At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex media legal matters and negotiate high-value agreements across TV and digital platforms.
- Company: Join a leading media company with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, private healthcare, generous pension contributions, and exclusive discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the media industry while mentoring junior lawyers and shaping legal strategies.
- Qualifications: Qualified solicitor with 5+ years of media/TV law experience and strong negotiation skills.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for career growth and community involvement.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 £ per year.
As a Senior Media Commercial Partnerships Lawyer, you will lead complex matters across TV, Digital Media, Sport, General Entertainment, Music and Sponsorship. This includes advising on complex bids, TV channel carriage and app partnership deals, rights acquisitions, in‑life deal management and partnering, joint ventures, influencer and talent contracts, strategy, disputes and procurement. The role has a strong emphasis on high‑value commercial legal transactional and advisory work for senior stakeholders across TV, Marketing and Group Brand.
You will work closely with the TV Partnerships team and other key stakeholders to structure, draft and negotiate high‑value agreements that underpin BT’s TV proposition. You will provide day‑to‑day legal support and supervision within a small, high‑performing media law team, helping to mentor junior lawyers and ensuring commercial objectives are delivered within a robust legal and regulatory framework. In this role, you will have significant autonomy while also playing a key part in mentoring and supervising a junior lawyer, contributing to capability development within the team.
What you’ll be doing:
- Act as the BT Legal lead on complex commercial media matters, providing timely, high‑quality legal support and advice across TV, Digital Media, Sport, General Entertainment, Music and Sponsorship.
- Advise on complex bids, TV channel carriage and app partnership deals, rights acquisitions, in‑life deal management and partnering, joint ventures, influencer and talent agreements, strategy, disputes and procurement.
- Draft, review and negotiate high‑value commercial contracts with minimal supervision, ensuring agreed commercial terms are accurately reflected and legal risk is appropriately managed.
- Keep the Media Principal Lawyer, the Legal Director (Commercial Partnerships) and the GC Consumer updated on key legal risks, opportunities and other relevant strategic matters.
- Manage a diverse portfolio of TV and media deals from initial term sheet through to execution, ensuring timely and commercially focused outcomes.
- Ensure all agreements comply with applicable laws, regulations and industry standards relating to TV and media distribution.
- Mentor and provide day‑to‑day supervision to a junior lawyer, supporting their development and maintaining high‑quality legal output.
- Work closely with internal teams in London — including commercial, product and finance — to ensure legal input is aligned with business objectives.
- Contribute to the maintenance and improvement of template agreements, playbooks and processes to enhance consistency and efficiency across TV partnership contracts.
Skills and Experiences:
- Qualified solicitor with significant post‑qualification experience (typically 5+ years PQE) as a media/TV lawyer.
- Strong knowledge of technology, the media industry and the UK audiovisual landscape.
- Extensive experience drafting and negotiating complex TV/content distribution agreements (e.g., app distribution or channel carriage deals).
- Strong background working with major broadcasters and/or TV/film content platforms.
- Deep understanding of Consumer’s business objectives, processes, systems and the relevant legal and regulatory framework.
- Proven ability to work autonomously on high‑value, complex deals while providing clear, commercially focused legal advice.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with confidence in negotiations involving senior stakeholders and external partners.
- Experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers, providing practical guidance and support.
Benefits:
- Annual on-target bonus 15% (personal and company multipliers can be overachieved).
- Car allowance - worth £5500 a year (can be taken as cash).
- Private healthcare for you and your family.
- 10% BT pension contribution when you pay in 5%.
- Life assurance.
- Exclusive colleague discounts on our latest and greatest BT broadband packages.
- 50% off EE mobile pay monthly or SIM only plans, and 50% discount for friends and family on EE SIM only plans.
- My Discounts gives colleagues access to unbeatable savings on everyday purchases at hundreds of retailers.
- Discounted EE TV including TNT Sport and the NOW Entertainment membership.
- Great support for working parents including pay whilst on maternity, adoptive, and paternity leave.
- 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service, with buy holiday option.
- Volunteering days so you can give back to your local community.
- Brand new electric vehicle salary sacrifice arrangement, known as ‘My EV’.
Senior Media / TV Lawyer - Commercial Partnerships employer: BT Group
Contact Detail:
BT Group Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Media / TV Lawyer - Commercial Partnerships
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the media and legal sectors. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its recent projects. Understand their legal challenges and think about how your experience can help them tackle those issues. Tailor your answers to show you’re not just a fit for the role, but also for their culture.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your negotiation skills! As a Senior Media Lawyer, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to negotiate high-value contracts. Role-play with a friend or mentor to get comfortable discussing terms and defending your position confidently.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We’ve got loads of resources to help you stand out, and applying directly shows your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it’s a great way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Media / TV Lawyer - Commercial Partnerships
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Media / TV Lawyer role. Highlight your experience in media law, especially with complex contracts and negotiations, to show us you’re the perfect fit!
Show Off Your Skills: Don’t hold back on showcasing your skills! We want to see your expertise in drafting and negotiating high-value agreements. Use specific examples from your past work to demonstrate how you’ve tackled similar challenges.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. We appreciate straightforward communication, so avoid jargon and make sure your key achievements stand out. This will help us see your potential quickly!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates about the process. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at BT Group
✨Know Your Media Law Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on the latest trends and regulations in media law, especially those related to TV and digital media. Familiarise yourself with key cases and legislation that could impact the role, as this will show your depth of knowledge and commitment to the field.
✨Prepare for Complex Negotiation Scenarios
Given the nature of the role, be ready to discuss how you would approach negotiating high-value contracts. Think about past experiences where you've successfully navigated complex negotiations and be prepared to share specific examples that highlight your skills.
✨Showcase Your Mentoring Experience
Since mentoring junior lawyers is a key part of the job, come prepared with examples of how you've supported others in their professional development. Discuss your approach to providing guidance and how it has positively impacted your team.
✨Align with Business Objectives
Understand the business side of media partnerships and be ready to discuss how legal advice can align with commercial goals. Research BT’s current media strategies and think about how your legal expertise can contribute to their success.