Milan, Italy – Infront Sports & Media, the world’s leading and most respected international sports marketing company, announces today the acquisition of Gsport, one of Italy’s leading companies for marketing rights management in national club football, and of Sport09, one of the major media agencies for sport in Italy. The two companies will be integrated into Infront Italy, the Italian branch of the Infront Group.
The acquisitions are part of Infront’s long-term growth strategy that includes the expansion of its marketing and sales capabilities in Italy. With the integration of the two companies’ strong sales forces, Infront Italy will create an in-house sales centre of excellence. This will allow Infront to significantly increase its services and impact in the Italian sport sponsorship market.
By gaining competencies of Gsport and Sport09, Infront will further develop its capabilities to commercialise major sports properties and will be able to implement tailor made programmes for each type of need and client. Both companies are well-established across the country with a strong track record in attracting both local and regional territorial brands. Infront benefits from complementary know-how as well as a widely recognised competence of creating and managing corporate hospitality services. Overall, the acquisitions will allow Infront to widen and strengthen its expertise and solutions offered to sponsor brands in Italy.
“We are convinced that these important acquisitions will bring immediate benefits to our partners in club football and to brands that want to become associated with top sports properties”, commented Giuseppe Ciocchetti, Managing Director of Infront Italy. “We felt the need to enhance our internal sales force with a widespread presence across the country to be closer to an increasing portfolio of client partners interested in achieving broad nationwide coverage through multi club partnerships. The acquisition concluded today clearly addresses these market needs and we are confident that the new integrated Infront sales team will create more efficiency and better service for all our clients.”
The top management of the two companies acquired, Natale Bellati, CEO of Sport09, Roberto Aliprandi, COO of Sport09, and Alessandro Giacomini, CEO of Gsport, will remain on board and cover key roles in the sales management. They will report to Infront Italy’s General Manager Giuseppe Ciocchetti. Both companies will be rebranded under the Infront identity.
About Infront Sports & Media
Infront Sports & Media is the most respected sports marketing company in the world, managing a comprehensive portfolio of top properties. Led by President & CEO Philippe Blatter, Infront covers all aspects of successful sporting events – including distribution of media rights, sponsorship, media production and event operation – and has won a reputation for its high standards of delivery. As the number one player in winter sport and with a leading role in football, summer and endurance sports, Infront enjoys long-lasting partnerships with 160 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, Infront has a team of experienced staff working from 25 offices across 13 countries, delivering 4,000 event days of top class sport around the world every year.
