Malcolm Lemmons’ Post

Great breakdown from Malcolm Lemmons on the recent TKO acquisitions. As he notes, this move signals a trend of sports becoming a major asset class. I believe we can expect further industry consolidation as entertainment giants seek to build comprehensive ecosystems. What's your take? Will this ultimately enhance fan experiences, or is there a greater concern about market concentration?

Our Managing Director shares some interesting insights on the latest acquisition within the sports and entertainment world as TKO reaches deal with Endeavor worth $3.25B. Follow us for more sports, marketing and business insights! #SportsMarketing #SportsManagement #InnovativeGroupNews #MarketingInsights

Some huge news in the #sponsorship industry as TGI Sport acquires Supponor: https://lnkd.in/d_5gNhjv While most people may not know these names, they're probably familiar with the NHL's Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DEDs) which were deployed last season. DEDs are developed and administered by Supponor. And other companies like BrandBrigade, acquired by TGI Sport (also owned by TGI), Ascend Sport Technology, uniqFEED, and Sponixtech also operate in this space across soccer, tennis, football, baseball, and more. Virtual sponsorship inventory is a growing trend - which means more properties will have more units to manage across different broadcast feeds and audience segments (if they want to maximize revenues). It's not just the biggest properties and leagues deploying this technology either. As a fan of Canada Basketball, I stayed up last night to watch the men's national team play the US. Note below the difference in what I saw in broadcast, in terms of on-court branding, at different times of the USA Basketball x FOX Sports production.

🗞️ WWE and #UFC-owned, TKO, acquires #PBR, On Location, and IMG 🗞️ The premium sports and entertainment company announced it reached an agreement with Endeavor to acquire Professional Bull Riders, LLC, #OnLocation, and #IMG in an all-equity transaction valued at $3.25B. 💰 This strategic acquisition highlights the value of POSITION within the fast-growing premium sports market as TKO can now leverage these assets to capture more upside from their established ecosystem, holding a competitive advantage on negotiating and operating lucrative: ☑️ Media Rights ☑️ Live Events ☑️ Ticket Sales ☑️ Premium Experiences (experiential and digital) ☑️ Brand Partnerships ☑️ Site Fees #SportsMarketing #MarketingInsights #StrategicPartnerships #SportsFinance #InnovativeGroupNews Full article can be found below 👇

1️⃣5️⃣2️⃣ is the total number of TEAMS in “big 5” U.S. sports leagues of NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS. 8️⃣ is the total number of major GLOBAL SPORTS COMPANIES that are investor-owned. The PAST decade in sports investing was about massive capital flowing into individual sports teams and the resulting rapid rise of team franchise values. The NEXT decade in sports investing will be about capital recognizing the massive upside in global sports companies. Reason #1: Bigger Financial Upside Sports Teams: Domestic Revenue + Low Growth Sports Companies: Global Revenue + High Growth (Even Scarcity Value - 8 to 152!) Reason #2: Unique Strategic Benefits Owning an entire LEAGUE has unique and powerful advantages. The league owns and controls all content and intellectual property. The league decides the schedule and sets media rights. Imagine owning the NBA vs owning one team. Now imagine how valuable that would be to media companies, such as Netflix, Amazon, or Disney. Now imagine how valuable that would be to massive international pools of capital, such as Soverign Wealth Funds. That is the financial and strategic opportunity for investors and owners of major global sports companies. MAJOR GLOBAL SPORTS COMPANIES: F1 🏎️ MotoGP 🏍️ UFC 👊 PFL 👊 Matchroom 🥊 Top Rank 🥊

🚨 World Series Ticket Prices are Soaring! 🚨 The Dodgers vs. Yankees showdown is heating up both on and off the field with resale tickets starting at a staggering $1,358 on StubHub, fans are sparing no expense to witness this historic World Series matchup. Why the splurge? It's all part of a bigger trend: sports are no longer just games—they're massive global businesses. 🏟️ From record-breaking TV deals to billion-dollar stadiums, sports fans are investing in experiences like never before. 🏆 💡 In fact, ticket sales for this year’s World Series are FOUR TIMES higher than in 2022! Looks like everyone wants a piece of history. 🎟️✨ #WorldSeries #SportsBusiness #Yankees #Dodgers #LiveEvents #BusinessOfSports #FanExperience https://lnkd.in/gVwbePrG

