IMG (company)

IMG, originally known as the International Management Group, is a global sports, fashion, events and media company headquartered in New York City.[1] The company manages athletes and fashion celebrities; owns, operates and commercially represents live events; and is an independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media [2]. It has been owned by Endeavor since 2013.

International Management Group
TypeSubsidiary
Founded1960
FounderMark McCormack
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
United States
Area served
25+ countries
Key people
Ari Emanuel
(co-CEO)
Patrick Whitesell
(co-CEO)
Number of employees
3,000+
ParentEndeavor
DivisionsEvents & Media
IMG Arena
College
Golf
Tennis
Performance
IMG Academy
Fashion
Models
Clients
Consulting
Licensing
Joint Ventures
Art + Commerce
Websitewww.img.com

History

IMG was founded in 1960 in Cleveland, Ohio by Mark McCormack, an American lawyer who spotted the potential for athletes to make large incomes from endorsement in the television age; he signed professional golfers Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus as his first clients who collectively are known as The Big Three.[3] McCormack died in 2003.[4] In 2004 Forstmann Little, led by Theodore J. Forstmann, acquired the company; Forstmann served as chairman and CEO until his death in late 2011.

On June 1, 2006, IMG Media acquired Tiger Aspect Productions, the producer of the British television series Mr. Bean and the company, along with Darlow Smithson Productions (also acquired in 2006) later sold to Endemol in November 2009.[5][6][7]

In 2006, IMG Media acquired nunet AG,[8] a provider of mobile TV services to mobile network operators around the world. Clients of nunet's mobile TV CMS currently include: Vodafone, Proximus, Vodacom, Mobilkom A1. Content distributed currently includes MTV, Fashion TV, Eurosport, and Discovery Networks.

In November 2007, IMG acquired Kentucky-based Host Communications, which had multiple business units with services ranging from sports marketing and broadcasting to the management of associations and non-profit organizations. The sports-related businesses were combined with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to form IMG College, while the association management division was renamed IMG Associations.

IMG was originally headquartered in downtown Cleveland in a complex built in 1965 diagonally across the street from Erieview Tower. When the IMG Center was built, it originally housed the Cuyahoga Saving Bank, which was acquired by Charter One Bank in 1998. In 1997, IMG renovated the Cuyahoga Savings Bank Building and renamed it IMG Center. At street level they have a projection screen showing their businesses, events and clients, with images ranging from Formula One racing to professional golfers. Following the acquisition of IMG by Forstmann Little, the headquarters remained in Cleveland, Ohio, for several years until officially relocating to its new parent company's existing offices in New York, in 2010, though the IMG Center is still located on East Ninth Street in Cleveland.

On October 15, 2010, IMG acquired ISP, the multimedia rights holder for more than 50 universities based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As a result of the acquisition, IMG College retained ISP's former headquarters in Winston-Salem.[9]

On December 18, 2013, IMG was acquired by William Morris Endeavor and Silver Lake Partners in a $2.4 billion deal.[10] WME’s Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell serve as co-CEOs with IMG and its more than 3,000 employees worldwide continuing as an independent entity.

Media

IMG distributes over 45,000 hours of content—originating from more than 200 clients and events—to major global broadcasters annually, across all forms of media including TV, audio, fixed media, inflight and closed circuit, broadband and mobile. The company’s multimedia product offering includes production of all Channel 4 Racing broadcasts, Golfing World shows, while IMG also produces and distributes Sport 24,[11] the first ever live global premium 24-hour sports channel for the airline and cruise industries, and EDGEsport, the 24-hour premium action sports channel. It maintains the world’s largest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage and operates joint ventures with UEFA Champions League, Super Cup (clubs), Euros (national teams) (UEFA), Premier League (Premier League Productions), Premier League (Premier League Productions), French Tennis Federation, European Tour (European Tour Productions), Globo TV Sports (Brazilian League Productions), Associated Press (SNTV) and Asian Tour (Asian Tour Media).

IMG Academy

IMG Academy is a private educational institution located in Bradenton, Florida, and specializing in sports training. The boarding school offers an Academy program for Pre-K/elementary, middle & high school, and postgraduates, as well as a year-round camp program. The 500-acre campus also serves as the training and competition venue for amateur and professional teams, the host site for a variety of events, and a hub for sports performance research and innovation. Sport programs include: baseball; golf; soccer; tennis; basketball; football; lacrosse; and track & field and cross-country.

IMG Models

IMG Models, a division of IMG Worldwide, is an international model management firm. IMG models has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. Representing female talent since its inception, as of September 21, 2012, IMG has re-launched its men's division after its dismantling in 2007.[12]

Consulting

Consulting works with many corporations on marketing and sponsorship programs, and IMG's stadium and arena group works with leagues and franchises throughout the world. In Brazil, it operated heavily in the recent years along with local affiliate IMM (former IMX), serving clients involved with the FIFA 2014 World Cup and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.

Speakers

Speakers book talent for Fortune 500 companies, associations, healthcare organizations, lecture series and colleges and universities throughout the world.[13]

Joint ventures

IMG operates joint ventures with four major partners in four key emerging marketsBrazil, China, India, and Turkey. IMM (Brazil, former IMX), CC-TV IMG (China), IMG Reliance (India) later Reliance buyout all stake and made it RISE Worldwide and IMG Dogus (Turkey) all work to develop sports, fashion and entertainment properties in their respective territories.

IMG has also partnered with John and Chris Evert to found the Evert Tennis Academy located in Boca Raton, Florida.

