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From the touchline: International rugby's shift towards investable rights

International rugby has always had premium inventory. The Six Nations remains one of the genuinely mass-market, crown-jewel events on the UK sporting calendar. International tests continue to travel well across markets. However, across the wider international and club game, the sport has historically faced difficulty turning that strength into a stable professional economic model. Although Premiership Rugby (the English club league) continues to struggle with profitability, with every club posting a loss in the 2023/2024 season, international rugby has started to address the gap – with the sport moving towards clearer, more centralised rights packages and a more structured international calendar. For investors and long-term commercial partners, that combination matters. It makes the sport easier to support and to plan around over multiple cycles. Increased broadcast visibility and brand partnerships are also reflecting growing engagement with the sport. This briefing focuses on three developments that, taken together, show what has changed for international rugby and why it matters for investors: continued minority investment into leading competitions, the launch of the Nations Championship from 2026 and the emergence of women's rugby as a distinct commercial market.

Reflections on European football: opportunities and challenges

Clifford Chance partnered with the Financial Times for the FT Live Business of Football Summit. Below are the main takeaways from Luis Alonso, our Entertainment & Sports Global Co Head, which were debated at an event that brought together leading figures in the European football industry.

Investor Briefing: The New Independent Regulator for English men's Football

Whilst only formally established in July of last year, the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been a prominent and evolving presence in the men's English football landscape since the UK Government first committed to its creation in the 2023 White Paper, following the 2021 Fan-Led Review.

Financial services regulator warns of risks of partnerships between football clubs and unregulated digital asset companies

The Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") has issued a letter to Premier League ("PL") clubs, warning of the significant legal, operational, and reputational risks associated with sponsorship arrangements involving unauthorised cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms

Bath Racecourse: Supreme Court decision Furlough payments and benefits received from third parties

The Supreme Court has confirmed in Bath Racecourse Company Limited v Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE [2026] UKSC 14 that furlough payments are to be deducted from insurance recoveries for Covid-19 business interruption losses. In doing so, the Supreme Court addressed a point of wider relevance: the circumstances in which a benefit received from a third party should be taken into account when quantifying an insurance claim.

Kicking off Reform: Landmark English Football Governance Bill progressing through Parliament

The Football Governance Bill had its second reading in Parliament this week, as the UK Government continues its momentum to establish a new Independent Football Regulator ("IFR") and implement new rules on the governance and decision-making of English football clubs and their ownership. We recap the key changes that are expected and the role and powers that the IFR will have to ensure that football clubs and competition organisers comply with the new rules of the game.

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Sport & gaming

"You can't win anything with kids" - Minor's data in sport – returns and regulations

Over the last two decades, there has been an industry wide acceleration, in sports, towards collecting and processing athlete personal data. At the same time, global sporting events, like the Olympics, highlight the fact that young persons are competing at the highest levels, on a global stage - with an athlete as young as 12 years' old medalling at Tokyo 2020. Furthermore, stakeholders have found increasing financial incentives for active engagement with younger fans and athletes to create loyalty and interest at the earliest stages. This article looks at the use cases and hurdles of using minor's data in sport.

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Fair Tackle or Foul: The competition law implications of the proposed spending cap in the English Premier League

The spending cap agreed in principle by English Premier League football clubs in April 2024 raises interesting competition law questions, at a time when competition law agencies globally have increased their focus on labour market agreements which supress employee salaries and limit employee mobility, including in the sports sector.

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The Metaverse: What are the legal implications?
Media & entertainment

The Metaverse: What are the legal implications?

We explore some of the legal issues including data security and privacy, IP, copyright, and antitrust.

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The ultimate loot drop: the Netherlands is planning to ban loot boxes in video games
Sport & gaming

The ultimate loot drop: the Netherlands is planning to ban loot boxes in video games

On 30 June 2022, representatives of six political parties submitted a motion in the lower house of the Dutch parliament demanding a stricter regulation of loot boxes in video games and a possible outright ban. This comes as a response to the recent ruling of the Dutch Council of State rendered on 9 March 2022, putting an end to the four-year 'FIFA Packs' debate by declaring that the loot boxes in FIFA-22 may not be categorized as a game of chance

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Level Up: A legal guide to the video games industry

Level Up: A legal guide to the video games industry

Our all-in-one legal guide for those that currently operate in or are considering entering the video games industry with the purpose of providing an overview of the life cycle of a video game.

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Analysis

From the beautiful game to the regulated game: Proposed reform to English club football

The global sports industry is larger than the global film and music industries combined. Recent controversies in the English game sparked a fan-led review of football governance in November 2021. The outcome of this review led to the Government White Paper which proposed the unprecedented establishment of an independent regulator. Plans for the Regulator were further outlined in the King's Speech in November 2023 where the 'Football Governance Bill' was announced. This article evaluates the key regulatory changes proposed by the Bill and the wider impacts of these reforms on the sport.

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hands-with-controller

Geo-blocking practices for video gaming clearly regarded as restricting competition in the EU

In January 2021, the European Commission fined Valve and five video game publishers EUR 7.8 million for geo-blocking practices. The General Court  has now upheld the EC's characterisation of geo-blocking practices  as being a "by object" restriction of competition violating Article 101(1) TFEU. This article looks at the case and how the court balanced the interplay between IP and competition law.

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united26

The Promise of a Positive Legacy: The FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Candidates’ Human Rights Plans

The report examines the human rights themes that FIFA outlined, takes a closer look at each city plan, and collects highlights from the plans for accessibility to stakeholders. The report draws attention to the legacy opportunities that the cities envision pursuing as 2026 World Cup hosts. We also pose some important questions for host cities and broader stakeholders to consider. 

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AI and the Future of Healthcare: Breakthroughs, Rules and Risks | 9 June 2026

Clifford Chance, in collaboration with 1 Crown Office Row, is pleased to invite you to an evening discussion and reception on the next phase of AI in healthcare. AI-enabled healthcare is rapidly moving from experimentation into real-world deployment. As adoption accelerates, so too do the commercial, regulatory and accountability questions that will shape how quickly these technologies scale. This event will bring together senior voices across technology, healthcare, investment and policy for a conversation on what comes next and what it means in practice.

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