Guiding the world’s leading brands on brand strategy and activation.

April 2016

For decades, Fusion Marketing has been known for executing large-scale productions that leverage experiential events, social and digital activations, and retail integrations. IMG LIVE specializes in creating memorable brand experiences that bring its clients’ sports, entertainment, and lifestyle sponsorships to life. Fusion Marketing and IMG LIVE work with leading brands including Anheuser-Busch InBev, The Coca-Cola Company, DirecTV, Marriott, and Purina, among others.

“As part of the WME | IMG family, we’re excited to continue delivering the world-class services and solutions our clients have grown to expect,” said Decker. “We will now have a much wider array of offerings to better serve our clients. This is truly a landmark day for our collective team.”

“IMG LIVE has enjoyed the very close working relationship we’ve developed over the years with WME | IMG,” said Icenhower. “We are excited to play an even larger role and provide our clients with greater access to their unique offerings moving forward.”

The Fusion and IMG LIVE teams will become a part of WME | IMG’s Global Partnerships group, which guides the world’s leading brands on brand strategy and activation; sponsorships and endorsements; research and insights; creative and design; public relations; and digital and original content. Through this acquisition, the more than 200 employees of Fusion Marketing (led by Bill Decker and based in St. Louis and Dallas) and IMG LIVE (led by Bryan Icenhower and based in Atlanta and New York) will be co-led by Decker and Icenhower who will report to D’Alba. Lee Heffernan, CEO and Co-Founder of IMG LIVE, will be retiring. The Fusion Marketing and IMG LIVE acquisitions come on the heels of SoftBank Group’s recent $250 million investment in WME | IMG, joining Silver Lake Partners in helping accelerate the company’s global growth strategy including new acquisitions, partnerships and joint ventures.

Inquiries
For inquiries please contact:
Greg Smith, Partner, at Greg.smith@gpbullhound.com

About GP Bullhound
GP Bullhound is a leading technology advisory and investment firm, providing transaction advice and capital to the world’s best entrepreneurs and founders. Founded in 1999, the firm today has offices in London, San Francisco, Stockholm, Berlin, Manchester, Paris, Hong Kong, Madrid and New York. For more information, please visit www.gpbullhound.com, or follow on Twitter @GPBullhound

Transaction led by GP Bullhound’s New York team while part of AdMedia Partners