The U.S. sports activities rights market is present process a little bit of a change and, extra importantly, so are the monetary ties between sports activities leagues and media companions. Also present process a change? IMG, which has expanded its remit to incorporate a wider breadth of providers which finally profit its purchasers in addition to its enterprise basis. SVG had an opportunity to catch up with Andrew Demsey, IMG SVP, North America, Rights, at Sportel to debate the modifications not solely inside IMG however the broader sports activities rights panorama.
What have been a few of the key highlights for the IMG U.S. workforce in 2025?
Under IMG President Adam Kelly and the new management workforce we’ve actually gone away from simply being particular features of media to having core pillars to assist providers, sponsorship or model partnerships, and we additionally now have a digital group. So, there are a whole lot of features that weren’t there earlier than and are actually in the U.S. and it’s been good to introduce purchasers on our rights aspect to our head of partnerships or our head of manufacturing. And whereas we’re definitely main the cost on the media entrance, there’s a whole lot of good purpose to convey us to the desk for these different issues. Looking at it from a aggressive panorama, we now have a full deck with all these completely different core capabilities round us.
Andrew Demsey, IMG SVP, North America Rights, says IMG’s expanded providers providing higher meets the wants of purchasers.
Walk me by these pillars and what they’re.
Well, us on the media rights aspect and that may be a core pillar individuals are very acquainted with, like our media rights advisory consulting. But we now have a model partnerships group that’s rolled into the TKO model partnerships group. And that provides us experience of TKO throughout UFC and WWE in addition to actually seasoned sponsorship and partnership executives which can be promoting particular person occasions.
And then now we have a giant manufacturing facility in Stamford and WWE the place Stephen Cook, EVP of IMG Studios, is now operating issues and that facility is superb.
Lastly, there’s our digital perform which helps with social media, social content material, social development technique, and all of that could be very related. And then we nonetheless have the information archive rights division and channels, and all of these completely different features are sitting there and provide us the potential to go to our purchasers’ companions and assist out.
What are some key current accomplishments for IMG in the U.S.?
The final yr has been our yr of tennis as we had been supporting the USTA and getting their new ESPN deal completed. And then we additionally had a Roland Garros deal and WTA…so from an IMG standpoint we worth our tennis relationships quite a bit and it was good to get these completed after additionally coming off a giant Wimbledon deal. And then there was a whirlwind of issues from school in addition to IndyAutomobile and serving to IndyAutomobile and Penske Entertainment CEO Mark Miles and the Penske workforce.
From a rights standpoint we undoubtedly have fun these offers in addition to new features like our advisory consulting which helps with scheduling governance, media growth, and workforce growth like with the NWSL. We’ve additionally helped the NWSL quite a bit with different completely different features.
So, we’ve simply actually developed into a really formidable choice for folks working in the sports activities market.
There have been some fascinating offers this yr with the NFL taking a stake in ESPN after which Fox taking a stake in Indy Racing. What do you assume these imply to the broader trade?
I believe they’re actually fascinating. I’m commenting from the exterior as a result of even on the Indy deal, the place we suggested on the Fox media rights deal, the Penske and Indy possession group and the Fox Group negotiated that individually. And what’s fascinating about that’s it reveals that Fox is a motivated accomplice and needs to assist develop Indy; it’s not only a lease on the property. And ESPN has completed one thing related with the Premier Lacross League the place they acquired a stake in a quickly rising sport.
And the on the different aspect, the NFL investing in ESPN is about ESPN being a key accomplice for the NFL as NFL is now year-round not simply on nonetheless many Sundays a yr. So, it’s in all probability a very good place for the NFL to make it possible for they’re in the combine with ESPN long run.
Right now, getting fairness is a very sizzling merchandise and it is going to be fascinating to see what the subsequent fairness deal can be or in the event that they preserve getting larger and greater.
What’s your tackle the well being of the rights market in the U.S? It does appear to be that rights packages are fracturing and being break up extra methods so are rights offers getting more durable to do?
