Closing Date: 13/2/2026
Locations - London 3 days a week on site.
Why this job matters
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.
You’ll be part of a highly skilled media and TV legal team, working at the heart of BT’s TV partnerships business. You will collaborate closely with the TV Partnerships team and wider stakeholders in London, providing hands‑on legal support for complex channel, content and app distribution deals. 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
* Direct share scheme
* 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’
Our leadership standards
Looking in:
Leading inclusively and Safely
I inspire and build trust through self-awareness, honesty and integrity.
Owning outcomes
I take the right decisions that benefit the broader organisation.
Looking out:
Delivering for the customer
I execute brilliantly on clear priorities that add value to our customers and the wider business.
Commercially savvy
I demonstrate strong commercial focus, bringing an external perspective to decision-making.
Looking to the future:
Growth mindset
I experiment and identify opportunities for growth for both myself and the organisation.
Building for the future
I build diverse future-ready teams where all individuals can be at their best.
With over 175 years of heritage, BT is now the flagship business brand of BT Group. We’ve brought together our best people and capabilities into a B2B powerhouse serving 1.2 million business customers internationally.
We’re a global leader for secure connectivity and collaboration platforms for businesses of all shapes and sizes, from big household names and government departments, right through to sole traders and new start-ups. But it’s not just the technology that matters, it’s what it can do to help them build stronger, smarter, more secure businesses.
We value diversity and inclusion and believe in making a positive impact. We connect for good by championing digital inclusion and equipping people, businesses, and communities with digital skills to thrive.
As a member of our team, you will be part of an organisation that celebrates difference, fosters innovation and provides you with opportunities to be your best. With millions of businesses relying on us daily, joining BT means you can be part of a diverse and multi-skilled team that makes a significant impact to society.
A FEW POINTS TO NOTE:
Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.
We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us.
DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?
Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway - you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.