Welcome to Sportico’s transactions wire, a weekly rundown of personnel, partnerships, products and purchases across the sports business industry.
PERSONNEL
General Sports Worldwide Adds Max Inouye to Executive Search Division
Max Inouye has joined General Sports Worldwide as senior director, team consulting, training and executive search, operating out of Los Angeles. Inouye will be the point person for the firm’s training division while also being responsible for recruiting front office executive talent internationally and consulting with sports teams and leagues. Inouye brings 10-plus years of experience in sales and sales leadership, most recently as director, business development, at media company BiggerPockets, selling advertising partnerships and event sponsorships to national real estate-adjacent and financial services brands.
Two Circles Hires LeValley, Kern to Americas Exec Team
Two Circles, the sports marketing firm, has expanded its Americas leadership team with the addition of Aaron LeValley and Taylor Kern as senior vice presidents. LeValley most recently served as chief strategy officer at Logitix, a live event ticketing technology and analytics company. Prior to Logitix, he spent 14 years with the LA Kings and AEG where he oversaw business operations and strategy. Kern was SVP of Sales at AXS, a global ticketing platform, where he led partnerships with sports franchises and music venues. Two Circles seeks to grow audiences and revenues for sports and entertainment organizations, counting more than 950 clients on its list of partners.
GeoComply Names Kip Levin as CEO, Makes Two Other Moves
GeoComply, a geolocation security and fraud prevention firm, has named Kip Levin as its new chief executive officer. Levin has served in various senior leadership roles at Flutter Entertainment over the past decade, including CEO of the U.S. business and president of FanDuel. Prior to that he spent 12 years at Ticketmaster where he led the product and ecommerce teams. This transition allows co-founder Anna Sainsbury to step into the role of executive chairman, where she will focus on strategic vision and governance. Co-founder David Briggs will shift his focus to product and innovation.
Anthony Di Santi Named Managing Director at City National Bank
Anthony Di Santi has been named the managing director, head of corporate sports banking at City National Bank. Di Santi will lead the bank’s strategic focus on serving the needs of professional teams, leagues, businesses and corporate partners throughout the sports industry. Di Santi brings more than 30 years of experience, having served as global managing director and global industry lead for Citi’s sports investment banking unit for more than 24 years. Di Santi most recently served as managing partner at Echelon Sports Capital Partners and managing general partner at Raptor Sports Capital.
PARTNERSHIPS
Dallas Wings Name Albert as Official Jersey Patch Sponsor
The Dallas Wings and financial services company Albert have entered into a multiyear agreement to make the money app the team’s Official Jersey Patch Partner. The budgeting and financial planning company will be featured on the upper left-hand shoulder of the Wings’ uniforms, along with prominent displays in-arena and across the team’s social media channels. The patch will be featured on all Wings jerseys, including explorer, heroine and rebel editions, along with the team’s practice jerseys. In addition to the jersey patch, the Albert logo will be highlighted throughout College Park Center, the Wings’ home venue, most notably painted on the court above each free-throw line. Additionally, media backdrops and in-arena signage will feature Albert, along with Wings social media channels.
BNP Paribas Partners with Girls on the Run International
For the second straight year, Girls on the Run International, a nonprofit that empowers girls through physical activity, has partnered with BNP Paribas, a global sponsor of tennis, through the bank’s “Points for Change” campaign. As part of the program, the bank will donate to Girls on the Run International $1 for every point scored at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif. For 2025, proceeds from the points scored at the BNP Paribas Open will also support local work in Indian Wells and surrounding communities, with a portion of the funds going to the Girls on the Run Inland Empire council. Funding will also support Girls on the Run programming, specifically in the Coachella Valley, where the BNP Paribas Open is hosted.
MSG Family of Companies and Pepsico Expand Multiyear Partnership
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp., Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. and Sphere Entertainment Co. have renewed an expanded partnership with PepsiCo, naming the global beverage and foods company an Official Partner across the MSG Family of Companies. The partnership will continue to give PepsiCo and its brands a broad presence across the MSG Family of Companies’ portfolio of premier sports and entertainment assets, which includes NYC’s Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, The Theater at Madison Square Garden and the Beacon Theatre. The brand’s exclusive marketing rights at the companies’ properties will include mobile, TV and digital assets; and both marquee and digital board OOH signage at MSG, as well as expanded in-venue signage at all events at MSG, Radio City, Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre.
Alaska Airlines Partners With Portland Thorns, Portland WNBA Team
Alaska Airlines will be the Official Airline Partner of Portland’s new WNBA team and is renewing its role as the official airline of Portland Thorns FC. With the new WNBA franchise, Alaska Airlines will sponsor the “Throws for Charity” campaign, where miles will be tracked and donated to a mutually agreed-upon nonprofit. Alaska Airlines will also work closely with the Thorns’ social media and content teams to create a “Flight Fit Check” series highlighting NWSL players’ personal travel styles.
C4 Performance Energy Signs 128 College Basketball Players
C4 Energy is signing one standout player from each men’s and women’s basketball team that will compete in the upcoming college basketball postseason. The 128 athletes, dubbed the “C4 Bracket Breakers,” include Johni Broome, Mark Sears, Madison Booker and Lauren Betts. The campaign will include storytelling, locker room content and a paid media push.
PRODUCTS
New York Jets to Launch First NFL Girls Flag Football League in Ireland
The New York Jets have launched an NFL Girls Flag league in Dublin, Ireland, ahead of International Women’s Day. Starting at the launch event on Tuesday, 80 girls will participate across five weeks of league matches, before going head-to-head in a final championship event on April 8. The sport will officially be included in the LA 2028 Olympic Games program, led by efforts of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and supported by the NFL.
PURCHASES
Wasserman Acquires Bluemedia, a Branding and Signage Company
Sports, music, and entertainment company Wasserman has acquired branding and signage company Bluemedia. As part of the acquisition, Gina Patel, president of Bluemedia, will join Wasserman Live, the branding and signage, custom fabrication live event production and experiential operations division at Wasserman as group vice president. Patel and the team will continue to operate from their facility in Tempe, Ariz. Wasserman Live’s existing facility in Charlotte, N.C., will be complemented with the addition of Bluemedia. Bluemedia will formally rebrand as Wasserman Live later this year, continuing to operate under the Bluemedia brand in the interim.
TickPick Acquires Fanimal to Integrate Primary Ticketing Offerings
Ticket marketplace TickPick has expanded into primary ticketing through the acquisition of Fanimal, a primary ticketing platform that offers capabilities to event organizers such as marketing and payment tools. This is the first acquisition following TickPick’s $250 million growth investment that closed last fall from Brighton Park Capital.
