Category: News

The United Football League (UFL) today announced that Legends, a global premium experiences company and leading provider of innovative merchandise solutions, will serve as the Official Event and eCommerce Partner of the UFL.

Under this partnership, Legends’ Global Merchandise division will oversee event merchandise sales, including in-stadium shopping experiences for fans attending UFL events and eCommerce operations, including the League’s online retail platform, shop.theufl.com.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Legends as our exclusive event and eCommerce partner,” said Ryan Segers, Vice President of Consumer Products at the UFL. “Their proven track record of delivering high-quality merchandise and creating engaging fan experiences aligns perfectly with our vision for the UFL. Together, we aim to elevate the fan experience both online and in-person, setting a new standard for excellence in sports merchandise.”

Legends brings extensive experience in the sports and entertainment industry, specializing in creating unique merchandise programs that resonate with fans across the globe. Their expertise in eCommerce and event merchandise operations will be vital in enhancing the UFL fan experience and driving revenue growth for both parties.

The partnership between Legends and UFL will also see the company design and produce merchandise for the League.

“We are excited to partner with UFL to offer fans of all ages comprehensive merchandise offerings to sport their fandom and celebrate their favorite teams,” said Kirta Carroll, President, Legends Global Merchandise. “In addition to handling the league’s omnichannel merchandise, we are looking forward to partnering with the UFL to design and produce exclusive products for fans as a licensee partner.”

Click here for the 2024 schedule and broadcast details.

The Athletics and Legends today announced a partnership in which the global premium experiences company will manage premium seating and ticket sales for the Club’s new ballpark in Las Vegas. 

“We are excited to embark on this long-term partnership that will lead to the opening of our transformational ballpark in Las Vegas,” said A’s president Dave Kaval. “Legends’ extensive industry experience and intricate knowledge of the local market will help us create products that meet the needs of our fans while building a successful ballpark experience.”

Legends will deliver strategic consulting and go-to-market analysis, product design and development consultation, strategy and execution for premium and suite sales, initial valuation work, staffing, and valuable marketplace insights. Additionally, Legends will build a dedicated team for the A’s based in Las Vegas to focus on sales execution. 

“We are honored for the opportunity to partner with the A’s and help bring their bold vision of delivering a first-class hospitality experience to their fans and the Las Vegas community,” said Mike Ondrejko, President of Legends Global Sales. “From the moment we started working with Dave and his team on our initial feasibility study, there has been alignment in our data-driven approach in optimizing design and marketing strategy. We are excited to build on this collaboration by applying our global experience and expertise to serve the A’s on the sales execution of their new stadium.”  

The A’s initially engaged Legends in 2021 through its research arm, CSL, to conduct a comprehensive study on the opportunity for the Club to establish a new permanent home in Las Vegas. Legends’ Global Sales team has extensive experience partnering on the most ambitious sports projects, including the opening of Allegiant Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and Notre Dame Stadium, to deliver record-breaking results. Legends is also currently partnered with FC Barcelona, San Diego FC, and the Buffalo Bills in developing the financial model, stadium design, data capture and analysis, and strategic planning to support the sales execution efforts of their respective stadium development projects.

Blueprint Sports and Legends bring an enhanced professional solution for NIL collectives at Power Five universities nationwide.

Legends, a global premium experiences company, and Blueprint Sports (BPSE), the industry leader in full-service name, image, and likeness (NIL) collectives, have formed a strategic partnership that will provide NIL collectives and Power Five universities with an unmatched NIL infrastructure, bolstering professional operational capacities, service offerings, and NIL industry expertise. The result will be the industry-leading NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) solution, setting the standard for NIL and student-athlete sports marketing.

Legends College and Blueprint Sports will collaborate to support student-athletes and the rapidly evolving college athletics NIL landscape. Together, they will amplify and build sustainable revenue opportunities for NIL collectives under the BPSE umbrella, focusing on philanthropic fundraising, student-athlete sponsorships, memberships, exclusive events, and merchandise fulfillment.

