Desser Media, Inc.

Sports Media Specialists: Leveling The Playing Field

Santa Monica, CA

(310) 393-2-WIN

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Desser Media/Sports Media, Inc. advises premiere sports and media organizations on media rights, M&A, litigation/arbitration, and strategic business development.  We use the unique analytical tools and experience developed both from negotiating over 120 team and league media agreements over the past 19 years and, prior to that, from over 23 years as the senior media executive in the NBA Commissioner’s Office.  The combined value of the media agreements we have completed and the major sports M&A transactions we have advised on already total more than $50 Billion.

One of our primary focuses is media rights transactions, which are highly technical, infrequently negotiated, and ultimately hugely important to an organization’s bottom line and brand. Rightsowners must contend with the savvy of Fortune 500 media companies that routinely acquire rights, have dedicated specialized staff, and have developed a myriad of defenses to thwart owners from achieving fair market value.  What if you could have the equivalent of the NBA’s lead media negotiator in your corner?  In addition, we perform comprehensive valuation analysis, serve as an expert witness providing dispute resolution support, and design media business plans across both traditional and emerging digital media platforms.  Collectively our team has more than 200 years of hands-on sports media expertise. 

We are a sports media boutique, not part of a large agency, law firm, player representative or investment banking organization.  We are independent and dedicated to you.  We have no other agendas, but rather specialize in, and are completely devoted to, sports media matters on behalf of our clients.  We provide this range of services to the full spectrum of sports media participants ranging from professional and collegiate content owners to networks/intermediaries, distributors/retailers, and tech companies; from linear networks to streaming platforms and other digital media, in the U.S., Canada and internationally.  We have unmatched contacts and relationships, a deep understanding of the operations and perspectives of networks, distributors, teams and leagues, plus our up-to-the-minute specialized knowledge of the sports media marketplace to help you level the playing field.

We are passionate about this work, always looking to learn and extend our knowledge on behalf of clients.  Over time, our clients have seen the value of our out-of-the-box solutions and thought leadership.  I am confident that we can customize our work to help you solve whatever puzzle you are confronting, and achieve an outcome that balances the long term needs of your organization and those of your business partners.  Please review this site and reach out to us to discuss your needs.  

Ed Desser

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Ed Desser is the President of Desser Media, Inc. (“DMI”), a California-based consultancy serving the strategic media business needs of the sports television industry.  He has more than 40 years of experience in the sports media industry, negotiating major deals in the local, national and international TV marketplaces, and serving a diverse group of sports and media clients.  He has a BA in Economics from UCLA and an MBA in Marketing from USC.

For 23 years, Desser served in the Commissioner’s Office of the National Basketball Association, ultimately as President of NBA Television and New Media Ventures, L.L.C., and Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development.  He was the chief negotiator for all NBA and WNBA national media agreements, and served on the NBA Board of Governors Planning Committee.  Desser also invented and spearheaded the launch of NBA TV, the first league-owned national cable sports network, personally handling the affiliate distribution agreement negotiations.  His responsibilities included harnessing new media and digital technologies for the NBA, designing and launching nba.com and all team websites; creating the NBA League Pass outer-market games subscription package, where he negotiated all related carriage agreements with MVPDs, established the league’s broadcast regulatory framework and as VP/General Manager of NBA Entertainment, Inc., and VP/International Television, developed the league’s TV distribution business, growing the NBA’s media footprint to 200 countries Including China and Spain.

In 2005, he founded Desser Sports Media, Inc., now known as Desser Media, Inc., which specializes in (i) conducting regional, national and international media rights negotiations; (ii) performing strategic media planning,  rights valuations and creating business plans for new TV networks, (iii) supporting work for mergers & acquisitions, litigation/expert witness, and generally assisting professional sports teams, leagues, conferences, programmers and distributors in overall business development towards maximizing media rights values. 

Desser has negotiated more than 70 sports rights deals, advised over 30 professional sports teams with respect to their media rights and served leagues and governing bodies including the NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, PGA Tour, Big 12 Conference, CFL, PRCA, PBA, UFC and NHRA, where he was also named to the Board of Directors.  DSM/DMI has advised on over $27 billion in sports and media transactions to date.

In 2011, Desser led the Los Angeles Lakers in connection with then the largest regional sports media rights deal in TV history and the country’s most significant RSN transaction in a decade.  In addition, Desser has provided services to media companies including Tribune Company, DIRECTV, Fox, Time Warner Cable, Rogers Communications, TELUS, and Videotron.  Other examples of Desser’s work include expert and fact witness services in arbitration, litigation, and mediation support including in O’Bannon et. al. vs. NCAA and NBC Universal vs. major MVPD.  We have also negotiated on behalf of and/or advised Staples Center and professional sports team owner Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), McKinsey & Co., Qualcomm, Goldman Sachs, and Maple Leaf Sports + Entertainment.

Desser was also an expert witness for Major League Baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers bankruptcy proceedings, and then for Fox Sports in a related matter, then represented Joe Torre and Rick Caruso in connection with a bid to purchase the team.  Later, he valued the Dodgers media rights for the Hollywood Reporter (estimating a result very close to that ultimately negotiated), and represented Time Warner Cable in connection with its record-breaking Dodgers media rights acquisition in 2013. 

 Read Ed Desser's full Curriculum Vitae.

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