PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IN SPORTS BROADCASTING

INTRODUCTION

    Basically, you experience sports broadcasting anytime you hear, read, or see something regarding sports through any type of media. 

 Sports broadcasting is a huge component of the current media world, with almost every major cable network dedicating a specific channel, or group of channels, to popular sporting events, it is important to be knowledgeable in these subject matters and how it can be protected from Infringement.

Therefore, if you’d love to learn more about sports broadcasting, methods of sports broadcasting and how to protect your Intellectual property rights  in sports broadcasting, this article which is an examination of sports in the media will expand your knowledge on the subject.

MEANING OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

Sports broadcasting is the distribution of sporting events and information via mass media, most prominently through the medium of television, but also through radio and internet avenues. Basically, you’re experiencing sports broadcasting anytime you hear, read, or see something regarding sports through any type of media.

Sports broadcasting is a huge component of the current media world, with almost every major cable network dedicating a specific channel, or group of channels, to popular sporting events. A recent example of such is NBC’s near-constant coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Becoming familiar with the world of sports broadcasting will allow you to learn more about a specific sport or team, and enable you to enjoy your favorite sporting events through the avenue of mass communication media, such as television, radio, and the Internet.

METHODS OF SPORTS BROADCASTING

In addition to the different realms of broadcasting (analog, digital, and wireless), there are several different methods of broadcasting that can be used to convey sports information, or live sporting events, from one location to another. 

These methods include: Telephonebroadcasting, radio broadcasting, television broadcasting, satellite broadcasting, and webcasting. 

1. Telephone broadcasting involved listening in on live events, usually of a musical or concert variety, using a telephone. 

2. Radio broadcasting involved, and still does involve, sending audio signals through the air, from one antenna to another, from a transmitter to a receiver. 

3. Television broadcasting originally maintained the same methods as radio broadcasting, expanding the methods to include sending video waves along with audio waves. 

4. Satellite broadcasting sends information from a transmitter to a receiver by way of bouncing that information off of satellites above the atmosphere. 

5. Webcasting uses wireless capabilities to broadcast audio and video content. Content can be downloaded to a computer or streamed from one computer to another in real time. 

Today, the most popular sports broadcasting methods are those of television, satellite, and webcasting. Radio is still a prominent method of sports broadcasting, but its usage pales in comparison to the amount of people who rely on televisions and computers for information about their favorite sports, teams, and events.

Only a few decades ago, there were a select few sports broadcasting television networks and channels. The first sports network was called SportsChannel, and it began broadcasting in 1977, two years before ESPN was introduced. Today, there are hundreds of sports broadcasting networks. Some focus on a specific sport, some focus on college athletics, some focus on national sports leagues, and some focus on the local sports scene.

WHAT ARE BROADCASTING RIGHTS?

“Broadcasting rights” is the term for the media rights to an intellectual property object sold to a particular broadcasting company. Basically, if a company wants the media rights to a sports organization or a competitive video game, they contact the distributing organization. Then, they make a contract with them to have limited broadcasting rights or broadcasting exclusivity for a specific sport or sports organization.

Copyright and related rights, particularly those relating to broadcasting organizations, underpin the relationship between sport and television and other media. Television and media organizations pay huge sums of money for the exclusive right to broadcast top sporting events live.

In traditional sports like football, media and broadcasting rights play a big role in clubs’ and organizations’ earnings. They’re responsible for a large part of the club’s income, and how those rights are used and distributed is usually defined in each club license agreement.

Exclusive rights are becoming less popular, due to the expansion of online broadcasts. The UEFA Champions League, for instance, had some matchups broadcast live on Facebook, gathering millions of people. However, each broadcast contract has its own specifics.

WHAT IS A BROADCASTING CONTRACT? 

Navigating contracts can be tricky because not all broadcasting contracts look the same. Some outlets just have distributors share media rights with them, so they can air whatever sport might get them views. However, exclusive media rights are rather more expensive and make the contract a little more complex. After all, the original distributor will want sizeable benefits for giving away their media rights to only one company or entity. It limits their outreach, so they need proper compensation for concentrating the broadcasting of the product in one set of hands. So, the contract will be different depending on how simple or complex the situation is.

SPORTS BROADCASTING RIGHTS

Some of the most well-known and fought-over rights are those of sports. This is because watching sports has become so commonplace in our society, no matter what the sport is. These different popular sports organizations have unique situations that help show just how complicated broadcasting rights can be. Below are some of them:

National Basketball Association (NBA)

Since early 2016, the NBA has been in partnership with ESPN and Turner Sports. The deal was a nine-year, $24 billion bid for the sport's media rights. Furthermore, once the 2016-2017 sports season began, ESPN and Turner Sports also committed to paying an annual $2.6 billion to the NBA.

During the 2019-2020 season, the entire NBA earned 7.89 billion in revenue, so ESPN knows the kind of money that the basketball industry attracts.

