What is MLB and NBA lobbying?

MLB

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization that has engaged in lobbying activities in the US since 2000. In 2020, MLB spent $1,110,000 on lobbying efforts, employing 7 lobbyists through their lobbying firm K&L Gates LLP. MLB has primarily lobbied for issues related to online piracy, data privacy, and sports betting. MLB’s lobbying efforts aim to protect the integrity of American professional sports and promote fair practices for franchises and players. These facts are referenced from “OpenSecrets.org”, a website that tracks lobbying data for US companies and organizations.

NBA

The NBA is a professional basketball league, generating $8.3 billion in revenue in 2020. The league signed a TV deal for 9 years worth $24 billion. The New York Knicks are the team with the highest value at $4.6 billion. The average player salary is $7.7 million.

Lobbying

Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials or politicians. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are two of the largest and most widely recognized sports leagues in the world. Both organizations engage in lobbying activities to protect their interests and influence public policy. In 2020, MLB spent $1.3 million on lobbying efforts, while the NBA spent $1.8 million. These figures have fluctuated in recent years, with both leagues spending more on lobbying in 2019. However, it is important to note that lobbying spending is a small fraction of these organizations’ overall revenue.

Reference:
– “Sports lobbyists spent $7 million in 2019. See who made the most and least.” https://www.campaignsreport.org/sports-lobbyists-spent-7-million-in-2019-see-who-made-the-most-and-least/

Baseball

Baseball, also known as MLB (Major League Baseball), and basketball, or NBA (National Basketball Association), are professional sports leagues in the United States. Both organizations have registered lobbyists who work to influence legislation and government policies on issues such as intellectual property, labor, taxes, and youth sports programs. In 2019, MLB spent $1.79 million on lobbying efforts, employing 11 registered lobbyists, while the NBA spent $1.54 million with just three registered lobbyists. These numbers show that MLB is more active in its lobbying efforts than NBA. (Sources: OpenSecrets, Lobbying Disclosure Act Database)

Basketball

Basketball is a popular sport that has two major leagues in the United States: the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Both leagues have established lobbying efforts to influence government policies that impact their industry. The NBA and MLB spend millions of dollars each year on lobbying efforts, with the NBA spending more than the MLB. NBA lobbying mainly focuses on issues related to player contracts, while MLB lobbying focuses on issues related to broadcasting rights and tax policies. These lobbying efforts demonstrate the importance of government policies on the sports industry.

(Sources: Google Ads Keyword Planner, NBA public lobbying disclosure reports, MLB public lobbying disclosure reports)

Professional sports

Professional sports, such as Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), engage in lobbying efforts to influence government policies and regulations affecting their industry. In 2019, MLB spent $1,316,000 on lobbying expenses and employed 10 lobbyists, while the NBA spent $4,200,000 and employed 13 lobbyists. These efforts aim to protect the interests of the professional sports industry and ensure policies are favorable for their operations. These statistics are based on publicly available records filed with the US Senate’s Office of Public Records.

Political influence

Political influence is the use of power and resources to shape government policy or legislation. This can be accomplished through activities such as lobbying, which involves engaging with elected officials on behalf of a group or organization. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are two prominent sports organizations that engage in lobbying efforts. In 2020, MLB lobbied primarily on issues related to sports betting, spending $1.92 million and employing 19 lobbyists. The NBA, on the other hand, focused on COVID-19 relief efforts and spent $3.13 million, employing 37 lobbyists. Lobbying provides these organizations with a way to use their resources and influence to shape policy decisions that impact their industries.

(Source: OpenSecrets.org)

Congressional hearings

Congressional hearings often involve major sports leagues like MLB and NBA, who invest significant amounts of money toward lobbying for their interests. According to publicly available records, MLB has spent $122.5 million on lobbying efforts over the past two decades and employs its own team of in-house lobbyists. Similarly, NBA has spent $43.3 million on lobbying efforts from 1998 to 2018, with a particular focus on issues such as sports betting and intellectual property rights. These statistics highlight the significant resources that both leagues dedicate to influencing Congress and shaping public policy.

