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Sportico Transactions: Moves and Mergers Roundup for December 15

Sportico Staff
·5 min read

Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry.

PERSONNEL

Russell Wolff to Join Sixth Street as Senior Member

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Russell Wolff, a 26-year veteran of ESPN and former head of ESPN+ and ESPN International, is joining Sixth Street in January as a senior member of its Sports, Media and Entertainment team. He’ll be adding his expertise identifying and evaluating investing opportunities and providing his experience and insight as an executive and board member to Sixth Street’s strategic partners. Most recently, Wolff oversaw ESPN+, which grew from under 1 million to 25 million subscribers under his leadership. Wolff sat on the board of ESPN Inc., as well as multiple ESPN equity investments around the world including overseeing Disney’s investment in NBA China from formation.

NFL’s Renie Anderson Joins PlayVS Board as Key Advisor

Esports platform PlayVS has unanimously elected Renie Anderson, the executive vice president and chief revenue officer of the National Football League, to join the PlayVS Board. Anderson will offer guidance to PlayVS as the organization continues its expansion of esports throughout the U.S. The board regularly collaborates with PlayVS leadership. Anderson’s involvement will be key to reducing barriers to entry for students, particularly as PlayVS implements a new revenue model in 2024 making its competition platform free to all high schools in North America. Anderson joined the NFL in 2006 following a nine-season tenure at the Arena Football League.

Chicago Fire FC Names Dan Moriarty as Chief Marketing Officer 

Chicago Fire FC has hired Dan Moriarty as chief marketing officer. His position with the Fire will begin on Jan. 2, 2024, and he will report directly to president of business operations Dave Baldwin. Moriarty will be responsible for developing and implementing branding, advertising, media and promotion activities to generate ticket sales, leverage corporate partner collaboration and garner increased awareness and interest for the club locally and globally. In this role, Moriarty will also oversee marketing and brand strategies related to the Chicago Fire Foundation, Fire Pitch (recreational soccer facility), youth and recreational soccer, and will serve as the club’s primary liaison to the Major League Soccer marketing department and Soccer United Marketing.

PARTNERSHIPS

Panini & FIFA Announce Renewal of Historic Partnership

FIFA and The Panini Group have renewed their long-standing partnership, which dates back over 50 years. Under the new agreement, Panini will remain as FIFA’s exclusive partner for official stickers, trading cards, trading-card games and digital collectibles, including for the FIFA World Cup 26 and FIFA World Cup 2030, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 and other FIFA competitions and events. Panini’s traditional collections will undergo a modern transformation, including by incorporating innovative digital integrations to cater to the evolving interaction with today’s fan community, while simultaneously serving the same collectors and fans from the past 50 years. Panini’s first product under the new agreement will be a line of FIFA collectibles focused on the world’s best national teams, to be released in 2024.

Smoothie King Named Official Smoothie of the Atlanta Hawks 

Smoothie King announced a partnership to be the Official Smoothie of the Atlanta Hawks. The deal marks the first professional sports partnership in Atlanta for Smoothie King. The Hawks will collaborate with Smoothie King on the launch of a Hawks-branded smoothie to be sold at participating Atlanta locations. Atlanta is now the brand’s third largest market with over 75 franchised locations across the greater metro area. The partnership with the Hawks also includes on-site activation, in-game features, in-arena and TV-visible signage, social and digital promotion, community engagement and interactive events.

Liverpool FC Taps Orion Innovation as Digital Transformation Partner

Liverpool Football Club has signed a multiyear deal with Orion Innovation to become the club’s official digital transformation partner. LFC will leverage Orion’s two decades of deep experience transforming the business operations of sports leagues and teams across the U.K., Europe, the U.S. and Asia Pacific. Through its Sports Innovation Lab, Orion has developed solutions for the sports industry, including a platform for sports operations, enhanced fan experience and gameday management.

Aramco Becomes Official Title Partner of Aston Martin F1 Team

Aramco, a global energy and chemical company, and the Aston Martin Formula 1 team announced a long-term extension of their partnership. Starting Jan. 1, 2024, the Silverstone-based team will be known as the Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 Team. Over the five-year agreement, Aramco will provide technology to deliver advanced fuels and lubricants to the team, alongside the team’s new works power unit engine partnership with Honda.

PRODUCTS

Paris Saint-Germain, Fanatics and Lids Add Toronto PSG Boutique

Paris Saint-Germain continued its global business and brand expansion opening stores in collaboration with Lids and Fanatics and will officially open its new Club official store on Dec. 15, located at 399 Queen Street W in Toronto. As part of the football club’s long-term partnership with Fanatics, Lids oversees the operations for PSG store locations to create consistent retail experiences worldwide for sports fans and fashion mavens alike to enjoy. The Paris Saint-Germain store in Toronto is the first flagship store of the Rouge & Bleu in Canada, the fourth in North America (New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Toronto), and the 14th worldwide (France (3), London (1), Seoul (1), Tokyo (3), Doha (2)).

PURCHASES

Chris Paul and Aly Raisman Invest in Meati Foods

Meati Foods has two new investors: 12-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Chris Paul, and three-time gold medalist and two-time world champion gymnast Aly Raisman. Paul and Raisman join other investors and partners such as MLB Hall of Fame member Derek Jeter; chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio; cook, philanthropist and television personality Rachael Ray; and sweetgreen co-founders Nicolas Jammet and Jonathan Neman.

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