Manchester City has announced baby gear brand, Joie as the Official Stadium Naming Partner of the Academy Stadium, making it the first club in the Women’s Super League to secure a commercial agreement for its stadium naming rights.
The whole Manchester City Women’s team, including captain Steph Houghton, Chloe Kelly and Demi Stokes, marked this huge milestone as they cut a giant orange Joie bow that wrapped the newly-named stadium. Gavin Makel, Managing Director of Manchester City Women, and David Welsh, Senior Managing Director of Joie, were also in attendance.
This marks the next phase of the multi-year partnership between, Joie and Manchester City as, together, they pledge to introduce and improve family friendly services at the stadium building on City’s commitment to delivering the best possible matchday experience for fans of all ages across all stadium facilities.
Opened in 2014 as part of the Club’s continued investment into East Manchester and the Etihad Campus, the 7,000 capacity stadium is the only purpose-built stadium in the Women’s Super League and is the home of Manchester City Women. In addition, many of City’s Elite Development Squad and youth team matches also take place in the stadium.
Gavin Makel, Managing Director, Manchester City Women, said: “Today is a really significant moment for Manchester City, as we welcome Joie as Official Stadium Naming Partner. Not only is this
a huge moment for Manchester City Women but also for the wider club as the stadium changes name for the first time since its opening in 2014.
“A Women’s team partner since March this year, Joie shares our commitment to family values and high standards and we’re delighted the brand has chosen to extend its current relationship.
“It is a further reflection of the importance, growth and commercial appeal of Manchester City Women and the wider women’s game and we are excited to work together with Joie to maximise opportunities for families at our matches.”
David Welsh, Senior Managing Director, Joie, said: “Joie is a family-first brand committed to making childhood and family days out as joyful as possible.
“We believe that football offers an unforgettable experience for families and by partnering with Manchester City Women and becoming the Official Stadium Naming Partner, we aim to make it truly accessible for all – whether that’s families with babies or parents of older children who will love playing in the Fan Zone.
“We’re incredibly proud of the steps we are making to help provide an all-inclusive experience and are committed to further developing our offer and ensuring that the Joie Stadium is one of the most family-friendly in the Women’s Super League.”
iSportConnect’s Jay Stuart spoke with Simon Massie-Taylor, the Premiership Rugby CEO to know more about the plans of the organisation to boost Rugby’s popularity.
It can sound trite and wishful to say that a crisis sometimes makes things better than they were before, but in the case of the English Rugby Premiership that really might be the case. The rude shock of three out of 13 clubs (including one the best-known in Wasps) going bust in recent months has resulted in sharper strategic vision and one immediate and important positive ¬ a stronger connection between the league and the England team, which has always dominated audiences and commercial value.
Premiership Rugby enjoys a bit of serendipity in this regard because the 2023-24 season overlaps with the Rugby World Cup and the link between England and the league that the national team players come from will be hammered home during the big tournament (you could start to hear it in the commentary during England’s win over Argentina last Saturday).
Next season the 10-team Premiership is expecting to benefit from not having that overlap any longer, meaning the league will not have to compete with international matches at the gate or on TV, but the promotional support from the RFU will be if anything stronger.
Making the England relationship that much smoother is the experience that Simon Massie-Taylor, the Premiership CEO, brings from his previous role as the RFU’s head of commercial.
It might be argued that the seeds of the financial problems that we’ve seen date back to when rugby went professional in 1995, but covid was what really brought things to a head. “There was a lot of optimism pre-covid,” he said. “CVC had come in as an investor in us and The United Ruby Championship (the Gaelic equivalent) as well as the Six Nations, there were long-term deals in place and rugby was growing globally. Covid was crushing. At the RFU if you lost a single game, it was a catastrophe, and our clubs lost their entire schedules.”
That said, the underlying problems at Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish went deeper. “No one at the league was aware of the extent of the problems,” Massie-Taylor said. “That’s why we have made financial transparency a cornerstone as we move forward. Financial discipline and transparency are absolute necessities.”
Faced with managing the insolvency of three clubs with historic brands, the league raised additional funds from CVC and the RFU and the investors in the clubs. The top priority now is attracting new investors to rugby. Massie-Taylor said: “We need to be less reliant on the current owners of the clubs and also bring through a new breed of investors – including strategic sports investors who might have other experience in sports.”
