International sports marketing agency Infront has established a new management structure for its production arm to bring it into a more centralised model.
As part of the rejig, Amikam Kranz, the company’s senior vice president of media, betting, technology, and production, will assume overall responsibility for Infront Productions.
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Blair Wood will head the management team, with responsibility for the management of the business as well as commercial development and sales.
He will work closely with Uzi Kakuda, who leads live production and editorial globally, and Alessandro Lonati, who oversees Infront Productions’ new technical facility in Milan, including MCR operations, non-live and digital content services, production operations, and advanced technologies.
While the structure brings Infront Productions into a more centralised model, existing operational teams, client contacts, and project delivery will remain in place.
This development also follows the recent appointment of Ronald den Hollander as CEO of Host Broadcast Services (HBS), the Infront-owned television production company.
HBS will continue to specialise in large-scale host broadcast operations for major global sporting events, while Infront Productions offers a broader range of production and content services across international competitions, year-round properties, and direct client projects.
Infront Productions will continue to deliver these services for long-standing partners as well as clients secured directly beyond the group’s rights portfolio.
Kranz said: “The priority with this new structure is to give Infront Productions clear leadership while maintaining the teams, relationships, and expertise that have driven its development.
“We have strong people and facilities across the business, and this model gives them a clearer framework to work together and continue delivering for our clients.”
The new structure comes as Infront Productions expands its responsibility for major international productions. The business will take full responsibility for host broadcast delivery of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship whilst continuing to oversee host production of the Men’s and Women’s EHF Euro competitions.
Infront Productions has expanded its external client base in recent years, with projects including FIFA+, the Diamond League, eSerie A, and World Gymnastics.
Infront’s extended partnership with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), announced last December, will also include live and non-live production, streaming, and signal distribution until 2034.
This will be managed by the Infront Productions team in Singapore, closely aligned with the Zug and Milan offices.
Philippe Blatter, president & CEO of Infront, added: “Infront Productions has built considerable momentum over the last few years, combining established expertise in major international sport with new clients, formats and technology.
“This structure gives the business clear ownership and the focus to build on the progress made. It also reflects the breadth of production capabilities across the Infront Group and gives both businesses the focus to serve different client needs.”
Infront also recently appointed Shahid Sen as its new managing director in the Pan-Asia region.
In terms of recent rights deals, the heavyweight sports agency announced an eight-year marketing deal with the International Table Tennis Federation and its World Table Tennis (WTT) commercial arm in late September, while in mid-July it extended its long-standing commercial partnership with the International Luge Federation, through to the end of the sport's 2029-30 season.