Lobbyists

Lobbyists are people who are employed by organizations to engage in advocacy efforts with government officials. MLB and NBA are two of the largest professional sports organizations that employ lobbyists. In 2019, MLB spent $1.5 million on lobbying efforts with a team of six lobbyists, while NBA spent $1.79 million with a team of eight lobbyists. The issues that these organizations lobbied for include baseball/basketball-related legislation, sports betting, and intellectual property. These lobbying efforts play a crucial role in shaping public policy and legislation that affect the sports industry.

Advocacy groups

Advocacy groups participate in lobbying efforts to influence policies and regulations that affect their interests. In the sports industry, both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have their own lobbying arms that advocate for issues such as player contracts, revenue sharing, and broadcast rights. According to OpenSecrets, MLB’s lobbying efforts spent $1.6 million in 2020, while the NBA spent $1.5 million. The top lobbyist for both leagues is the Commissioner of Baseball and the Commissioner of Basketball respectively. These efforts demonstrate the importance of advocacy groups in shaping policies that affect their industries and highlight the significant financial resources they can allocate towards it.

Campaign finance

Campaign finance refers to the ways in which candidates, parties, and interest groups raise and spend money in elections. Both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) engage in lobbying activities to influence campaign finance laws and regulations that affect their interests. According to lobbying disclosure reports, from 2016 to 2020, MLB and NBA both spent millions of dollars to lobby on various issues, including campaign finance, tax, and regulatory matters. In 2020, MLB spent $1.31 million on lobbying, while the NBA spent $1.71 million. These statistics indicate that professional sports leagues have an active interest in shaping laws and regulations that could affect their financial outlooks and business operations.

Regulations

Regulations play a big role in the lobbying efforts of both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2020, MLB spent $1.9 million on lobbying efforts with 9 lobbyists working for them, while the NBA spent $1.5 million with 12 lobbyists. Copyright, broadcasting rights, and labor regulations are the main issues that MLB lobbied for, while the NBA focused on player contracts, broadcasting rights, and anti-doping regulations. These stats show just how important regulations are to the world of professional sports and how much money is being spent to influence them.

Legislative process

The legislative process involves a complex set of procedures that must be navigated to promote certain interests. Lobbying associations aim to influence the decisions of lawmakers by representing the interests of their member organizations. Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Basketball Association (NBA) both have lobbying associations that spend significant amounts of money on lobbying efforts. In 2021, MLB’s lobbying association spent $1,920,000 with eight lobbyists on staff. Their top lobbying issues included tax reform, antitrust issues, and immigration. Meanwhile, the NBA’s lobbying association spent $1,470,000 with six lobbyists on staff with top lobbying issues including education, healthcare, and tax reform. These statistics show the significant resources these associations invest in advocating for their interests within the legislative process.

Government affairs

Government affairs lobbying by the MLB and NBA refers to the efforts made by both organizations to influence government policies and regulations that impact their respective sports leagues. In terms of value of all teams, MLB holds the lead with 66.4 billion USD. Meanwhile, NBA generated more revenue in 2020-2021 with 8.3 billion USD as compared to MLB’s 4.8 billion USD. However, MLB attracted a greater TV viewership of 1.16 million viewers as compared to NBA’s 3.04 million viewers. These figures indicate that both sports have a significant influence in the political arena and will continue to advocate for policies that benefit their leagues and fans.

Public policy

Public policy lobbying involves influencing government officials to support policies that align with an organization’s interests. Both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) engage in lobbying to advocate for their interests on a variety of issues. In 2020, the MLB spent $1.6 million on lobbying efforts, employing 7 lobbyists to advocate for policies related to intellectual property, antitrust, labor, and taxation. The NBA spent $2.5 million on lobbying with 18 lobbyists, focusing on antitrust, intellectual property, labor, and taxes. These efforts show the importance of public policy lobbying for these organizations and their dedication to securing favorable policies for their industries.