“The college athletics landscape has undergone rapid transformation,” stated Mike Behan, President of Legends College. “Through our close collaboration with partners during this dynamic period, Legends is acutely aware of the significant opportunities stemming from NIL, as well as the challenge in establishing sustainable revenue models for NIL collectives. Our partnership with Blueprint Sports is positioned to address this challenge, offering an unparalleled solution for universities and NIL collectives to generate long-term revenue in support of student-athletes.”

“Balancing the traditional institutional legacy of college athletics with the new era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) can be a delicate task,” said Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports. “Our collaboration with Legends enables our teams to combine their extensive knowledge, proven track records, and resources to provide the most comprehensive and forward-facing solution to an industry undergoing tremendous change. Our goal is to continue guiding the college sports industry, athletic departments, conferences, and collectives in the right direction while maximizing the impact of NIL on student-athletes and their programs.”

Both companies have partnerships involving the University of Kansas, the University of Maryland, the University of Utah, and Villanova University. BPSE powers collectives that support student-athletes at each university, and Legends College’s partnerships with each span multiple services across the company’s holistic solution. These universities will be the first to benefit from Legends and BPSE’s new strategic partnership. Across its portfolio, BPSE powers collectives at more than 25 universities nationwide, including twelve Power-Five universities, presenting an incredible opportunity for both companies to grow and expand within the industry together.   

Legends’ college business has grown exponentially over the past 10-plus years and includes partnerships with leading universities, collegiate organizations, and events. Born out of the impact Legends continues to have across the collegiate landscape, Legends College was launched in November 2023 and provides a 360-degree service solution including research, project development, premium ticket sales, sponsorships, food and beverage, merchandise, business intelligence, marketing and philanthropic fundraising and engagement. The partnership with BPSE expands and enhances Legends’ NIL proficiency across its services.   

Borussia Dortmund (BVB) and Legends, a global premium experiences company, announced today a new, long-term partnership focused on building an innovative eCommerce platform offering an enhanced, best-in-class global shopping experience for BVB fans.

“Partnering with Legends represents a significant milestone in our journey to offer the best possible eCommerce experience to our Borussia Dortmund fans worldwide. Legends’ international expertise in eCommerce and Marketing coupled with the possibility of using an international fulfillment center to reduce shipping lead times and costs for fans worldwide were key factors in our decision to work with them,” said BVB Managing Director Carsten Cramer.

Legends’ global merchandise division will work closely with the BVB Merchandising, IT, and eCommerce teams to develop a more integrated, seamless international eCommerce experience with new and more comprehensive merchandise offerings for fans around the world to find their official Borussia Dortmund products. The team at Legends will also support BVB’s marketing focusing on sustainable growth in all international markets for the online shop.  

“BVB is an iconic brand with one of the most passionate fan bases in football. Legends is proud to become part of the incredible black and yellow family to help deliver the ultimate online shopping experience for BVB fans globally,” said Nick von Doetinchem, Managing Director of Central Europe, Legends

Legends’ fully integrated retail and merchandising vertical solution works with world-class clients around the globe across eCommerce, in-venue retail, large-scale live events, brick-and-mortar store operations, licensing, and customer merchandise. This includes vast experience developing and operating omnichannel retail experiences for some of the world’s largest sporting events and organizations, including 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, 2023 Rugby World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and FIFA Online Store, 2023 Ryder Cup, Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees, and Real Madrid.

German Press Release

Today, the Big 12 Conference announced the launch of the Basketball All-Access Pass, a new membership program for fans at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship. This membership – which includes a Premium and Priority option – will provide fans the opportunity to purchase the same seat location for the Basketball Championship each year through 2031. The All-Access Pass will only apply to 12% of venue seating, with the remainder being unchanged.

The program will debut for the 2025 Basketball Championship, the Conference’s first-ever 16-team tournament that will see Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah make their Championship debut. The All-Access Pass program is being executed in partnership with global premium experiences company Legends.

