Crime, fraud and licensing
CMS maintains a strong reputation in the sports sector, with standout expertise in high-value, complex media rights deals for rightsholders including the ICC, FIFA, and the ECB, boasting one of the most robust practices of its kind. Demonstrative of this strength, John Cloke and Oliver Kichenside advise the Premier League on the development and implementation of its full domestic and international broadcasting strategy, including the structuring, tendering, and negotiation of all global media rights agreements. The team also continues to expand its regulatory work, whilst its commercial workload spans sponsorships, naming rights, and data partnerships. David Zeffman has extensive experience providing strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to clients in the sport, gambling and television sectors, whilst IP expert Tom Scourfield works with organisations on issues including brand management and content protection. John Enser is also a key member of the practice.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Mentions
Profile
Position
Partner
Head of Gambling
Career
David has been one of the leading lawyers in the UK media sector for over 30 years and has extensive experience providing strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to clients in the gambling, sport and television sectors. He has been involved in many of the major transactions that have taken place in these sectors, including the launch of several television channels and the sale of media rights to some of the world's biggest sporting competitions.
Memberships
- Member - International Masters of Gaming Law.
Education
- 1980 - MA Jurisprudence, Brasenose College, Oxford
Content supplied by CMS
Key clients
- British Olympic Association
- Endeavor/ IMG
- Esports World Cup Foundation
- Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA)
- Football DataCo Limited (Football DataCo)
- Formula E
- England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
- International Cricket Council (ICC)
- International Ski and Snowboarding Federation (FIS)
- Matchroom Sport
- The Football Association Premier League Limited (Premier League)
- Scottish Football Association (Scottish FA)
Work highlights
Advised the Premier League on all aspects of its domestic and international media rights strategy and execution, including various international rights deals for the 2025/26 – 2028/29 rights cycle, which collectively represent the largest ever sports media rights deals in the UK and the largest international sports media rights deals for a domestic sporting competition.
Advised Esports World Cup Foundation on all aspects of the inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024, with the CMS team being recognised at the 2024 British Legal Awards as “TMT Team of the Year” for such work.
Advised Football DataCo in relation to its long-term official data partnerships with Genius Sports / Bet Genius in respect of the betting market and Stats Perform / Opta in respect of the media market.