Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships and products across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
Wasserman Hires Private Equity Executive Steve Murray
Sports, music and entertainment company Wasserman has hired Steve Murray as executive vice president of mergers & acquisitions and strategy. Murray joins Wasserman from Providence Equity Partners, where he was a principal on their investment team. Murray spent 12 years at Providence, including a stint at the company’s London office. He has extensive experience in the sports, music and entertainment industries, having collaborated with prominent organizations such as the NFL, MLS, Learfield, Real Madrid and Warner Music. While at Providence, Murray helped lead the firm’s strategic investment into Wasserman in November 2022, providing growth capital for the company’s next phase of expansion. Wasserman has completed more than 20 acquisitions since 2020, including eight since Providence’s investment.
Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Hire Amanda Mann as Executive VP
Amanda Mann has been hired as executive vice president and chief facilities officer for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. In her new role, Mann will oversee the operations of all Hawks properties, including their business offices within Centennial Tower, the Emory Sports Medicine Complex and State Farm Arena. At State Farm Arena, she will also be responsible for the event, facility and financial management responsibilities of the venue. Mann brings more than 25 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industries, having worked for the NBA’s Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, along with Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV) and Clear Channel Entertainment. She is the first woman to lead arena operations in the Hawks’ 56-year history.
New York Road Runners Names Alex Egan Senior VP of Philanthropy
New York Road Runners has named Alex Egan as senior vice-president for philanthropy. He will be a member of the senior leadership team, developing a philanthropic vision to spearhead fundraising initiatives that position NYRR for growth and impact during the post-pandemic running boom. Egan brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and fundraising, previously serving as the chief development officer at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, president/COO of Sail To Prevail and the associate vice president of operations management at the Central Park Conservancy.
Kiswe Appoints Joe Statter as Chief Financial Officer
Kiswe, a direct-to-consumer streaming company, has named Joe Statter as chief financial officer. In his new role, Statter will focus on driving Kiswe’s financial growth through fundraising and corporate development. Most recently, Statter served as CEO of Varsity CareAdult Health Services, where he developed and executed a buy-and-build strategy. Prior to that, he held executive positions at Evergreen Advisors Capital, Capitol Acquisition Corp. and Friedman Billings Ramsey & Co. Inc.
GSE Worldwide Announces Signings of Four Young Golfers
Sports agency GSE Worldwide has added three new golfers to its roster and re-signed a fourth. Nick Gabrelcik, Karl Vilips and Matthew Riedel are the new signees, with Ben James re-upping with the agency. Gabrelcik, a former player at the University of North Florida, secured direct access to the Korn Ferry Tour upon graduation. Vilips, a Standford standout from Australia, won the 2024 Pac-12 championship and recorded two top-20 finishes and a runner-up showing on his first three pro events on the Korn Ferry Tour. Riedel was a second team All-American at Vanderbilt and already has a sponsorship with Titleist. James, a junior at Virginia, ranks fourth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and qualified for the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
PARTNERSHIPS
Unrivaled Sports Adds National Tournament Operator NEFFL to Flag Football Division
On the heels of hosting back-to-back flag football championship events at ForeverLawn Sports Complex at the Hall of Fame Village, Unrivaled Sports has added NEFFL to its growing youth sports platform. As a leading national tournament operator, NEFFL joins Under the Lights Flag Football and ForeverLawn Sports Complex to make up Unrivaled Football. NEFFL will host over 25 tournaments across the country in 2024, in addition to operating 33 leagues with over 10,000 participants through New England Flag Football. As part of the announcement, Austin Bradshaw, the founder of NEFFL, has been named president of flag football tournament operations for Unrivaled Sports.
Overtime Select Signs Eight League Sponsors for Inaugural Season
Overtime Select, the new league for girls high school basketball, has signed eight sponsors for the inaugural season that kicks off Saturday, Aug. 3. The league will feature the largest number of top-ranked players competing at one time, with the majority of the 64 players in the league ranked in the Top 25 of their respective classes. League partners are adidas, Army Reserve National Guard, JPMorganChase, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Inc., “The Real Cost”, Gatorade, Nissan and State Farm. The eight league partners will also partner with Overtime Select on in-arena activations and custom content created for the highly-social Overtime audience with more than 100 million fans and followers across platforms.
Phillies Name Independence Blue Cross as Team’s First Jersey Patch Partner
The Philadelphia Phillies have expanded their partnership with Independence Blue Cross (IBX), making Philadelphia’s hometown health insurer the team’s Official Jersey Patch Partner. To signify this enhanced partnership, the IBX logo will adorn the sleeve of each of the Phillies’ team jerseys (home, away and City Connect). Additionally, the patch will be on the team’s Spring Training and postseason jerseys. The partnership will also expand beyond the game, as IBX and the Phillies utilize their platforms for future initiatives that will benefit fans, IBX members, associates and the community at large.
PRODUCTS
Golf Digest & Mustard Launch AI-Powered Platform to Improve Golfer’s Swing
Golf Digest has partnered with Mustard to deliver the first AI-powered mobile app—Mustard Golf—that empowers golfers of all abilities to understand their swing and improve their game under the direction of the world’s greatest coaches. Developed in collaboration with Mustard investor and former No. 1 golfer in the world Justin Rose, Golf Digest’s teacher Mark Blackburn and Mustard co-founder and performance coach Jason Goldsmith, Mustard Golf gives every golfer access to instruction by pairing sensor-less motion-capture with AI-driven personalized assessment and training from the game’s top minds, all delivered through an easy-to-use mobile app. The platform allows a player to video their swing without the need for added sensors or equipment, and it analyzes the swing using AI developed through motion capture and 3D models of thousands of professional and amateur swings.
PURCHASES
Shot Scope Secures $8.5 Million in Series B Funding, Sets Sights on Global Expansion
Shot Scope, a firm that offers advanced GPS, rangefinder and shot tracking technology, has secured $8.5 million in Series B funding, accelerating its offering of products and game-improving data to over 60 million golfers worldwide. Led by Guinness Ventures, which invested $4 million, the company has raised the capital to continue its global expansion and strong investment into product development, specialist resources and brand marketing, as it continues to provide subscription-free, game-enhancing technology to golfers. With GPS wearables, laser rangefinders and shot tracking devices, Shot Scope is committed to offering products and analytics tools to help players of all skill levels.
