RSMG Buys Rival Sports Research Group IFM

New York-based sports research firm RSMG has acquired competitor agency IFM Group in a deal which includes German-based IFM Sports and UK-headquartered IFM Sports Marketing Surveys. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Following the acquisition, the IFM brands will continue to trade in their respective markets as operating businesses of RSMG Insights.

The UK division was established in 1984 by founder Stephen Proctor, who then sold the business to German consultancy IFM International Sportanalysen (IFM) in 2008.

RSMG Insights was formed in November 2010 through the merger of sports research companies REPUCOM International and SPORT+MARKT, with additional backing from New York-based investment partners GF Capital Private Equity Fund.

The firm says the merger will enable IFM Sports and IFM Sports Marketing Surveys to draw on the global network of expertise within the RSMG Insights group, which comprises more than 1,200 employees in twenty international offices worldwide.

Paul Smith (pictured), CEO of RSMG Insights, comments: 'Our goal is to create a transparent, comparable global platform for sponsorship valuation and research. With this merger, we are firmly on course to achieving that.'

RSMG Insights will also hold a minority share in a new strategy and consulting company being founded by former IFM Sports CEO Oliver Kaiser.

Web sites: www.rsmg-insights.com and www.ifm-sports.com .