IMG
Mandel on a Mission | IMG Media chief on the evolution of the agency
IMG Media’s Hillary Mandel has an appetite for some of sport’s most lucrative deals. She caught up with James Emmett to chew the fat over the evolution of the influential agency.
WME-IMG deal will take UFC to ‘next level’ – White
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White has said the mixed martial arts promotion’s takeover by the WME-IMG agency will take it to the “next level” after the deal was formally confirmed this (Monday) afternoon.
UFC sold to investment group led by WME-IMG for $4bn
A group of investors led by the WME-IMG agency has struck a deal to acquire the Ultimate Fighting Championship for approximately $4bn (€3.6bn), according to Dana White, the president of the mixed martial arts series.
A dirty business | Leading mass-participation event Tough Mudder’s global expansion
The popularity of mass-participation events has rocketed in recent years and Tough Mudder is at the forefront of the craze. Rob Ridley investigates.
IMG-Reliance enters athlete representation market
IMG-Reliance, the joint venture between the IMG agency and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, has broadened its remit by entering into the athlete representation business.
WME-IMG secures Japanese investment through SoftBank deal
WME-IMG has announced that Japanese telecommunications and internet firm SoftBank Group has invested $250m (€227.3m) to become a strategic partner in the agency.
Euroleague seals IMG deal to remodel European club basketball
Euroleague Basketball has signed a 10-season deal with the IMG Events & Media agency to establish a new joint-venture to operate relaunched European club competitions from the start of the 2016-17 season.
Agents of Change
Giants are emerging in the sports marketing landscape with multi-billion dollar agencies coming to the fore. Frank Dunne looks at how the arrival of the newly merged forces has affected the balance of power in the sports industry.
Counter Strike
Esports commentator Richard Lewis provides an insight into the battle on the ground between television broadcasters and the protective consumers of eSports.
Playing the Market
Owen Evans asked Jeff Slack, former IMG senior vice-president of football, for a sports marketer’s perspective on working in China and whether the David Beckham factor kick-started football in the country.
WTA moves Belgian event to Russia
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has confirmed the addition of a second Russian event to its 2016 calendar.
World Rallycross Championship appoints new chief
The IMG agency has announced the appointment of Paul Bellamy as the new managing director of the International Motorsport Federation’s (FIA) World Rallycross Championship (World RX).
IMG College acquires TopShelf, adds to Ivy League portfolio
The IMG College division of the IMG agency has acquired US mobile hospitality company TopShelf and has agreed a multi-year partnership with Princeton University.
IMG claims first with eSports representation deals
The IMG agency has furthered its presence in eSports by signing global representation deals with the Cloud9, Dignitas and SK Gaming organisations.
Zero Compromise
Rob Ridley takes a look at why the proposed Xero Gravity Action Sports and Entertainment Complex in Florida is set to become an action sports mega-hub unrivalled anywhere else in the world.
WME-IMG takes grip of Professional Bull Riders
The WME-IMG agency has furthered its presence in the live event productions market by agreeing to acquire Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the world’s premier bull riding circuit.
Women’s boxing superstar Brækhus teams up with agency heavyweights
The IMG agency has entered into an agreement with the promotional and management companies of world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko to represent and promote female boxing star Cecilia Brækhus.
Barcelona taps into IMG’s expertise in Chinese market
Spanish Liga football club Barcelona has entered into a strategic relationship with IMG for the agency to exclusively represent its commercial interests in mainland China.