British billionaire Sir Philip Green has pledged his support to Dugout, a new digital media platform set to launch in partnership with a number of Europe’s leading football clubs, according to Sky News.
The UK broadcaster, citing a document that has been circulating between participating clubs, reported that Green would serve as Dugout’s chairman.
Sky News claimed that Green’s family would hold a minority stake in the venture, although financial details were not disclosed. The report added that James Hilton and Elliot Richardson would oversee the running of Dugout.
Green is the chairman of Arcadia Group, which owns a number of UK-based high-street retailers.
Dugout is reportedly set to launch as a free-to-use service in the coming months. Last week, UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported that a host of clubs have so far agreed to work together on the website, which will feature behind-the-scenes video content and exclusive interviews.
Sky News said clubs will be given equity in the business “in return for club and player access and regular weekly content”. In return, Dugout will reportedly grant half of the revenue from monetising this content back to the clubs, which will be able to be offered via other social media platforms after 24 hours.
According to the Daily Mail, the teams that have signed up are: English Premier League clubs Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United; Italian Serie A sides Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Roma; Spanish Liga champion Barcelona; French Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint-Germain and German Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich.
Over 100 players are also said to have joined up, including Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale, and Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane.