Shorts: Wasserman, Dazn, Southend United

Global talent representation and marketing company Wasserman has completed the acquisition of CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM).

CSM is set to continue to operate as currently constituted and will formally become Wasserman in 2024, in a move that will expand Waserman’s service capabilities and footprint in the sports, music, entertainment and culture industries.

The deal was initially agreed back in April.

Casey Wasserman, Chairman & CEO of Wasserman, said, “The completion of the Wasserman-CSM deal is another exciting and important milestone in Wasserman’s growth as we continue to build a company that serves the best talent, brands and properties across the world.

“I, along with the entire Wasserman team, am looking forward to working with Matt Vandrau and his colleagues as part of a world-class management group running a global platform that powers the business of sports, music, entertainment and culture.”

Matt Vandrau, Group CEO of CSM, added, “We are hugely excited about the future following the completion of the Wasserman-CSM acquisition. For me, this is more than a sale of our business. It’s the combining of expertise that brings together the brightest and the best in the world of sport, music, entertainment and culture. This is the start of what will be an incredible new chapter, and I look forward to working alongside Casey and team to ensure sustainable success.”

National League football club Southend United has agreed a takeover deal with a consortium headed by Australian businessman Justin Rees.

The deal was announced less than 24 hours before the club is due in the High Court to face an HM Revenue & Customs winding-up petition. According to the BBC, the club has claimed that the debt has now been paid.

The takeover will end the 25-year tenure of Ron Martin, who announced in March he was looking to sell the team.

A club statement read, ‘We can confirm that an agreement for the sale of the club has been reached with a consortium led by Justin Rees.

‘Everyone is working towards a completion date of 1 November 2023 – that is when the consortium will formally take control of the club.

‘The collaborative approach to agreeing this deal would not have been possible without the support of creditors and the assistance from the leader of Southend City Council.

‘We recognise that this has been a stressful time for all associated with the club. We would like to thank our staff for their incredible loyalty and also thank all our stakeholders for their patience.’

Sports entertainment platform DAZN has agreed a series of deals with the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) and S&T Sports which secures the global broadcast rights for Serie A Femminile eBay.

The global deal for the top division of Italian women’s football covers the UK, Italy, the US, Germany, Spain, Canada, Portugal, Belgium, Japan, and Austria.  

DAZN already has a significant presence in Italy with an extensive portfolio of top-tier sports rights, most prominently Serie A TIM, Serie BKT, LALIGA EA Sports, all Italian and European Basketball, and the NFL.

The latest agreement strengthens its domestic consumer offer as well as continuing the brand’s commitment to investment in women’s football.

Hannah Brown, DAZN’s co-CEO, Women’s Sport, commented, “DAZN already has a highly significant football offering in Italy. With the addition of Serie A Femminile eBay, we are delivering more value and premium content. It demonstrates DAZN’s commitment to raising the profile and accessibility of women’s football and reinforces our strategic commitment to investing in, developing, and championing women’s football in our core markets as well as on a multi-territory basis. We already hold the domestic rights to top-flight women’s football in Germany, Spain and Japan, as well as global rights to the UEFA Women’s Champions League and Spain’s Liga F, plus NWSL outside of the US.”

UK production company Sunset+Vine has agreed a three-year partnership with BBC Alba to produce its sport coverage.

BBC Alba is the Scottish Gaelic-language free-to-air public broadcast television channel.

Sunset+Vine won the contract following a commissioning process and will deliver coverage of at least 176 hours of live and as-live sporting events in the coming year, including football, shinty and rugby.

This includes a minimum of 26 live SWPL games each season, a deal which BBC Alba has the rights to until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Grant Philips, head of Sunset+Vine Scotland, said, “At Sunset +Vine, we specialise in live sports coverage in Scotland, the U.K. and around the World. We are delighted to be working with MG Alba and BBC Alba to bring a brand new and fresh approach to their sports output. We will deliver the highest production standards over the next 3 seasons for BBC Alba’s viewers.  Suas le Spòrs Alba!”