Sportfive
Encyclopedia
SPORTFIVE is an international sports rights marketing agency with a global network of locations and affiliated companies.
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. In 2004 the private equity firm Advent International
finalised its acquisition of SPORTFIVE, and in November 2006 sold it to the French media giant Lagardère
for an estimated 865 million EUR. Since that time, SPORTFIVE has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère.
SPORTFIVE is the world’s no.1 football agency and one of the largest sports agencies worldwide.
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.
In February 2009, the International Olympic Committee
appointed SPORTFIVE as its official media rights agent for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (2014) in Sochi, Russia, and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad (2016) in Rio, Brazil across all distribution platforms, in 40 European markets. 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. In Germany, SPORTFIVE already represents ten Bundesliga clubs (among others: Hamburger SV
, Hertha BSC Berlin
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 and Atalanta Bergamo, U.C. Sampdoria
and Juventus F.C.
from Italy’s Serie A.
In Germany, the company was instrumental in brokering the naming rights for the HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg, the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, the SIGNAL 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.
, 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.
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+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
Group, and RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
Group’s sports rights division, UFA Sports. In 2004 the private equity firm Advent International
Advent International
Advent International is a global private equity firm focused on buyouts of middle market growth companies in Western and Central Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia...
finalised its acquisition of SPORTFIVE, and in November 2006 sold it to the French media giant Lagardère
Lagardère
Lagardère may refer to:* Lagardère Group* Jean-Luc Lagardère* Arnaud Lagardère* Lagardère, a commune of the Gers département, in France...
for an estimated 865 million EUR. Since that time, SPORTFIVE has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère.
SPORTFIVE is the world’s no.1 football agency and one of the largest sports agencies worldwide.
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
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
South Africa.
In February 2009, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
appointed SPORTFIVE as its official media rights agent for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (2014) in Sochi, Russia, and the Games of the XXXI Olympiad (2016) in Rio, Brazil across all distribution platforms, in 40 European markets. 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
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and motor sports.
SPORTFIVE has cooperations in place with more than 30 football associations and over 250 clubs, as well as ten leagues. In Germany, SPORTFIVE already represents ten Bundesliga clubs (among others: Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
, Hertha BSC Berlin
Hertha BSC Berlin
Hertha Berliner Sport-Club von 1892, commonly known as Hertha BSC or Hertha Berlin, is a German association football club based in Berlin. A founding member of the German Football Association in Leipzig in 1900, the club has a long history as Berlin's best-supported side...
and Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
). Leading clubs from other European football leagues have also chosen to sign with SPORTFIVE, including Olympique Lyon, Paris St. Germain, AJ Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
and AS Monaco from the French Ligue 1 and Atalanta Bergamo, U.C. Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
and Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
from Italy’s Serie A.
In Germany, the company was instrumental in brokering the naming rights for the HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg, the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, the SIGNAL 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.
SPORTFIVE Italia
SPORTFIVE Italy is part of the international SPORTFIVE Group and cooperates with the Serie A teams Juventus F.C.Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
and U.C. Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
. 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
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
, 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.