 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960; 65 years ago (1960) |
| Founder | Mark McCormack |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | 25+ countries |
Key people | Ari Emanuel (CEO) |
Number of employees | 3,000+ |
| Parent | TKO Group Holdings |
| Divisions | Art + Commerce College Events Fashion Media - Including Rights, Production & IMG ARENA Models Licensing |
| Website | IMG.com |
IMG, originally known as theInternational Management Group, is a global sports, fashion, events and media company headquartered inNew York City.[1] The company manages athletes and fashion celebrities; owns, operates and commercially represents live events; and is an independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media.[2]
IMG was founded in 1960 inCleveland, Ohio, byMark McCormack, anAmerican lawyer who spotted the potential for athletes to make large incomes from endorsement in the television age. He signed professional golfersArnold Palmer,Gary Player andJack Nicklaus as his first clients who collectively are known as The Big Three.[3] McCormack died in 2003.[4]
In 2004,Forstmann Little, led byTheodore J. Forstmann, acquired the company; Forstmann served as chairman and CEO until his death in late 2011.
On June 1, 2006, IMG Media acquiredTiger Aspect Productions, the producer of the British television seriesMr. Bean and the company, along with Darlow Smithson Productions (also acquired in 2006) later sold toEndemol in November 2009.[5][6][7]
In 2006, IMG Media acquired nunet AG,[8] a provider ofmobile TV services tomobile network operators around the world. Clients of nunet's mobile TV CMS currently include:Vodafone,Proximus,Vodacom,Mobilkom A1. Content distributed currently includesMTV,Fashion TV,Eurosport, andDiscovery Networks.
In November 2007, IMG acquiredKentucky-based Host Communications, which had multiple business units with services ranging from sports marketing and broadcasting to the management of associations and non-profit organizations. The sports-related businesses were combined with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) to formIMG College, while the association management division was renamed IMG Associations.
IMG was originally headquartered indowntown Cleveland in a complex built in 1965 across the street fromErieview Tower. When the IMG Center was built, it originally housed the Cuyahoga Saving Bank, which was acquired byCharter One Bank in 1998.
In 1997, IMG renovated the Cuyahoga Savings Bank Building and renamed itIMG Center. Following the acquisition of IMG byForstmann Little, the headquarters remained inCleveland, Ohio, for several years until officially relocating to its parent company's existing offices in New York, in 2010, though the IMG Center is still located on East Ninth Street in Cleveland.
On October 15, 2010, IMG acquired ISP, the multimedia rights holder for more than 50 universities based inWinston-Salem, North Carolina. As a result of the acquisition, IMG College retained ISP's former headquarters in Winston-Salem.[9]
On December 18, 2013, IMG was acquired byWilliam Morris Endeavor andSilver Lake Partners in a $2.4 billion deal to form WME-IMG.[10]WME'sAri Emanuel andPatrick Whitesell served as co-CEOs.
WME-IMG reorganized in October 2017 with the parent company being renamed from WME-IMG toEndeavor, and IMG and WME becoming subsidiaries of Endeavor. Ari Emanuel became Endeavor CEO and Patrick Whitesell became Endeavor executive chairman.[11]
On October 23, 2024, it was announced that TKO Group would acquire several businesses from Endeavor, including IMG (aside from "businesses associated with the IMG brand in licensing, models, and tennis representation, nor IMG's full events portfolio"), as part of a $3.25 billion deal, with the transaction expected to close in the first half of 2025.[12] The deal was completed on February 28, 2025.[13]
IMG's Media Division produces, develops and executes multi-channel distribution strategies for federations, associations and events working with major global broadcasters, channels and platforms. Each year it delivers 45,000 hours of content originating from over 200 clients.
The company's multimedia product offering includes production ofChannel 4's England men'sUEFA Nations League and European Qualifiers andSuper League rugby coverage,CBS'UEFA Champions League coverage, theDP World Tour andRyder Cup coverage, and thePremier League's international broadcast feed.
IMG also produces and distributes Sport 24,[14] the live, linear sports channel for the airline and cruise industries, and EDGEsport, the linear action sports channel.
