Dallas-based investment firm Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst
announced yesterday that it has reached a deal to obtain the
marketing, exhibition and licensing rights of the
Corinthians Paulista Soccer Club in Brazil. Financial terms
of the transaction were not disclosed. In the agreement,
Corinthians will continue to run the team's soccer
operations, while Hicks Muse will hold the rights to the
team's exhibitions, merchandising and licensing, gate
receipts and sponsorships. The company will also acquire
the rights to build and operate a new stadium for the team.
The Muller Sports Group, Hicks Muse's management affil in
charge of sports-related investments, will manage the assets
and place them into the newly formed company Corinthians
Licenciamentos. The Corinthians club was founded over 90
years ago and is considered one of the most popular teams in
Brazil, with a fan base of about 17 million (Hicks Muse).
In Dallas, Richard Alm reports that the team will get a
"lump-sum payment and a share of future revenue" (DALLAS
MORNING NEWS, 4/29). The deal makes the front page of the
sports section of today's ESTADO DE SAO PAOLO (THE DAILY).
