Media and Sports

The media industry today is characterised by rapid change, requiring adaptation to new formats, distribution strategies, and business models. This dynamic environment affects all players involved in developing, producing, selling, distributing, and investing in content. The sports industry, closely linked to the media, must also adapt to remain attractive to audiences, sponsors, and partners. These changes present legal challenges, which Wiersholm has decades of experience in addressing.

‘The team delivers services of very high quality. They are proactive, solution-oriented, efficient, available and very conscious of quality.’
Legal 500

Digital advancements in the media industry create new opportunities and needs, such as new distribution channels and data utilisation, necessitating up-to-date expertise. We assist media clients with data utilisation, advertising technology, rights protection, and contract drafting.

Content production, distribution, and editorial activities raise questions about freedom of expression and information. The freedom of the press requires our lawyers to stay up-to-date on legal developments locally and in the European Court of Human Rights. The code of ethics of the Norwegian press and decisions by the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission (PFU) are central to defining press conduct. Wiersholm’s team specialises in proactively assisting media and press clients with advice and dispute management related to editorial content publication, new journalistic methods, and artificial intelligence use.

In the sports sector, we assist sponsors, sports profiles, clubs, and organisations both nationally and internationally. The sports industry is expanding, with traditional sports and e-sports engaging wide audiences both live and digitally. This industry requires significant investments and generates substantial revenues, making the legal aspects increasingly complex. We assist in the preparation of media rights agreements, sponsorship agreements, and provide advice on applicable regulations, both statutory and sport-specific.

Our team closely follows industry developments with genuine interest and commitment, bringing experience from within the industry, including participation at the special association level. This provides us with a unique understanding of practical industry aspects, combined with leading legal expertise in media law, sports law, intellectual property law, marketing law, technology, and data protection.

Our lawyers are among Norway’s leading experts, actively influencing regulatory development and understanding through consultation statements, input to committees, and participation in industry-leading associations, enabling us to create effective solutions.

Our Services

Assistance relating to Norwegian and European regulations in the media and sports sectors, as well as related areas of law such as intellectual property, marketing, and technology

Preparation and negotiation of contracts, including cooperation agreements, license agreements, production agreements, sponsorship agreements, and distribution agreements.

Assistance relating to rights and media agreements and the distribution of sports broadcasts via cable, satellite, fiber, or the internet

Dialogue, strategy, and dispute management in relation to courts, the Norwegian council dealing with unfair marketing practices, the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission, and sports arbitration tribunals, in collaboration with our dispute resolution team

Assistance relating to editorial activities, including rules on freedom of expression, editorial responsibility, media ownership, and the code of ethics of the Norwegian press

Assistance relating to public and private funding schemes, including press subsidies

Strategic advisory services for the entire broadcasting and audiovisual services value chain, including negotiations between media houses, TV channels, and distributors

Assistance relating to sports events and other events

Assistance relating to utilisation of artificial intelligence and conclusion of agreements with AI solution providers that comply with Norwegian legislation and the EU AI Act

Assistance relating to the legal use of advertising technology, including data sharing and electronic communication, in collaboration with our data protection team

Assistance relating to the utilisation of rights to content, products, and services