National Football League (NFL)

For TV, cable, and digital platform broadcasting, the NFL has contracted five popular, well-known media partners: Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, Fox, and NBC. On these major networks, the NFL has a wide range of exposure to its fans. Moreover, these NFL deals extend far beyond the 2021 season. The newer, upcoming drafts of their broadcasting deals have the NFL partnered with these networks from 2023 through 2033.

Major League Baseball (MLB)

America's favorite pastime took its broadcasting dealings to where dreams come true, partnering with Disney and ESPN for media rights.

This contract is a domestic broadcast partnership, meaning Disney and ESPN have central control over airing MLB events, but only in the US. It makes sense that they would only focus on the US because the domestic media market for MLB eclipses international interest.

This deal goes from 2021 to 2028, with an impressive payout of $550 million per year.

National Hockey League (NHL)

The NHL has made its own, unique broadcasting deals with ESPN, Turner Sports, and ABC. The plan is to have twenty-five regular-season games airing on ESPN and ABC. Meanwhile, 75 more games will stream through ESPN+ and Hulu. As far as Turner goes, they have rights to air 72- regular-season games.

More changes include streaming changes. Before, the NHL streamed a lot of their content on NHL.TV. However, a new deal has put the old site to rest and moved all content to ESPN+.

European football league games

The broadcasting and media rights in European football is an important asset in the entertainment world. From television stations to Amazon Prime Video, broadcasters compete to gather attention and provide the most immersive and wholesome experience in that subject.

Entrepreneurial efforts from broadcasting organizations are always commendable. Generally, televising sporting events recognize the major importance of competition in this subject. In the sports industry, TV rights play a big part in helping to finance major sporting events, but radio stations, for instance, are also an important asset.

In the broadcasting and media rights landscape about European Football, the most significant player is the English Premier League, but other leagues have their charm.

Premier League

Even though soccer isn't exactly as popular in the states as it is around the rest of the world, there are still options for British and US viewers to watch the renowned English Premier League games. After all, soccer events are insanely popular, given that the 2018 World Cup saw 516.6 million viewers compared to the Superbowl's 103.4 million.

So much revenue has to be held by firm hands of the law. The Premier League’s constitution has the control on the ownership of the rights, and changes must be approved by two-thirds of the clubs.

In May 2021, the Premier League clubs agreed to renew their 3-year-deal to air and stream on Sky Sports, BT Sports, BBC, and Amazon Prime Video.

There are also what is called “Esports Broadcasting Rights”

When it comes to esports, the fight for media rights is fresher and a bit more unique. For one, esports didn't do the long transition from black-and-white TV to ESPN to streaming and beyond. Esports being so new puts them in a unique place to shop their different options, commit to traditional broadcasters or streaming services, and shape the future of esports. However, the stigma against esports is still a problem. Esports have to fight against mainstream stereotypes and prove the worth of esports as an industry; the kind of industry where media rights are worth good money.

However, here, the opposite happens: broadcasting organizations recognize the efforts of the television, and in some countries, esports leagues are transmitted on TV. Some companies hold exclusive rights on the most popular esports, though, such as the League Championship Series (LCS), always done by Riot Games in different media streams.

There have been some success stories, therefore, that prove the potential for esports’ streaming rights.

For example, in 2020, YouTube gained exclusive media rights to Call of Duty and Overwatch Leagues from Activision Blizzard. Before that, though, Twitch paid a whopping $90 million to stream the first two seasons of Overwatch League.

BENEFITS OF BROADCASTING RIGHTS PROTECTION.

For most sports organizations, the sale of broadcasting and media rights is now the biggest source of revenue, generating the funds needed to finance major sporting events, refurbish stadiums, and contribute to the development of sport at grassroots level. THE benefits of safeguarding it.

1.) The royalties that broadcasters earn from selling their exclusive footage to other media outlets enable them to invest in the costly organizational and technical infrastructure involved in broadcasting sports events to millions of fans all over the world.

2.) Safeguard costly investments in televising sporting events

3.) It recognize and reward the entrepreneurial efforts of broadcasting organizations

4.) Recognize and reward their contribution to diffusion of information and culture

Under the International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (Rome Convention) of 1961, broadcasters have exclusive rights for 20 years to authorize rebroadcasting, “fixation” (recording), reproduction and communication to the public of their broadcasts. However, there is wide agreement that the protection of broadcasters’ rights needs updating to accommodate the digital communications revolution. Ongoing negotiations at WIPO aim to create an international legal framework that adequately and efficiently protects against the piracy of broadcast signals.

CONCLUSION

  This article is an evaluation of broadcasting in sports, the different methods of sports broadcasting and how to protect the Intellectual property rights in sports broadcasting.

It is clear that the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Sports broadcasting will help you safeguard costly investments in televising sporting events.

REFERENCES

-https://blog.udemy.com/sports-broadcasting/

-https://www.wipo.int/sports/en/broadcasting.html

-https://weplayholding.com/blog/broadcasting-rights-what-are-them-and-how-do-they-work/

AUTHOR:

OGO GLADYS AMARACHI