Mads Pedersen and Danish athletes sue HBO Nordic over image rights

Danish Athletes File Lawsuit Against HBO Nordic Over Olympic Image Rights

A group of prominent Danish athletes, including former world road cycling champion Mads Pedersen, have filed a legal claim against streaming service HBO Nordic demanding approximately two million Danish krone—roughly 267,580 euros—in compensation, Tour Magazin reported.

Athletes and Sports Represented in the Legal Action

The lawsuit involves several high-profile figures from Danish sport. Alongside Pedersen, the group of cycling claimants includes Niklas Larsen, Mikkel Bjerg, Amalie Dideriksen, and mountain biker Sebastian Fini Carstensen. Well-known stars from Danish handball and badminton have also joined the legal proceedings.

Arguments Presented in Court

Appearing via video link during court proceedings covered by Ekstra Bladet, Pedersen stated that he has no fundamental objection to the promotion of sports. However, he argued that the campaign in question promoted a paid commercial product rather than cycling itself, noting that other companies pay substantial sums for the commercial use of athletes’ likenesses.

Compensation Demands by Competitor

The athletes are seeking 50,000 krone for each instance of what they claim is unauthorized use of their images. Pedersen is claiming 150,000 krone, while several other cyclists are seeking 50,000 krone each. Handball star Mathias Gidsel is seeking 450,000 krone across nine separate contested uses.

HBO Nordic Rejects Allegations over Olympic Footage

HBO Nordic has rejected the allegations, arguing that the athletes consented to the use of the material in connection with the Olympic Games. The streaming service maintains that the footage was deployed for editorial rather than commercial purposes. A ruling in the case is expected later this week.

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