Global Sportnet, the leading independent sports marketing agency specialising in the acquisition and marketing of broadcasting and advertising rights for European football clubs and associations, announces that it has sold 100% of the issued capital of Global Sportnet Beteiligungs GmbH as of 7 January 2002 to WPP, one of the world’s leading communications services groups.
Founded in 1995 by Thomas Martens, former Head of International Football at UFA Sports, Global Sportnet has become one of Europe´s most influential specialists in the marketing of broadcasting and advertising rights for European football clubs and associations.
Current TV and advertising rights agreements include three Football Associations in respect of qualifying matches to European Championships and World Cups and a further 100 clubs in 31 European countries such as Juventus FC, FC Internationale and SL Benfica. TV rights to more than 450 football matches have been sold to around 80 television stations throughout the world.
Furthermore, Global Sportnet has successfully increased its activities in the marketing and sponsorship area and is considered to be the pioneer in applying virtual advertising for live broadcasts of football matches. Achieved revenues for 2001 exceed Euro 20m.
Thomas Martens, founder and CEO of Global Sportnet said: ‘I´m very proud that Global Sportnet has gained the interest of such a huge and successful organisation like WPP and that we have concluded this deal. Without the support of a large parent company Global Sportnet has achieved a leading market position in Europe within a short period of 5 years in a very competitive sector against companies such as Ufa Sports and Kirch-Media.
‘Now, being part of the WPP family I´m very enthusiastic about what we will be able to achieve within the next 5 years. In any case the ambitions are again very exiting. The acquisition of Global Sportnet continues WPP’s strategy of establishing a leadership position in the faster growing sectors of communications services and we are delighted to contribute to this strategy.’
Global Sportnet intends to expand and diversify its activities into other business areas within football as well as outside football. The company will also be open to enter into strategic partnerships. Global Sportnet intends to establish new and additional services for existing and new clients and the synergies with the other members of the WPP family will certainly help to achieve these aims.
Thomas Martens will remain as CEO of Global Sportnet and he will also actively support the establishment of WPP’s sports marketing aims. Christoph Jennen, CFO of the company, has been promoted to the management board. The company is now looking to add further staff on a senior and manager level.
WPP is one of the world’s leading communications services groups, providing national, multi-national and global clients with advertising, media investment management, information & consultancy, public relations & public affairs, branding & identity, healthcare and specialist communications.
The Group is a member of the FTSE-100, FTSE-Eurotop 300, the MSCI and BusinessWeek’s Global 1000 companies and is listed on the NASDAQ exchange.
WPP’s major brands include advertising agencies J. Walter Thompson Company, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Young & Rubicam and Red Cell; the global media investment management companies MindShare, The Media Edge and CIA; market research companies Millward Brown, Research International, Kantar Media Research; the direct customer relationship and interactive marketing networks OgilvyOne Worldwide and Wunderman; public relations & public affairs firms Hill and Knowlton, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe; global healthcare companies CommonHealth and Sudler & Hennessey, and global branding & identity firms Enterprise IG and Landor.
WPP’s specialist communications services include sports marketing and events companies Première and Prism, as well as a number of firms specialising in interactive, web communications and hi-tech marketing.
In 2000, the Group’s proforma capitalised billings were $73bn (according to Ad Age) with proforma revenues of $8.1bn. Collectively, WPP employs more than 67,000 people in 1,400 offices in 102 countries.
For more information please contact:
Kirsten Köpcke
Global Sportnet Hamburg
T: +49.40.450 112 22
E: kkoepcke@globalsportnet.com
www.globalsportnet.com