IMG, a global leader licensing for sports, events, fashion and media, has acquired the Dubai-based 20too Licensing agency to further expand its global reach.
The company manages some of the world’s greatest athletes and fashion icons; owns and operates hundreds of live events annually; and is a leading independent producer and distributor of sports and entertainment media. Named the world’s top licensing agency by License Global, IMG is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.
20too is also a successful concern in the MENA region (Middle East, North Africa), working with some of the world’s top brands such as NBCUniversal, Hasbro, The Smurfs, Sega, Smiley, the Discovery portfolio of brands such as Fatafeat, Food Network, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel, and more.
“This is an exciting acquisition for our licensing business and ever-growing portfolio of prestigious clients. Christian and his team have built one of the MENA region’s most successful licensing agencies through creative, strategic brand ideation married to a deep knowledge of the region’s business environment and culture,” said Bruno Maglione, President of Licensing at IMG. “His team will now have the full support and resources of the global IMG network and Endeavor infrastructure, and we in turn reinforce the reach and expertise of our unique licensing organizations.”
The company says the acquisition will bolster IMG’s presence in the MENA region, with 20too Licensing’s Founder and CEO Christian Zeidler becoming Vice President of Licensing at IMG, with his entire team moving into IMG’s Dubai office.
“IMG is the universally recognised licensing industry powerhouse, and we are proud to become part of this extraordinary organisation,” said Zeidler. “We look forward to leveraging their diverse experience and depth of resource with our specialised regional expertise to turbo-charge our activity on behalf of our clients in this region rich with ever-emerging new opportunities.”