Court Rules Against Athletes Seeking Pay For Use Of Images On Sports Broadcasts

A federal appeals court in Tennessee yesterday said that a group of college athletes seeking compensation for use of their images on sports broadcasts "has no right to payment under state or federal law," according to Stacey Barchenger of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The athletes, many of whom attended Vanderbilt or the Univ. of Tennessee, filed a lawsuit in '14 seeking more than $5M, saying that their images "were improperly used without their permission by broadcast networks, including ESPN, and eight NCAA conferences, including the SEC." Three judges on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday released their ruling saying that the case "brought by 10 former football and basketball athletes was based in 'legal fantasy.'" The appeals court ruling "affirms a previous judgment by Chief U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp in Nashville dismissing the case." ESPN VP/Communications Josh Krulewitz said the net is "pleased with the result" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/18).