Collective Bargaining in Professional Sports : Player Salaries, Free Agency, Team Ownership, League Organizational Structures and the Power of Commissioners

Collective Bargaining in Professional Sports provides a timely and practical overview of the impact and importance of the collective bargaining process in the business of professional sports in the United States.

Focusing on the contemporary history of collective bargaining in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL), but drawing out important lessons for all professional sports, the book sheds light on some of the key issues within modern sport business and sport governance. It offers an inside look into topics such as revenue sharing, competitive balance, circumvention of league rules, player free agency, player social activism, player discipline, and the ethical and legal issues around the use of wearable biometric tracking systems to collect player data.

An essential read for sports business industry practitioners and students alike, this is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport business, sport law or labor relations. It is also a valuable resource for anyone who wants to increase their understanding of the business and financial operations of professional sports leagues and teams, player contracts and salaries, and the role and authority of professional sports league commissioners.

Scott Bukstein is Program Director of the Undergraduate Sport Business Management Program and Associate Director of the DeVos Graduate Sport Business Management Program in the College of Business at the University of Central Florida, USA.