Wiggin scores sport and media triple

Wiggin's sport and media team has scored a hat trick of deals, picking up mandates from ITV, Virgin Media and Manchester United FC.

The team, led by sport head Michael Brader and broadcast partner Richard McMorris, advised Virgin Media on a joint venture with Setanta to create new channel Setanta Sports News.

It also advised Man Utd on its purchase of ITV's stake in Manchester United TV and Channel 4 on a video-on-demand joint venture.

Setanta has licensed its new channel, which will also be streamed on Setanta's and Virgin Media's consumer websites, to use Setanta's sports clips rights, including clips of all Setanta's Premier League football matches, with Wiggin helping out on the contract arrangements.

The same partners advised Man Utd on its acquisition of ITV's one-third stake in Manchester United TV. The club now owns two-thirds of the channel, with the remaining third owned by Sky Ventures, a subsidiary of BSkyB.

Brader said: "Manchester United felt it had matured enough and that it was time to take control of its media rights."

In the third deal, Wiggin advised Channel 4 on Project Kangaroo, a joint venture with the BBC, advised by Olswang, and ITV, advised by Lovells, to create a new video-on-demand service.