FRENCH RIGHTS HOLDERS and sponsor brands will have greater access to sports marketing resources after international agency Infront Sports and Media opened its first office in France this week.
Based in Paris, the new office marks the first time the agency has expanded without acquiring another company – a milestone in the group’s global growth strategy.
Frontloaded understands that the Paris office will cover the entire French sports market, across all sports, as Infront seeks significant business development opportunities, as well as improving the commercial portfolios of existing clients in the country, including various FIS World Cup competitions and the annual Ironman event in Nice.
Given the company’s existing presence and expertise in European winter sports, it is likely that skiing properties will be among those to benefit from Infront’s introduction to the market.
According to the official press release, Infront also distributes sponsorship packages to several major international sports events appealing to a French fan base, such as the European Handball Championships, the IBU Biathlon World Cup and various international football properties including AC Milan, SS Lazio, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04.
The Paris subsidiary will be headed up by newly-appointed Managing Director, Jean-François Jeanne, who joins the company after eight years at Sportfive France and seven years as a marketing director for Puma.