Octagon Bags Rooney Rights In US
Octagon has signed a three-way deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) team DC United and Triple S Sports & Entertainment, the management agency of Wayne Rooney, to handle the player’s marketing and media rights in north America.
The agreement will give sponsorship agency Octagon exclusive rights to commercialise and activate the former England striker’s image in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It follows Rooney’s move to the Washington-based MLS side from Premier League Everton earlier this summer.
Commenting on the partnership, Sam Porter, senior VP of DC United said: “We are excited about working with Octagon to take advantage of the level of energy and interest Wayne has generated as a player.
“Octagon is a blue chip company in the sports industry, and they have a vision that fits perfectly with what Wayne, his agency TripleS Sports, and D.C. United want to achieve off the pitch.
“Wayne and his team have been great to work with, and adding another organisation of Octagon’s calibre to the group should lead to great commercial opportunities.”
Paul Stretford, Triple S Sports & Entertainment Group MD, added: “I am delighted that we at Triple S have been able to agree terms with both D.C. United and Octagon to become the exclusive commercial sales agency for the US and Canada.
“As a business we are proud of the commercial opportunities that Wayne has been involved in from the moment he became a professional at Everton and through to his record breaking goals for both Manchester United and England.
“To ensure that his brand capitalises from his on field achievements and off pitch fame, we felt it was important to build a partnership with a business that is a leader in its field and hungry to generate commercial opportunities.
“In both D.C. United and Octagon I feel we have the right partners for the next leg of Wayne Rooney’s storied career.”
Octagon founder and president, Phil de Picciotto said: “We are grateful to DC United and Triple S for choosing Octagon to optimise the off-field opportunities for Wayne and his partners.
“The alignment of a globally renowned player, high performance team, major home market and upwardly trending sport provides a powerful platform for establishing Wayne’s commercial presence in North America.”
The announcement of the deal follows a successful start to Rooney’s DC United career.
The veteran forward was recently voted Alcatel MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR).
Image: ©Getty Images
