Month: October 2023

NICK VON DOETINCHEM APPOINTED MANAGING DIRECTOR, CENTRAL EUROPE

Additional Central Europe New Hires Include Jens Bräunig as Vice President, Merchandise

and Florian Schuetz as Director, Food & Beverage

Legends, a global premium experiences company, is continuing its worldwide growth with several key leadership appointments in Central Europe. Today, the company announced the arrival of well-respected industry executive Nick von Doetinchem as Managing Director of Central Europe. Von Doetinchem has more than 20 years of experience in the sports marketing industry working in a wide array of business verticals, including media, sponsorship, consulting, representation, and venues.

Von Doetinchem will oversee the development and implementation of Legends’ data-intelligence fueled 360-degree services platform throughout Central Europe. Legends holistic solution for sports and entertainment organizations, venues, and attractions is comprised of feasibility and research, venue development, premium ticket sales, global partnerships, food and beverage, omnichannel merchandise, supported by business intelligence to drive commercial revenue, fan engagement, and brand value.

Legends has also hired experienced merchandising executive Jens Bräunig as Vice President, Merchandise for Central Europe. As well, Florian Schuetz has joined Legends as Director, Food & Beverage for Central Europe. Von Doetinchem, Bräunig and Schuetz will all be based in Legends’ Hamburg, Germany office.    

“Legends’ is privileged to work with some of the biggest brands on the global stage, and as we continue to expand our business, we remain committed to a territory-centered approach with high-level, credible leadership on the ground to deliver for our partners,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “Our investment and commitment to Central Europe is underscored with the hiring of Nick, Jens, and Florian, all well-respected executives experienced in the region. Under Nick’s expertise and leadership, we will accelerate our position in Central Europe to deliver our holistic service solution tailored to help our partners achieve their business goals.”

Von Doetinchem has worked with and represented a wide portfolio of blue-chip rights-holders during his career, including UEFA, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, FIFA, IOC, among others. Most recently, he was Vice President of OTT Streaming and Media Rights at digital media company OneFootball responsible for building the company’s award-winning streaming business, which is the largest global digital football platform with 100m+ monthly active users. Von Doetinchem started his career at Sportfive and went on to become Managing Director of the agency’s Polish operation. In 2008, he left to co-found UFA Sports, a Hamburg-based sports marketing agency subsequently acquired by Sportfive eight years later. Over the course of the next five years, he rose through the agency eventually assuming the role of Global President of Media.

As Vice President of Merchandise, Central Europe, Bräunig will oversee Legends current business and work to secure new merchandise partners throughout Central Europe. Legends’ fully integrated retail and merchandising vertical solution works with world-class clients around the globe across e-commerce, in-venue retail, large-scale live event, brick-and-mortar store operations, licensing, and customer merchandise. Bräunig has more than two decades of experience in the club business and joins Legends from Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart where he spent more than 10 years most recently serving as Director B2C overseeing merchandising, licensing, e-commerce, as well as ticketing, memberships, and sustainability, among other responsibilities.

Schuetz joined Legends earlier this summer and stepped into his new role as Director of Food & Beverage, Central Europe with more than 20 years of hospitality experience, including co-founding and co-owning several restaurants in New York City and Frankfurt. He was most recently Managing Director of Supreme Sports Hospitality in Frankfurt. Prior to that position, he was General Manager for Sofitel Frankfurt Opera and held leadership roles at SIXTY Hotels and Sofitel in New York City. Schuetz will work with Legends’ partners throughout Central Europe to deliver exceptional culinary experiences at every level in their venues, including concessions, premium clubs, suites, and catering.

Legends is partnered with many of the world’s most iconic sports, entertainment, and attractions brands, including Real Madrid, SoFi Stadium, One World Observatory, Dallas Cowboys, FC Barcelona, University of Notre Dame, New York Yankees, and Ryder Cup, as well as leagues and properties such as the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, PGA of America, and FIFA World Cup.

German Press Release

Legends to Manage Premium Seating, Ticket Sales, Digital Marketing,

Omnichannel Merchandise and Global Strategic Partnerships as Bay FC Launches

Bay FC, the new women’s professional soccer franchise representing the Bay Area, has joined forces with Legends, a global premium experiences company, in a multi-year partnership to drive commercial revenue and global brand partnerships for the club. This collaboration seeks to provide the club’s passionate fans with exceptional experiences and propel Bay FC to unprecedented heights in women’s soccer. Leveraging its extensive range of services in premium seating, ticket sales, digital marketing, merchandising, and partnerships, Legends will ensure that both fans and partners enjoy a world-class experience.

Bay FC was established in April 2023 and co-founded by USWNT legends Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner in partnership with global investment firm Sixth Street and an investor group of leading tech, business, and sports executives. The club is the 14th team to join the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) as women’s soccer continues to experience unprecedented growth globally.

“We are evaluating long-term partners that share our vision and support our ambition to change perspectives on the commercial potential of a globally recognized professional women’s sports franchise,” said Brady Stewart, CEO of Bay FC. “That’s the kind of partner we have in Legends, and we’re excited to begin working with their world-class team that has successfully executed growth strategies on behalf of some of the most iconic brands in global sports.” 

“Legends is proud to partner with Bay FC to deliver a world-class experience for fans and position the club for long-term, sustainable success,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “With our data-led strategy and comprehensive suite of services, we aim to enhance fan engagement, drive commercial success, and propel Bay FC to new heights not just as a women’s sports team, but as a premier global brand.”

Legends will leverage a data-led and locally tailored strategy to shape strategic premium seating and ticket pricing coupled with a targeted digital marketing campaign to drive sales for the inaugural season.

