Sportfive

Sportfive S.A.S. was an international sports rights marketing agency with a global network of locations and affiliated companies. Sportfive S.A. was based in Boulogne-Billancourt (previously Issy-les-Moulineaux), while its German subsidiary was based in Hamburg.

This article is about a defunct international sports rights marketing agency. For an Israeli group of television channels, see Sport 5. For a Philippine sports programming division formerly known as Sports5, see One Sports. For the British radio programming block on BBC Radio 5 also known as "Sport on 5", see 5 live Sport.
Sportfive S.A.S.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustrySports Marketing
PredecessorLagardère Sports S.A.S. (2020)
SuccessorLagardère Sports S.A.S. (2015-2020)
Founded2001 (first run)
2020 (second run)
Defunct2015 (first run)
Headquarters
Boulogne-Billancourt
,
France
Services
  • Sports marketing
  • sports events
  • sport sponsorship
OwnerLagardère Group (24.9%)
H.I.G. Capital (75.1%)
ParentLagardère Sports and Entertainment
Subsidiaries
  • Sportfive GmbH
  • Sportfive UK Ltd.[1]
  • Sportfive S.r.l.
Websitesportfive.com 

History

Sportfive was formed in 2001 when the European Commission unconditionally approved the merger between the sports rights activities of Jean-Claude Darmon, Sport+, a subsidiary of Canal+ Group, and RTL Group's sports rights division, UFA Sports.[2]

In 2004 the private equity firm Advent International finalised its acquisition of Sportfive S.A.,[3] and in November 2006 sold it to the French media giant Lagardère for an estimated €865 million.[4][5] Since that time, Sportfive has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère. In 2015 it was integrated into Lagardère Sports and Entertainment, as Lagardère Sports S.A.S.[6] Sportfive Group business in Germany, Sportfive GmbH, became Lagardère Sports Germany GmbH,[7] and UK business became Lagardère Sports UK.[8]

Business

Sportfive is the world's no.1 football agency and one of the largest sports agencies worldwide.[9] In recent years, Sportfive has optimised and fine-tuned its comprehensive marketing concept for football clubs. The concept includes recruiting a suitable shirt sponsor, marketing advertising panels in the stadium, organising of hospitality events, marketing TV and Internet rights, and developing marketing concepts and realising them in a professional manner with a team based at the club. Currently Sportfive International Sàrl is the official sales agent of Match Hospitality in the territory of Continental Europe for the sale of the Official Hospitality Programme for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.[10]

In February 2009, the International Olympic Committee appointed Sportfive as its official media rights agent for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil across all distribution platforms, in 40 European markets.[11] In addition to its leading role in the field of football marketing, Sportfive is also involved in many other international professional sports arenas such as handball, basketball, triathlon, tennis and motor sports.

Sportfive has cooperations in place with more than 30 football associations and over 250 clubs, as well as ten leagues.[12] In Germany, Sportfive already represents ten Bundesliga clubs (among others: Hamburger SV, Hertha BSC Berlin, Karlsruher SC and Borussia Dortmund). Leading clubs from other European football leagues have also chosen to sign with Sportfive, including Olympique Lyon, Paris St. Germain, AJ Auxerre and AS Monaco from the French Ligue 1, Atalanta Bergamo, U.C. Sampdoria and Juventus F.C. from Italy’s Serie A and PAOK FC Superleague Greece.

In August 2012, Sportfive has organized the friendly between Dinamo Bucharest and FC Barcelona at the Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania.[13]

In Germany, the company was instrumental in brokering the naming rights for the HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg, the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, the Signa Iduna Park in Dortmund and others.

Sportfive also offers a wide range of consulting services and regularly publishes comprehensive market and media studies, feasibility studies and up-to-date market research reports.

In May 2020, Lagardère Sports agency has brought back the Sportfive name in a rebranding exercise following its takeover by H.I.G. Europe, an arm of the international private equity and asset management firm. The revived name and new corporate identity was unveiled this morning and is effective immediately across all regional operations and for most subsidiary companies.

H.I.G. recently acquired a 75.1% stake in the business in a deal valuing the company at €110m ($120.9m). France-based media conglomerate Lagardère retained a 24.9% shareholding. The rebrand follows the restructuring of the global leadership team at the agency.

The four-person executive committee includes chief executive Stefan Felsing, the experienced sports marketing executive who has returned to the agency, chief operating officer Philipp Hasenbein, the long-time head of Lagardère Sports Germany, plus Robert Müller von Vultejus, another Lagardère Sports veteran who takes up the newly-created position of chief growth officer.[14]

Sportfive Italia

Sportfive Italy S.r.l. is part of the international Sportfive Group and cooperates with the Serie A teams Juventus F.C., Atalanta B.C. and U.C. Sampdoria. For these clubs, Sportfive Italy is the concessionaire of certain marketing and commercial rights. As part of a long-term strategic partnership with Juventus, Sportfive Italy exclusively sells the naming right and markets other promotional and sponsorship rights for the new stadium in Turin. Since 2001, the agency has been implementing its comprehensive marketing model for Atalanta B.C. This comprehensive marketing model developed by Sportfive integrates different sponsorship and hospitality tools into an interlinked marketing network and has been successfully applied to numerous clubs across Europe. For U.C. Sampdoria, Sportfive Italy manages specific aspects of the commercial and marketing rights. The newly established Italian unit for Stadium Development draws on the Sportfive Group’s expertise in this field and manages new stadium construction and modernisation projects in all phases.[15]

References
  1. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03599986
  2. "Commission clears sports rights venture between Canal+, RTL and Groupe Jean-Claude Darmon". European Commission. 13 November 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  3. "Advent International finalises its acquisition of Sportfive, and appoints new senior management". Adventinternational.com. 25 June 2004. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  4. "Advent International agrees to sell Sportfive to Lagardère". Adventinternational.com. 20 November 2010. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  5. "Agreement to acquire Sportfive". Lagardère Group. 20 November 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  6. "Lagardère Unlimited rebrands to Lagardère Sports and Entertainment". Lagardère Group. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  7. "SPORTFIVE: Neuer Markenauftritt als Lagardère Sports" (in German). 1.FC Kaiserslautern. 11 January 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  8. https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03599986
  9. "Profil" (in German). Archived from the original on July 12, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2009-09-24.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. Archived September 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. "SPORTFIVE - Europe's leading sports rights marketing company". Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  13. "Oficialii Barcelonei dau OK-ul: "Am inspectat totul."" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
  14. "Sportfive name revived in Lagardère Sports and Entertainment rebrand". SportBusiness. 2020-05-28. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  15. "Company Profile". Sportfive. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
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