by Daniel Kaplan (SportsBusinessJournal)
The NFL Players Association earned almost $26 million on revenue of more than $148 million in its 2007 fiscal year, according to the group’s financial report, which a federal judge recently unsealed as part of a court case.
This is the first time the union’s audited financial report has been publicized. It gives a more complete picture of the NFLPA’s finances than previously was available through the group’s disclosures in Labor Department annual reports and tax returns.
The development comes as the NFLPA and the class of retired players suing the union over royalties have battled over whether the labor group keeps a disproportionate share of licensing income.
“The NFLPA kept 69 percent of group licensing revenues in 2006 and 68 percent in 2007,” wrote Daniel Rascher, a University of San Francisco professor, in an expert report prepared for the retired players suing the union. “Figures for other sports associations, such as the NBPA and MLBPA … are typically between 10 [percent] and 40 [percent].” READ MORE
