Global digital sports specialists Perform today announced the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Sportal Australia, the preeminent provider of web, mobile and news services in the Australian and New Zealand sports markets. The deal furthers Perform’s global expansion and creates a major digital sports media player in a market that is set to expand significantly as broadband and 3G matures and the Australian betting market starts to liberalise.
Sportal Australia has been operating on a standalone basis under the management of its founders since 2001, when the ambitious UK Sportal Network collapsed in the dot-com crash. Since then, cofounders Chris Mutimer and Chris Hume have developed the business into the leading provider of digital solutions, content and advertising services to sports rights holders and distributors. During this time Sportal’s sixty strong team have developed an extensive client list including Cricket Australia, NRL, PGA of Australia, Golf Australia, Australian Grand Prix Corporation, FFA, Yahoo 7, Telstra, Hutchison 3G, Vodafone, Optus and their own flagship portal Sportal.com.au, one of Australia’s premier sports portals.
The acquisition by Perform, who have recently opened offices in Singapore and New York, will see many immediate synergies, in particular around the exploitation of online video, an area where Perform already works with major Australian rights holders Cricket Australia and Tennis Australia. The combined Sportal and Perform business will look to offer an enhanced range of internet and mobile video content and services to all regional sports rights holders and media distributors.
Sportal will continue to operate and service its clients with its current team, and with no change to its management; Chris Mutimer will continue as CEO, and Chris Hume will remain with the company, whilst Alex Peebles the Perform General Manager will also remain with the company.
Perform owns, manages and represents one of the largest catalogues of new media sports rights in the world, streaming over 10,000 live events and distributing 600,000 sports video highlight clips a year to publishers, sports associations, media groups, betting companies and mobile operators globally. Perform also already works with Australian ISP Big Pond to run the leading sports video portal for expatriated Australians www.aussiesport.tv, which features extensive video rights from AFL, NRL and V8 Supercars.
www.Sportal.com.au will launch an Australian version of Perform’s e-Player, a free to view, advertiser funded embeddable web TV player which currently syndicates highlights of over 30 leading sports properties across every major UK publisher, and in Spain and the USA, amassing a global audience of 10 million monthly unique users. Other initiatives will include the launch of a pay per view and subscription service for Australian fans of international sport, as well as an enhanced version of Perform’s live betting internet TV service watchandbet.tv, in preparation for the expected liberalisation of the online in-play betting market in Australia.
Sportal will also provide editorial content and mobile applications to Perform’s current rights holder, publisher, mobile, sports association and media group clients, as well as represent the advertising sales for Australian traffic on Perform’s growing international advertising network which reaches 15 million sports fans each month.
As part of the deal the new combined company will continue to work closely with Press Association Sport, who sold its 33% shareholding to Perform as part of the transaction. Sportal and Perform will continue to distribute Press Association Sport content in Australia and New Zealand and share content and services.
Press Association Sport has retained its 33% stake in Champion Data, which is the exclusive data partner of the AFL (Aussie Rules). Champion Data, which was wholly owned by Sportal, has been separated out as part of the transaction.
Simon Denyer, Joint CEO of Perform said: “We are delighted to complete this deal. Several of our senior management worked with the Sportal team 10 years ago. What they have achieved in that period is exceptional and the timing is right to join forces and really push the Australian and New Zealand digital sports market forward. There are many similarities between our businesses and together we can deliver greatly enhanced revenues to Australian rights holders, new audiences for Australian advertisers and most importantly a range of services that we both think the sports fans in the market are ready for.”
Chris Mutimer, Joint founder and CEO of Sportal said: “Perform have the scale, the digital rights and the broad international experience to take the Sportal business in Australia and New Zealand to another level. Our clients will have access to exceptional video applications and content, and also to an international sales team to commercialise their video assets. Perform will also be able to immediately commercialise Sportal’s content and applications throughout the world. It is an exciting time for our business – in our 10th year, we open a new and exciting chapter in our history, one that will position the business for years to come.”
