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League/Tournament Brands:
- Sports marketing agency Lagardère Sports will market the commercial rights to the 2019 PUBG Nations Cup and Global Championship events.
- The $500K USD Nations Cup takes place in August, with the $2M Global Championship to follow later this year.
- U.S. agency Wasserman is reportedly in exclusive discussions to acquire Lagardère Sports, with a valuation of $250-300M USD.
French sports marketing agency Lagardère Sports 
has announced a partnership with PUBG Corporation to exclusively market the commercial rights to the 2019 PUBG Nations Cup and Global Championship for PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG).
The companies previously partnered for last year’s PUBG Global Invitational, and Lagardère Sports will both commercialize current PUBG esports properties as well as seek additional business opportunities for the battle royale shooter franchise. The PUBG Nations Cup takes place from August 9-11 and has a $500K prize pool, while the PUBG Global Championship will be held sometime late this year with a $2M prize pool.
The companies previously partnered for last year’s PUBG Global Invitational.
“Over the past year, we have seen an increased appetite amongst game developers to partner [with] leading brands who are able to create tangible value for fans through their products, content, and know-how,” said Lagardère Sports vice president of business development for Asia, Malcolm Thorpe, in a release. “This fan-centric approach dovetails with many big brands who are eager to depart from tradition to embrace a powerful culture that truly resonates with fans. PUBG‘s boundless scale and reach gives us a strong platform to help both endemic and non-endemic brands achieve their marketing objectives.”
Related Article: PUBG Corp. Director of Central Esports on PUBG Nations Cup, Long-Term Sustainability
According to a report from the Financial Times, U.S. agency Wasserman is currently in exclusive discussions to acquire Lagardère Sports. The discussions reportedly value Lagardère Sports at about $250-300M, although a deal is apparently not assured at this point. Endeavor and Mediapro are also reportedly interested in acquiring Lagardère Sports.
Lagardère Sports released a statement earlier this week confirming that it was “evaluating the strategic options for the sale of all or part of Lagardère Sports,” and that it may grant exclusivity periods to companies in discussions. However, Lagardère Sports would not comment on reports about potential suitors or valuation. Lagardère Sports also declined a request by The Esports Observer for comment.
The company has made significant moves in the esports space over the past year, becoming the commercial agent for T1 Entertainment & Sports and Team Flash, as well as the exclusive marketing agency for Riot Games’ League of Legends European Championship (LEC), which to date has secured more brand partners than any other western franchised esports league.
