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Sphere Entertainment Group (SEG) has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, over unauthorised use of the Las Vegas Sphere in her “Cowboy Carter” tour visuals.
The company, which is led by CEO James Dolan, issued the letter to the singer on May 1, 2025, demanding she stop playing a video in her concert that shows her playing with Sphere. The video premiered on April 28, 2025, on the opening night of the Cowboy Carter Tour at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
SEG claims this footage was used “without permission” and constitutes an “impermissible use and violation” of the company’s intellectual property rights, arguing this usage “has resulted in significant speculation that Beyoncé will end her tour with a Sphere residency”.
Beyoncé has never performed at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Her team was indeed in negotiations with Sphere Entertainment Group about a possible residency, but those talks ultimately failed, reported Billboard.
Here is what we know about the letter issued by SEG to the Texas Hold ’Em singer.
Unearthing the details about the letter issued by Sphere Entertainment Group to Beyoncé
According to a report in Billboard, Kathleen McCarthy of the law firm King & Spalding, who represented Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan, accused Beyoncé of using the imagery of Sphere without permission. The letter sent by Dolan’s attorneys read:
“It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property.”
It added:
“SEG is sure that multiple aspects of the interlude video, including other brands, clips and music, were duly cleared by the tour with rights permissions from the rights holders whose works were used in the video, as is common practice. SEG, however, was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere™ venue in the video is unauthorized.”
“SEG demands that the tour cease and desist from using the Sphere™ venue in the video immediately.”
It demanded that Parkwood,
“refrain from using this imagery on any merchandise, promotional or marketing materials, or in tour movies, etc. Should you fail to do so, SEG reserves all rights to take further action as SEG deems appropriate without notice to you.”
Sphere Entertainment Group has given Beyoncé and her production company, Parkwood Entertainment, a strict deadline of Monday, May 5, 2025, to stop using visuals in her Cowboy Carter tour. The letter mentioned that if she failed to do it may result in further action, including legal proceedings.
Beyoncé performed a medley of her fan-favorites, such as Crazy in Love, Love on Top, and Single Ladies, during the launch of her tour on April 28, 2025. The speculation about her potentially performing at the Las Vegas Sphere during her 2025 Cowboy Carter tour arose on X (formerly Twitter) due to a combination of her tour visuals and prior rumors about a possible residency.
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