Couchman Harrington Associates, the leading niche sports business law firm, has successfully advised Indian media giant Zee Telefilms Limited on the acquisition by its Zee Sports subsidiary of all media and marketing rights owned by the All India Football Federation for a period of 10 years. Zee is one of the largest vertically integrated media and entertainment groups in India and is the world’s largest producer and aggregator of Hindi programming, owning 20 channels worldwide. The deal gives Zee a long-term mandate to raise the profile of Indian football globally and includes the commercial rights to all major competitions as well as the Indian National Team.

Couchman Harrington Associates Partner Mark Whitehead said, “This was an exciting and groundbreaking deal for us to be involved with and has built on our growing reputation in the Indian market. Football is the fastest growing sport on the Indian sub-continent and Zee is well placed to exploit that potential via its enormous reach and presence both in the region and globally”.

ZTL Executive Vice President Himanshu Mody said, “For deals of this size and complexity we need lawyers who understand our business aims as well as the nuances of the international sports rights market. Couchman Harrington have worked with us on various projects over the last couple of years and have proved time and again to be valued advisors in the growth and expansion of the Zee Sports business “.

For further details please contact Mark Whitehead, Partner, Couchman Harrington Associates
 
mark.whitehead@chass.co.uk;  telephone +44 (0)20 7611 9660