Finance & Law
Features
Why sport needs strong governance and forensic due diligence in dealing with investors
Kevin McCullagh speaks to Luca Ferrari, partner and global head of sports at law firm Withersworldwide, about how investors in sport should be regulated and the measures that should be taken when exercising due diligence.
FIU’s Garcia, mid-major level of college sports look to weather storm of Covid-19
Operating without large-scale revenue guarantees and dedicated media networks enjoyed by many of the Power Five conferences, mid-major conferences and their member schools are facing their own particular challenges amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Pete Garcia, athletic director of Conference USA's Florida International University, discusses the current situation with US Editor Eric Fisher.
Reimagining the financial future of lower-league football
Omar Chaudhuri and Ben Marlow from consultancy firm 21st Club examine the trends driving football’s underlying financial crisis and suggest a new approach and competition format designed to reduce costs and promote sustainability.
Football finance | How the EFL can build a bridge to post-Covid sustainability and profitability
Legal practice Charles Russell Speechlys has outlined a plan to help English Football League clubs survive, restructure and rebuild in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Kevin Roberts reports.
Indian fantasy sports industry can surmount recent legal hurdles, say experts
IPL driving growth in Indian fantasy sports sector
Users predicted to hit 100m this year
Sector continues to face legal challenges
PGA Tour-European Tour ‘alliance’ includes ETP minority shareholding
Golf’s European Tour and PGA Tour have announced a “Strategic Alliance” involving working together on international media rights sales and the acquisition of a minority stake in European Tour Productions by th…
Mediapro ‘launches counter legal move’ against Canal Plus in Ligue 1 wrangle
The Mediapro agency and production group has launched counter legal action against Canal Plus, it has emerged, accusing the French pay-television broadcaster of an “abuse of a dominant position” and “ab…
Valencia ‘very advanced’ in shirt sponsor hunt prompted by betting ban
LaLiga outfit Valencia is “very advanced” in the process of finding a new shirt sponsor for the 2021-22 season.
ViacomCBS ‘lining up’ Chilevisión deal takeover
ViacomCBS is close to a deal to acquire free-to-air broadcaster Chilevisión from fellow US media group WarnerMedia, according to local reports.
US sports venues to play critical role in upcoming election
More than six dozen pro and college venues are to be used as voting sites in the forthcoming US election. Eric Fisher examines how athletes, player unions and teams are taking a proactive role in next month's vote.
Sports-related SPACs rise in prominence
Recent months have seen an historic surge in sports-related public stock offerings using special purpose acquisition companies
Monkey Knife Fight looks to advance status as industry disruptor
An upstart daily fantasy company with an unusual name and unconventional approach has quickly risen to prominence by challenging established market leaders DraftKings and FanDuel and striking a large series of team sponsorships.
CBA players may be set for income bump under new image rights rules
Liu Jiadi, partner, and Jeffrey Wilson, counsel, at Chinese law firm JunHe, explain the significance of new player image rights rules in the Chinese Basketball Association League.
Despite Covid uncertainty and 23 Capital’s demise, football’s financiers are here to stay
Covid-19 may have proved too much for 23 Capital, but business is booming for other lenders in the football finance sector.
Darren Heitner | Who owns a social media account?
Darren Heitner, founder of Florida-based Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., and an active attorney practicing sports law and contract law, explores the ramifications of an ongoing legal case surrounding the ownership of a college baseball team's Twitter account.
“Over time we plan to make acquisitions” | Simon Bazalgette on his new advisory firm
Former Jockey Club chairman Simon Bazalgette describes how the Covid-19 pandemic has forced him to adapt plans for a new consultancy business and how there will be an even greater need for right-holders to control operational costs when sport resumes. Ben Cronin reports.
Ospreys has potential to become one of sport’s most renowned franchises
James Davies-Yandle, founder and chief executive of Y11, which recently acquired Welsh Rugby Union club Ospreys, speaks to SportBusiness about the ambitions for the club and the opportunities he sees on the horizon.
Mind the gap: How football clubs can access financing after lockdown
Jerry Korczak, managing director, sports finance, at Macquarie Group, considers the range of finance options available to football clubs to help them navigate the challenges ahead
“There’s a value opportunity” | Why investors are circling Serie A
As Serie A weighs up six proposals from private investors, Ben Marlow, managing director, Asia Pacific, for football consultancy firm 21st Club, explains the sudden interest in the league and tells editorial…
Serie A | Can new investors wake football’s sleeping giant?
Ben Marlow, managing director of 21st Club in Asia Pacific, looks at the rise and fall of Italian Serie A, and considers the ways in which the league can rise once again
Robert Weisbein, Gregory Marino, and Emily Ostreich | Has a trademark Hog muddied the Washington Football Team’s name change plans?
A trio from Foley & Lardner LLP look at the complex trademark issues surrounding the pending name change for the Washington Football Team.
Varnish Employment Appeal ruling may not be the end of the road
Emily Chalkley, senior associate at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, explains why the UK’s Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled against cyclist Jess Varnish’s claim that she was employed and unfairly dismissed by British Cycling and assesses the impact of the decision
Doug Harmer | FFP: Strong leadership is now required by Uefa
In light of the recent developments concerning CAS's decision to overturn Uefa’s two-year Champions League ban on Manchester City, Doug Harmer, partner at Oakwell Sports Advisory, discusses the role of Uefa and navigating the fiscal challenges of a post-lockdown world
“The math just kept getting worse” | Why Toronto Wolfpack pulled plug on Super League season
Toronto chief executive Bob Hunter tells SportBusiness the club is expecting to face serious "consequences" of withdrawing from 2020 campaign at late notice due to coronavirus-enforced financial problems
US college sports face critical juncture as Covid-19 cancellations mount
Months after Covid-19 wiped out the entire spring season in US college sports, still-growing virus case rates now imperil the fall season and escalate economic tension around the country
How Kevin Durant and Philadelphia Union both stand to benefit from NBA player’s minority stake
Philadelphia Union majority owner Jay Sugarman and Durant's business manager Rick Kleiman tell SportBusiness why Brooklyn Nets forward's investment in MLS team will be mutually beneficial and explain how the deal came about.
Sports broadcasting: Cancellation and compensation in the time of Covid-19
The negotiations between sports organisations and their commercial partners around the cancellation, postponement and non-delivery of rights has been one of the biggest storylines during the coronavirus crisis. Jody MacDonald, partner at international law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, takes a closer look at the implications
David Berdugo | Money management issues for athletes during the Covid-19 crisis
David Berdugo, manager for the sports and entertainment department for the MBAF accounting firm, explores the large-scale impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has levied upon professional and amateur athlete income.