Media Tip Sheets

Morals Clauses and Marketing: The Commercial Aspect of MLB Gambling Controversy

Thursday, March 28, 2024, By Keith Kobland

Falk College Associate Teaching Professor David Meluni says the damage from the Major League Baseball (MLB) gambling controversy may already have been done. In this video soundbite, Meluni–an expert in sports marketing who teaches classes on name, image, and likeness (NIL)–offers thoughts on how the case involving Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani may hurt the MLB and Ohtani from a marketing perspective, especially as the new “face” of New Balance products.

“If there’s a perception that something was going on specifically to gambling, from a marketing standpoint that could be huge,” Meluni says. “If there is any sort of tie, New Balance may immediately say, ‘That’s it, we’ve severed our relationship because of a morality clause that we have in our contract.’”