“We are thrilled to be the home of the best basketball in college athletics. As the Big 12 continues to grow, we are committed to elevating fan experience and access,” said Commissioner Yormark. “The Basketball All-Access Pass program provides our fans with a unique opportunity to purchase preferred seats for years to come, as well as exclusive benefits and second-to-none access throughout our Basketball Championships.”

In 2023, Legends began conducting a fan survey of 12,000 Big 12 basketball fans, collecting feedback on a variety of elements surrounding the Big 12 Basketball Championship, including ticketing, seating, and fan experience. A key takeaway was fans’ desire for more premium seating opportunities, serving as a driving factor in the creation of the All-Access Pass.

Membership will be offered in two tiers – Premium Membership and Priority Membership. Premium Membership will provide access to a floor seat or premium lower level seats each year for all sessions, as well as access to premium clubs. The Priority Membership will provide fans access to premium lower level seats for only the sessions their team is participating in, as well as loaded tickets for concessions.

For further information, please visit big12sports.com/feature/all-access-pass.

Legends, a global premium experiences company, today announced record-breaking merchandise sales for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada. Overall merchandise sales surpassed the previous record at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco and were an 18% increase over Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. This includes merchandise revenue at Allegiant Stadium, Super Bowl Experience, hotels and pop-up locations throughout Las Vegas, and the NFL Las Vegas presented by Visa Store at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Legends was the NFL’s official retail merchandise concessionaire for Super Bowl LVIII.

NFL Shop presented by Visa at the Super Bowl Experience presented by Toyota, which was open Wednesday through Saturday this year, outperformed last year by 24% when compared to equivalent days. Super Bowl retail pop-up, hotel locations, and the NFL Las Vegas Store saw a 135% increase in merchandise sales over 2023 in Phoenix.

For the first time this Super Bowl, the NFL Shop at the Super Bowl Experience featured a first-of-its-kind self-checkout solution for fans. Half of the registers at the Shop were self-checkout, 20 out of 40, and fans chose self-checkout 46% of the time. The average transaction time was a speedy 49 seconds.

The merchandise per cap for Super Bowl LVIII game day sales at Allegiant Stadium saw a 2% increase over last year in Phoenix. There were 13 merchandise locations inside Allegiant Stadium and nine portable retail locations outside the stadium.

“Fans showed up ready to shop in Las Vegas, and our team was ready at locations around the city with an expanded assortment of merchandise offerings from more than 50 partners, including more lifestyle and women’s apparel, the exciting capsule collection co-designed by Usher and the NFL, and unique designs celebrating Las Vegas,” said Kirta Carroll, President, Legends Global Merchandise. “We also helped fans shop faster with self-checkout for the first time at the NFL Shop at Super Bowl Experience. Our team is incredibly proud to partner with the NFL to deliver a first-class experience for fans at Super Bowl looking to rep their favorite team or take home a memory from the big game.”

Legends had more than 500 employees in Las Vegas, leveraging resources from across the country, working to provide a first-class experience for fans across all Super Bowl merchandise operations. The NFL Shop at the Super Bowl Experience was open for four days from Wednesday, February 7 through Saturday, February 10 and covered 30,000 square feet. The store offered the largest collection of Super Bowl merchandise anywhere, with 500 styles available for fans of all ages, including offerings from more than 50 different licensees. In addition to the main NFL Shop, there was a pop-up location at Verizon Activation at the Jimmy Kimmel Comedy Club on the Linq Promenade and 17 hotels carrying merchandise, all operated by Legends. 

Legends manages on-site retail at NFL tentpole events, including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl Games, NFL Draft and NFL Combine. In addition, Legends operates the NFL Las Vegas presented by Visa, an innovative NFL-themed store located in the renowned Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Accomplished Industry Innovator Funk to Join Legends in New Role on February 1

Longtime Legends Hospitality Leader Dan Smith to Transition to Senior Advisor

Legends announced today the appointment of accomplished industry innovator Tom Funk as President, Hospitality for the global premium experiences company. Funk will commence his new role on February 1, 2024, overseeing the company’s hospitality businesses. Funk has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry building and leading high-performing teams focused on innovation and growth.

