Taylor Wessing advises The Athletic on Muddy Knees Media acquisition

We have advised sports publisher The Athletic on its acquisition of UK-based football media company Muddy Knees Media, home of 'The Totally Football Show' podcast.

Our Corporate Technology team advised The Athletic on its UK launch in the summer of 2019, and its acquisition of Tifo Football in April, and continues to work closely with the innovative sports publisher on its international growth.

The Athletic is a subscription-based publisher of premium sports journalism, founded in the US in 2016. It is highly regarded by fans and media professionals alike for its original business model and its impactful coverage written by top-tier local and national sports journalists.

Mark Barron, Corporate Technology partner and head of our market-leading inward investment practice, said:

In under a year The Athletic has established itself as a premium publisher of sports content in the UK and followed up with two brilliant deals. As with Tifo Football, bringing Muddy Knees Media under The Athletic umbrella will gift subscribers with even more new original, quality sports content. With the football season kicking off again, we look forward to listening in to all the fantastic new shows, and to working with The Athletic as they continue their impressive growth in the UK.”

David Ortenberg, CLO & General Counsel at The Athletic said:

The Taylor Wessing team has been fantastic since guiding us through our UK launch in 2019, and now through a period of exciting growth welcoming both Tifo Football and Muddy Knees Media to The Athletic family. We couldn't recommend them highly enough.”

The team was led by Mark Barron and associate Alex Dodds (Corporate Technology), with support from associate Harry Ruffell (Corporate Technology), associate Katie Davenport (Employment/IP), partner Graham Samuel-Gibbon and associate Madison Lawler (Tax), and senior associate Simon Jupp (IP & Media).