Sports Law Newsletter – January 2025

Recent developments commented upon by Bignon Lebray Sports Law Department.

Articles
Towards a merger of English rugby league: issues and prospects
Given the reduction in the number of clubs and ongoing financial difficulties, the English Premiership is considering a strategic merger with the United Rugby Championship (URC) to create enhanced economic opportunities for British and Irish clubs.
Olympique Lyonnais provisionally relegated by the DNCG – sanction upheld by the FFF Appeals Committee
Facing financial difficulties, Olympique Lyonnais has been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2024/2025 season by the DNCG, which has called for improved salary management.
Will team budgets in cycling soon be capped?
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has approved a budget cap for WorldTour teams starting in 2026 to reduce financial disparities and promote sporting fairness.
Media: LFP / Mediapro / Canal +/ beIN Sports: the Court of Cassation refers the case to the Paris Court of Appeal
The Court of Cassation has overturned the Paris Court of Appeal’s decision of 3 February 2023, reviving Canal+ and beIN Sports’ accusations against the LFP for anti-competitive practices in the award of Ligue 1 TV rights to Amazon.
Sportsmen’s image rights: VAT applies to royalties paid for use of rights
The French “Conseil d’État” has dismissed the appeal lodged by the Union des clubs professionnels, which sought to bring an action before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJUE) concerning the VAT liability of royalties relating to the use of the voice, name or image of sportsmen and women.
Publication

Neil Robertson, a partner in the Sports Law department, wrote the article ‘NFL and private equity: Bring your money but not your methods’, published in the prestigious US magazine Sports Business Journal.
In this article, Neil Robertson discusses the following topics:
– The NFL’s recent decision to allow private equity to acquire stakes in the league’s teams.
– The various restrictions and conditions imposed by the NFL on investments by private equity funds.
– Profit-sharing proposals between NFL franchises and investors.
– The current state of negotiations between investment funds and NFL franchises.
– The outlook for this investment framework in the near future.
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