Basic ingredients for attracting investment are having a good growth story and a clear plan aligning rugby’s stakeholder and, most important, the promise of financial stability. Premiership Rugby will soon have an independent Financial Monitoring Panel (FMP). There are TV deals in place with TNT Sports and ITV (the main network will carry seven live games this season), and Gallagher remains the blue-chip title sponsor.
Player salaries have raised eyebrows in the past, despite the existence of a salary cap. The cap was reduced when covid hit but will go up next season. The guiding principle going ahead will be to link the cap to revenue.
The Premiership is moving from the concept of a closed league and embracing relegation and promotion. This coheres with having the RFU, which is responsible for smaller clubs (England has about 2,000) as well as the biggest professional ones, sharing the driver’s seat as part of the new Professional Game Partnership from the 2024-25 season.
“As a league we believe in the jeopardy and drama of promotion and relegation – but there may need for more stability before we get there,” Massie-Taylor said. There also needs to be the correct structures for teams to go between, so there will be a Premiership 1 and Premiership 2. “The idea is to have a strong and sustainable group of clubs. We know that our fans and broadcasters also love the drama and some of the fairytale stories, like Exeter Chiefs, who are Premiership and European Champions having risen through the leagues. I guess this is sort of our equivalent of longshot outsider Leicester City winning the Premier League.”
A structure offering the possibility of promotion also provides a way to re-integrate Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish when they return to health. They can be parked in the second-tier RFU Championship with a path for moving back into the top tier.
All-access Premiership Rugby docuseries to launch exclusively on Prime Video
The existing gap between the first and second leagues is substantial. While attendance in the Premiership averaged over 13,000 per game last season (Leicester averaged over 22,000), the figure in the second division was closer to 2,000, and it does not have a TV deal. A first step in closing the gap is a new Premiership Rugby Cup this season, in which teams from both divisions will compete.
“We are not operating a franchise system,” Massie-Taylor said. “But we want to behave like one. That means having strong centralized direction for the league.”
Fan data is playing an increasingly important role everywhere and the Premiership is working to build data insights to share with the clubs that will help them in selling to their own regional sponsors to strengthen their finances. “We need to be growing a strong second tier of sponsors for the league and helping the clubs as well.”
Ultimately, the Premiership is aiming to move from being a strictly B2B business selling its rights to having more of a B2C relationship with fans.
The players play a key role in growing fan engagement and broadening the rugby audience. The Premiership is rolling a new social media tool from Greenfly that will enable each player to access content from games to enhance his own online stories. “The players have been through a lot, and we want to provide them with the tools that will benefit them,” Massie-Taylor said. “We want to enable them to be themselves. There are some great personalities, and these guys are accessible We are hoping that they will help build a narrative for the league. It’s about growing together. They have skin in the game. Everyone is an ambassador.”
A new high-profile opportunity to get to know Premiership Rugby players will kick off on Amazon Prime next month. The two-part series Mud, Sweat & Tears: Premiership Rugby showcases the characters throughout the league. On the pitch, it focuses mainly on the four clubs in the semi-finals and battling in the final, but it also goes behind the scenes to tell the dramatic story of the league’s highs and lows last season in an authentic manner.
SPORTEL will break new ground in 2024 with its first-ever event in Buenos Aires. The spring event dedicated to the Americas has been held on the fringe of Latin America in Miami numerous times and has also taken place in Rio de Janeiro. Now it will be held in a Spanish-speaking capital for the first time. The SPORTEL Rendez-Vous Buenos Aires is scheduled for May 14-15, 2024.
“Developing the Americas market as a whole is one of our priorities,” said Laurent Puons, CEO of Monaco Mediax. “South America only represents 5% of the participants at our flagship autumn event in Monte Carlo. The capacity for growth is exponential.”
For the new event in Argentina SPORTEL is joining forces with J & S EG, represented by Jorge Strika and Sebastian Ibarrondo, together with Lions Sports & Media, represented by Daniel Tamborini and Martin Rey, and Bamboo Business, represented by Marta Ortega.
This year’s SPORTEL Monaco will be held October 23-25, at the Grimaldi Forum as usual.
The second SPORTEL Rendez-Vous Bali takes place February 22-23, 2024. The event is organized in partnership with Transvision and in collaboration with Java Festival Production and Cubmu. The event gives companies from Europe and the Americas an ideal opportunity to reconnect with the key decision makers from Indonesia, Asia and Oceania. More than 55% of the first edition’s participants from the APAC market.
