Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Case Summary

Facts of the Case: The plaintiff, Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) filed a civil suit against Gannett Co, Inc. (defendant) over the exclusive rights & licensing to broadcast entire tournament games within the athletic association’s junior high and high school programs. The WIAA has a contract with American-HiFi, which gives video production company exclusive rights to stream & broadcast the various sporting events that the WIAA puts on. However, Gannett Co., Inc. newspapers disregarded the existing contract and streamed four WIAA tournament games without obtaining consent or paying the fee required by the WIAA. The defendant did so because they believed that the existing contract between the WIAA and American-HiFi violated Gannett’s First Amendment rights to broadcast the various athletic events.

Legal Issue(s): Constitutional Law; Bill of Rights, Freedom of Speech, Free Press. This is a case of whether or not the WIAA’s licensing agreements contract violated Gannett’s First Amendment rights to broadcast the tournament games that the WIAA put on.

Court’s Decision: This case was decided without going to trial by three judges and they decided in favor

The fact that they have exclusive licensing agreements with American-HiFi doesn’t violate any ‘supposed’ First Amendment rights that Gannett had to broadcast entire athletic performances. But it never denied Gannett Co., Inc. the right and freedom to report on, write about, and even show limited footage of these events in their various publications. The Constitution never guarantees rights to a full broadcast. While the WIAA is a part of the state government and therefore a government entity, the association has the right to produce, use, distribute, and license their sporting events as their product for both commercial and non-commercial