15 Mar 2012 07:00
TLA Worldwide plc
Trading update
TLA Worldwide plc (AIM: TLA) ("TLA" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on business activities.
Since the IPO, the Company has added to both its client and agent roster and expects to continue to do so through hires, acquisitions and other combinations.
In the fourth quarter and current year-to-date, the firm has negotiated over $100 million of additional off-season playing contracts for its baseball clients. Such recent activity brings the total of the Company's guaranteed baseball client contracts under management to more than $520MM.
The Company has also recently signed a number of new baseball, coaching and talent marketing clients and negotiated new broadcasting deals for its existing clients. TLA has further negotiated a number of new commercial agreements for its clients, including those with brands such as Proctor & Gamble, BP, Barbasol, Red Bull, 5 Hour Energy and Subway. During last month's Super Bowl, TLA secured over 60 talent appearances, including commercial opportunities for 15 of its clients, further exhibiting its exceptional ability to deliver for their client base. In addition, the Company continues to secure talent endorsements in connection with this summer's Olympic Games.
Since Admission to AIM on 8 December 2011, the Company has also successfully merged the two firms, Legacy Sports Group, a leading baseball representation business, and The Agency Sports Management, a leading sports marketing and management company. The combined entity operates in the United States as The Legacy Agency or TLA.
Together they combine to create an integrated, full service offering with an on-field focus on professional baseball. TLA's goal is to build out the baseball representation practice and to further grow and solidify its position as a best in class sports marketing group with leading talent marketing, golf, broadcasting and coaching divisions.
The merger is now complete, with a new brand identity, a combined IT platform and integrated financial systems. The businesses are working closely together to generate synergies for the group. Clients are already seeing the benefits of full service, turnkey representation for all facets of their careers.
TLA is expected to announce its results to 31 December 2011, which will cover the 23 day period from Admisison to AIM, together with pro-forma results for 2011 early in the second quarter. Based on trading to date, the Company continues to expect 2012 results to be in line with market forecasts.
TLA CEO Mike Principe commented, "We are starting to see the early benefits of the IPO. Since Admission at the end of last year, we have completed the merger of the two businesses and established a solid platform for growth. The complementary nature of TLA's combined Group is allowing us to provide a broader array of services and opportunities to our clients. Now that the business is integrated and hitting its stride, we are already seeing the benefit through more visible and tangible deals for both our clients and the Company as a whole."
For further information, please contact:
In the US
Mike Principe +1 212 645 2141
Joe Favorito +1 201 746 0005
In the UK
Pelham Bell Pottinger
Dan de Belder/Rosanne Perry +44 020 7861 3232
Cenkos Securities
Ivonne Cantu (Nomad) +44 (0)20 7397 8980
Julian Morse (Sales) +44 (0)20 7397 8928
ABOUT TLA
Founded in December, 2011 through the merger of Legacy Sports Group and The Agency Sports Management, TLA Worldwide plc (TLA:LN) and its' subsidiary, The Legacy Agency, Inc., is a leading athlete representation and sports marketing business with a full service offering to its clients in baseball, broadcasting, coaching, endorsement and golf talent, as well as corporate consulting. The company's success and growth potential is founded on three key pillars: the competency of the underlying businesses, their complementary practices and the strength and experience of the management team. TLA has an exceptional roster of clients including baseball All-Stars C.C. Sabathia, Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn, Ricky Romero, Rickie Weeks and Vernon Wells, broadcasters Troy Aikman, Dan Hicks, Darryl Johnston, Chris Myers and Mitch Williams, college coaches Mick Cronin, Randy Edsall, Mark Fox and Mark Gottfried, PGA Tour professionals, Jim Furyk, Matt Every, Robert Garrigus, Spencer Levin, John Senden and Kyle Reifers, and talent marketing clients such as Reggie Bush, Colt McCoy, Ndamukong Suh and Ryan Tannehill. Headquartered in New York, TLA will operate out of offices in New York, Newport Beach, Houston, San Francisco, Charleston, SC and London. For more information, visit www.tlaww-plc.com.