The time has come to embrace AI in sport – whether we like it or not. David Granger, content director at Cinch looks at where we’re heading and where things can occasionally go wrong.
The Emirates Stadium is wrapped in flags, images and banners celebrating Arsenal’s former players and past glories, but eyes were firmly on the future this month as it hosted an event examining the state of artificial intelligence. And where we’re going.
Generative AI for the Creative Industries had among its delegates, representatives from our hosts Arsenal, Scuderia Ferrari, Manchester City and Wimbledon to learn more about what AI is currently doing and how it’s going to affect sport in the future.
Because we’re currently in a period of early adoption and – as we had with the internet, with ecommerce and with social media – there are going to be mistakes made, errors and failures which seem almost comic to the outsider.
One blunder which made the headlines was the headlines created by an AI-generated sports reporter.
It seems like a decent idea – report the facts of a match, but do it using artificial intelligence, cut out the writer’s fee, the travel time and expense and the cost of a half-time hotdog. In the US, Gannett newspapers had been using an AI service, according to the Washington Post, which created high school sports reports.
The concept went viral though when some of the reports didn’t exactly pass muster. An example? Well, it’s been deleted now, but this is one heck of a report:
“The Worthington Christian defeated the Westerville North 2-1 in an Ohio boys soccer game on Saturday.”
So, it’s not all plain sailing for the early adopters.
However, the next phase is when the lessons from these early adopters are noted and learned and the next phase – I’m going to call it as the early adapters’ phase – get hold of the technology. And this is already happening.
For the sceptics, however, we can already see examples where AI is advancing the fan experience (FC Barcelona’s chatbot), virtual training, augmented reality at baseball stadiums, virtual training for cyclists, Manchester City’s virtual fan experience or the NFL’s augmented reality. It’s affecting how we train for, prepare, participate in and spectate sport. And things are only just getting started.
From the conference speakers, there are several areas which need to be addressed by every organisation:
Acceptance – from the chief executive to the junior ticket office operator, like social before it, AI needs to be understood and accepted
Integration – making sure AI is used to make our lives easier
Governance – ensuring no sensitive team, federation or athlete is uploaded into prompts
This week also saw the launch of the 2024 Sports Technology Awards – if ever there was a content which celebrated the advent of AI, it’s this one. Take a look at last year’s winnersand the majority are either explicit in their use of artificial intelligence or it’s used in their offering.
AI is not going away – quite the opposite. Whether we like it or not – and it certainly has its detractors – like social and websites before it, what once seemed far-off, foreign and futuristic, is very quickly going to be the mainstream.
TKO (Technical Knock Out) a knockout declared by the referee who judges one fighter unable to continue. Carlo De Marchis pens down this month’s business index.
Let’s talk about TKO, the new publicly traded combat sports and entertainment powerhouse.
Facts and forecasts
Endeavor owns 51% of the newly formed TKO putting together WWE and UFC. They bought UFC for $4 billion in 2016, WWE is publicly traded at $8.37 billion. The new outfit generated over $2.4 billion in revenue in 2022 with a 10% annual growth rate since 2019, according to Endeavor. Expected annual operating synergies of $50-$100 million, not unrealistic as UFC did $70 million savings in two years under Endeavor.
People and places
Ari Emmanuel, mighty CEO of both TKO and Endeavor, same as Mark Shapiro COO for both. Dana White is UFC CEO, and Nick Khan ex-CEO is now WWE President. Controversial enough Vince McMahion is Chairman, not sure it’s a great idea based on the many conduct issues.
Merging companies and cultures is not easy, especially as they start from different places with different vibes – Las Vegas for UFC and Stamford, Connecticut for WWE.
Product and growth
This deal creates the new super-destination of combat sports with a combined content IP, production strength, audience footprint and marketing power that is enviable.
Creating mega platforms around content and media seems to be a trend but also the recipe for sustainable business in this space, so TKO seems well positioned in that regard.
WWE and UFC media rights, soon to be renewed, are a clear avenue for growth, if we assume the joint proposition will be even more appealing to media companies, as well as expanding the footprint even more internationally.
The obvious challenge is about merging (to whatever extent) and like any operation of this size – and we have seen many recently – the risks are well known.
Callum Chambers, Global Head of Marketing for EngageRM spotlights on the evolution of fan engagement.
