April 23rd, 2026 – Where Sports Meet Music: Defining the Modern Fan Experience

Join industry leaders for a discussion on the importance of music in sports and how it all comes together to create a memorable product for sports and music fans alike.

Moderator: 
Antonella DiSaverio, BMI

Speakers:  
Claude Mitchell, ESPN
John Sands, IMG Media
Stephanie Scarpulla, Major League Baseball

John Sands is head of IMG Music – the preferred vendor production music resource at IMG. Nominated for two Sports Emmy Awards, John is a music producer, composer, and music supervisor whose music has been featured in hundreds of shows. IMG Music’s award-winning composer team has written the title music / original scores for top sports broadcasts, documentary films, and television programs. Recent bespoke scores include ALLEN IV3RSON (Prime Video), UFC JOURNEY (ESPN+), SUPER BOWL GREATEST COMMERCIALS: HALL OF FAME COUNTDOWN (CBS / PARAMOUNT+), DP WORLD TOUR (GOLF CHANNEL), and ANDREW YOUNG: THE DIRTY WORK (MS NOW). 


Claude Mitchell leads the ESPN Music Department as Coordinating Director, Music, overseeing the network’s end‑to‑end music strategy and creative vision. He directs all music operations, including original composition, scoring initiatives, and high‑value licensing partnerships with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, H.E.R., Chris Stapleton, Snoop Dogg, Imagine Dragons, J. Cole, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and U2. Mitchell also drives strategic music placement across ESPN’s broad portfolio of programming and live events, delivering impactful exposure and cultural reach for artists and rights holders.


Stephanie Scarpulla is the VP of Global Music Partnerships & Music and Media Clearances for Major League Baseball and MLB Network. A three-time Emmy award-winner, Stephanie has been with the organization for 17 years.  She works to create innovative ways to engage with artists and fans on and off the Major League Baseball platform and helps to develop the MLB music marketing strategy – spanning live events, brand campaigns, social and digital media, original content scores, gaming franchises and platforms, music supervision, licensing & clearances for studio programming.

For years, at least in the music industry, the dispositive view was that termination rights under U.S. Copyright law operated only within the United States and not on a world-wide basis.  Join us as we discuss how the 5th Circuit upended years of legal understanding and music industry practices.

SPEAKER:
Tim Kappel: Founder of Wells & Kappel, LLP / Lead Attorney for plaintiffs in Vetter v. Resnik

MODERATOR:
J. Charley Londoño: Attorney at Counsel Plus, Co.

Tim Kappel is a founding partner of the law firm Wells & Kappel, LLP. Tim represents a diverse group of creators, professionals, businesses, and organizations in the music industry. His practice encompasses both transactional matters and complex civil dispute resolution, providing him with a unique perspective and ability to advise clients in multiple aspects of their careers.
 
In addition to his legal practice, Tim is an educator at Loyola University New Orleans, where he teaches courses on law, revenue streams, and public policy in the music industry. Tim is also heavily involved in industry organizations and advocacy groups. He is the current President of the regional Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and serves on the boards of several other nonprofit organizations, including Louisiana Music Partners.

J. Charley Londoño of Counsel Plus, Co. brings a unique blend of legal expertise and industry experience to his practice in entertainment, copyright, and trademark law. Admitted to both the California and Florida bars, Charley has built a distinguished career representing clients in the complex intersections of intellectual property and entertainment.

His deep understanding of the entertainment industry stems from his previous career as a radio promotion executive at major record labels including MCA, IRS, A&M, and Arista Records, as well as his experience managing recording artists and working as a booking agent, giving him invaluable insight into multiple facets of the entertainment business.

Charley currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Association of Independent Music Publishers and is a past president of the California Copyright Conference.