Integrated Media Company (IMC) have signed an agreement with DAZN Group to acquire a majority stake in Goal, the world’s largest football website.
Goal will enrich its coverage of the world’s top sport and additionally create digital opportunities enhancing the fan experience, advertiser proposition, and overall popularity of the game, particularly in growth markets.
"There are four billion soccer fans on earth. Their passion transcends borders and limits though the media serving them does not," Ori Winitzer, managing director of IMC, said.
"Goal has long been an innately global platform for the soccer fan, with a strong journalistic tradition and a brand that’s synonymous with the sport. We see a significant opportunity to expand the platform’s reach and engagement through new content verticals, products, and experiences.
"We’re excited to partner with DAZN to serve all constituents in the soccer world."
DAZN Group will retain a significant minority share and will have a seat on the board of the new venture.
Commenting on the sale, acting CEO of DAZN Group James Rushton said: "We are thrilled to partner with IMC as we enter our next chapter of growth.
"As we saw with Goal's Lionel Messi exclusive, our football portals business features the top digital football destinations in the world. The investment from IMC will enable it to reach new heights, whilst allowing DAZN to focus its energy and resources on further strengthening our sports destination platform."
Goal hit a total of around 150 million unique visitors in August 2020 and offers news, live scores, video and editorial content in 19 languages.
It will seek to expand breadth and depth with the benefit of new capital, with a digital-native approach, combining global reach and local presence, aiming to suit the needs of all football supporters.
It also enables an authentic opportunity for brands to connect with the right message, at the right time, and in the right place.