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Sports Marketing Bits: Wasserman buys Ignite, ATLX gets funding, Sport site targets English-Dominant Latinos

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A look at recent activity in the Sport Marketing sector.

  • Wasserman Media Group acquires Ignite

Wasserman Media GroupIgnite, a leading brand experience agency, has been acquired by global sports and entertainment specialist Wasserman Media Group for an undisclosed sum.The deal will see Ignite bring its experiential and activation expertise to Wasserman’s sports, entertainment marketing and athlete management business. Ignite and its clients will also benefit from access to Wasserman’s global network, resources, and relationships across the sports and entertainment landscape.Wasserman has expertise in media rights, sponsorship, brand and property consulting, athlete management, digital, creative, and multicultural marketing. The Ignite team will join Wasserman’s consulting division, who work with brands including American Express and PepsiCo on crafting strategic programs across the sports, music, fashion and other lifestyle verticals.

  • ATLX receives funding from Nexos Capital Partners

ATLXATLX (“Athletics, Training, Lifestyle”), a 24/7 sports entertainment television network fully dedicated to everyday athletes and athletic lifestyle, announced today that it had secured strategic investment funding from Nexos Capital Partners (Nexos), a Latino-focused private equity firm, as the network expands its digital media offering and prepares for its television launch in spring 2014 (www.atlxtv.com). ATLX and Nexos have also partnered to expand the network’s original Spanish-language content in the ATLX space as well as distribute the ATLX Channel throughout Spanish-speaking markets. “Nexos brings extensive experience to our executive team along with a deep understanding of ATLX growth markets in U.S. and global Spanish-speaking communities. Their private equity investment will allow us to accelerate our growth across all fronts,” said Jacob Arback, president and CEO of ATLX. ATLX will launch with a broad slate of original entertainment programming across a variety of genres and formats. The network, which cuts across all sports, recreational and athletic activities, is designed for those in all life stages and at all levels of ability. ATLX also goes behind-the-scenes to explore the “athletes behind the athletes” – world-class coaches, sports doctors and orthopedic surgeons, sports psychologists and performance-based nutritionists who bring their credentials and subject matter expertise to ATLX audiences.

  • Sporting Nation

TheSportingNation.com, a bi-cultural sports brand focused on creating original content for the U.S. Hispanic audience, soft-launched recently, filling a void in the sports internet landscape. The site was founded by Robert Rodriguez, a former FOX Deportes digital team staffer, who wanted to tell more stories about the athletes who matter most to Latino audiences. Joining Rodriguez is Mario Flores, one of the first experts to emerge in the Latino sports PR and marketing field, and current managing director/partner and co-founder of public relations agency Sportivo. “Our goals are simple,” said Rodriguez. “Tell great stories from across all of the major professional sports. Spotlight the contributions, achievements and awesomeness of Latino athletes. Provide opportunities for Latino sports journalists looking to find their way in the ultra-competitive sports industry.” Still in its early roll-out stages, Rodriguez believes that sports fans are ready for new stories, new figures to cheer for and new writers to tell those stories, in the language that they prefer – English.

  • Lead Dog Deportes

LeadDog Deportes, the newly formed Hispanic sports marketing arm of industry leader LeadDog Marketing, announced that they have signed Mexican soccer star Rafa Marquez to a marketing representation contract. LeadDog Deportes will represent Marquez and The Rafa Marquez Foundation, which helps raise awareness for children’s education and health initiatives, on a variety of brand marketing initiatives throughout North America. He is the first client for the newly launched division. Considered one of the best Mexican soccer players of all time, Rafa Marquez, earned the nickname “El Kaiser,” for his excellent defensive skills on the field. Marquez was captain of the Mexican National Team for an unprecedented three World Cups and history will remember him as the first Mexican to win a UEFA championship while he played for F.C. Barcelona. He is currently playing for Club Leon of La Liga MX.

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