Navigating sports investments: a deep dive into NFL vs. Premier League opportunities
This article examines how to legally navigate investment opportunities in the global sports market. It explains how to assess the high-level legal and regulatory landscape for investment, before identifying key legal clauses to negotiate during a deal.
The analysis is focused through the comparative lens of investment opportunities in the National Football League (NFL) vs the English Premier League. This comparison poses interesting questions, not only due to the leagues’ respective places as world leading sports products, but also due to foundational differences in structure, governance, and cultural approaches to sports (with the amateur/community-based model in the UK contrasting to the US franchise, closed league model and the willingness of owners and sporting bodies - albeit not without push back - to move teams and brands to where they feel the demand will be). These core distinctions influence financial strategies, competitive balance, fan engagement, and player development, all of which shape investor strategies and impact decisions.
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- Tags: American Football | Bundesliga | English Premier League | Football | Germany | Governance | NFL | Regulation | United Kingdom (UK) | USA
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Written by
Dylan Doran Kennett
Dylan is a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills where he co-leads its Venture and Growth Capital practice, and co-heads its Sports group. Dylan has a wealth of experience in venture and growth equity transactions, as well as private equity, domestic and cross-border M&A. He has taken a number of high-growth companies ‘global’ advising on ‘land and expand’ strategy – through new jurisdictions, business lines or acquisitive entries into new markets.
Tom Watkins
Tom is a Senior Associate in the London Corporate team at Herbert Smith Freehills specialising in venture capital and mergers and acquisitions with a particular focus on the Sport, Media and Life Sciences sectors. Tom has particular experience advising clients in early stage investment rounds, acting both for investors and companies raising capital, with a particular focus on the life sciences, sport and media and entertainment sectors.
Lucca Rolim
Lucca is a Trainee Solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills.
