He might be young, brash and wealthy. But Jonathan Blue also is misunderstood. On Tuesday, Blue, chairman and managing partner of Louisville-based private investment firm Blue Equity LLC, opened his presentation to the Association for Corporate Growth, Kentucky with a clarification rather than an introduction. “I’m not a sports agent. I never was,” he said. “And I…
Blue Equity, LLC and Lagardere SCA announced today that the newly branded Lagardere Unlimited (www.lagardere-unlimited.com) has acquired BEST (Blue Entertainment Sports Television), the sports and entertainment affiliate owned and operated as a portfolio company of Blue Equity, LLC. BEST is a unified, full-service sports and entertainment marketing, management and production firm. Since its initial acquisition…
Arnaud Lagardère has held a press conference about the business of sports after the acquisition of the American-based sports and entertainment agency Best. The CEO of Lagardère has announced the creation of a new division called Lagardère Unlimited, which is set to replace Lagardère Sports. With the purchasing of Best, Lagardère Unlimited establishes itself as…
Arnaud Lagardère is angling for a bigger piece of the more than $100 billion global sports industry. The chief executive officer of Lagardère SCA today unveiled a new sports division intended to move the biggest French publisher toward becoming a larger player in sports rights, marketing and athlete representation. The new Lagardere Unlimited unit will compete directly…
Eighteen Mexican nurses are in the process of getting jobs in U.S. hospitals, thanks to a training and placement business backed by Louisville-based Blue Equity, LLC. The Blue Equity division, Nurses Now International, trains nurses in English medical terminology and American culture, preparing them to work on a temporary basis in U.S. hospitals. After a…
It was not all that long ago that IMG was known for its Client Management division, which included many talented athletes not named Tiger Woods. Jonathan Blue was focused on investing in non-sports businesses and Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was known as one of the best Entertainment agencies in the world. Today, IMG only manages…
BEST agent Dan Fegan has signed NBA draft prospect John Wall “for contract representation,” according to sources cited by Liz Mullen of Sportsbusiness Journal. Sources indicated that BEST also is “finalizing a collaborative agreement for Wall’s marketing work.” Mullen notes Wall is “seen as having the potential of being an iconic NBA player and is said to be…
Blue Entertainment Sports Television, the fast-growing, Louisville-based sports and entertainment agency founded by local entrepreneur Jonathan Blue, might be sold soon to a French company looking to become a major player in the United States. Lagardère Unlimited, a Paris-based talent-management company, is said by industry sources to be in “advanced talks” to buy BEST, which is…
French sporting and publishing giant Lagardere SA is close to acquiring BEST, multiple sources said, which would introduce a player with significant financial wherewithal into the U.S. sports agency marketplace. A deal could be consummated as early as next week, the sources said. Lagardere is one of France’s largest and most influential companies, and has…
Lagardère, the Paris-based media and sports giant, is in negotiations to buy Blue Entertainment Sports Television (BEST), Tennis.com has learned. Lagardère, who represents Andy Roddick,Justine Henin and Fernando Gonzalez, among others, is headed by Ken Meyerson, who used to work as Tennis Division President at BEST. BEST currently represents Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, Melanie Oudin, Sam Querrey, John…
IF Management Inc., a company that represents radio and television personalities, has formed a partnership with Blue Entertainment Sports Television, a division of Blue Equity, LLC. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Geoff Garmhausen, director of marketing and communications for Louisville-based BEST, declined to say if BEST purchased IF Management or if the companies merged. IF Management…
Blue Entertainment Sports Television and GlowTouch Technologies have been named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies. The ranking is based on year-over-year sales growth from the previous three years. BEST, a division of Louisville-based Blue Equity LLC, was ranked No. 21 on the list. The sports and entertainment management, marketing and…