The commercial value of sports broadcasting rights has increased significantly over the last couple of years. Matthias Laier undertakes a comparative study of the relevant issues of intellectual property, competition and antitrust law.

Sport means fun, entertainment, competition - and it also means business. The commercial value of sports broadcasting rights has increased significantly over the last couple of years. Sports coverage is no longer limited to the traditional media such as television and radio, but now also includes the new media. As a result of this development, the debate in Germany and the European Union as to whether sports coverage on the radio and in the new media should remain free and the extent to which it may be commercially exploited is becoming more intense. The example of the US sports market provides valuable guidance in this respect and shows the route that might be followed in Europe in the long run. Against this backdrop, the author undertakes a comparative study of the relevant issues of intellectual property, competition and antitrust law. The first part of his work provides the legal foundation for property rights in sports events; the second part focuses on the central marketing of sports broadcasting rights and analyzes recent decisions by the European Commission regarding the UEFA Champions League, the German Bundesliga and the English Premier League.

Autorentext
Geboren 1977; Studium der Rechtswissenschaften an der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München und University of Pennsylvania, USA; 2006 Promotion; ab August 2007 Rechtsanwalt.