Melbourne Victory land record strategic investment deal

Avatar
777 Partners
Image credit: Melbourne Victory

Ahead of the upcoming A-Leagues season, Melbourne Victory has announced that it has secured a record strategic investment from 777 Partners.

777 Partners is a Miami-based private investment firm that invests across a number of high growth attractive verticals.

Founded in 2015, 777 Partners strategically invests across six broad industries: insurance; consumer and commercial finance; litigation finance; direct lending; sports, media and entertainment; and aviation.

The firm seeks to acquire and build operating businesses that generate long-term, high quality predictable cash flows for its proprietary balance sheet, while consolidating operations across like businesses to create efficiencies and economies of scale.

The partnership, which amounts to one of the biggest investment deals into a single sports team in Australian history, enables the Club to grow and develop football in Australia by attracting, retaining and developing talent as well as creating a true pathway for Melbourne Victory players and coaching staff, on and off the pitch.

Beyond football, the 777 Partners deal strengthens the broader business via commercial synergies, consumer insights and innovation through the extended 777 Partners global portfolio.

Prior to this, Melbourne Victory and Bonza – a new low-cost airline which is also backed by 777 Partners – announced a four-year Principal Partner deal, the largest in the Club’s history.

Moreover, 777 Partners has quickly built a multi-club network featuring some of the most historic football clubs in the world, including Genoa C.F.C. in Italy, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, Standard de Liege in Belgium and Red Star FC in France, as well as a significant minority stake in Sevilla FC in Spain.

777 Football Group is the fastest-growing multi-club network in the world. In the last 12 months, 777 has acquired some of the most historic franchises in the largest football markets at an unmatched pace, setting itself apart as the world’s most ambitious multi-club football group. During this time, 777 Football Group has also assembled an elite multi-cultural management team made up of highly trained and experienced professionals that advise and inform the overall strategy.

Melbourne Victory was advised on the transaction by Tifosy Capital & Advisory, a leading boutique sports advisory based in London with an extensive track record of sourcing and executing transactions in sports.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Football Australia Announces Broadcasting Partnership with LIGR

Avatar
Image credit: Preston Lions FC

Football Australia has unveiled a partnership with Live Graphics Systems (LIGR) to establish a world-first centralised production and distribution model for over 3,500 matches annually across multiple competition tiers.

This ambitious undertaking is set to transform sports broadcasting efficiency whilst unlocking future commercial opportunities for Football Australia and its nine State and Territory Member Federations.

The collaboration comes as Football Australia prepares to kick off the Australian Championship this October.

In mid-2024, Football Australia began developing a new production strategy, defining requirements across multiple tiers of Australian football.

The strategy encompasses the Hahn Australia Cup, NSD and the top tier of Federation Competitions for both men and women (National Premier Leagues), Futsal and National Para-Football Championships included as well.

LIGR’s appointment followed a rigorous Request for Proposal (RFP) process, led by Football Australia in alliance with Member Federations, aimed at identifying a single partner capable of managing the complex scale.

LIGR, an Australian tech business recently acquired by European-based tech company Crionet, will provide technical and operational broadcast management, live monitoring and AI integration across Football Australia’s multi and single camera productions.

Additionally, LIGR’s world-leading streaming, graphics and highlights automation platform will enable seamless integration of key sponsors on broadcasts.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer, James Johnson, highlighted the significance of the partnership.

“This partnership marks a defining moment in Australian football and represents a paradigm shift in the way the game is produced, distributed and commercialised both in Australia and abroad,” Johnson explained via Football Australia official press release.

“By unifying production across thousands of games and multiple tiers of competition, we are not only streamlining operations but also reshaping the future of football broadcasting in this country. This is innovation at scale.

“Through this centralised model, we are building long-term operational and cost efficiencies and can focus on building sustainable revenue streams for the connected football pyramid.”

Luke McCoy, CEO of LIGR, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership.

“At Crionet and LIGR, our mission is to disrupt the traditional sports production, streaming, and distribution landscape,” McCoy commented via Football Australia’s official press release.

“Our partnership with Football Australia and its State and Territory Member Federations represents a groundbreaking shift towards a truly aggregated model, marking a significant milestone for sports coverage in Australia.

“Our cutting-edge technology and innovative approach sets us apart, and we are excited to elevate the game, enhance fan engagement, and drive innovation across all levels of the sport.”

This multi-tier integration represents an unprecedented approach, as no other Australian rights holder has consolidated production across such a diverse range of competitions under a single centralised model.

This new centralised approach will allow the sport to optimise its production workflows and unlock new commercial opportunities in the evolving broadcast and streaming landscape.

An exciting development in increasing viewership and commercial viability for, as Football Australia’s 2024 National Participation Report confirmed, the most popular and fastest growing sport in the country.

Sydney FC and Arnotts Collaboration Enhances Team Spirit

Avatar
Sydney Arnotts
Image Credit: Sydney FC

Sydney FC have announced an impressive partnership with iconic Australian brand, Arnotts.

The collaboration will see Arnotts’ branding feature in a highly visible location on the back of the Sydney FC Men’s team shorts for the rest of the A-League 2024/25 season.

Sydney FC CEO Mark Aubrey expressed how valuable the partnership was to the Sky Blues.

“We are thrilled to bring Arnott’s on board as an official partner of Sydney FC,” he said via press release.

“This is a brilliant alignment between two recognised brands that specialise in creating moments that matter.”

We also both value the importance of a high performance, high integrity environment as well as standing for equality and diversity.

“I hope this will be the beginning of a long and trusted partnership, and we can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.”

From the collaboration, both Sydney FC and Arnotts will work on a special content series featuring the “Arnotts Moments Matter” campaign.

Arnotts Group CMO Jenni Dill highlighted how excited the organisation was for the partnership.

“This partnership builds on Arnott’s desire to support Australian’s on and off the football field with healthier and delicious lunch and snacking choices,” she said in a press release.

“Whether it’s a Vita-Weat with your favourite lunchtime toppings, or a pack of Snack Right Puffs on the way to game, we look forward to inspiring Sydney FC players and fans with more tasty and convenient ways to enjoy a snack or lunch.”

Further highlighting the importance of the brand deal, Arnotts branding will not only feature on the Sydney FC Men’s kit but will also appear on the LED screens on matchdays, presenting with Arnotts with highly desirable marketing material.

The Arnotts-Sydney FC partnership is yet another major landmark deal for the club in recent months, adding to collaborations with Guaraná Antarctica and WHEN Fertility.

 

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend