relevent

Relevent was founded in 2012 by RSE Ventures as a sports media company and promoter of sporting events. Due to Relevent's work, European soccer clubs, including Germany's FC Bayern Munich, France's Lyon, UK's Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, have become regular guests in the USA.

In 2018, Relevent began its transition from a live events company to a media rights commercial agency and internationalization platform for clubs, federations, and leagues looking to expand internationally.{{cite web|url=https://leadersinsport.com/sport-business/leaders-events/leaders-sport-awards/leaders-under-40-2023/daniel-sillman/|title=Leaders Under 40 2023|website=Leaders in Sport|access-date=March 14, 2025}}

In August 2018, Relevent signed a 15-year joint venture deal with La Liga,{{Cite news|last=Draper|first=Kevin|date=2018-08-16|title=La Liga Will Bring Regular-Season Matches to America|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/sports/soccer/la-liga-united-states.html|access-date=2020-08-03|issn=0362-4331}} called La Liga North America, which promotes soccer in Canada and the US. In 2021, it was announced that partnership would extend for an additional five years in Central America. Relevent went on to negotiate La Liga's media rights deal with ESPN in 2021, which marked the largest football media rights deal ever in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the sale of La Liga's rights in Mexico and Central America to Televisa Sky Sports that same year.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportico.com/business/media/2021/disney-buys-laliga-rights-1234629718/|title=Disney Swaps Ronaldo for Messi in $1.4 Billion LaLiga Pact|website=Sportico|date=May 13, 2021|author=Anthony Crupi|access-date=March 6, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sportspro.com/news/laliga-tv-rights-mexico-central-america-televisa-sky-sports-contract-extension/|title=LaLiga inks ‘US$70m a year’ Televisa extension for Mexico and Central America|website=Sports Pro|date=November 11, 2021|author=Rory Jones|access-date=March 6, 2025}}

In 2022, Relevent secured UEFA's men's club competitions media rights for the United States for the 2024-2027 cycle{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/03/sports/soccer/champions-league-relevent-uefa.html|title=Rare Champions League Rights Sale Produces Two Winners|website=NYT|date=February 3, 2022|author=Tariq Panja|access-date=March 6, 2025}} and sold the UEFA rights to Paramount Network/CBS Sports for a six year-term for $1.5 billion.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/uefa-and-cbs-sportsparamount-reach-six-year-deal-to-air-champions-league-europa-and-conference-league/|title=UEFA and CBS Sports/Paramount reach six-year deal to air Champions League, Europa and Conference League|website=CBS Sports|date=August 19, 2022|author=Chuck Booth|access-date=March 6, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sportico.com/leagues/soccer/2023/relevent-univision-uefa-deal-1234722993/|title=Univision Wins UEFA U.S. Spanish Media Rights in $225M Deal|website=Sportico|date=May 16, 2023|author=Asli Pelit|access-date=March 6, 2025}} In 2023, Relevent brokered the sale of UEFA broadcasting rights in the U.S. to TelevisaUnivision for a three-year deal worth $225 million.

In early 2024, Relevent landed exclusive English Football League (EFL) fixture distribution rights throughout North, Central, and South America.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportico.com/leagues/soccer/2024/efl-tv-rights-relevent-wrexham-1234769226/|title=Relevent Acquires EFL Rights Amid Wrexham-Driven Intrigue|website=Sportico|date=March 5, 2024|author=Jacob Feldman|access-date=March 5, 2025}} The company went on to negotiate the sale of the EFL's rights in the United States to CBS Sports.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5643760/2024/07/18/cbs-efl-tv-broadcast-rights-carabao-cup/|title=CBS beats ESPN to claim U.S. TV rights to EFL – and has bold plan to tap into ‘the drama’|website=NY Times|date=July 18, 2024|author=Adam Crafton|access-date=March 5, 2025}} Later that year, the organization struck a 17-year deal to represent the Bundesliga in the sale of its media rights in North, Central, and South America.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5777553/2024/09/19/bundesliga-germany-football-soccer-relevent/|title=German football bidding to crack the U.S. market by signing up with media group Relevent|website=NY Times|date=September 19, 2024|author=Adam Crafton|access-date=March 5, 2025}}

