The Lagardère Unlimited sports marketing division of media conglomerate Lagardère has today (Thursday) acquired the UFA Sports agency.
UFA is the European-based sports marketing subsidiary of European media group RTL and was founded in 2008. Through the purchase, Lagardère Unlimited said it will reinforce its football and media assets, especially in Europe, and expand its portfolio of football marketing activities in Germany, Poland and Slovakia.
As a subsidiary of Lagardère Unlimited, UFA Sports will continue to operate its football marketing activities in Germany as a separate and independent entity within the Lagardère Unlimited network of businesses.
In addition, Lagardère Unlimited will strengthen its senior management team with UFA Sports executives Stefan Felsing, Robert Müller von Vultejus, Nikolaus von Doetinchem and Karsten Mahlmann agreeing to stay on board in full-time roles. Current managing director, Philip Cordes, will remain on board as a consultant.
“This acquisition underlines Lagardère Unlimited’s strategy of strengthening its position in football globally and attracting the industry’s best talent,” Andrew Georgiou, chief operating officer of Lagardère Unlimited, said. “Since its foundation, UFA Sports has grown significantly and has developed an impressive portfolio of assets that will complement the existing businesses of Lagardère Unlimited very well.”
The original UFA Sports was one of three companies that merged to create the Sportfive ‘super-agency’ in 2001. Sportfive is owned by Lagardère Unlimited.
Stefan Felsing, managing director of UFA Sports, said: “Lagardère Unlimited is a strong shareholder with a long term vision. We’re looking forward to working with Lagardère Unlimited to benefit from the global network and are happy to come back in the group because we like the new direction.”
Amongst its sports properties, UFA Sports is the exclusive distributor of worldwide rights for the International Premier Tennis League (pictured), while it also holds partnerships with pan-European ice hockey competition the Kontinental Hockey League and the United League European basketball tournament.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed and it is still subject to regulatory approval from the German competition authorities. This process is expected to take between four to six weeks.