K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - January 2026 #3

Sports:
NCAA

• The evidence against the college basketball players indicted Thursday on federal sports gambling charges, and the alleged fixers involved in enticing and paying the players, appears strong enough for the NCAA to focus on preventing future scandals rather than on denying the problem existed, sports law experts say. College Gambling Busts Show That Getting Caught Is Easy
• A Tennessee federal court rejected a bid from five Division I college football players to preliminarily block the NCAA from denying them a full fifth season of play, finding they didn't sufficiently show the NCAA's four-season limit is anticompetitive. Judge Rejects Bid To Block NCAA's 4-Season Limit
• Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced criminal charges Thursday against 26 people, including more than a dozen former college basketball players, accused of conspiring to rig NCAA and Chinese Basketball Association games. Ex-NCAA Players Among 26 Accused Of Rigging Games

NBA

• Madison Square Garden's quest to get former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley to pay court-ordered attorney fees will continue, according to a Thursday order by the New York federal judge overseeing the litigation over his 2017 arena ejection. MSG Bid To Punish Oakley Over $642K Owed Will Go Forward

Golf

• TaylorMade Golf Co. Inc. in a California federal lawsuit accused its rival Topgolf Callaway Brands of running a disparaging smear campaign meant to convince consumers it has inferior, poor-performing products, in violation of the Lanham Act. TaylorMade Claims Golf Rival's UV 'Test' Misleads Consumers

MLB

• The First Circuit on Friday largely affirmed the dismissal of a trademark infringement lawsuit that sons of late MLB Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente lodged against the Puerto Rican government, but said a lower court was "off base" when dismissing a few claims against Commonwealth officials in their personal capacities. 1st Circ. Revives Some Of Baseball Legend's Sons' TM Claims

Entertainment:

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• Actor Kiefer Sutherland was arrested after allegedly assaulting and threatening a ride-share driver in Hollywood. Actor Kiefer Sutherland arrested over alleged assault of ride-share driver
• Timothy Busfield has been charged him with two counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor and one count of child abuse. S. Marshals Storm Timothy Busfield's Home with Battering Ram
• A NJ federal judge dismissed claims against Universal Music Group in a suit seeking to hold it liable for an alleged sexual assault of a teen girl by Sean "Diddy" Combs, saying the music giant can't be held liable for predecessor companies' alleged misconduct. Universal Music Cut Loose From Diddy Sex Assault Suit - Law360

FILM & TELEVISION

• Paramount Skydance ratcheted up the stakes in the monthslong battle for Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., saying it plans to nominate directors to the board to thwart a merger with Netflix Inc. Paramount fires back at Warner Bros. bid, launching proxy fight for board seats | Fortune
• Netflix reached an amended, all-cash agreement to buy Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s studio and streaming business as it battles Paramount Skydance Corp. to acquire one of Hollywood’s most iconic entertainment companies. Netflix will now pay all cash for Warner Bros to keep Paramount at bay | Reuters

MUSIC

• A musician alleging that John Mellencamp's 1996 hit song "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" stole from his own noncharting track denied to a CA federal judge that he wrote a report attributed to his music expert and then failed to make him available for a meaningful deposition. Musician Accusing Mellencamp Of Theft Denies Faking Report - Law360