In March 2025, Relevent announced that it had officially won a landmark mandate to represent the UEFA men's club competitions global media and sponsorship rights for the 2027-2033 cycle. The deal is UEFA's first commercial rights sales partnership since the formation of the UC3, a joint venture between UEFA and the ECA, and is the first change in global agency representation since the creation of the Champions League over 30 years ago.{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/67990aad-cc65-408f-b7a9-5f9ae546deb8|title=Champions League global promotion rights handed to US agency|website=Financial Times|date=March 14, 2025|access-date=March 14, 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6201720/2025/03/14/uefa-relevent-champions-league-us/|title=UEFA confirms deal with Relevent Sports: What this means for Champions League games in the U.S.|website=New York Times|date=March 14, 2025|author=Matt Slater|access-date=March 14, 2025}}

In 2013, the company launched the International Champions Cup,{{Cite web|last=Furones|first=David|title=Major international soccer coming back to Hard Rock Stadium this summer|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/soccer/fl-sp-soccer-international-champions-cup-20180417-story.html|access-date=2020-08-03|website=sun-sentinel.com|date=April 18, 2018 }} a pre-season tournament in which European soccer teams play in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

In 2017, the Men's ICC included the first pre-season El Clásico, a soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, to the US for the first time and outside of Spain for the second time in 100 years.{{Cite web|date=2020-02-27|title=Daniel Sillman: "El valor en TV de LaLiga en EEUU ha subido un 45%"|url=https://www.expansion.com/directivos/deporte-negocio/2020/02/28/5e581d7ee5fdead0628b458a.html|access-date=2020-08-03|website=EXPANSION|language=es}}{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/why-one-of-most-successful-ceos-and-entrepreneurs-youve-never-heard-of-still-thinks-he-has-a-lot-to-learn.html|title=Why One of the Most Successful CEOs (and Entrepreneurs) You’ve Never Heard of Still Thinks He Has a Lot to Learn |website=Inc|date=May 30, 2019|author=Jeff Haden|access-date=March 5, 2025}} The following year, Relevent launched the Women's ICC,{{Cite web|date=2019-08-15|title=Relevent Sports Sees Growth Ahead For Women's ICC Tournament|url=https://frntofficesport.com/womens-international-champions-cup/|access-date=2020-08-03|website=Front Office Sports|language=en-US}} as well as an international youth tournament, the ICC Futures.{{Cite web|title=2019 International Champions Cup Futures Tournament|url=https://www.imgacademy.com/events/2019-icc-futures|access-date=2020-08-03|website=IMG Academy|language=en}}

In April 2019, Relevent sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and FIFA in the Supreme Court of New York, accusing the organizations of having a conflict of interest in sanctioning professional games and conspiring to block Relevent from bringing regular-season games to North America from overseas leagues. The lawsuit stated that the Federation was threatening Relevent's soccer promotion business after it denied two of the company's proposals to have foreign league and cup matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. In September 2020, the United States Department of Justice entered the dispute,{{Cite news|agency=Associated Press|date=2020-09-01|title=US Justice Department Warns FIFA on International Ban|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/09/01/business/ap-soc-promoter-lawsuit-justice-dept-2nd-ld-writethru.html|access-date=2020-09-09|issn=0362-4331}} warning FIFA that banning popular soccer games in the US could be a breach of US anti-trust laws.{{Cite news|last=Panja|first=Tariq|date=2020-09-01|title=FIFA Is Warned That Banning Top Games in U.S. May Breach Antitrust Laws|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/soccer/fifa-antitrust-us.html|access-date=2020-10-28|issn=0362-4331}} In 2024, it was announced that FIFA and Relevent had settled its lawsuit, allowing for international league matches to be played in the US.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5400778/2024/04/08/fifa-relevent-lawsuit-us-soccer/|title=FIFA reaches agreement in lawsuit seeking to allow domestic club games in foreign countries|website=NYT|date=April 8, 2024|access-date=March 5, 2025}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Facebook|releventsportsgroup}}

Category:Companies based in New York City

Category:2012 establishments in New York City

Category:Soccer in the United States