Sports Media & Technology
ArentFox Schiff’s nationally recognized Sports practice has decades of experience advising clients in the negotiation, implementation, and regulation of media licensing arrangements involving television, radio, and streaming. Our attorneys have advised network and cable television companies as well as internet and digital media providers, and new technology companies, bringing in-depth industry knowledge to facilitate negotiations.
Our Work
We have been involved in some of the highest profile and most prestigious media rights transactions in the industry, including the Los Angeles Lakers - Time Warner Cable media rights transaction and the California Interscholastic Federation - Time Warner Cable media rights transaction, each of which were historic deals for their industry segment.
- Los Angeles Lakers: Representation in the negotiation of a 20-year agreement with Time Warner Cable for rights to distribute all locally available preseason, regular season, and post-season games on two regional sports networks, including the nation’s first Spanish-language regional sports network.
- Big Ten Media Properties: Representation in connection with sublicense of the media rights to the Big Ten Conference’s sports events, for $2 billion-plus, to ESPN, CBS, and FOX, which included the drafting of the media rights agreements taking into account the complex media market, multiple telecasters, and sports, as well as the negotiations with the counterparties.
- Intel: Counsel in connection with various sports rights transactions, including its worldwide partnership with the International Olympic Committee and promotional rights with the National Football League.
- Miami Heat and AmericanAirlines Arena: Representation in connection with technology transactions and corporate policies involving various data issues, cybersecurity, mobile commerce, digital platforms, and the Cloud.
- Brooklyn Nets: Representation in connection with its media rights agreement with Yes/Fox Sports for the exhibition of all Nets games and ancillary programming.
- Los Angeles Galaxy: Representation in connection with its media rights arrangement with Time Warner Cable.
- Los Angeles Kings: Representation of the Los Angeles Kings in connection with its media rights agreement with Fox Sports Net West for distribution of its locally available pre-season, regular season, and post-season games.
- Tampa Bay Lightning: Representation in connection with the negotiation of a long term exclusive media rights agreement with the Sun Sport regional sports network owned by Fox Sports.
- Charlotte Hornets: Representation in connection with its long term media rights agreement with Fox Sports and its 10-year deal with Mobilitie to upgrade its mobile technology by installing a distributed antenna system at Time Warner Cable Arena.
- California Interscholastic Federation: Representation of one of the largest youth sports organizations in connection with its media rights transaction with Time Warner Cable pursuant to which Time Warner Cable became the official content distributor of CIF Regional and State Championship sports programming throughout the state of California.
- Washington Wizards: Representation of the Washington Wizards in the negotiation of broadcast agreements for radio and television broadcasts.
- FOX: Representation of Fox Broadcasting in connection with media rights issues related to its acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- CineSport: Representation of CineSport, the producer and distributor of daily sports highlights, in the negotiation of agreements with numerous local media affiliates and content licensors.
- Detroit Pistons: Representation of the Detroit Pistons in the negotiation of an exclusive media rights agreement with Fox Sports.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Representation of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the negotiation of its inaugural media rights agreements with various local television and radio networks.
- The Tennis Channel: Representation of the Tennis Channel in the acquisition of rights to two Grand Slam tournaments, Roland-Garros, and the related media rights agreement with the French Tennis Federation as well as the US Open and related transactions involving ESPN.
- New York Jets: Representation of the New York Jets in connection with an infomercial featuring Curtis Martin for the sale of the Bio Force Gym.
- America Online: Representation of America Online in the negotiation of a marketing arrangement among America Online, the National Football League, CBS Broadcasting, and Sportsline.
- America Online: Representation of America Online in the negotiation of the marketing arrangement among America Online, NASCAR, and Turner Sports.
- Spirits of St. Louis: Representation of the former ABA team in the financing of its television rights based upon what is considered as one of the best sports deals in modern times.