Dentsu Inc.'s overseas subsidiary, Dentsu Sports LLC, has reached an agreement with the members of Athletes First, LLC (hereinafter "Athletes First") to acquire a 33.3% stake in the U.S. sports agency.
Founded in 2001, Athletes First operates in the world's largest sports market, the United States. It primarily focuses on the National Football League (NFL), the professional American football league, handling compensation contract agency services and marketing for players, coaches, and television broadcast commentators. The NFL boasts unparalleled popularity and economic scale among the four major U.S. sports leagues. Notably, the Super Bowl, which determines the national champion, accounts for nine of the top ten highest-rated television programs in U.S. history. Athletes First represents one of the largest rosters of NFL players in the United States. Forbes magazine ranks it as the world's eighth-largest sports business agency and among the top NFL agencies in the United States.
Dentsu Inc. has previously conducted business by acquiring marketing and broadcasting rights for U.S. professional sports. This investment, however, targets an agency at the core of the massive U.S. sports business, with the NFL as its centerpiece.
Going forward, the company will work with Athletes First to further expand its agent services and diversify its sports marketing business globally, with a focus on the United States.
〈Athletes First, LLC Overview〉
Company Name: Athletes First, LLC
Headquarters: Laguna Hills, California, USA
Established: February 2001
Shareholding Structure: After Investment
Dentsu Inc. Sports LLC: 33.3%
Athletes First, LLC Members 66.7%
Revenue: Approximately $10 million (approximately ¥1.2 billion) (Fiscal Year Ending December 2014)
Representative: David Dunn (CEO)
Number of Employees: 19
Business Activities: Agent services for NFL players, coaches, TV broadcast commentators, etc., and marketing services
Dentsu Inc. News Releasehttp://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2015/0507-004042.html
