Dentsu Inc. Reaches Agreement to Acquire 100% of Shares in France's Leading Independent Sports Marketing Company, Keneo
Dentsu Aegis Network, the overseas headquarters of Dentsu Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Nao Ishii; Capital: ¥74,609.81 million), has reached an agreement with the shareholders of KENEO SAS (Headquarters: Paris; CEO: Franck Ladouce; hereinafter "KENEO"), a leading independent sports marketing company in France, to acquire 100% of its shares.
This acquisition will further expand the scope and scale of the Dentsu Group's business in France, positioning it as the largest agency in the country within the sports domain.
Founded in 2008, KENEO SAS provides comprehensive sports marketing services globally, not just in France, through its five business units: Consulting, Marketing, Event Management, Activation, and Lifestyle. It handles business not only in professional sports but also in the area connecting companies with amateur sports. In 2015, it was involved in managing a total of 370 sports-related events and operating 70 stadiums/arenas.
Following the acquisition, we will integrate Keneo into MKTG, one of our group's ten global network brands* and the French hub for lifestyle marketing.
Going forward, the company will aim to further expand its sports marketing business while collaborating with other group companies operating in France and globally.
We anticipate the global sports marketing market will continue growing at an average annual rate of approximately 5%, driven not only by major events like the Olympics and FIFA World Cup, but also by the expansion of sponsorship and broadcasting rights businesses. Furthermore, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), including France, accounts for about 38% of the global sports marketing market.
Moving forward, our group will accelerate its growth strategy by further diversifying its sports marketing business, a core strength, within this region.
The impact of this matter on the consolidated results for the fiscal year ending December 2016 is expected to be minimal.
*Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network (London), which oversees Dentsu Inc. overseas operations, conducts business globally centered on 10 global network brands. These 10 brands are Carat, Dentsu (Dentsu Brand Agencies), Dentsu media, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope, and Vizeum.
【KENEO Overview】
Company Name: KENEO SAS
Headquarters: Paris, France
Established: April 2008
Shareholder Structure: 100% owned by Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network following share acquisition
Revenue: €5,759,000 (approx. ¥650 million) (Fiscal Year Ended December 2015)
Representatives: Edouard Donnelly (Chairman)
Franck Ladouce (CEO)
Vincent Batigne (Deputy CEO)
Number of Employees: 30
Business Description: Provides comprehensive services in the sports marketing field
