Dentons’ professionals have extensive experience providing legal services to clients operating in the sports, media and entertainment sectors industry, including advising on regulatory issues, M&A transactions, copyright management, contract negotiations and assisting in the context of administrative proceedings before regulators. The team takes a business-oriented approach aimed at helping businesses to thrive at all levels in the complex environment that is the media and entertainment sector.

Key service areas

The catalogue of legal services Dentons offers covers the full range of media-related issues and matters, including:

• Launch of media services/channels on different platforms (including DTT, SAT, linear and on-demand web)
• DTT and SAT bandwidth capacity and playout services
• Interactive services on TV platforms
• Production of TV programs and motion pictures
• M&A transactions, including joint ventures (including, for instance regarding ex-analogue, DTT and SAT broadcasters)
• Acquisition of IPRs on formats and TV programs
• Legal issues concerning online and offline audiences, digital applications
• Advice concerning minors’ protection, EU works, advertising thresholds and content clearance
• Data governance
• Negotiating for licensing and transfer of copyright, also between broadcasters and Italian collecting societies
• Contracts on advertising/commercial communications (sponsorship, product placement, branded content, branded entertainment)
• Video-games (also web-based)
• Events production, including sports
• Judicial assistance before Italian Communications Authority, Administrative Tribunals and Ministry for Economic Development (Department of Communications)

Our approach

The team assists clients on any contractual and regulatory issues relating to sports, media and entertainment, including those related to TV channels, online content distribution and movies aimed at theatrical distribution, cooperating with the Corporate and M&A and the Public Policy and Regulation teams as well as with Dentons’ offices around the world. The business-oriented approach of the team helps clients to effectively achieve their business targets.