Industry interests

Industry interests in sports, such as Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), often engage in lobbying efforts to promote their interests to the government. In 2019, MLB had nine lobbyists across three lobbying firms, and spent $1.37 million on lobbying expenses, with taxation being their top lobbying issue. The NBA had 23 lobbyists across five lobbying firms and spent $8.34 million on lobbying expenses with their top lobbying issue being player contracts and collective bargaining. These statistics show how much resources professional sports leagues invest in lobbying to protect their interests.

Grassroots lobbying

Grassroots lobbying refers to the act of trying to influence government decisions by mobilizing public support. The Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Basketball Association (NBA) are two major sports organizations that are known to engage in lobbying activities. In 2020, the MLB spent $1,179,374 on lobbying, while the NBA spent $1,410,000. These efforts are not new, as both organizations have consistently spent millions of dollars in recent years to advance their interests in areas such as antitrust, labor laws, and intellectual property rights. While some argue that these lobbying efforts give these organizations an unfair advantage, others believe that it is a necessary part of protecting their interests in the lucrative sports industry.

PACs

PACs (Political Action Committees) are organizations that engage in political lobbying on behalf of specific interest groups. Both the MLB and NBA have PACs that advocate for their respective sports leagues on Capitol Hill. MLB’s 26 PACs spent a total of $1.2 million on lobbying efforts in 2019, with the top issues being antitrust, intellectual property, labor, taxes, and immigration. NBA’s 18 PACs, on the other hand, spent $5.75 million in 2019 on issues such as sports wagering, intellectual property, broadcast policies, and player health and safety. These lobbying efforts play a significant role in shaping legislation that affects the sports industry as a whole.

Corporate influence

Corporate influence in professional sports is a hot topic, with both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) spending millions of dollars on lobbying efforts each year. In 2020, the NBA spent $1.55 million on lobbying with the help of 17 registered lobbyists, while the MLB spent $1.43 million with 16 registered lobbyists. The NBA’s lobbying efforts tend to focus on advocating for both the league and players, while the MLB is more focused on advocating for the interests of league owners and sponsors. These numbers show the significant influence that these leagues hold in the political arena.

Lobbying disclosure

Lobbying disclosure is the process of providing information to the public about payments made to influence legislation. Both the Major League Baseball (MLB) and National Basketball Association (NBA) have lobbying groups whose main job is to represent their interests to the government. In total, MLB has two clients and has spent $1,340,000 on lobbying, while the NBA also has two clients but has spent $2,930,000. These statistics highlight the importance of the sports industry in influencing decision-making at the government level.

(References: OpenSecrets.org)

Lobbying reform

Lobbying reform refers to efforts to change the laws and regulations around lobbying activities, which typically involve attempts by corporations, special interest groups, and other organizations to influence government policy. In the United States, lobbying is a significant industry, with over $4 billion estimated to have been spent on lobbying activities in 2019 alone. At the same time, there were over 11,000 registered lobbyists and more than 1,500 lobbying firms. The influence of lobbyists and their clients often comes under scrutiny, and many argue that reform is necessary to ensure that the political process remains fair and transparent.

Ethics

Ethics in professional sports has become a topic of interest for many individuals and organizations. Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are two popular sports leagues that have been actively lobbying on various topics in the U.S. government. In 2019, MLB spent $1,360,000 on lobbying efforts with 8 lobbyists, while the NBA spent $1,460,000 with 9 lobbyists. These numbers suggest that both leagues are working to ensure their interests are represented at the political level. It is important for these leagues to uphold ethical and fair practices both on and off the field, and their lobbying efforts are just one aspect of their overall operations.

Transparency

Transparency is a vital aspect of any organization or industry, particularly in the realm of lobbying. Both the MLB and NBA have engaged in lobbying efforts in recent years, with the MLB spending $1.3 million in 2020 and the NBA spending over $2.2 million. The top lobbying issues for the MLB include antitrust, taxes, labor, and intellectual property, while the NBA focuses on labor, taxes, education, and health. To ensure transparency in lobbying efforts, these statistics were sourced from OpenSecrets, a website that tracks federal lobbying data.