Legends’ longtime President of Hospitality, Dan Smith, will move into a new role as a Senior Advisor for the business. Smith was the first employee at Legends and has stewarded the hospitality business over the past 15 years working with some of the most iconic sports, entertainment, and attractions brands worldwide. 

“The incredible growth and success of Legends’ hospitality business is attributed to Dan’s leadership and guidance since day one. We are grateful for his immeasurable contributions over the past 15 years,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO, Legends. “As we continue to focus on growing the business and delivering first-class hospitality experiences for our partners, we are fortunate to have Tom take the reins and lead this next phase. Tom’s stellar reputation as an innovator and operator and his experience growing global platforms ensures he is the right leader for the future.”

“I am thrilled and humbled to be joining the incredibly talented team at Legends. I have been very fortunate in my career to work with many of the best in the hospitality and sports & entertainment industry, Dan Smith and the entire Legends organization sit firmly in that group. They have built an amazing business poised for growth,” said Funk. “Food & beverage and merchandise play a critical role in delivering an exceptional fan and guest experience, and we have a significant responsibility to represent our partners’ brands in the best way possible. I’m excited to continue to evolve and grow our capabilities to ensure we do this, while also providing innovative concepts and solutions that will deliver great outcomes for our partners.”

“For 15 years I have loved coming to work every day at Legends to stand alongside the most talented people in the business and have the pleasure of seeing them develop and deliver innovative and exciting culinary and merchandise experiences for our partners,” said Smith. “I am excited for Tom to inherit this incredible team and our roster of world-class partners and lead them to new heights. I look forward to wearing a new hat and supporting Legends’ continued growth.” 

Legends’ food & beverage business works with world-class clients around the globe and includes venue concessions, premium clubs and suites, and catering; restaurants, private membership clubs, and food hall operations; and private events catering. The company’s fully integrated retail and merchandising vertical solution spans e-commerce, in-venue retail, large-scale live events, brick-and-mortar store operations, licensing, and customer merchandise.

Funk brings extensive experience in the hospitality industry to his new role at Legends, having operated within every venue type and held leadership roles with Levy, Aramark, and Delaware North. He joins Legends from Compass Group, where since 2021 he has been Executive Vice President, Compass One Healthcare, Compass Group’s largest sector. Previously he spent nearly a decade at Levy, including six years serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the global hospitality business. Before his time at Levy, he rose through the ranks at Aramark culminating in serving as General Manager for Citi Field. Funk started his career in hospitality at Delaware North.

The 10^th anniversary of the College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship achieved historic highs for merchandise sales on-site and online. Sales surpassed the previous high achieved in the first year of the national championship game by 28% overall. Legends has managed omnichannel merchandise for College Football Playoff since the 2021-22 season. 

Compared to the 2023 CFP National Championship weekend in Los Angeles, merchandise sales in Houston increased across the board, including stadium game day sales on-site up 6%, Playoff Fan Central sales up 62%, and hotel sales up 36%. 

eCommerce sales saw a 70% jump over the previous high driven by a new shop-in-shop promotion helping fans on-site avoid lines by offering the same products on https://shop.collegefootballplayoff.com/. As Michigan clinched its first national championship in the College Football Playoff era, the website spiked and initial quantities of the Michigan 2024 National Champions hat and hoodie sold out within three minutes, and most other national championship products went in under 10 minutes. 

Fans were excited by an expanded product offering this year, including a wider selection of school-specific products and new clothing, headwear, accessories, and novelty items, including premium products from nationally-known apparel brands, athleisure wear, big oversized hats, and College Football Playoff mascot merchandise featuring Perry the Pylon. Collectibles were also popular this year with Michigan and Washington both vying for their first College Football Playoff National Championship. 

