Media and Sports Law

Media and entertainment can take on many different forms. Whether it is sitting in an arena watching a live event, streaming content to your device, or attending a large festival or convention, a media and sports law attorney can help your strategic business operations and solve issues.

Media and sports law attorneys can help resolve and dispute issues that may arise in any of the aforementioned areas. No problem is too small or too big for a media and sports law attorney at Ward & Berry PLLC to handle.

Why Hire Ward & Berry

The media and sports law attorneys at Ward & Berry have extensive experience representing clients in the Media, Sports, and Entertainment industries. We can help with a variety of aspects across these industries.

Our work has ranged from helping clients avoid liability by conducting pre-publication reviews, counseling clients on best practices for dealing with defamation accusations, and protecting and enforcing our clients’ free speech, contract, and intellectual property rights.

Why Do You Need a Media and Sports Law Attorney?

Media and sports law attorneys have a diversified background and practice. Attorneys focusing on media and entertainment help and advise a variety of clients including media companies, production and distribution houses, studios, digital and new media companies, celebrities, licensors/rights holders, individual talent, investors, financial institutions, and venues. Attorneys within this area can help clients navigate the areas of the law including:

  • Mergers and acquisitions, investments, dissolutions, formations, and dispositions
  • Joint ventures relating to talent, international entertainment, and media companies
  • Content licensing, development, production, and distribution deals
  • Complex media and technology agreements
  • Disputes, claims, investigations, and infringement issues
  • Sports and Media transactions, including NIL endorsements
  • Trademark and intellectual property licensing agreements
  • Regulatory compliance

We advise content producers and other media members. We offer representation in negotiations, transactions, and disputes. Attorneys within this area can help clients navigate the areas of the law including:

  • Negotiating media rights, corporate sponsorships, and naming rights;
  • Global financing across jurisdictions;
  • Mergers and acquisitions and joint venture transactions;
  • Major League Sports matters;
  • Professional video game matters;
  • Gaming regulations, including online gaming regulations and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA);
  • Advising online gaming and daily fantasy sports (DFS) providers on compliance with state and federal law and marketing efforts;
  • Structuring sports-based television channels, platforms, and international operations;
  • Negotiating and enforcing licensing agreements; and
  • Designing and developing litigation strategies to mitigate risk and other regulatory challenges.

Media and Sports Law Issues

As the media and sports industries grow, we are starting to see several emerging issues at the intersection of law and media and sports platforms. Some of the hottest issues that are being dealt with today include:

  • Athletes’ use of social media – the regulations that govern the commercial use of social media are a growing concern across marketing firms. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has focused its attention on the issues of athletes’ using social media to promote endorsement deals.
  • Athletes trademarking names and slogans – the new trend is for athletes to register their names, slogans, or catch phrases associated with them to gain trademark protection.
  • Use of current and former athletes’ likenesses in video games – this is an especially hot topic for college athletes. In EA sports video games, the makers have used college athletes to portray their video game athletes and they did not seek permission. Student athletes have alleged violation of their right of publicity.
  • The wide array of state laws on online sports betting and daily fantasy sports platforms requires close attention to detail for prospective new providers. Entering the current industry as a new provider can face barriers to entry, but regulatory compliance is a top issue for new providers aiming to break in to the market.

These are only a few of the hot button issues the media and sports law industry is seeing today. There are many more issues that are being dealt with daily. There is a growing concern within these industries for athletes and media rights and protections. It is an ever-expanding field.

Contact Us Today

If you need help with either a sports, media, or entertainment law issue, it is critical that you speak with an experienced attorney at Ward & Berry as soon as possible. We are here to help you. Call us today (202) 331-8160 or click here for our contact page.