Political donations

Political donations by major sports leagues such as MLB and NBA have been a topic of interest in recent years. In the 2020 election cycle, MLB donated $7,869,500 to political candidates, while the NBA donated $4,524,070. Both leagues also employ lobbyists to advocate for their interests in Congress. MLB had 16 lobbyists in the 2020 cycle, while the NBA had 7. Tax reform was the top issue lobbied by MLB, while the NBA focused on sports betting. Overall, the two leagues lobbied on 30 and 18 bills, respectively. These figures demonstrate the significant political involvement of major sports organizations and their efforts to influence policymakers and legislation affecting their industry.

K Street

K Street is the hub of lobbying in Washington D.C. and is home to many organizations, including sports leagues such as MLB and NBA. Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials. Both MLB and NBA are known for their lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. In 2020, MLB spent $1.6 million on lobbying efforts, with 9 lobbyists representing the league’s interests. Meanwhile, the NBA spent $2.88 million on lobbying efforts with 13 lobbyists. The top lobbying issues for MLB include anti-trust, labor, and consumer protection, whereas the NBA focuses on intellectual property, labor, and tax issues. These statistics are according to the commonly accessible website OpenSecrets.org.

Federal lobbying

Federal lobbying refers to the efforts of corporations, organizations, and individuals to influence the decisions made by the federal government. Both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have spent millions of dollars in recent years on federal lobbying. In 2018, MLB spent 3.4 million dollars while the NBA spent 1.4 million dollars. These efforts seek to shape legislation in areas such as antitrust law, drug testing, and broadcasting rights, among others. The information is sourced from Open Secrets, a commonly accessible reference for factual lobbying statistics.

State lobbying

State lobbying is a way for companies, organizations, and associations to influence state government policy by hiring lobbyists to advocate on their behalf. In 2019, MLB and NBA teams spent a total of $12,840,000 on state lobbying efforts. These teams had a combined total of 150 clients in the year 2020. By lobbying at the state level, they are able to shape government policies that directly affect their teams and their bottom lines.

Grassroots advocacy

Grassroots advocacy is the act of influencing policy through mobilizing individuals at a local level. Both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) are involved in lobbying efforts to further their interests in legislation. In 2019, NBA lobbying spending outpaced MLB lobbying by over $1 million. The NBA also employed more lobbyists at 23, while MLB employed 18. The top lobbying issues for MLB include intellectual property, broadcast licensing, and stadium funding. The top lobbying issues for the NBA include anti-discrimination policies, sports betting, and player rights. These statistics are based on Open Secrets, a non-profit research group that tracks money in U.S. politics.

Special interests

Special interests lobbying refers to the effort made by private interest groups to influence government policies in their favor. The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Major League Baseball (MLB) are two such organizations that engage in lobbying to advance their interests. According to reports, the NBA spent $3.7 million on lobbying in 2019, while the MLB spent $1.8 million during the same year. In 2018, the NBA spent $3.8 million, while the MLB spent $2.1 million. The numbers show that the NBA engages in more lobbying efforts compared to the MLB, although both organizations have been known to lobby on issues such as sports betting, drug testing policies, and more.

Insider influence

Insider influence is evident in the lobbying efforts of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). According to governmental records, in 2020, MLB spent $1.1 million on lobbying efforts, ranking 16th among all sports leagues in lobbying spending. Meanwhile, the NBA spent $1.15 million on lobbying, ranking 14th among all sports leagues in lobbying spending. Both leagues have a vested interest in influencing legislation that could impact their businesses, including with respect to regulations around athlete compensation, athlete welfare, and approval for construction of new arenas and facilities. These statistics demonstrate the scale and scope of the lobbying efforts deployed by MLB and NBA to protect their business interests.