Current Issues in Sports Facility Naming Rights

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• Professor Bill Miller (L’96), Chair & Associate Professor - Health, Exercise & Sports Management Department, University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Kenosha, Wisconsin

An overview of recent developments surrounding sports facility naming rights agreements including an overview of recent litigation/industry disputes, recent deals and negotiating strategies.

Legal Research and Analysis

• Mitchell Nathanson, What's in a Name or, Better Yet, What's It Worth? Cities, Sports Teams and the Right of Publicity, 58 Case W. Res. L. Rev. 167 (2007).
• Christopher B. Carbot, The Odd Couple: Stadium Naming Rights Mitigating the Public-Private Stadium Finance Debate, 4 FIU L. Rev. 515 (2009).
• Christian Maximilian Voigt, "What's Really in the Package of a Naming Rights Deal?" Service Mark Rights and the Naming Rights of Professional Sports Stadiums, 11 J. Intell. Prop. L. 327 (2004).
• Nathan R. Scott, Take Us Back to the Ball Game: The Laws and Policy of Professional Sports Ticket Prices, 39 U. Mich. J.L. Reform 37 (2005).
• William A. Drennan, Where Generosity and Pride Abide: Charitable Naming Rights, 80 U. Cin. L. Rev. 45 (2011).
• Joshua M. Peles, Note, The Most Expensive Seats in the House: How Sports Franchises and Sports Networks Profit at Fans' Expense, 13 Va. Sports & Ent. L.J. 295 (2014).
• Amanda Schlager, Is The Suite Life Truly Sweet? The Property Rights Luxury Box Owners Actually Acquire, 8 Vand. J. Ent. & Tech. L. 453 (2006).
• William A. Drennan, Surnamed Charitable Trusts: Immortality at Taxpayer Expense, 61 Ala. L. Rev. 225 (2010).
• Jack F. Williams, The Coming Revenue Revolution in Sports, 42 Willamette L. Rev. 669 (2006).
• Mark Levengood, Comment, Unregistered Securities in the National Football League: Can the Securities Act of 1933 Protect Season Ticket Holders and Personal Seat License Holders?, 11 Vill. Sports & Ent. L.J. 411 (2004).
• Timothy D. DeSchriver & Paul E. Jensen, What's in a Name? Price Variation in Sport Facility Naming Rights, 29 E. Econ. J. 359 (2003).
• Roderick Van Daniel, Corporate Naming Rights on Intercollegiate Athletic Facilities, in Through My Eyes: Sports Administration from a Diversified Perspective 111 (2006).

October 2019 Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Research

• Naming rights: Balancing art and science: Emotional factors, backed up by analytics and measurement, often drive a brand’s decision to pay millions to put its name on a sports venue, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Naming-rights.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming rights: Timing, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Timing.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming rights: Longevity, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Longevity.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming rights: Platforms, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Platforms.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming Rights: Name Game, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Name-game.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming Rights: Categories, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Categories.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).
• Naming Rights: Social Media, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/10/14/In-Depth/Social-media.aspx (Oct. 14, 2029).

Other Research & Analysis

• NSLI: Sports Facility Reports: Facility Update Charts (All leagues & levels) à https://law.marquette.edu/national-sports-law-institute/sports-facility-reports.
• How Did Fiserv Forum, Miller Park, the Wisconsin Center and Other Milwaukee Venues Get Their Names?, https://www.milwaukeemag.com/naming-rights-milwaukee-venues-fiserv-forum-miller-park-wisconsin-center/ (July 2019).
• Corporate Naming Rights: The Current Phenomenon of College Sports Facility Financing, https://www.greenberglawoffice.com/corporate-naming-rights-college-sports-facility/ (May 1, 2018)
• Top Naming Rights Deals, https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/04/30/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Naming-rights-deals.aspx (April 30, 2018).

Recent Industry Developments

• ROC Ventures, Routine Baseball reach settlement, https://biztimes.com/roc-ventures-routine-baseball-reach-settlement/ (Nov. 22, 2019).
• Milwaukee Milkmen stadium has new name after last deal went sour, https://biztimes.com/milwaukee-milkmen-stadium-has-new-name-after-last-deal-went-sour/ (June 19, 2020)
• Pandemic slows but can’t halt stadium naming rights deals, https://theathletic.com/1853824/2020/06/08/pandemic-slows-but-cant-halt-stadium-naming-rights-deals/ (June 8, 2020)
• What are the Bills’ next steps toward finding a new stadium sponsor? , https://theathletic.com/1934994/2020/07/17/what-are-the-bills-next-steps-toward-finding-a-new-stadium-sponsor/ (July 17, 2020).