Danish Sports Stars File Lawsuit Against HBO Max Over Olympic Promotions
A group of Danish athletes, including handball star Mikkel Hansen, has taken legal action against streaming service HBO Max for the unauthorized use of their images. The athletes are seeking around €270,000 in damages for promotional material used during the 2024 Olympic Games.
A group of 13 Danish athletes, including handball star Mikkel Hansen, has filed a lawsuit against the streaming service HBO Max. In addition to handball competitors, the coalition includes cyclists, badminton players, and golfers.
The dispute stems from the alleged unauthorized use of the athletes' images to advertise the streaming platform during the 2024 Olympic Games. According to statements given by Morten Dahl Pedersen to Mediawatch, both he and the players' association maintain that the promotional materials were distributed without the consent of the sports figures involved.
The legal claim requests compensation of approximately €7,000 for every individual instance in which an athlete's image was utilized. In total, the compensation demanded across all claims amounts to roughly €270,000.
The case is heading to trial, with both parties scheduled to appear in the Maritime and Commercial High Court on Monday, 26 October.