DENMARK Law and Practice Contributed by: Frederik Bruhn, Rasmus Theis Madsen, Robert Jønsson and Tim Krarup Nielsen, HortenDahl Law Firm
standard contract and the Football Collective Agreement. • Federations v players: national team sponsorships can conflict with individual player endorsements. A notable Danish example occurred once where top badminton players’ sponsorship deals with Kjeld - sens Butter Cookies conflicted with the federa - tion’s agreement with Danisa, which also produces cakes, leading to their temporary exclusion from the national team. To mitigate such conflicts, DBU and the Players’ Asso - ciation have entered into an agreement regarding the exploitation of commercial rights regulating personal and team sponsorship obligations. The agreement was renewed before the 2024 European Champi - onship and remains in force up to and including the 2028 European Championship. It sets out sponsor - ship revenue-sharing arrangements and limitations on the players’ individual endorsements conflicting with DBU’s partners. 2.3 Broadcasting Rights Economic Significance of Sports Broadcasting Broadcasting rights play a crucial role in the com - mercial success of sports, with television networks and streaming platforms investing heavily in securing exclusive rights to major events. The rise of digital platforms and increased accessibility of live sports coverage have significantly expanded audience engagement, driving up the value of broadcasting rights. Broadcasters generate revenue primarily through subscription fees and advertising. The demand for premium sports content has led to fierce competition among broadcasters. Sports federations and clubs benefit from this demand, as broadcasting rights rev - enue is often a significant part of their overall financial model. Packaging and Commercialisation of Broadcasting Rights Sports rights-holders in Denmark traditionally pack - age broadcasting rights to maximise value and attract broadcaster investment. Rights are typically sold through competitive tender processes, with pack - ages structured to offer exclusivity for premium con -
tent while maintaining accessibility through free-to-air sublicensing. The Danish Superliga’s broadcasting rights have been sold in structured agreements covering multiple sea - sons. At the same time, there is growing pressure on the tra - ditional centralised model. Certain clubs have sought to distribute specific matches themselves. In 2025, Disney+ acquired the rights to show FC Midtjylland’s home matches in the Europa League qualification rounds. Similarly, F.C. Copenhagen has streamed its Champions League qualification home matches via its own platform, FCKTV. Regulation of Sports Broadcasting Despite its commercial nature, sports broadcasting is also considered a matter of public interest. The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (“AVMS Direc - tive”) provides EU member states with the authority to ensure that major events remain accessible to the public. In Denmark, this is reflected in the Danish Radio and Television Broadcasting Act, which empowers the Minister of Culture to prevent exclusive broadcast - ing rights from restricting public access to significant events. A new executive order introducing a revised “sports list” has been proposed and published for consulta - tion. The draft order designates the following events as being of major societal importance: • the Olympic Games (summer and winter) and the Paralympic Games (summer and winter); • Denmark’s football matches in the final tourna - ments and qualification rounds of the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship (men and women); • Denmark’s handball matches in the final tourna - ments and qualification rounds of the World and European Handball Championships (men and women); and • the Tour de France.
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