Turner International Invests in Digital Media Sports Company

ATLANTA: Turner International’s digital ventures and innovation group has made an equity investment in Bigballs Media (BBM), the parent company of Copa90, a digital video platform for football content.

The funding will be used to drive BBM’s international expansion, content production and distribution, as well as to enhance its data capabilities as it continues its growth trajectory. Turner and BBM have signed a commercial agreement that encompasses multiple opportunities for the two outfits to leverage their respective distribution and content production expertise. The partnership builds on an existing commercial relationship with the digital sports brand Bleacher Report, a division of Turner. The cross-platform commercial agreement includes strategic co-branded content production, the development of third-party branded content and sponsorship opportunities, and content creation for Turner’s own channels.

“Partnering with relevant brands is a core part of our strategy to compete and lead in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape,” said Aksel van der Wal, the executive VP of digital ventures and innovation for Turner International. “We see really exciting opportunities to work with BBM in developing creative ways to engage new audiences, in particular expanding our growing touchpoints with millennials while also offering innovative new platforms for advertisers. It is exactly the kind of forward-looking partnership we hope to establish more of.”

Tom Thirlwall, the CEO of BBM, said: “Our ambition is to be the world’s most influential football media business by the time the 2018 World Cup kicks off and this investment and partnership with Turner is a decisive step toward making that a reality.

“We had significant interest in our round but Turner was by far and away the most compelling because of their team, vision and the strategic opportunities for both our businesses. The investment will enable us to accelerate our growth in our core markets, build our data and distribution capabilities and expand our commercial teams in Europe and the U.S. and of course continue to make the best fan culture football content.”

Alex Vargas, the COO of Bleacher Report, added, “Bleacher Report and Copa90 share a passion for global football fan culture. We are very excited about the investment and taking a step forward in expanding our existing relationship. Our hugely popular ‘Saturdays Are Lit’ Snapchat collaboration has set a great benchmark for the kind of exciting opportunities we expect to develop together.”