The division, which will incorporate the development and management of sports channels across TV and digital media platforms, including joint ventures and consortium partnerships with a variety of networks and sports channels, follows the launch of new football channel Eredivisie Live in the Netherlands, a partnership between Endemol and the Dutch premier football league.
Endemol Sport to be managed by former senior IMG executives Lawrence Duffy and Gregg Oldfield. As joint Managing Directors, Duffy and Oldfield will be responsible for building a worldwide, multimedia sports business. This will include further leveraging Endemol’s global infrastructure by producing and distributing a wide range of sports content, such as live events coverage as well as factual and sport entertainment programming and magazine shows.
The division will be based in London, with Duffy and Oldfield will take up their roles on January 1, 2009 and will report to Ynon Kreiz, Chief Executive Officer of Endemol.
Ynon Kreiz said: “This represents a significant opportunity for Endemol. By further exploiting our global platform we are now aiming to become a leading international player in sports media. Gregg and Lawrence are at the very top of their field with a first class understanding of today’s sports business at all levels and are absolutely the right people to lead this new venture”.
Endemol comprises an international network of companies that spans 25 countries on five continents including the USA, the UK, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Latin America, India, South Africa and Australia.
