Sports Revolution names Chris Ingram as Executive Chairman
July 2009
Sports Revolution, the UK sports media specialist, has named media industry luminary Chris Ingram as its Executive Chairman.
The management restructure sees Ingram take a hands-on role at Sports Revolution, which is the largest media rights owner in UK football stadia.
The company has exclusive media rights with over 75 clubs across all UK professional leagues – including 19 in the Premier League. Sports Revolution works with some of the leading brands in football, including Barclays, Ford, E.ON and Sky.
Ingram, who has invested in Sports Revolution through his company IngramEnterprise, comments: “Sports Revolution has a really compelling offer to advertisers. There is no better way of connecting with men than through the environment and passion of sport and Sports Revolution is the dominant player in a key area of the market.
“I have become involved because I believe there are a number of additional steps we can take to exploit this position even further.”
Ingram, who founded one of the first media agencies, CIA, in 1976 and was inducted last year into Campaign’s Hall of Fame for helping shape the UK’s advertising industry, combines a passion for sport and media in his new role. As the owner of Woking Football Club, Ingram is highly familiar with the business of football.
Ingram’s first move has been to restructure the Sports Revolution board, with Antony Marcou, whose media career spans Time Warner, IPC Media and Walker Media, promoted to managing director. Marcou’s experience strengthens Sports Revolution’s strategic offering as advertisers prepare for the start of the 2009-2010 football season.
Marcou says Sports Revolution can plug brand owners into a monthly match-day audience of 2.85 million men. “We can deliver more men than most male-skewed print and broadcast media. In addition, our media intelligence is top-drawer – a fact that Chris’ involvement bears testimony to,” he says.
Marcou’s strike partner is former Manchester United business development manager Vange Kourentis. Kourentis brings deep-level football industry insight and commercial expertise to his role on the new-look Sports Revolution board.
He says: “Sports Revolution can help clubs and brands forge mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver a real return on investment. We have a unique model, and with the backing of Chris, the belief of someone who knows better than anyone the value of what we can offer.”