Essentially Group Snaps Up Cricket Agencies

The landscape of the sports marketing agency market has been altered further
after Essentially Group became the latest agency to embark on an acquisition
spree, snapping up cricket specialists Frontiers Group and Athletes 1 Sports in
a double deal.

The cumulative transaction is worth £8.2m from a deferred consideration of
£4.1m depending on earn-out targets.

The move gives Essentially Group a significant foothold in cricket through
sports marketing consultancy Frontiers Group which represents the commercial
interests of England’s Test Match Grounds amongst other clients.

Athletes 1 operates an international sports management business with a strong
focus on athlete representation, sponsorship and rights management within
professional cricket. Clients include Anil Kumble, Ricky Ponting, Liam Plunkett,
Jon Lewis, Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe.

John Byfield, chairman of Essentially, stated: ‘There is a strong rationale
to complete these acquisitions and the related fundraising.  As with our
existing business, both acquisitions have high levels of recurring revenue under
long-term contracts. These contracts are with a mixture of athletes, brands and
stadiums all connected with cricket, expanding Essentially’s core offering into
a third sport.