Global sports, events and talent management 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.
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 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. Following the acquisition of IMG by Forstmann Little, the headquarters remained in Cleveland, Ohio, for several years until officially relocating to its 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 to form WME-IMG.[10] WME's Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell served as co-CEOs.
WME-IMG reorganized in October 2017 with the parent company being renamed from WME-IMG to Endeavor, and IMG and WME becoming subsidiaries of Endeavor. Ari Emanuel became Endeavor CEO and Patrick Whitesell became Endeavor executive chairman.[11]
Media
IMG's Media Division produces, develops and executes multi-channel distribution strategies for federations, associations and events working with major global broadcasters, channels and platforms. Each year it delivers 45,000 hours of content originating from over 200 clients.
The company's multimedia product offering includes production of Channel 4's England men's UEFA Nations League and European Qualifiers and Super League rugby coverage, CBS' UEFA Champions League coverage, the DP World Tour and Ryder Cup coverage, and the Premier League's international broadcast feed.
IMG also produces and distributes Sport 24,[12] the live, linear sports channel for the airline and cruise industries, and EDGEsport, the linear action sports channel.
In 2012, IMG created IMG ARENA, a sports data and technology company for the betting, media and professional sectors.[citation needed]
Endeavor acquired Mailman Group in 2021, and its UK-based Seven League digital marketing agency was integrated into IMG's Media division.[13]
Trans World Sport was one of the first productions created by TWI/IMG when it began weekly production in May 1987. The 49-minute sports magazine programme airs in numerous countries around the world and is owned and distributed by IMG
Archive
IMG's Archive Services (previously IMG Replay) houses the largest sports archive platform with over 500,000 hours of content dating back over 120 years including event footage, highlights, interviews, ISOs and programming, available in 4K, 3D and HR=D.[14]
IMG currently works with over 37 rightsholders helping to digitise, monetise and market their archive content including:
IMG also supports brands, agencies and production studios in securing rights and clearance for archive content.[15]
Models
IMG Models is an international modelling agency headquartered in New York City and with additional offices in London, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. It is a subsidiary of the talent management company International Management Group. The company merged with William Morris Endeavor in 2013. In 2015, the agency represented more than half of the highest-paid supermodels. Ivan Bart is the current President, and Lisa Marie Benson is the Vice President. [16]
Consulting
IMG's Consulting division works with rightsholders, and brands on commercial, marketing and sponsorship strategy. IMG's stadium and arena group works with leagues and franchises.
In Brazil, IMG worked with local affiliate IMM (former IMX), serving clients involved with the FIFA 2014 World Cup and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
Joint Ventures
IMG operates joint ventures with key partners across many areas of the business.
In Brazil, China, India, and Turkey IMM (Brazil, former IMX), CC-TV IMG (China), IMG Reliance (India) and IMG Dogus (Turkey) develop sports, fashion and entertainment properties in their respective territories.
In 2015, IMG and Euroleague Basketball agreed on a ten-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.[17]
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.[24] 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 universities.[citation needed]
Licensing
IMG's Licensing Division works in trademark licensing and currently provides its services to more than 100 Licensors of intellectual property.[citation needed]
eSports
IMG eSports represents commercial rights on behalf of game publishers and tournament operators.
- PGL
- DPC WEU Tour
- DPC NA Tour
- EVO
- EVO Japan
- EVO Las Vegas
- Combo Breaker
- CEO
- East Coast Throwdown
- First Attack
- Versus Fighting
- UFA
- Global Esports Federation
- Global Esport Tours
- Global Esports Games
In April 2022, the Global Esports Federation (GEF) announced IMG as their strategic partners and as a result the Commonwealth Esports Championship was formed.[25]
Channels
Sport 24
Sport 24 is a 24/7 live sports television channel owned by IMG, which is available on international airlines including AeroMéxico, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines, as well in international waters on cruise lines including Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and P&O.[27]
The channel broadcasts live sport from 40 international federations and competitions. These include Premier League, National Football League, National Basketball Association, UEFA Champions League, ATP World Tour, PGA Tour, European Tour, Euroleague, UEFA Euro, Olympics and Ryder Cup.[28]
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.[28] 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.
