Sports marketing and ad-tech firm TGI Sports has acquired virtual advertising company Brand Brigade, which overlays ads into broadcasts for more than 4,000 sporting events per year including NBA, NHL, and MLB games. The acquisition will help Brand Brigade expand its services globally, with Brand Brigade expected to launch an ad product for streaming later this year.
Bruin Sports Capital acquired a 50% stake in TGI Sport for a reported $100 million in March 2021. The Brand Brigade acquisition comes after TGI announced last week that it had bought London-based Interregional Sports Group (ISG), which manages virtual ad rights in broadcasts for Serie A, La Liga, and Formula 1. Under TGI, Brand Brigade and ISG will operate independently of each other but collaborate on a broader expansion strategy to work with new clients across the globe.
Brand Brigade was founded in 2007 by Sam Chenillo and Oren Steinfeld. Both Chenillo and Steinfeld will now join TGI Sports and their virtual ad platform will be offered as Brand Brigade powered by TGI Sport moving forward. Earlier this year, the UFC signed a pilot deal with competing virtual ad provider 4D Sight to overlay sponsor branding on UFC Fight Pass.
