Sports Enthusiast Media Acquires Head2Head Sports
01.10.07
SPORTS ENTHUSIAST MEDIA ACQUIRES STATFOX AND HEAD2HEAD SPORTS
SEM makes key additions with leading data and fantasy sports providers
NEW YORK, N.Y. (January 10, 2007) -- Sports Enthusiast Media, LLC ("SEM") announces the acquisition of two highly recognized brands, StatFox and Head2Head Sports, to execute on their overall strategy to dominate the delivery of unique content and highly interactive experiences to dedicated sports enthusiasts. SEM is the newest portfolio company of the New York-based Wicks Sports Information Group.
StatFox and Head2Head Sports join Daily Racing Form and Sports Eye Publications to bring in-depth content and interaction to a community of sports fans that can't satisfy their needs with the large mass-media sport sites. "We believe sports enthusiasts are searching for high quality products and services," said Brent Diamond, CEO of Sports Enthusiast Media. "The addition of StatFox and Head2Head Sports is a clear demonstration of our commitment to build a valuable community for sports and fantasy enthusiasts. The growth of this segment will be significant over the next few years."
Widely respected as the premier source for comprehensive and unique statistical sports content, StatFox is relied upon by dozens of sports-themed websites, magazines and newspapers around the world for its statistical sports information, match-ups, analysis and trends of NFL, NCAA football, CFL, AFL, NBA, NCAA basketball, WNBA, NHL, MLB and NASCAR. The StatFox community includes its website content (www.statfox.com), in addition to the subscription-based FoxSheets (www.foxsheets.com) and StatFox Edge, the company's annual football preview magazine.
Head2Head Sports has been recognized as an industry pioneer in creating the fast-growing fantasy sports market when they started their company in 1994. Head2Head provides highly engaging fantasy contests on their website (www.head2head.com) and via co-branded and private-label marketing relationships. In 2006, Head2Head was awarded industry recognition by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association for their online salary cap games and live, on-location contests. According to the FSTA, fantasy games attract over 15 million players a year and have an economic impact of about $1.5 billion.
"Since the Wicks Group formed Sports Enthusiast Media, we've quickly grown the portfolio to include some of the most recognizable brands in the sports enthusiast category," said Daniel L. Black, Partner at The Wicks Group of Companies. "SEM is now a diversified multi-platform sports enthusiast information company. The new companies are a strong addition to our portfolio and will be the key growth drivers of our sporting group going forward."
ABOUT WICKS SPORTS INFORMATION GROUP
Wicks Sports Information Group ("WSI") was formed to acquire and develop niche sports information and publishing businesses to take advantage of the large and growing demand for content and data by sports enthusiasts. As its initial transaction, WSI in 2004 acquired the then 110-year-old publishing company Daily Racing Form ("DRF"), the pre-eminent provider of daily editorial, past performance and breeding and sales information to the thoroughbred horseracing industry via daily and weekly print publications and their website at www.drf.com. In November 2005, WSI added the publishing assets of Sports Eye, a 41-year-old Long Island-based company that produces a variety of thoroughbred racing, harness racing and sports information publications, including College and Pro Football Weekly, Sports Form and The Platinum Sheets weekly, a college and professional basketball publication. In May 2006 WSI announced the acquisition of the production facilities of both Sports Eye and Sullivan Brothers, Inc. of Lowell, Massachusetts, which included plants in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Wicks Sports Information Group and Sports Enthusiast Media are headquartered in New York City.