From a business standpoint, arguably the biggest play in L.A. sports in the past week didn’t take place at Dodger Stadium or the Coliseum.
It happened in Sacramento, where Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 206 on Sept. 30, giving college athletes in California the right to earn money from the use of their image or name starting in 2023.
The state’s Fair Pay to Play initiative — which was backed by LeBron James, among others, and figures to be contested by the NCAA — opens the door to payment for football players at USC, basketball players at UCLA, golfers at Long Beach State, and any other athlete who tips off or kicks off in Southern California.
It also means companies like Creative Artists Agency, Endeavor and United Talent Agency, which all have thriving businesses handling professional athletes, could soon have access to a new roster of clients.
Several agencies declined to comment on where they go from here, preferring to take a wait-and-see stance for now.
But Debbie Spander, senior vice president, broadcasting and coaching at Wasserman Media Group, supports the change. “Business will be enhanced by the entrance of collegiate athletes,” Spander said.
She went on to draw parallels to baseball’s labor changes, which helped drive the game to new heights. “There was a lot of negativity and doomsayers about baseball free agency in the 1970s, and they were not only proved wrong, but the business of baseball has grown dramatically,” Spander said.
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Former Getty Foundation Director Deborah Marrow, who retired in 2018 after 30 years with the organization, passed away last week. Marrow filled a range of leadership roles during her time at the Getty, including two stints as interim president.
“No one has contributed more to the life and mission of the Getty than Deborah, and we will miss her deeply,” said James Cuno, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust. “She provided inspiring leadership in almost every aspect of the Getty, in roles including director of the Getty Foundation, acting director of the Getty Research Institute, and interim president of the Getty Trust.”
Tom Hoffarth contributed to this column.
