Sports, Entertainment, and Media
With the rapid advancement of technology and ever-expanding demand for content, the sports industry in particular, along with the entertainment and media sectors, are more exciting and poised for economic growth than ever before. Stradling’s Sports, Entertainment, and Media team practices at the epicenter of the latest waves of mergers, acquisitions, and other vital commercial transactions and strategic partnerships reshaping this now undeniably global industry.
Our team ably guides clients through the legalities and changing landscape of adapting business practices and transactions to evolving consumer preferences, new strategic alliances, and far more innovative business models that must happen in real time to remain competitive. We are particularly skilled in guiding high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors through their sports, media, and entertainment-related investments and portfolio development objectives. We also advise on the consolidation of content distribution platforms and the expansion of streaming services and on-demand content to serve a far wider range of consumers – particularly in today’s global sports market.
At the heart of our industry acumen and legal expertise is negotiating, documenting, and closing M&A transactions that bring together popular franchises and ground-breaking intellectual properties that enable companies to streamline their operations, maximize profitability, and maintain and expand market share around the world. We are well-versed in how the sports, entertainment, and media industry is integrating technology into content creation and utilizing virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the way the industry operates.
On a global scale, we close transactions for major entities that range from production, financing, and distribution contracts to joint venture arrangements for new channels, networks, and programming services to venture capital investments in the global entertainment and media industry. We prove, time and again, our unique skill in assisting myriad industry constituents with merging and/or acquiring tech startups and integrating that expertise into their existing short- and long-term business objectives. We also work with industry thought innovators to form partnerships and execute other tactical transactions and arrangements that pave the way for easier access to new markets.
Our breadth of practice and depth of talent extends far beyond just the sports, entertainment, and media industries and business law. Our immediate attention to client needs, singular commitment to realizing every client’s distinct end game, unwavering dedication to problem-solving, and unfettered access to an extensive network of industry constituents we established over many years of practice and continue to cultivate allow us to connect the dots much more efficiently when helping clients establish the right legal foundation to realize their most ambitious goals.
Among Stradling’s sports, entertainment, and media clients are domestic and international:
- Sports franchises and clubs
- Emerging sports teams, clubs, and leagues
- Sports technology companies
- Private equity funds and firms
- High net-worth individuals and team owners
- Major television and motion picture studios
- Independent production companies
- Industry innovators in technology
- Trend-setting entrepreneurs and influencers
- Fast-growth start-ups seeking to evolve industry standards
- All variety of content owners and developers
- Venture capitalists and angel investors