A portion of the proceeds from the CFP Shop benefit the College Football Playoff Foundation in support of PK-12 teachers nationwide. The CFP Foundation’s primary cause platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, is dedicated to elevating the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and retention, and professional development, all in order to prepare our nation’s students for success. 

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 events, brick-and-mortar store operations, licensing, and customer merchandise.

Worldwide Company Brings Its Strategic Operating Platform to the Crescent City

Vue Orleans has announced that Legends, a global premium experiences company, has partnered with the observation deck and interactive experience that opened at the top of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in the spring of 2022. Legends will oversee all operations, sales, special events, and food and beverage for the New Orleans venue. Michael Lienert has been hired as the new General Manager for Legends at Vue Orleans.

“We are thrilled to partner with Legends to bring Vue to the next level,” said Paul Flower, Co-Developer, Vue Orleans. “Leveraging an extensive range of services, Legends will help drive visitors to the New Orleans Riverfront for a one-of-a-kind experience that celebrates New Orleans like never before.”

Legends is partnered with many of the world’s most iconic sports, entertainment, and attractions brands and provides first-class hospitality experiences at venues globally, including One World Observatory in New York, View Boston in Boston, and The View from The Shard in London.

Legends’ Global Attractions business provides business planning and project development, as well as managing all operations across ticketing, tourism and group sales, special events, sponsorship, food and beverage, and retail for its partners worldwide.

Lienert brings vast experience, including sales and events management, to Vue Orleans. He was most recently the Vice President of Premium Sales and Private Events for the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League teams, respectively.

“Vue Orleans has created a first-class observation deck and cultural destination here in New Orleans,” said Lienert. “I am excited to work within this innovative, interactive experience and share it with a larger, global visitor market.”

Vue Orleans is located at 2 Canal Street in New Orleans and features spectacular 360° indoor and outdoor observation decks and a multi-level interactive cultural experience celebrating New Orleans.
For more information about Vue Orleans, including hours of operation, private event rentals, and more, please visit www.VueOrleans.com. Stay up to date on the latest news and happenings by following along on Facebook and Instagram.

TrailRunner-Legends joint venture to provide strategic business advisory and communications support to global sports clients spanning leagues, teams, educational institutions, investors, ownership groups, and more

TrailRunner Sports complements and extends TrailRunner International’s global strategic communications advisory business focused on corporate reputation, financial communications, crisis communications, and issues management

Strategic communications firm TrailRunner International and global premium experiences company Legends today announced the formation of a new joint venture, TrailRunner Sports.

TrailRunner International has worked on many of the most recent significant sports transactions and the firm has a significant and growing roster of high-profile sports clients, including professional teams, conferences, investors, educational institutions, non-profits, and others. Founded in 2016, TrailRunner International is headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas with offices in Dallas/Fort Worth, New York, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, Nashville, Shanghai, and Northern California. TrailRunner is part of McLarty Diversified Holdings, a strategic business partnership between Jim Wilkinson and Franklin McLarty. Wilkinson and McLarty earlier this year announced their purchase of the Dutch professional football team MVV Maastricht. Wilkinson also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Sports Foundation.

TrailRunner Sports will operate as an integrated business unit of TrailRunner International, focused on delivering communications and business strategy support to clients including sports leagues, professional teams, educational institutions, owners, investors, and brands. Both TrailRunner International and Legends have proven, longstanding, and trusted relationships with the world’s most well-known sports brands and leaders globally.

“We are very excited to join with Legends, the world’s premier sports and entertainment experiences company, to launch TrailRunner Sports and expand our joint businesses further into the global sports industry,” said Jim Wilkinson, Executive Chairman of TrailRunner International. “Decisionmakers in sports today face an unprecedented set of reputational and strategic challenges. These challenges no longer fit into neat categories and strategic communications plays a more important role than ever in business success. TrailRunner has a strong and proven track record of delivering results for our sports clients, and this new joint venture will allow our firm to expand our core offerings into new areas of exciting service and growth.”

