L.A.-based Envision and Fox Sports One, the sponsorship
sales arm for "almost every major" L.A. sports team, "have
agreed to merge," according to Liz Mullen of the
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The new company will be called
Envision and will be headed by Envision President & CEO Jeff
Knapple, who will be part-owner. The L.A. firm will also be
owned by Philip Anschutz and Fox Entertainment Group. While
a deal is expected to be announced as early as this week,
the two "companies have been quietly combined and
effectively working as one for a few months." Fox Sports
One was formed about 18 months ago to handle the sales
efforts of sports and entertainment properties owned or
controlled by Anschutz. Knapple said that he "plans to
expand the company both internationally and domestically,
including opening an office in Europe soon" (SPORTSBUSINESS
JOURNAL, 5/15 issue). In L.A., Greg Johnson writes that the
companies "did not release Envision's financial data or
discuss the deal's value." The new company "will have about
30 employees and be headquartered in an office building
near" Staples Center. In the U.S., the new company "is
being positioned as a one-stop shopping center" for
university administrators, arena operators, advertisers and
"others in the sports marketing industry." While Envision
"will incorporate" Fox broadcast and Internet components
into deals, Knapple said that the new company "won't be
precluded from packaging deals with other broadcast
companies" (L.A. TIMES, 5/15).