Everything you need to know in #SportsBiz today:   1. National Football League (NFL) owners approve Tom Brady’s minority stake acquisition in the Las Vegas Raiders with US$220m investment   2. FIFA announces Lenovo as official technology partner for 2026 World Cup and 2027 Women's World Cup   3. NBA App rolls out multiview as part of suite of new features for 2024/25 season   4. adidas reports strong Q3 results and adjusts financial forecast upward with revenues increasing 7% YoY   5. Fubo becomes The Athletic's first live TV streaming partner with deal to create cross-platform promotion   6. Capitals v Devils sets new opening game viewership record on Monumental Sports Network   7. TGL secures Canadian broadcast deal with Sportsnet 8. Elizabeth Banks and Aly Raisman among celebrity backers of New Bos Nation NWSL franchise    9. ABC scores most-watched WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) finals broadcast ever with game two coverage   10. Premier League meeting on financial rule changes postponed to 22nd October   11. Former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, plus USMNT legend Jozy Altidore in talks to buy Buffalo Bills minority stake, reports Sportico   12. Abu Dhabi announced as location for second Sphere Entertainment Co. venue 13. NASCAR postseason viewership up 5% through six races as Charlotte Roval race scores biggest audience since 2021    14. PWHL expands season to 30 games per team for 2024/25 season 15. Qatar Investment Authority among investors as One Championship raises $50m Keep your finger on the pulse with all the major stories and news announcements by checking out The Wire - our one-stop-shop and super-feed of sports business news 👉 https://lnkd.in/dJKSjMv5

This tech brand is the biggest sports sponsor in America in 2024. Electronic Arts (EA) Sports is the most active tech sponsor across the USA. And it seems they are strategically focused on one sports franchise in particular. The NFL. Their deal value with NFL assets alone is insane. Worth an estimated $1.6 Billion. 🤑 EA has partnerships with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. In fact the NFL deals account for around 90% of the companies total annual value from sports partnerships. Which does make sense given the popularity of American Football in the region. To put that value into context. The NFL deal is double the annual value of the next highest sports sponsorship in America. Which exists between the NBA and 2K Sports. One thing is clear. The dominance of annual spend by tech brands with sports leagues across the USA reflects the huge commercial value of the leagues. Sports provides a significant opportunity for brand awareness and reach and tech brands know it. EA Sports are leading the way. What is your favourite existing sports partnership? P.S. Follow me (Chris Swadling) for more sports business content! #sports #nfl #sponsorships #gaming

In yet another signal of the growing value of sports and leagues, TKO has acquired Professional Bull Riders (PBR), On Location, and IMG Sports Marketing in a $3.25 billion all-equity deal. So, what is an all-equity transaction? It’s simple: TKO didn’t pay cash for these assets. Instead, they issued more TKO shares to Endeavor, which means Endeavor’s ownership jumps from 51% to 59%. Essentially, TKO takes in new assets, and Endeavor takes a larger stake in TKO without either side putting up cash. With this deal, TKO gains over 200 PBR events, attended by more than 1.25 million fans annually, enhancing a portfolio that already includes UFC and WWE. Now TKO can tap into even more revenue streams from media rights, live events, ticket sales, partnerships, and premium experiences. For Endeavor, this setup aligns all these high-engagement, fan-centered assets in one portfolio, creating a unified powerhouse in live and media sports. At OutDrive GP, it underscores what we already believe: the value of sports and leagues is in a nascent stage, with vast room to grow. TKO’s ability to successfully manage multiple leagues and create crossover events—whether it’s UFC, WWE, or now PBR—aligns with our own vision of building a globally recognized esports league. Their approach illustrates the massive impact of consolidating brands to create crossover opportunities and reach larger audiences, a model we’re bringing to sim racing.

For any Ad Age subscribers and those in the baseball world, check out this article highlighting MLB sponsors. #experiential #branding #marketing #brandstrategy #storytelling #activation #eventmarketing #sponsorships #partnerships #hospitality #fanengagement #consumerengagement #agencylife #sportsbiz