Legends will also play a key role in shaping the Bay FC lifestyle brand through the development, execution, and expansion of a comprehensive global omnichannel merchandising and retail strategy. A global partnerships strategy and execution will include establishing founding partners for Bay FC along with the premium kit sponsorship opportunity.

As part of the Bay FC partnership, Legends has built a dedicated sales team for Bay FC to focus solely on premium seating, ticket sales, and partnerships to propel the long-term growth of the club.  

As Bay FC prepares to make its mark on the soccer world, the partnership with Legends adds another layer of excitement for the team. Ticket deposits are now open for Bay FC’s inaugural season at PayPal Park kicking off in March 2024 and can be purchased at BayFC.com.

Legends has an impressive track record in worldwide football, including with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool FC, among many other prominent football clubs. It also has partnerships with MLS clubs the Columbus Crew, Los Angeles FC, and the recently announced San Diego MLS. In summer 2023, Legends led sales for the inaugural Soccer Champions Tour which featured six of the most well-known clubs in men’s global football. In 2024, Soccer Champions Tour will expand to include the world’s best women’s clubs.

Comprehensive Collaboration Includes Global Partnerships,

Digital Marketing, and Business Intelligence

Major League Rugby (MLR) and Legends, a global premium experiences company, have announced a long-term partnership to drive commercial revenue and accelerate growth for the North American professional rugby league. Through this comprehensive partnership, Legends will manage global partnerships, digital marketing, and business intelligence to drive fan engagement and optimize revenue generation.

“We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Legends.  This collaboration will help drive engagement and value for our fans and our partners, which will always be our highest priority as we continue to grow the game,” said MLR CEO, Nic Benson. “Major League Rugby has had great success with partnerships in our first six seasons and deploying these additional best-in-class resources will allow us to supercharge our growth in the years ahead.”

To support the partnership, Legends will build a dedicated sponsorship sales team for MLR that will guide sponsorship valuation, go-to-market strategy, and partnership execution. Legends also will implement a data-led digital marketing strategy to drive revenue across every fan touchpoint for MLR, from the ticket purchase through the gameday experience. Additionally, Legends’ technology solutions division will deliver innovative, data-driven actionable insights and solutions to support MLR across all commercial aspects of the league.

“This is an exciting time for the sport of rugby in North America as interest is growing at a dramatic pace and Rugby World Cup is coming to the US in 2031,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “Major League Rugby’s commitment to community and growing the game of rugby is admirable, and we are proud to now call them partners.”

Entering its seventh season, Major League Rugby is a professional sports league representing the highest rugby competition in North America. The League has evolved from seven teams in 2018 to 13 teams in the coming 2024 season, featuring 12 from the United States and one from Canada. 

MLR gameplay is fast, hard-hitting, and thrilling, a distinctly American interpretation of the international game. The league’s matches are televised on Fox Sports, among other national and local market platforms, and it also owns the over-the-top (OTT) platform, The Rugby Network, for streaming viewership of MLR, Gallagher Premiership, and other content in the U.S. and internationally. As the league continues to grow and best position itself in the professional sports landscape, the goal remains the same: to grow the game of rugby.

Legends is partnered with many of the world’s most iconic sports, entertainment, and attractions brands. The company has a strong track record in rugby including work with the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup Irish Rugby Football Union, New Zealand Rugby, and Rugby Australia.

Legends to Lead Search for Partner Aligned with Towson’s Commitment to Community and Delivering a Best-in-Class Experience for Students, Student-Athletes, Alumni and TU Fans 

Towson University Director of Athletics Steve Eigenbrot today announced that Legends, a global premium experiences company, has been selected to oversee a search to secure a new naming rights partner for the Tigers’ arena.

This announcement follows a mutual agreement between Towson University and SECU to end the current arena naming rights agreement when the contract expired on September 30, 2023. SECU has been the arena naming rights partner since the facility opened in Fall 2013. In the interim, the arena will be called TU Arena. 

“TU Arena naming rights presents a unique opportunity for a brand to send a message about its commitment to the state of Maryland and beyond,” Eigenbrot said.  “From hosting 24 high local school graduations all the way to the national CBS Sports broadcast of our basketball games, our new naming partner will have a truly unique opportunity to send a loud message about its commitment to the local community, our 20,000+ Towson students on campus and the millions that view our brand on national and regional television each year.”

“Legends is excited to partner with Towson to find an arena naming rights partner who aligns with the university’s strong values, commitment to community, and investment in creating opportunities for TU students and student-athletes,” said Michael Behan, COO, Collegiate Partnerships at Legends. “With more than 150 years of history, this is a unique opportunity for a brand looking to connect with greater Baltimore.”

The 5,200-seat multi-purpose TU Arena is home to four Towson Tiger athletics teams – men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics. During the first 10 years of the arena, the teams have a combined home record of 313-146, a .682 winning percentage.

The 117,000-square-foot venue has 340 club seats, four private suites and nearly 100courtside seats. Upon opening, the arena was awarded LEED Gold certification for energy use, lighting, water and material use, and other sustainable features.

The arena is the current home of the Baltimore Blast of the Major Arena Soccer League and hosts more than 100 events annually, ranging from concerts to commencements.

“As one of the top-50 public institutions in the nation, and with the largest incoming student class in university history, TU is also uniquely poised as an anchor institution with growing momentum,” added Eigenbrot. “I am confident a new arena naming partner will benefit from that partnership.”

Legends brings a depth of experience in the naming rights space, using a data and analytics-based approach from the search process through to creating unique, holistic partnerships that expand far beyond the name on the building. Most recently, Legends secured the San Diego State University’s Snapdragon Stadium, Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field as well as Los Angeles Rams’ and Chargers’ SoFi Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, Hollywood Park’s YouTube Theater and the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field.