Rights offers had been by no means not arduous to do however there was a day when it could be just a few folks sitting at the desk and you’d ask what would you like, is that this a good deal, agree after which go to lunch.
But now as the market shifts and packaging modifications everyone seems to be beneath extra stress to generate income and never have sports activities rights as a loss chief regardless that there are a few of these offers nonetheless being made. But [the need to have deals that make money] places pressures that we haven’t seen earlier than after which that makes the go-to-market course of very completely different.
What I believe is basically fascinating is we are actually in a world the place should you’re a rights holder you’re not serious about only one deal. You’re serious about completely different layers of packages and also you’re serious about rising past your major rights deal when it comes to attracting new viewers, new subscribers, and new followers. It’s not nearly the major rights transaction: now we have to consider all the things. And once more, the place we are actually with all the providers beneath one roof is useful.
The excellent news is sports activities stays a very worthwhile asset and it’s the final nice aggregator that drives viewers for various platforms and it additionally drives promoting.
So, do you assume this world of extra forms of rights offers makes the trade more healthy? I suppose the upside is extra offers obtainable means extra rights holders can get into the recreation relatively than sitting on the sideline.
Everything will get just a little higher, but it surely additionally will get extra sophisticated and extra complicated and extra strained. But proper now, is the finest time ever to be a sport fan viewer in the US. I’m from Cleveland and I’ve lived in New York for a really very long time and it was actually arduous to observe my Cleveland groups in New York with out paying some huge cash or having to go to a bar. But now I can just about discover any sport I would like for a value, or I could be good about the bundling or packaging and devour it in numerous methods. So, I believe from a client standpoint, you’ve by no means been higher when it comes to having the ability to discover and watch sports activities as a result of now we have a whole lot of choices in the market.
And the U.S. market permits us to be inventive relatively than in different international locations who would possibly solely have one outlet or one vacation spot plus a YouTube or [another streamer]. And in the U.S. I believe that richness and complexity enable IMG and our companions to be actually inventive. And I believe that’s what makes it a really fascinating and good time to be a sport asset, whether or not your area of interest sport or the largest of the huge going to market. Things are bursting.
We are additionally seeing some entities get into broadcasting sports activities they usually don’t actually have a full-blown sports activities manufacturing division. Do you assume that creates new alternatives for IMG’s manufacturing aspect?
That’s a singular characteristic of offers now as a result of it’s not only a provided that the community [or streamer] will produce the content material. And the means it has all the time labored is that may be a key a part of the negotiation and once you have a look at one thing like the NWSL they’ve completely different manufacturing agreements with every accomplice. Amazon needs to supply all their video games themselves, they usually have a workforce that does an unbelievable job. And then Scripps Ion produces their very own halftime present however the league produces the stay feed with ESPN. And then Victory+ has all their video games produced by the league. And in every of these circumstances that may be a negotiable a part of the contract.
And then there’s Feld Entertainment, one other shopper of ours. Not many individuals know the identify Feld Entertainment, however they know their manufacturers: Ringling Bros., Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, and Supercross amongst others. And their mindset is that they wish to nimble for his or her companions in order that their companions can deal with distribution, advertising and marketing, and promotion and never have to fret about getting out to the venue. So, Feld’s perspective is we’ll get you the product as a result of we all know the sport higher than anybody and we even know the filth for Supercross higher than anybody else and we also have a VP of filth and filth beneath parking tons throughout the nation.
Of course, they seek the advice of with their community companions, but it surely makes their occasions actually engaging to media companions. But the story is that manufacturing is not a given to be on both aspect: it’s now a key focus of dialog.
Does that imply a development alternative on your manufacturing arm?
Absolutely. Because generally a possible rights accomplice might not wish to carry the value or might not need the amenities as company instructions change. We can are available as both a whole answer or a part of the answer or assist in any a part of the world. And the those that now we have operating our group are unbelievable after which there are the amenities in numerous components of the world…the connectivity of the group…and the indisputable fact that we are able to commerce in finest practices and intelligence throughout the board.