The announcement from the Dutch media production and distribution giant was made on Wednesday as Endemol maintained it will “pursue further growth in sports entertainment.” The reorganisation will bring Endemol’s sports content in line with all other output, coming under the direct management of the group’s operating companies around the world, at local level.
Endemol Sport launched in January 2009 and under the management of Oldfield and Duffy. The group’s projects around the world currently include the Eredivisie football channel in the Netherlands, the English Premier League channels for Abu Dhabi Media in the Middle East, The Guinness Football Challenge Pan Africa and TV7 Sport channel in Kazakhstan. The group is also engaged in numerous international media partnerships with sports bodies and football clubs, including a cross-media relationship with Premier League club Manchester City.
“Endemol’s Sport’s output has grown to a level where we need to bring it in line with how we develop and produce all our other content internationally,” said Just Spee, chief financial officer of Endemol Group. “This new structure will allow us to continue building our business in this genre whilst delivering the best service to our clients at a local level. We are extremely grateful to Gregg and Lawrence for the role they have played in making Endemol the international player in sports entertainment that it is today and we wish them all the very best for the future.”
Oldfield and Duffy added: “We have enjoyed a fantastic three-plus years at Endemol and created a valuable and successful sports media business from a standing start. The re-structuring makes sense and we are leaving behind major, award winning sports channels and format productions in Abu Dhabi, Kazakhstan and Africa, as well as genuinely talented sports teams within the Group.”