Live. This new entity will encompass holdings such as Live Nation Entertainment and Quint, a ticketing and events company. The restructuring aims to streamline Liberty Media's focus on its motorsport ventures, primarily Formula 1 and MotoGP, enhancing operational efficiency and shareholder value. Implications for Formula 1: With the leadership change and strategic restructuring, Liberty Media is poised to concentrate more on its motorsport properties. This could lead to increased investments and initiatives aimed at expanding Formula 1's global reach and fan engagement. The leadership of John Malone, known for his strategic vision, may bring new perspectives to the sport's commercial and operational strategies. These developments indicate a pivotal moment for Liberty Media and its stakeholders, with potential significant impacts on the future trajectory of Formula 1 under the company's ownership. https://lnkd.in/dNebTfWb ​​​​

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Real Stories, Real Impact: A glimpse into what past delegates are saying about the PrimeTime Sport Conferences! ⭐ Dave Lowes is the Business Development Specialist - Economic Development at the Town of Newmarket. Stay tuned for more details on The 17th Annual PrimeTime Sports Management Conference & Trade Show.🇨🇦 #PrimetimeSportsConference2024 #PTSE2024 #SportsLeadership #SportsNetworking

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