I’m going to quickly ask you to jump into a time capsule and transport yourself to the 90’s.
Do you remember what it was like to be a sports fan then? Can you picture how you interacted with the team you supported? What did you see? What did you feel? Are the Spice Girls on in the background?
I still recall watching my Aussie Rules heroes on a Friday night, glued to the TV. I was no less of a die-hard than the young fans of today, but my engagement with the team was completely one way.
It’s crazy to think now, but in the 90s, you could count those fan interactions on one hand:
Go to the game
Buy merchandise
Read about them in the newspaper
Watch them on TV or listen on the radio
And that hadn’t changed since the first ever sports broadcast on TV in 1939, when Columbia edged Princeton in the baseball 2-1 at Baker Field. 400 people watched that, which was the maximum amount of TV’s that could pick up the broadcast signal.
Like a flywheel, the industry has generated endless momentum as it builds off the increasing connectivity of the world, rapid technology advancements and the general public’s insatiable appetite for content.
Now we’ve got it all. 24/7 news, apps, web, videos, VR, online stores – its utter chaos for the fan to keep up, let alone for the teams marketing departments. You can’t pull every lever, so deciding which ones to focus on is no easy task.
For sports brand and marketing teams charged with leading fan engagement activities for their organisations, their goals are all the same; sell more tickets, more merchandise and generate more revenue.
The amount of Premier League documentaries on our vast network of streaming platforms rival that of the big leagues in the US. They have similar approaches to content strategy that engages their fans and are great at telling the stories of their players and clubs’ history.
In social media land, British F1 teams’ joke around and have as much fun as their US counterparts, Premier League teams spend just as much time producing short form social content for jersey/kit reveals and many produce high level podcasts.
But there is a huge space where the US leaves the UK in its wake when it comes to fan engagement across digital and technology.
Innovation Attitude
Whilst this is a broader cultural element at play between the UK and US as to why this is the case, let’s first compare a Premier League team and a Major League Baseball Team.
A Premier League team has 18 home games to sell out. The average venue capacity is 38,000. That’s 684,000 bums on seats across a season. They don’t have to try very hard to sell out these games and there isn’t much local competition to push them. Aston Villa aren’t losing fans to Birmingham any time soon.
Now let’s look at a typical US baseball team. They have 81 home games to pack out with an average stadium capacity of 42,000. I had to get the calculator out for this one, but that’s 3,402,000 seats. There’s a lot more work to do to maximise their revenue.
They are also competing with the local NFL and NBA teams for attention, so they are constantly being challenged at pace to generate new fans and maintain the interest of existing ones.
Digitally, they are competing with everyone for eyeballs, not just other teams. Our attention spans are now shorter than your average goldfish and we only have so many hours in the day to consume the endless pit of content on our devices and TV’s.
One of the major advantages US teams have are the budget and resource dedicated to advancing and driving digital innovation. They have separate Navy SEAL style small teams experimenting and trialling new technology to see if they have something that will move the needle just an inch.
All these elements create an innovation machine for US pro sports teams and venues.
That combined with an unmatched mindset allows them to transcend perceived limitations of engaging their fans digitally.
“We need to keep getting smarter about what our fans need from us and creating more customized and personalized experiences at scale”, said Becky Kimbro, SVP of Brand at the San Antonio Spurs.
“It may mean that the broadcast looks different for you than it would for me. It may mean that when I open my version of the app, I’m served a completely different experience than you are.”
Focusing on the fan as ‘an individual at scale’ almost sounds like a contradiction, but the US are obsessed with it, because they have to be. This fierce competition drives innovation, but it’s also an inherent part of American culture and business.
The ‘Silicon Valley effect’ permeates across the business landscape and the country’s psyche that gives them the permission to fail fast and iterate quickly.
“There’s also a whole host of fascinating technologies out there that we don’t yet have a grasp on yet and how those will impact our business”, added Kimbro.
“Web3 being one of those technologies as well as AI which we haven’t stopped hearing about in 2023.”
Teams and venues in the US are always hunting the next shiny new thing that could give them the edge, that’s why they are so tapped into these emerging technologies.
They also have a different attitude to the UK.
Scott Kegley, VP of Digital and Strategy for AMB Sports and Entertainment (ownership group for Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United) discussed this on our podcast earlier in the year.