In 2012, IMG created IMG ARENA, a sports data and technology company for the betting, media and professional sectors.[citation needed]
Endeavor acquired Mailman Group in 2021, and its UK-based Seven League digital marketing agency was integrated into IMG's Media division.[15]
Trans World Sport was one of the first productions created by TWI/IMG when it began weekly production in May 1987. The 49-minute sports magazine programme airs in numerous countries around the world and is owned and distributed by IMG
IMG's Archive Services (previously IMG Replay) houses the largest sports archive platform with over 500,000 hours of content dating back over 120 years including event footage, highlights, interviews, ISOs and programming, available in 4K, 3D and HR=D.[16]
IMG currently works with over 39 rightsholders helping to digitise, monetise and market their archive content including:
IMG also supports brands, agencies and production studios in securing rights and clearance for archive content.[17]
IMG Models is an international modelling agency headquartered in New York City and with additional offices in London, Los Angeles, Milan, Paris, and Sydney. It is a subsidiary of the talent management company International Management Group. The company merged withWilliam Morris Endeavor in 2013. In 2015, the agency represented more than half of the highest-paid supermodels. Ivan Bart is the current President, and Lisa Marie Benson is the Vice President.[18]
IMG's Consulting division works with rightsholders, and brands on commercial, marketing and sponsorship strategy. IMG's stadium and arena group works with leagues and franchises.
In Brazil, IMG worked with local affiliate IMM (former IMX), serving clients involved with the FIFA 2014 World Cup and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.
IMG operatesjoint ventures with key partners across many areas of the business.
InBrazil,China,India, andTurkey IMM (Brazil, former IMX),CC-TV IMG (China), IMGReliance (India) and IMGDogus (Turkey) develop sports, fashion and entertainment properties in their respective territories.
In 2015, IMG andEuroleague Basketball agreed on a ten-year joint venture. Together they will manage the commercial operation, and management of all global rights covering both media and marketing of theEuroLeague (the premier competition for European professional men's basketball clubs) and its 2nd-tier competition, theEuroCup.[19]
In 2018, IMG and influencersJoe Sugg andCaspar Lee founded the joint ventureMargravine Management, now known asMVE.[20][21]
IMG owns, produces and commercially represents hundreds of events worldwide.
In late 2007, IMG acquired Host Communications and the Collegiate Licensing Company to formIMG College (later known as Learfield). In 2010 IMG acquired ISP Sports, which was based inWinston-Salem,North Carolina.[28] Today, IMG represents the multimedia rights for more than 90 universities, conferences, collegiate associations and venues along with the licensing rights to more than 150 colleges and universities as well as theCollege Football Playoff. Additionally, IMG Seating serves more than 100 universities, and IMG Learfield Ticket Solutions provides outsourced ticketing services to universities.[citation needed]
IMG's Licensing Division works in trademark licensing and currently provides its services to more than 100 Licensors of intellectual property.[citation needed]
IMG eSports represents commercial rights on behalf of game publishers and tournament operators.
In April 2022, theGlobal Esports Federation (GEF) announced IMG as their strategic partners and as a result the Commonwealth Esports Championship was formed.[29]
Sport 24 is a 24/7 live sports television channel owned by IMG, which is available on international airlines includingAeroMéxico,Air New Zealand,All Nippon Airways,Cathay Pacific,Emirates,Etihad Airways,Singapore Airlines andTurkish Airlines, as well ininternational waters oncruise lines includingCarnival,Celebrity Cruises,Princess Cruises,Norwegian Cruise Lines,Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines andP&O.[30]
The channel broadcasts live sport from 40 international federations and competitions. These includePremier League,National Football League,National Basketball Association,UEFA Champions League,ATP World Tour,PGA Tour,European Tour,Euroleague,UEFA European Championship,Olympic Games andRyder Cup.[31]
Sport 24 launched in February 2012. A secondary part-time channel, Sport 24 Extra, launched in 2016, offering an extra 150 live hours a month and choice during concurrent events.[31] Both channels originate from IMG's production headquarters atStockley Park, near London's Heathrow Airport. Sport 24 is available onPanasonic's live television service, which is broadcast via satellite to airlines.
PWR Events, an International Management Group (UK) Limited company, are proud to be actively producing sustainable events and are certified to ISO 20121, the international standard for sustainability in event management.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
