IMAGE RIGHTS & MEDIA

OVERVIEW

The Saber Firm represents professional athletes, college athletes, entertainers, and media professionals in protecting and monetizing their name, image, and likeness rights. Our image rights and media practice serves clients at every stage of their careers, from emerging college athletes navigating NIL opportunities to established professionals building media empires and post-career business ventures. We provide FIFA-licensed intermediary services for soccer players, representing them in international transfers and contract negotiations under FIFA governance. For athletes in other professional sports including the NFL and NBA, we provide comprehensive legal counsel on contracts, endorsements, and commercial arrangements. Our representation extends beyond traditional athlete contracts to encompass the full spectrum of commercial opportunities available to individuals with significant public profiles, including brand development, endorsement strategies, content creation, and intellectual property protection. This integrated approach ensures that our clients not only capitalize on current earning opportunities but also build sustainable brands that generate value throughout and beyond their competitive careers. Beyond an understanding of image rights law and commercial arrangements, our firm is familiar with the business models and market dynamics in professional sports, entertainment, and digital media, and we seek to position our clients for maximum value creation while protecting their personal brands and public images.

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE REPRESENTATION

We represent professional athletes across major sports leagues in contract negotiations, endorsement agreements, and commercial ventures. Our athlete representation practice recognizes that the modern professional athlete operates as both performer and brand, requiring sophisticated counsel that addresses competitive arrangements, commercial opportunities, and long-term wealth building.

Our professional athlete representation includes:

Playing contract negotiations addressing guaranteed compensation, performance bonuses, and contract structures.
Endorsement agreement negotiations with athletic apparel brands, lifestyle companies, and consumer products.
Image rights company formation and intellectual property protection.
Post-career business venture planning and implementation.
Personal brand development and commercial strategy.

We work closely with athletes to develop comprehensive strategies that maximize earnings during compressed career windows while establishing foundations for sustained success beyond competition. Our representation encompasses playing contracts, performance bonuses, appearance fees, media rights, and the complex interplay between athletic performance and commercial value.

FIFA-LICENSED INTERMEDIARY SERVICES

The Saber Firm provides FIFA-licensed intermediary services, representing soccer players in international transfers, contract negotiations, and regulatory matters under FIFA governance. This specialized licensing distinguishes our practice and reflects our commitment to the highest standards of professionalism in international football representation.

We advise players on contracts with clubs in major leagues worldwide, including MLS, European leagues, and emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and South America. Our FIFA-licensed intermediary practice addresses the unique complexities of international football including transfer windows, solidarity payments, training compensation, and the regulatory frameworks established by FIFA and regional confederations. Beyond player representation, we advise on image rights arrangements common in international football, where players often retain separate commercial rights while under club contract.

NAME, IMAGE, & LIKENESS (NIL) FOR COLLEGE ATHLETES

We counsel college athletes on NIL opportunities created by recent NCAA policy changes and state legislation. Our NIL practice serves student-athletes across divisions and sports, from high-profile football and basketball players to Olympic sport athletes building national platforms.

Our NIL services include:

Endorsement agreement negotiations with brands and sponsors.
Social media monetization strategies and content creator agreements.
Personal appearance arrangements and speaking engagements.
Entity formation for athletes operating as independent contractors.
Compliance with NCAA guidelines, state laws, and institutional policies.
Tax planning for NIL income.

We work with collectives, brands, and individual sponsors to structure arrangements that comply with evolving NCAA guidelines while maximizing economic opportunities for student-athletes. Our practice recognizes that college athletes face unique challenges in monetizing their platforms while preserving amateur status and scholarship eligibility.

ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA PROFESSIONALS

We represent entertainers, content creators, influencers, and media personalities in protecting and monetizing their image rights. Our entertainment practice serves clients building audiences across traditional and digital platforms, from broadcast television and film to streaming services and social media.

We counsel on talent agreements, content licensing, brand partnerships, and intellectual property rights. Our clients include on-camera talent, podcast hosts, social media influencers, and digital content creators developing multi-platform presences and diversified revenue streams. The modern entertainment landscape requires sophisticated legal counsel that addresses both traditional media agreements and emerging digital opportunities including platform agreements with YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and emerging social media services.

ENDORSEMENT & SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENTS

We negotiate endorsement and sponsorship agreements for athletes, entertainers, and influencers with brands seeking celebrity partnerships. Our endorsement practice addresses traditional athletic sponsorships, lifestyle brand partnerships, and digital influencer collaborations.

We structure agreements that appropriately value our clients' platforms, protect their personal brands, and preserve flexibility for future opportunities. This includes negotiating compensation structures combining guaranteed payments, performance bonuses, equity participation, and revenue sharing arrangements. Modern endorsement agreements extend beyond simple licensing of name and likeness to encompass social media obligations, content creation, personal appearances, and brand development collaborations.

BRAND PROTECTION & IP STRATEGY

We develop comprehensive intellectual property strategies for athletes and entertainers protecting their names, images, and brands. This includes trademark registration for personal names, catchphrases, logos, and branded ventures.

Our brand protection services include:

Trademark registration and prosecution for personal brands.
Copyright protection for original content.
Monitoring and enforcement against unauthorized use.
Domain name and social media handle protection.
Global IP portfolio management for international athletes and entertainers.

Brand protection in the modern media environment requires vigilance across traditional and digital channels. We implement monitoring systems to identify unauthorized merchandise, social media impersonation, and commercial exploitation of client likenesses.

POST-CAREER BUSINESS VENTURES

We counsel athletes and entertainers on business ventures leveraging their platforms and expertise beyond competitive or performance careers. This includes media production companies, branded product lines, restaurant and hospitality ventures, and entrepreneurial investments.

Our practice recognizes that successful athletes and entertainers often build second careers as business executives, investors, and brand builders. We provide strategic counsel on entity formation, partnership structures, intellectual property protection, and capital raising for client business ventures. The transition from performer to entrepreneur requires careful planning and sophisticated legal infrastructure to leverage celebrity equity while building sustainable enterprises with value independent of personal involvement.

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