Grup Mediapro launches $1.1 billion sports rights fund, turns 30

Grup Mediapro, the Barcelona-based global holding company that includes The Mediapro Studio, is launching and targeting a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) sports rights brokerage fund focused on established and emerging sports.

The new fund was announced in Madrid on Tuesday at a celebration of Mediapro’s 30th anniversary, catching the company on an expansive streak less than a week after unveiling The Mediapro Studio US & Canada’s Mipcom trade show in Cannes first English-language series of series and films. movies.

In the mix are projects from John Turturro, Melissa Leo, “24” showrunner Evan Katz, Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) “Mafia Spies’” Tom Donahue, “The Floor” showrunner Anthony Carbone and Matt Hastings (“The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Fallen”).

On its 30th anniversary, Grup Mediapro also announced that its 10,200-square-foot Mediapro Yonkers Studios will open in April 2025, with the three sound stages covering a total of 4,600 square feet of floor space.

Mediapro also lifted the lid on Mediapro Xperiences on Tuesday, focused on both new technological creativity and permanent showcases for experiential content.

Founded in 1994 by Jaume Roures and Tatxo Benet, Mediapro grew largely through its sports law business, closing a deal in a country and then immediately offering production services, allowing it to set up offices that then moved into film and TV production. From 2015 onwards, Grup Mediapro started high-quality international TV productions – such as The New Pope, Locked Up and The Head, the franchise – while expanding vigorously into Latin America.

The US and Canadian slate and Yonkers Studios see the powerhouse doubling its US presence, always a long-term goal, doggedly pursued by Laura Fernández Espeso.

A $1.1 billion rights acquisition fund makes Grup Mediapro a player in the sports brokerage business again, but not on the scale of European leader Sky, which invested $3.2 billion in 2024/2025, and even Canal+, whose spending for 2024/25 will be $628 million, according to Enders analysis.

Benet said on Tuesday that Grup Mediapro is in talks with investors to join the fund. The compass is much bigger than just European football. “Our intention is to look for economic support. Our company is active all over the world. We can use our experience to grow a sport, make it more valuable and profit from it, just like any other investment fund does,” he added.

“The third anniversary marks a before and after for Grup Mediapro, and of a greater reach than ever before as we move into the future,” said Laura Fernández Espeso, Managing Director.

“Our goal is to make an impact. We can and want to be leaders. We are present on five continents, have more than 50 international offices and a workforce of 7,000 that never stops growing,” she added.

“A next-generation production center,” Mediapro Yonkers Studios, assumes an investment of $70 million over ten years and targets a 60% occupancy rate in the first year, representing 20% ​​of the company’s revenue Mediapro in the US The installations offer a virtual production set, LED walls, 8K cameras, a 5G network, a digitized workspace and integrated Unreal Engine technology.