In 2015, IMG and Euroleague Basketball agreed on a 10-year joint venture. Together they will manage the commercial operation, and management of all global rights covering both media and marketing of the EuroLeague (the premier competition for European professional men's basketball clubs) and its 2nd-tier competition, the EuroCup.[14]

In May 2017 it was announced that Etihad Airways would collaborate with IMG Models, on a show called Model Diaries, showcasing models in high fashion as they travel to fashion shows around the world.[15]

In July 2017 IMG lost the R&A contract to run the Open Golf Merchandising Shop, as R&A opted to take the operation in house.

IMG events

Association football

Basketball

Bull riding

Entertainment

Figure skating

Golf

Martial arts

Motorsports

Rugby league

Running

Strongman

Surfing

Tennis

Triathlon

Volleyball

IMG College

In late 2007, IMG acquired Host Communications and the Collegiate Licensing Company to form IMG College. In 2010 IMG acquired ISP Sports, which was based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[22] Today, IMG represents the multimedia rights for more than 90 universities, conferences, collegiate associations and venues along with the licensing rights to more than 150 colleges and universities as well as the College Football Playoff. Additionally, IMG Seating serves more than 100 universities, and IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions provides outsourced ticketing services to 30 universities nationwide.

IMG Fashion

IMG Licensing

Licensing Division works in trademark licensing and currently provides its services to more than 100 Licensors of intellectual property (corporate trademarks, Institutions and non-profits, Automotive companies, Fashion, Lifestyle, Entertainment and Events, Athletes, Legends and personalities).

IMG eSports

In April 2022, the Global Esports Federation (GEF) announced IMG as their strategic partners and as a result the Commonwealth Esports Championship was formed.[23]

IMG Tennis

Television channels

Sport 24

Sport 24 is a 24/7 live sports television channel owned by IMG Media, which is available on international airlines such as Lufthansa, Alitalia, Hong Kong Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, All Nippon Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, American Airlines, WestJet, and AeroMéxico, as well in international waters on cruise lines including Carnival.[25]

Among the leagues, tours, and events that have been covered by the service are Premier League, National Football League, National Basketball Association, UEFA Champions League, ATP World Tour, PGA Tour, European Tour, Euroleague and European Rugby Champions Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, 2020 Summer Olympics and Ryder Cup. As there is limited competition for these rights in international airspace and international waters, IMG has been able to consolidate these rights onto a single service.[26]

Sport 24 launched in February 2012. A secondary part-time channel, Sport 24 Extra, launched in 2016, offering an extra 150 live hours a month and choice during concurrent events.[26] Both channels originate from IMG’s production headquarters at Stockley Park, near London’s Heathrow Airport. Sport 24 is available on Panasonic’s live television service, which is broadcast via satellite to airlines.

EDGEsport

EDGEsport is an international sports and lifestyle television channel owned by IMG Media, broadcasting a variety of action and extreme combat sports, and adventure sports programming. It is available in over 20 countries across the Europe, Middle East, the United States (via Xumo) and Asia Pacific.

On February 1, 2018, the Philippine version of the channel (later renamed as TAP Edge in February 2020) was launched via Sky Cable, and it was the first channel owned by TAP Digital Media Ventures Corporation (TAP DMV), EDGEsport programming was ended on TAP Edge in December 2020, as the channel transition its format to action/drama-oriented general entertainment channel.[27]

See also

References

  1. img.com Archived February 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "IMG | A global sports & culture company". IMG. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  3. "Mark McCormack and IMG". Creaghan McConnell Group. Archived from the original on November 8, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  4. Litsky, Frank (May 17, 2003). "Mark H. McCormack, 72, Pioneer of Sports Marketing". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  5. "Tiger Aspect Bought by IMG Media". The Guardian. June 1, 2006. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  6. "Endemol acquires Tiger Aspect, Darlow Smithson from IMG". Television Business International. November 24, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  7. "Endemol buys Darlow Smithson, Tiger Aspect". Realscreen. November 23, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  8. "可愛い赤ちゃんが生まれたら出産祝い!出産祝い・内祝いって何?". www.nu-net.com. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  9. bizjournals.com
  10. Cohan, William (February 13, 2015). "The Inside Story of Ari Emanuel's Big, Risky WME-IMG Merger". Vanityfair.com. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  11. "Sport 24". Sport 24.
  12. "IMG Models Launches Men's Division". September 21, 2012. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.
  13. "WME Speakers". WME Speakers. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  14. "Euroleague Basketball A-licence clubs and IMG agree on 10-year joint venture". Euroleague Basketball. November 10, 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  15. "Etihad Airways and Ellery celebrated 10-year milestones at Mercedes-Benz fashion week Australia" (Press Release). May 18, 2017.
  16. Association, The Football. "The website for the English football association, the Emirates FA Cup and the England football team". www.thefa.com. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  17. "Hyde Park Winter Wonderland". Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2019. PWR Events, an International Management Group (UK) Limited company, are proud to be actively producing sustainable events and are certified to ISO 20121, the international standard for sustainability in event management.
  18. "Super League and RFL announce strategic partnership with IMG".
  19. "Sponsors - Sydney International Tennis". apiainternational.com.au. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  20. "Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell - 65º Trofeo Conde de Godó". www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  21. "Ion Țiriac Sells The Mutua Madrid Open To IMG". Romania Journal. December 6, 2021.
  22. "IMG College - History". www.imgcollege.com. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  23. "IMG appointed as Global Esports Federation's strategic partner". Gambling Insider. April 21, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  24. "IMG - Tennis". Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  25. "Experience the 2018 FIFA World Cup Onboard". Airways Magazine. June 14, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  26. Fox, David (February 6, 2019). "IMG Studios draws up route plan to IP for Premier League and Rugby World Cup". SVG Europe. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  27. "New sports, lifestyle channel launched". Manila Standard. March 10, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
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