Leigh Steinberg and William Tatham Acquire Exclusive Rugby Sevens Rights in U.S. for Sanctioning, Licensing, Broadcasting
Newport Beach, CA, March 21, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Leigh Steinberg, President of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment (LSSE) announced a partnership today with sports entrepreneur William Tatham, detailing the acquisition of exclusive professional rugby sevens rights in the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Steinberg and Tatham virtually acquired the ability to own, operate and broadcast sanctioned professional rugby sevens throughout the country.
“This is a chance of a lifetime opportunity for us,” Steinberg said. “Rugby requires every athletic talent that the American public has come to love watching in sports. This acquisition gives us the ability to attract superstar talent from across the globe to an American audience and provide television content to those foreign markets from which the players came.”
Tatham, a Steinberg friend and colleague of over twenty-five years, is the former owner of the USFL’s Arizona Outlaws and the NBA’s Utah Jazz. Tatham initially acquired the rights in a partnership with USA Rugby in 2006 and has been actively looking for the ideal partner ever since. “Leigh really epitomizes what a ‘strategic partner’ is,” Tatham said. “This partnership evidences our goal of building key relationships that can capitalize on the unique rights we have acquired. Along with our equity partner, Lion Share Capital, Leigh represents the final piece of the puzzle.”
Steinberg and Tatham’s shared vision has led to the creation of Barbarian Sports, Inc., a sports, entertainment and technology enterprise. Barbarian Sports will produce and distribute wholly owned sports content internationally via multiple delivery systems. Expanding on traditional television and cable revenue streams, Steinberg said Barbarian Sports, “…will highlight cutting edge production and distribution technology for today’s online universe.”
USA Rugby’s CEO and President of Operations, Nigel Melville, was encouraged by the announcement and the implications for rugby domestically. “This fits our mission of finding innovative ways to promote our sport,” Melville said. “We are excited to be able to work with leaders in American sports such as Leigh Steinberg and William Tatham and their group of television and sports executives in our combined efforts to bring rugby sevens to mainstream television.”
Neither Steinberg nor Tatham set forth a specific timeline or plan, but mentioned the goal of hosting a large annual rugby sevens tournament in Las Vegas, with record purse money, as the means of attracting star international teams and players. Under the terms of the deal, Steinberg and Tatham would own the broadcasting rights associated with a Las Vegas tournament and other similar tournaments in the U.S. and could potentially spin-off other television content such as a reality show around the events.
What ultimately compelled Steinberg to make the deal was the opportunity to showcase a sport domestically that has enormous global popularity. “It is an opportunity to help build one of the most popular sports in the world right here at home,” Steinberg said.
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“This is a chance of a lifetime opportunity for us,” Steinberg said. “Rugby requires every athletic talent that the American public has come to love watching in sports. This acquisition gives us the ability to attract superstar talent from across the globe to an American audience and provide television content to those foreign markets from which the players came.”
Tatham, a Steinberg friend and colleague of over twenty-five years, is the former owner of the USFL’s Arizona Outlaws and the NBA’s Utah Jazz. Tatham initially acquired the rights in a partnership with USA Rugby in 2006 and has been actively looking for the ideal partner ever since. “Leigh really epitomizes what a ‘strategic partner’ is,” Tatham said. “This partnership evidences our goal of building key relationships that can capitalize on the unique rights we have acquired. Along with our equity partner, Lion Share Capital, Leigh represents the final piece of the puzzle.”
Steinberg and Tatham’s shared vision has led to the creation of Barbarian Sports, Inc., a sports, entertainment and technology enterprise. Barbarian Sports will produce and distribute wholly owned sports content internationally via multiple delivery systems. Expanding on traditional television and cable revenue streams, Steinberg said Barbarian Sports, “…will highlight cutting edge production and distribution technology for today’s online universe.”
USA Rugby’s CEO and President of Operations, Nigel Melville, was encouraged by the announcement and the implications for rugby domestically. “This fits our mission of finding innovative ways to promote our sport,” Melville said. “We are excited to be able to work with leaders in American sports such as Leigh Steinberg and William Tatham and their group of television and sports executives in our combined efforts to bring rugby sevens to mainstream television.”
Neither Steinberg nor Tatham set forth a specific timeline or plan, but mentioned the goal of hosting a large annual rugby sevens tournament in Las Vegas, with record purse money, as the means of attracting star international teams and players. Under the terms of the deal, Steinberg and Tatham would own the broadcasting rights associated with a Las Vegas tournament and other similar tournaments in the U.S. and could potentially spin-off other television content such as a reality show around the events.
What ultimately compelled Steinberg to make the deal was the opportunity to showcase a sport domestically that has enormous global popularity. “It is an opportunity to help build one of the most popular sports in the world right here at home,” Steinberg said.
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Contact
Barbarian Sports
Ben Corbett
888-88RUGBY
www.AmericanRFL.com
Ben Corbett
888-88RUGBY
www.AmericanRFL.com
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