“We aren’t doing brain surgery, we just innovate and have fun”, he said.
And perhaps that’s the biggest learning curve for the UK sports marketing and tech teams when it comes to engaging fans in the digital space – the innovation mindset.
Being overly cautious about these emerging technologies is a missed opportunity.
When you read about the latest sports-owned DAO, fan loyalty app built on the blockchain or a new teams metaverse experience, I can all but guarantee that it’s coming out of the US.
Even for those UK-based organisations that don’t have endless resources and stretched teams, a mindset that permeates from the top goes a long way. Senior leaders need to create spaces for their people to trial new things or release more budget to truly commit to development and innovations that engage fans using technology. The evidence would suggest that there is significant financial upside when you get it right.
Thinking bigger will galvanise these teams to push boundaries that unlock new avenues to connect with their fans. Social media, OTT platforms and CRM will continue to be the bedrock of digital fan engagement strategies, but what is beyond the horizon that they could pioneer? All in the name of connecting fans with their team like never before? It’s time to be brave and find out.
“Lionel Messi’s fans didn’t have to wait long for his first signature moment with Inter Miami CF. But they will have to wait if they want to buy his jersey.Listings for pink or black Messi No. 10 jerseys from the official MLS shop currently feature a pre-order warning that says Adidas will be delivering the product in “mid October.” The disclaimer covers the $195 authentic jersey, the $125 adult replicas and the $105 youth replicas.”
Michel Cutait, Acting Secretary General of the World Obstacle Federation, takes a look at the need of sports partnerships to have a purpose and why they are so much more powerful when they do.
“Purposeful partnerships in the sports sector transcend traditional transactional relationships. They are built on a shared purpose, common values, and a commitment to achieving collective goals. Organisations need to view their collaborators as strategic allies, working towards a greater cause. This requires open communication, transparency, and a willingness to co-create innovative solutions to confront societal challenges.”
Felicien Dillard, Partner and Head of Active Places at Portas Consulting looks at the unprecedented investment being made in the sports infrastructure in the Middle East.
“The UAE has so far taken a more gradual and selective approach to developing sports infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is filling the ‘opportunity-gap’ by selecting sports to invest in, such as the first indoor Velodrome in the region and the world’s largest wave pool, both under development on Hudayriyat Island. These will be landmarks in an ambitious destination that combines sport and leisure for tourists and residents.”
Unmish Parthasarathi, the Singapore-based Founder of Picture Board Partners, the Strategy, Innovation & Venture Development boutique, spotlights on the rise of Singapore as a sporting destination.
“Singapore is at the epicentre of the next billion fans, who will play, participate and partner with a variety of sports codes. Government agencies such as Sport Singapore (aka Sport SG) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have brought new competition formats such as World Table Tennis, FIBA 3×3 Basketball and most recently, Triathlon with the PTO.”
In this week’s View From Africa piece Cynthia Mumbo, CEO of SportsConnect Africa, shines a light on the work being done by non-profit organisation Giants of Africa.
“Giants of Africa is an admirable non-profit organization that utilizes basketball to empower the youth of Africa through education, leadership, and teamwork. It was established by NBA Executive Masai Ujiri in 2003 and has been conducting basketball camps throughout the continent every summer for young girls and boys aged 15 to 19. Additionally, the organization constructs basketball courts and implements outreach programs to create more opportunities for African youth.”
The Walt Disney Company and Charter Communications have announced a transformative, multiyear distribution agreement that maximizes value for consumers and supports the linear TV experience as the industry continues to evolve.
As part of the deal, the majority of Disney’s networks and stations will be immediately restored to Spectrum’s video customers.
In a joint statement, Robert A. Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and Chris Winfrey, CEO, Charter Communications, said: “Our collective goal has always been to build an innovative model for the future. This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and the growing popularity of streaming services while addressing the evolving needs of our consumers. We also want to thank our mutual customers for their patience this past week and are pleased that Spectrum viewers once again have access to Disney’s high-quality sports, news and entertainment programming, in time for Monday Night Football.”
Among the key deal points:
In the coming months, the Disney+ Basic ad-supported offering will be provided to customers who purchase the Spectrum TV Select package, as part of a wholesale arrangement.
ESPN+ will be provided to Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers.
The ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service will be made available to Spectrum TV Select subscribers when it launches.
Charter will maintain flexibility to offer a range of video packages at varying price points based upon different customer viewing preferences.
