Lagardère Unlimited acquires Gaylord Sports Management

06 January 2012 | Posted in Agencies, North America | By David Cushnan

Lagardère Unlimited has acquired Gaylord Sports Management, the agency which counts golfers Phil Mickelson and 2011 US PGA winner Keegan Bradley as clients.

It is Lagardère Unlimited's first US acquisition since it bought another talent representation specialist Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST) nearly two years ago.

Gaylord Sports' president and chief executive officer Steve Loy will become president of Lagardère Golf Unlimited, with the rest of Gaylord's staff joining the company. Though Gaylord specialises in golf it also has significant interests in baseball and football.

“We were looking for a strong company which would complement the assets we already have in place,” said Kevin O’Connor, Lagardère Unlimited's chief operating officer in North and South America.  

"The addition of Gaylord Sports Management immediately ranks us among the leaders in professional golf representation and gives us an important footprint in baseball as we continue to grow. It should go without saying that we are thrilled to be working with Steve [Loy], his team and their clients.”

Law firm Proskauer Rose worked on behalf of Lagardère to complete the deal. No financial details were immediately available.

In December it was revealed that Qatar Holdings, the country's sovereign wealth fund, had raised its stake in Lagardère Unlimited's parent Lagardère from 7.6 per cent to 10.1 per cent.