IMG (business)

IMG, originally known as the "International Management Group" is an international talent agency and production company. It was founded by Mark McCormack and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

History

McCormack was an American lawyer who spotted the potential for athletes to make large incomes from endorsement in the television age, and signed golfer Arnold Palmer as his first client. McCormack died in 2003. Bob Kain and Alastair Johnston took over as co-CEOs.

In 2006, IMG Media acquired [http://www.nu-net.com/ nunet AG] , a provider of Mobile TV services to Mobile Network Operators globally. Clients of nunet's Mobile TV CMS currently include: Vodafone Global, Proximus, Vodacom, Mobilkom A1. Content distributed currently includes MTV, Fashion TV, Eurosport and Discovery Networks.

IMG is headquartered in Downtown Cleveland in a 1965 built complex diagonally across the street from Erieview Tower. When the IMG Center was built, it originally housed a now defunct Cuyahoga Saving Bank. In 1997, IMG renovated Cuyahoga Savings Bank Building and renamed it IMG Center. At street level they have projection screen showing their businesses with images of F1 racing to Tiger Woods.

Today

TWI, IMG's television division, is the largest independent distributor and producer of televised sports, managing a library of more than 150,000 hours. TWI annually produces and distributes 6,500 hours of original programming to more than 200 countries covering 200+ sports, and also has involvement in digital sports and entertainment.

IMG is also commercially involved in an average of 11 major sports and cultural events around the world every day; represents the interests of major corporations; is the world's largest non-character licensing firm, and is a literary agency and book packager.

In addition, IMG Artists is a performing arts management firm; IMG owns and operates sports and fitness academies, and IMG Models is a model management firm. IMG Consulting works with many corporations on marketing and sponsorship programs, and its stadium and arena group works with leagues and franchises world wide.

Trans World International

Trans World International (TWI) is the event arm of IMG. It is the largest independent producer, packager and distributor of sports programs in the world. TWI produces over 5,000 hours of original programming each year for distribution to more than 200 territories.

Programs

* American Gladiators (with Samuel Goldwyn Television and Four Point Entertainment)
* Battle of the Network Stars
* Trans World Sport
* English Premier League (with the League and Sky Sports, the venture is officially known as "Premier League Productions")
* FIFA Futbol Mundial
* Total Rugby (IRB Official Program)
* ASP Tour
*Arab Football Show (Al Mala'eb Al Arabiya)
*World's Strongest Man
*Britain's Strongest Man

IMG College

In late 2007, IMG acquired Host Communications and the Collegiate Licensing Company to form IMG College. All together, IMG College holds the licensing rights to over 150 colleges and universities, 9 collegiate conferences, 15 bowl games and 7 other athletic institutions. Additionally, they hold the multi media marketing rights to the following schools and institutions:

*Furman University
*Gonzaga University
*Oklahoma State University
*Rice University
*The University of Arizona
*The University of Florida
*The University of Kansas
*The University of Kentucky
*The University of Michigan
*The University of Nebraska
*The University of Oregon
*The University of Tennessee
*The University of Texas
*Western Kentucky University
*The Southeastern Conference
*The Ohio Valley Conference
*The AT&T Red River Rivalry
*The State Farm Lone Star Showdown
*The University Interscholastic League

IMG College also publishes Dave Campbell's Texas Football, a magazine dedicated to covering all levels of football in Texas and runs its related event, the Toyota Tundra Texas Football Classic.

ee also

*IMG Models
*IMG Academies

External links

* [http://www.imgworld.com/ Official site]