Sports, Media,
and Entertainment

We advised Fenway Sports Group, a global sports.... Read more

We advised Fenway Sports Group, a global sports company, and the Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of American sports team owners, on their US$3 billion strategic collaboration with PGA TOUR Enterprises, a new commercial venture under the PGA TOUR’s control.

This first-of-its kind program gives nearly 200 TOUR players access to US$1.5 billion in equity and revolutionizes professional golf’s U.S. business model.

Lawyers in our Denver and New York offices led the transaction, with support from multiple U.S. offices and our antitrust, banking, employee benefits, intellectual property, litigation, privacy and cybersecurity, private equity, real estate, securities, and tax practices.

We advised Michael Arougheti, Co-Founder and CEO of.... Read more

We advised Michael Arougheti, Co-Founder and CEO of Ares Management, and Mitchell Goldstein and Michael Smith, Co-Heads of Ares Management Credit Group, as co-investors in a US$1.725 billion transaction purchasing Major League Baseball franchise the Baltimore Orioles.

The investor group was led by David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group.

Lawyers in our M&A and banking teams in our New York office led the transaction, with support from our Denver and Washington, D.C. offices and our antitrust, intellectual property, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, and tax practices.

We advised the shareholders of Supponor, a live sports.... Read more

We advised the shareholders of Supponor, a live sports media virtual advertising technology company, on its sale to TGI Sport, a sports technology and media rights company.

The sale gives TGI Sport access to Supponor’s proprietary AI-driven technology that delivers virtually enhanced advertising spaces in live sports broadcasts.

Lawyers in our private equity team in our London office led the transaction, with support from our Birmingham office and our banking, employee benefits, intellectual property, international trade, litigation, and tax practices.

We advised Tampa Bay Lightning, a National Hockey.... Read more

We advised Tampa Bay Lightning, a National Hockey League ice hockey team, and Chairman and Governor Jeff Vinik on the sale of a portion of the club to a group of investors led by Doug Ostrover and Marc Lipschultz.

The sale expands Tampa Bay Lightning’s ownership group, whose ultimate goal is to build on the team’s success and championship legacy.

Lawyers in our Denver office led the transaction, with support from our New York and Washington, D.C. offices and our tax practice.

Sector performance

In 2024, high-profile sports and entertainment transactions, along with innovative collaborations, drove significant growth across the sector. Sports franchises and leagues saw record-breaking valuations, with investors increasingly drawn to media rights, streaming opportunities, and global fan engagement.

The gaming industry continued its rapid evolution, with deeper integration across gaming, film, and music reshaping content creation and audience engagement. Meanwhile, rising data privacy concerns and regulatory pressures underscored the need for innovation and adaptability to remain competitive in this dynamic landscape.


Hogan Lovells activities

Our Sports, Media, and Entertainment team stayed at the forefront of industry trends, tackling the most pressing challenges and opportunities shaping the field. From the growing role of investors in sports to the evolving landscape of college athletics, we provided strategic guidance to help our clients succeed.

Through thought leadership on key issues such as antitrust, anticorruption, and Premier League regulations, we demonstrated our ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory challenges. By delivering targeted insights and forward-thinking analysis, we reinforced our position as the go-to resource for industry leaders navigating the rapidly shifting sports, media, and entertainment landscape.

Combine their incredible M&A prowess with the strength of their IP and regulatory practices, and they can’t be beat.”

Legal 500 US, 2024

300+

Sports, Media, and Entertainment lawyers

4x Winner

Sports and Betting
Group of the Year
Law 360

Four Pillars of our M&A Group

Technical excellence

Executing transactions effectively

Sector knowledge

Understanding issues in regulated industries

Global reach

Worldwide scope, local know-how

Full-service capabilities

Subject matter experience

M&A Year in Review

Expander

Dear Clients and Friends,

Welcome to the 2024 edition of our Hogan Lovells M&A Year in Review!

Each year, we publish the M&A Year in Review to express our gratitude to you — our clients and friends — for the opportunity to work together and for the successes we have shared. We hope you enjoy our review of dealmaking in 2024 and our outlook for M&A in 2025.

During 2024, M&A transaction values increased across the world, recovering from their decade-low levels in 2023, to reach an aggregate deal value of approximately US$3.5 trillion. These increases were attributable largely to a 25% rise in sponsor-related dealmaking and a return of megadeals. 

M&A transaction volumes improved during the third and fourth quarters of the year, following a lackluster first half of the year. This resulted in an annual global increase of 1.5%, even amidst a 3% decline in the United States.

Across sectors, technology M&A reasserted itself as the market leader by value and volume in 2024, rebounding from 2023 lows as investor demand for AI, digital innovation, and machine learning increased.

Our M&A Group is grateful to have worked with you over the course of the past year. Your transactions propelled Hogan Lovells to more than 30 M&A league table rankings worldwide, including top rankings for Global M&A and across Europe, France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and China.

We enter 2025 with measured optimism for substantial M&A activity, based upon strong corporate fundamentals for strategics, significant capital held by sponsors, and reduced regulatory intervention, and in anticipation of compromises to be reached across the economic and diplomatic policies of new administrations. Our perspectives are set forth within our 2025 M&A Outlook here.

We appreciate the trust that you continue to place in us, and we look forward to supporting you on your M&A transactions in the year ahead.

Best wishes for continuing success in 2025,

The Hogan Lovells M&A Group