Jan. 22, 2003 - By Chris Marlowe, The Hollywood Reporter

When it comes to next-generation sports programming, the headaches caused by licensing and rights issues are on the minds of many executives. That was a recurring theme expressed by sports executives during a panel discussion Tuesday.

Leonard Armato, commissioner of the Association of Volleyball Professionals, said that some programming opportunities can raise complex questions. "There can be a conflict between the rights of the league or the tour and the rights of the individual personality," he said.

Armato gave the example of an online service that wanted to follow a news conference with an individual star player interview, pointing out the legal gray area this could enter if not addressed beforehand. His having represented the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Shaquille O'Neal, Armato likely had special reason to consider this question.

Panel moderator Tracy Dolgin, president of Fox Sports Net, agreed that complex new situations arose every day as content owners tried new models.

NASCAR made progress in simplifying the matter when it consolidated its rights and began licensing them outright, said Jeffrey Pollack, managing director of broadcasting and new media at NASCAR Digital Entertainment. Even so, he added, "In a new media world, there are always going to be speed bumps."

As president of Roto Sports Inc., a company best known for its fantasy sports leagues, Peter Schoenke has a different perspective from those who own media assets. He said he had experienced roadblocks with such associations as the NFL and Major League Baseball but that getting the players themselves has been relatively easy. "The harder part has been that the associations see us as a way to get big up-front fees," Schoenke said.

Armato has solved those problems via the risky route of starting a new sports league from scratch where all rights are controlled by the AVP. "It's a beautiful model if we can build the demand," he said.

While acknowledging difficulties, all three were optimistic about their new media future. They agreed with Schoenke, who said: "If you can carve out a niche sports product, the fans will pay for it."

Pollack considered PVRs to be a challenge, but that was not a universally held belief.

"It's different for sports, because I want to know what's going on when it's going on," Armato said.

Schoenke went even further, suggesting that a hypothetical bundle of programming, DVR and VOD capabilities would be attractive to fans. "I don't know where that's going, but that's what our customers want — all of the games at once," he said.

The panel discussion was part of the Digital Coast Roundtable series and took place at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Copyright 2004 The Hollywood Reporter