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Infront Sports & Media is a sports marketing and media company based in Zug, Switzerland with over 40 offices globally[1]. The company handles the media and marketing rights for over 200[2] international sports events and federations and also provides sports services - such as advertising, betting rights, sponsorship, production and hospitality. It represents six out of seven Olympic winter sport federations,[3] several summer sport organizations and manages media rights for the FIS World Cup and World Championship Events[4]. It also represents the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for Archive Image Rights[5] and several top football leagues. In addition it is the majority owner of several mass participation sports including Hyrox[6]. Infront was created in late 2002 through the integration of CWL, Prisma and KirchSportAG.
Infront Sports & Media was founded in October 2002 with FIFA as its core business[7] as the company who sold the television and radio broadcasts for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[8] The company originated from a merger of two existing Swiss-based marketing companies, CWL and Prisma Sports & Media. CWL was founded by Cesar Lüthi, who sold the business to the Kirch Group.[9][10] In 2005 the company lost the right to resell the TV and radio rights in Europe, though it retained the ability to sell Asian rights, as part of a division of the rights by FIFA.[8] Infront subsidy HBS won the contract to manage the TV and radio broadcast production.[8] Two months later, the company hired President and CEO Phillippe Blatter, to replace departing chief Oscar Frei.[8] The appointment of Blatter, who is the nephew of Sepp Blatter, the then President of FIFA, was criticized by author Andrew Jennings and Transparency International.[8][11] During this time as chief executive, Phillippe Blatter was able to grow the company's revenues.[12]
2005 also saw the start of Infront’s partnership with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, acquiring the FIS World Cup and World Championships rights through the majority shareholding of APF Marketing Services[13]. It further diversified in 2006 through the acquisition of Media Partners[14] whilst also launching Football Media Services alongside Dentsu[15] to sell the FIFA Asian media rights.
In 2007 it acquired DSM Sportwerbung[16], rebranding it to Infront Germany before expanding to Austria after acquiring APF Marketing Services GmbH[17].
Until 2011 it was owned by a consortium of shareholders.[12] In September 2011 – European private equity firm Bridgepoint reached an agreement to acquire the company.[18][19][20] In February 2015, Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda won an auction to purchase Infront from Bridgepoint for more than €1 billion.[21][22] In November of that same year, it was announced that Infront would merge with the World Triathlon Corporation (including the latter's Ironman brand) to form the Wanda Sports division.[23]
Services
Infront Sports & Media has 1000 employees in 16 countries.[24][25] Infront Sports & Media supports media and betting rights distribution, marketing concepts and sponsorship sales for sporting events as well as media production[26] (host broadcasting, post production and archive management). Infront's subsidiary, Host Broadcast Services (HBS), manages television and radio signals for broadcasters at sports events such as the FIFA World Cup.[27][8]
Notable work
Association football
Infront has supported the FIFA World Cup since 2002. It provides advisory support for South and Southeastern Asian media rights and manages the host broadcast production.[28] Infront also works with the German Football Association (DFB),[29][30] Italy's Lega Serie A,[31][32] the Premier League[33], Ligue 1[34], Bundesliga[35], Scottish Professional Football League[36] and La Liga through its fully-owned subsidiary HBS[37].
Infront's HBS subsidiary was awarded the Judge's award at the 2010 International Broadcasting Convention for its work helping FIFA broadcast the World Cup in stereoscopic 3D.[38]
In 2011, Transparency International asked FIFA to be more open about possible conflicts of interest, when it was discovered that the president of Infront was Philippe Blatter, nephew to the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter. FIFA said Blatter was not involved in awarding the deal to Infront.[11]
In December 2013 Infront acquired B2Run[65], one of Europe’s largest corporate running series, beginning its mass participation business. This was followed by the forming of a dedicated Active Lifestyle unit in February 2015[66].
On 4 June 2018, Infront announced the acquisition of leading European obstacle course event organiser XLETIX GmbH in a move that extends its footprint in the growing personal and corporate fitness sector.[67] This was followed by the acquisition of Threshold Sports in April 2019, adding ultra running and long-distance cycling events to its portfolio[68], before adding Megamarsch a month later[69].
Infront made its first strategic investment in Hyrox, the world series of fitness in December 2019[70], becoming the majority stakeholder in October 2022[71].
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