MLS Major League Soccer

KICKTV Sold to Copa90

Published on January 29, 2015 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (January 29, 2015) Major League Soccer announced today that it has sold KICKTV, its global soccer media platform with a core presence on YouTube, to Copa90 . MLS will retain an ownership stake in the newly created company and will work strategically with Copa90. Per MLS policy, specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Copa90, based in London, is a dedicated global soccer platform approaching one million subscribers on YouTube, and rapidly expanding across new video and social platforms including Vessel and Viber. The new Copa90 management team will continue to run the operations of KICKTV from New York. KICKTV will continue to be the voice of North American soccer fans, covering MLS, U.S. Soccer, as well as the beautiful game globally.

KICKTV launched in March 2012 as one of the first premium channels on YouTube, a key global initiative by the Google-owned company. KICKTV's leading global coverage includes weekly shows The Mixer, Rumor Mill, Top 5 and select MLS highlights. KICKTV has also made a name for itself covering some of the world's most prominent soccer events including World Cup 2014 and Euro 2012. Of the more than 100 premium YouTube channels that have launched over the past three years, KICKTV has accumulated one of the largest subscription bases.

"Today is an exciting day for our company," said Tom Thirlwall, CEO, Copa90. "We are welcoming an industry leader and creating the largest premium football fan network. This acquisition rapidly escalates our plan and gives us an entrance to the North American market with a brilliant team and operation ready to go in New York. We cannot wait to tell more of the amazing football stories that are emerging as a new fan culture develops in the world's biggest sports market. This is just the beginning of the expansion of Copa90 but this deal with MLS is a landmark."

"We have built a successful global soccer platform and we're very proud of that," said Gary Stevenson, President and Managing Director, MLS Business Ventures. "This is the next step in KICKTV's evolution. We are delighted to maintain an interest in the company and we will support its growth moving forward. We're excited about KICKTV and Copa90."

Other premium YouTube channels that have been sold recently include Awesomeness (purchased by Dreamworks) and Maker (purchased by Disney). Evolution Media Capital, an investment bank and advisory firm, partly owned by Creative Artists Agency, was an advisor on this agreement.

About Copa90

Copa90 is the voice of football fans globally. We tell the stories, hero the characters and host the conversation to define a world beyond the 90 minutes that no one else can. With millions of engaged fans across YouTube and other social networks, Copa90 has created new digital formats and discovered talent that resonates with youth audiences. Copa90 works with brands who want to support the mission to give football back to the fans. www.copa90.com.

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