Covington’s transactional experience in the communications and media sectors encompasses the full breadth of these industries and is global in scope. The firm’s work ranges from mergers and acquisitions involving traditional media companies to innovative transactions by new and emerging media companies, such as content licensing via wireless devices, distribution joint ventures among digital content providers and broadband portals, and spectrum clearing agreements. We work with entrepreneurs and startups, established and multinational media and communications companies, and private equity funds, banks and other investors evaluating and developing commercial opportunities in these areas.
The firm’s corporate and transactional capabilities draw on our interdisciplinary approach, the scope of our client relationships, and our lawyers’ broad deal experience in the US and in Europe and Asia. Our lawyers combine a sophisticated, creative approach to complex transactions with a deep understanding of current and emerging industry, regulatory and business issues unique to the communications and media sectors. Ranked in both the 2010 editions of Chambers USA and Legal 500 USA for communications and media transactions, clients have described our attorneys as the “first choice for the most complex deals” and our service as “absolutely top-notch.” Covington’s integrated, interdisciplinary approach makes us the right choice to help in developing and effectuating creative business concepts in communications and media.
Representative Matters
- National Football League in its 4 year extension of the NFL Sunday Ticket offering with DirecTV and the related negotiation of a carriage agreement for NFL Network.
- Pearl Mobile DTV in establishing a nine-company venture to provide Mobile Digital Television services in the United States. Covington attorneys led the negotiations leading to the creation of the Pearl Mobile DTV venture, the negotiation of content license agreements, and public policy efforts before Congress and at the White House and the FCC.
- Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in the creation of its joint venture with CBS Sports and the venture’s 14-year television and new media rights agreement with the NCAA to present the Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
- The Washington Post Company in connection with its sale of Newsweek.
- China Filmed Entertainment in production, financing and distribution arrangements for films including The Painted Veil, Forbidden Kingdom, and Crazy Stone; and Season 15 of CBS/Mark Burnett’s Survivor (shot entirely in China).
- GHL Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Greenhill & Co., Inc., in its acquisition of Iridium Holdings LLC, the leading mobile satellite services provider.
- LIN TV Corp. in its acquisition of Red McCombs Media, an online advertising company and one of Inc. magazine’s fastest-growing private companies.
- Belo Corp. in the formation of a joint venture with Right This Minute LLC to produce and distribute alternative news programming to local television stations.
- CBSInteractive in various service agreements for digital media, wireless and advertising services.
Accolades
- Chambers USA: leading Telecom, Broadcast, & Satellite practice (2004-2013).
- Chambers USA: leading Media and Entertainment practice (2007-2013).
- Chambers USA: Telecom, Broadcast, & Satellite and Media & Entertainment (2012-2013).
- seven attorneys recognized
- Chambers USA: First Amendment Litigation (2011-2013)
- Chambers Europe: Leading TMT Information Technology and TMT Telecommunications (Belgium) practice (2013)
- Chambers Asia: leading China Technology, Media & Telecom sector (2010-2013).
- Legal 500 US: Media, Technology & Telecoms (2012-2013)
- Technology - Data Protection & Privacy
- Marketing & Advertising
- Technology - Outsourcing
- Technology - Transactions
- Telecoms & Broadcast - Regulatory & Transactional
- Nineteen attorneys recognized in above categories
- Legal 500 UK (2011-2012)
- Media and Entertainment
- IT & Telecoms
- Legal 500 EMEA: EU Regulatory, Information Technology (2011-2012)
- Legal 500 Asia Pacific: Beijing - Technology, Media & Telecoms - Foreign Firms (2009-2012)
- Best Lawyers in America: Communications Law (2013)
- Four attorneys recognized
- Best Lawyers in America: Administrative/Regulatory Law (2012-2013)
- Best Lawyers in America: Technology (2012-2013)
- Practical Law Company: Telecoms & Media - EU, US, and China (2012)
- Variety named Jason Goldberg, a member of our Asia media practice, as one of “50 Game-Changing Attorneys” in the world for his representation of major U.S. studios in landmark film production and financing deals in China (2012).
- U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers, Communications Law and Technology Law: National and Washington, DC, first tier ranking (2011)
- Intellectual Property Magazine Awards (2010)
- Sports, Media and Entertainment Team of the Year
- Managing Intellectual Property Global Awards (2010)
- Shortlisted in the pan-European category "New Media/Internet"
- The International Who's Who of Regulatory Communications Lawyers (2012)
- Four attorneys recognized
- The International Who's Who of Internet & e-Commerce Lawyers for Internet & e-Commerce (2011-2012)
- The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers for Regulatory Communications (2012)
- Three attorneys recognized
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