Sports and Entertainment

Corporate players in the sports and entertainment arenas – like athletes and performers – operate in a fiercely competitive environment where success can rapidly morph into failure.

With the exception of streaming services and other businesses able to pivot to online sales, most were severely weakened by the pandemic. As money flows back, agility is still at a premium as companies seek to diversify their revenue streams and exploit new technologies and niches from non-fungible tokens to virtual reality.

Risks arise not only from high dependency on available talent, or failing to secure the best performers and most lucrative sponsorships. New ventures, partnerships and licensing deals can under-perform and turn sour. The threat to intellectual property (IP) and data from cybercriminals is also rising, as evidenced by some high-profile cases of ransom and reputational damage.

As the focus on ESG (environment, social and governance) intensifies, issues of gender, race, mental health, welfare, and ethics arise for a wide range of stakeholders, including athletes and artists, fans and followers, sponsors and advertisers. As well as recognising the climate risk from extreme weather events, the sector has a wider responsibility to keep pace with the economy-wide transition toward sustainability in the use of energy, other resources, and transport.

Meanwhile – amid higher capital costs, inflation, and supply chain disruption – the management of investment programmes to upgrade venues, maintain the standard of facilities and safety, or increase capacity becomes more critical.

Our Sports and Entertainment expert, consulting and advisory services

HKA’s multidisciplinary sports and entertainment experts, consultants and advisors have profound and pertinent experience helping clients manage risks and resolve disputes – from investigating corruption in international football to cost and delay claims in stadia construction, and valuing damages due to copyright infringement or breaches of licensing agreements.

Our people are problem-solvers – forensic accountants and investigators, commercial damage assessors and other specialists – with an enviable track record of working on some of the most complex cases. We have carried out investigations and testified before courts, arbitration tribunals and regulatory boards, and various international forums.

Commercial Damages & Valuation

At every stage of the dispute resolution cycle, we can support you – with early strategic advice, robust calculations of loss, in settlement negotiations or, depending on our role, expert witness testimony. Our sports and entertainment experts, consultants and advisors assess the value of economic damages, businesses, shares, royalty payments and assets, including IP. We also help the insured and insurers establish the financial impact of events.

Forensic Accounting & Investigations

HKA support is often incisive in cases of corporate fraud, regulatory investigations, white-collar crime, and bankruptcy. We have the capacity to mobilise international teams and operate across jurisdictions, detecting accounting anomalies, tracing funds and assets, liaising with regulators, and helping you navigate even the most complex cases.

Forensic Technical Services

Counsel and their clients can draw on a HKA spectrum of specialists for expert technical reports and witness services. They are authorities in fields as diverse as fire engineering or IT and data technology, building structures or environmental consultancy including climate performance, regulatory compliance, and ecology.

Given the breadth of our expertise, we are also able to mobilise teams to deliver multiple services in a way that is seamless and more cost-effective for our clients. Depending on the nature of the assignment, this may involve colleagues specialising in Disruption & Delay Analysis, Engineering and Construction Quantum, Claims Management or Advisory services on asset strategy and capital project controls.

Our Sports and Entertainment experts

The breadth and depth of HKA expertise is unmatched – and trusted by lawyers and clients worldwide.

Whatever your dispute, commercial or regulatory challenge, we can provide an expert or team with relevant experience and authority for most briefs.