Infront Sports & Media

Infront Sports & Media is an international sports marketing company headquartered in train in Switzerland. Central divisions are the global marketing of media and sponsorship rights for sporting events, and media production. Infront also offers services such as sports venue advertising, hospitality and event management. Infront has more than 20 branches with a total of 500 employees.

History

Infront Sports & Media grew out of the former Kirch Sport AG. In October, 2002, a consortium of investors, led by Robert Louis -Dreyfus, the Kirch Media subsidiary. This was originally inspired by a fusion of Swiss sports marketing CWL and Prisma Sports & Media. Infront was officially established in February 2003 and was until mid-2011, majority owned by the Jacobs Holding AG. In September 2011, the pan-European private equity firm Bridgepoint took over the company.

Management

Philippe Blatter, nephew of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, has managed the company as president and CEO. Executive Director is Günter Netzer, who acts among other things, especially as a representative to the outside.

Sports rights

One of the original corporate priorities was the football business. Infront marketed exclusive worldwide media rights to the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 Infront sold to broadcasters ARD and ZDF, 48 of the 64 World Cup games -. Including almost all the top games. The recording and transmission of the matches of the 2006 World Cup - taken over by the subsidiary company Host Broadcast Services (HBS ) - Japan and South Korea as early as 2002. 2005, however, Infront lost large parts of the FIFA mandate and then proposed a diversification strategy.

Infront is a partner of 130 associations, clubs and the organizing committee in the summer and winter sports.

In football, Infront has been working since the 1970s, together with the German Football Association and many other European football associations, leagues and associations. The clubs include Fortuna Dusseldorf, Werder Bremen, FC Schalke 04, AC Milan and Lazio. The company is also the exclusive media rights advisor and production partner of the Lega Serie A and B, and is working with the French Ligue 1 together. For FIFA, the company marketed the media rights of all major tournaments since 2007, including the FIFA World Cup 2014 and the FIFA World Cup 2010 in the Asian market through a joint venture with Japan's Dentsu called Football Media Services. Infront has also been appointed by FIFA as distribution partner for the Asian media rights for all FIFA events 2015-2022.

Furthermore, Infront partner of the European Handball Federation ( EHF ) and the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball ( CEV ) for the respective European Championships for men and women. In China, the company markets the country's No. 1 sport, basketball, at different levels - as a marketing partner of the national CBA League and Chinese national teams.

On behalf of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI ) sells Infront media rights for the road bike, track bike, mountain bike and BMX World Championships. As a partner of the World Triathlon Corporation ( WTC), the company sponsoring packages marketed for Ironman and 70.3 races, produces single race and advises the association in the marketing of the media rights. Such all-encompassing role as media, marketing and production partner Infront has also held for the Berlin Marathon.

In winter sports, Infront represents six of seven Olympic winter sport federations and markets major international events as the discharged annually IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. In skiing Infront markets as a partner of the National Ski collectively the media and / or marketing rights for the majority of the FIS World Cup events - including the Four Hills Tournament. Furthermore, Infront involved in the World Championships and World Cup events, the IBU for biathlon, the FIBT for bobsleigh and skeleton, FIL for luge, and the WCF for curling.

Host Broadcast Services / Media production

Host Broadcast Services (HBS ) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infront and is for the central media production ( the so-called Host Broadcasting ) and signal distribution of major international events in professional sports responsible. HBS was founded in 1999 as a highly specialized host broadcaster of the World Cup and continues to work closely with international organizations such as FIFA for the FIFA World Cup 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 and the UEFA for the UEFA EURO 2008 and UEFA EURO 2012 together.

In addition, HBS responsible for the media production of the America's Cup in Valencia and the Asian Games in 2006 and 2010 and the French Ligue 1

In addition to the host broadcast projects of HBS Infront Group produces more sporting events - including FIS World Cup events, football matches, the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and the Superbike World Championship. The company also develops digital solutions and preparing sports content accordingly for New Media on.

Criticism

To calls for his resignation, including British Fanverbände, to the address Joseph Blatter led the end of 2009 the rights deal between FIFA and Match Hospitality AG, holds a 5 percent stake in the Infront Sports & Media. According to the FIFA 's rights were advertised, but Bidders competitors are not known.

Awards

  • 2010 IBC Judges' Award ( International Broadcasters Conference, The Netherlands)
  • 2010 Award SVG (Sports Video Group, USA )
  • 2010 AIB Award ( Association for International Broadcasting, England)
  • 2010 ISEM Sports Innovation Award (International Sports Event Management Conference, England)
  • 2012 Sportel Golden Podium Award ( Sportel, Monaco )
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