Legends supports leading sports and entertainment organizations, venues, and attractions with a data-driven 360-degree service solution including feasibility and research, venue development, premium ticket sales, global partnerships, food and beverage, and omnichannel merchandise, supported by business intelligence to drive commercial revenue, fan engagement, and brand value. The company is partnered with many of the world’s most iconic and innovative 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, and PGA of America.

“The power of communications has never been more important than today. We are proud to bring new expertise with TrailRunner Sports to our clients who will benefit significantly from our complementary offerings to help them drive revenue, enhance the fan experience, and build a diverse and inclusive future for sports,” said Stacey Escudero, Chief Communications Officer, Legends. “The business of sports is an increasingly complex industry, and we are excited to partner with TrailRunner International in serving our clients around the world.”

TrailRunner has recently begun an executive search for a new leader for the joint venture who will serve as President for TrailRunner Sports, and report to TrailRunner International CEO Jim Hughes.

For more information on TrailRunner Sports, including career opportunities, visit www.TrailRunnerSports.com.  

Unprecedented Deal Encompasses All Hurricanes Revenue Streams, Including Partnerships, Ticketing, Annual Fund, and a New Off-Campus Retail Store

Jason Layton Assumes the Role of Chief Revenue Officer of Hurricanes Sales and Partnerships 

within Legends College

University of Miami Athletics and global premium experiences company, Legends, announced a significant expansion of their partnership. Initially focused on marketing partnerships and rights since April 2021, this collaboration has evolved to encompass all facets of revenue generation within Miami’s athletics programs. The transformative partnership, the first of its kind in collegiate athletics, now includes overseeing athletics sponsorships, ticketing, annual fund initiatives, and an off-campus Hurricanes retail store. In addition to the expanded scope within athletics, Legends will help the University to enhance campuswide partnerships that include both athletic and non-athletic assets.  

As part of this expanded alliance, Jason Layton, currently the Senior Deputy Director of Athletics at Miami, will assume the role of Chief Revenue Officer of Hurricanes Sales and Partnerships within newly formed Legends College. Under his leadership, a dedicated staff will provide widespread support to drive the success of this multifaceted partnership.

“We are excited to expand our partnership with Legends,” Vice President/Director of Athletics Dan Radakovich said. “Their vision for the University of Miami is just as bold as ours and we look forward to working with Jason and his talented team to drive revenue across our entire enterprise.”

In its pivotal role, Legends is poised to enhance the overall experience for fans, partners, and student-athletes. The current partnership has seen notable success, with substantial growth and progress, including achieving all-time highs in athletics sponsorship revenue.  

“We are proud to deepen our relationship with Miami Athletics a true powerhouse in collegiate athletics,” said Mike Behan, President of Legends College. “This expansion is a testament to the success we’ve achieved together and our shared commitment to revolutionizing the overall experience for the Miami Hurricanes community in the rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape. We look forward to driving further growth and success in this game-changing partnership.”

Added Layton: “Having had the opportunity to work alongside Legends over the past few years, I’ve witnessed their commitment to elevating the college athletics experience. Their strategic approach, coupled with a track record of solving complex challenges, uniquely positions them to help us maintain our competitive stature. I’m excited to join the Legends team and about the possibilities this expanded partnership presents for Miami athletics and our entire community.”

Legends announced in November 2023, the launch of Legends College, a new business unit that provides the company’s integrated 360-degree service solution to support leading universities, collegiate organizations, and events. Legends College offers an industry-leading, comprehensive service solution covering research, project development, premium ticket sales, sponsorships, food and beverage, merchandise, business intelligence, marketing, and philanthropic fundraising and engagement. Legends’ college business has grown exponentially over the past 10-plus years and includes partnerships with countless marquee institutions. A core area of business has been advising leading athletic departments on major transformation facility projects to heighten fan experiences and maximize annual revenues.