Charter will also use its significant distribution capabilities to offer Disney’s direct-to-consumer services to all its customers – in particular its large broadband-only customer base – for purchase at retail rates. These include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, as well as The Disney Bundle.
Effective immediately, Spectrum TV will provide its customers widespread access to a more curated lineup of 19 networks from The Walt Disney Company. Spectrum will continue to carry the ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney Channel, FX and the Nat Geo Channel, in addition to the full suite of ESPN networks. Networks that will no longer be included in Spectrum TV video packages are Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo.
To preserve all these valuable business models, the parties have also renewed their commitment to lead the industry in mitigating the effects of unauthorized password sharing.
FIBA and Ganten have agreed to extend their strong collaboration until 2027 and the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will take place in Qatar.
The extension of the partnership was marked with a special ceremony during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Semi-Final game between Serbia and Canada at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
Asia’s leading natural mineral water brand, Ganten, has enjoyed principal commercial rights and exclusivity in the water category across all FIBA competitions since 2018.
During the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Ganten supplied more than 270,000 liters of water in the three host countries. Ganten also provided reusable bottles for players at all 92 games of the World Cup and enjoyed strong brand exposure on the new innovative LED backstop units.
For many years, Ganten has been partnering with high-end sports events, connecting with consumers through sports and actively supporting the development of basketball. Having partnered with the domestic CBA league in China for many years the relationship with FIBA has seen them able to focus on simultaneously growing the sport and their brand worldwide. Ganten has leveraged its outstanding supply chain capabilities to export products to nearly 30 countries and regions.
Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General, said: “We are really happy to announce the continuation of our partnership with Ganten as we have had an impressive collaboration with them since we joined forces in 2018. At events like the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which has taken place across three host countries, it is crucial for partners to activate both on the grand stage and within local communities.”
He continued: “Our successful activations with Ganten have brought a range of benefits to both organizations, and we are determined to continue offering the best possible experience at all of our events.”
Ms. Meihua Wang, General Manager of Ganten Brand Center, said: “Over the past six years of collaboration, Ganten has been providing high-quality natural mineral water to FIBA events worldwide, ensuring that players stay in their best shape during the games, contributing to the success of these events.
“Ganten and FIBA have advanced the development of global basketball together and built a strong friendship. This renewal is not just a business partnership but also a commitment to sport and social responsibility. Ganten aims to continue to actively promote basketball globally, providing exciting experiences for fans worldwide.”
This agreement was brokered by FIBA Marketing, the strategic partnership between FIBA and Infront.
Liberty Media Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire greater than 90% of QuintEvents, LLC (“Quint”) in a transaction valuing the company at $313 million.
Quint will be attributed to Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock, and the transaction, which is expected to be accretive, will be funded with cash on hand.
Quint is a global provider of official ticket, hospitality and travel experiences to many of the world’s most prominent sports and entertainment events. Quint packages and sells ticket and hospitality inventory with unique experiences through marquee relationships with sporting event rightsholders including Formula 1 (“F1”), the NBA, the Kentucky Derby and MotoGP.
“We are excited for Quint to join the Liberty family and strengthen our position in sports and live entertainment,” said Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO. “Brian Ruede, Brian Learst and their team have built an innovative business that delivers unique consumer experiences at the world’s most sought-after events. Quint is a high-growth company with attractive free cash conversion. As a commercial partner to F1, Quint has proven their expertise in product development and sales through their creation of the F1 Experiences program. We have high conviction in the demand for premium, live events and will work with Quint’s management to enhance F1 offerings and bring Quint’s services to more sports.”
“We could not be more thrilled for the Quint team to join forces with Liberty Media,” said Brian Ruede, Quint CEO. “This has been an incredible journey and is a transformative moment for Quint and our position in the experiential and travel economy. Liberty Media is the right partner for our next evolution of growth. Together, we can deepen our commitment to our existing partnerships through the continued development of our tech stack and service offering, while providing a pathway to expand into complementary vertical markets that will enhance our customer and partner experience. This is just the beginning.”
F1 and Quint will continue to be operated as separate companies. The enhanced partnership creates numerous growth opportunities within F1 and for Quint’s other partnerships like the NBA, Kentucky Derby and MotoGP. The transaction will accelerate Quint’s specialized sales engine and leverage onsite event expertise to deliver best-in-class experiences to fans.
