Author: Kristin Mortensen

The American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL), the largest professional Ultimate disc league in the world, and Legends, a data-intelligence fueled global premium experiences company, announced today a long-term strategic partnership that will accelerate the growth of the AUDL. As part of this partnership, Legends has aligned its interests with the owners of the AUDL by making a minority investment in the league.

Through this comprehensive service partnership, Legends will manage sponsorships, omnichannel merchandise, media strategy and buying for the AUDL by leveraging the company’s technology solutions division to deliver innovative, data-driven actionable insights and solutions across each service. In addition, the AUDL will have access to all areas of Legends’ intelligence-fueled 360-degree service solutions, including planning, sales and hospitality, as the league expands.

“This partnership with Legends significantly accelerates our business plan and increases the trajectory of our awareness by the general community,” said Steve Hall, CEO of the AUDL. “Legends brings a broad set of expert services and a network in the professional sports world that will allow us to deliver a better experience for our fans and to compete for more attention.”

The AUDL is Legends’ latest partnership with a high-growth property since launching its Growth Enterprises division in February. Legends Growth Enterprises focuses on leveraging the company’s 360° service solution to support sports and entertainment properties, attractions, events, and platforms that are positioned for accelerated growth.

“The leadership at the AUDL is incredibly passionate and has established a strong foundation and vision for the future of the league,” said Gabby Roe, President, Legends Growth Enterprises. “Legends will work closely with the AUDL to drive business and enhance the sponsor and fan experience, while also creating new revenue-generating opportunities that will help accelerate growth and further the league’s long-term goals.”

The AUDL was formed in 2012 with eight teams, and in the following 10 seasons, the league has grown to 25 teams across the United States and Canada. The AUDL is innovating solutions for the modern pro sports experience through its majority-owned entity, UltiX Technology (UltiX). UltiX was created in 2019 to create a platform that creates new revenue streams through the gamification of data and NIL.

The Board of Directors of Real Madrid C.F. at its meeting yesterday ratified an agreement with Sixth Street, an investment firm with extensive experience in sports and infrastructure, and Legends, a premium experiences company for sports and live venue organizations, with the objective of elevating the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium as a unique venue and a worldwide benchmark for leisure and entertainment.

As part of the long-term partnership, Real Madrid will receive approximately €360m to be invested across any of the Club’s activities. Through this alliance, Sixth Street acquires the right to participate in the operation of certain new businesses of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium for twenty years. In addition, Legends will contribute its experience in the operation of large stadiums, attractions and event spaces to optimize the management of the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

“The transformation of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium will be a turning point in the history of Real Madrid. This alliance with Sixth Street and Legends, world leaders in their respective disciplines, will be fundamental in providing unique experiences in a stadium where multiple events can be hosted throughout the year,” according to Florentino Perez, President of Real Madrid. “This agreement strengthens the Club’s goal of continuing to significantly increase the stadium’s revenues from both sporting and other types of events.”

“Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu is hallowed ground in the world of football, and we are honored to be joining this partnership to invest in the innovative, long-term strategic vision that has guided the Club’s consistent success over its storied history,” said Alan Waxman, Co-Founder and CEO of Sixth Street. “The flexible, solutions-oriented capital and comprehensive capabilities provided by our team at Sixth Street, combined with the deep expertise Legends offers in venue and sports brand operations, will support Real Madrid in its mission to compete and remain a leader in global sports for many years to come.”

Sixth Street, which manages over $60 billion in assets, brings extensive investment experience with leading companies in the world of sports and in sectors such as real estate, infrastructure, and consumer, including the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, Airbnb, and Spotify.

“We are proud to expand our existing relationship with Real Madrid,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO of Legends. “Legends’ operational and sales acumen and experience, across match day and non-match day, combined with the iconic Real Madrid brand and Sixth Street’s flexible capital deployment is a new and innovative approach to modernizing the Bernabéu, one of the world’s greatest sports, entertainment, and cultural venues. With this long-term management relationship, Legends continues to grow its global footprint, while investing in regional expertise with best-in-class brands worldwide.”

Legends was formed in 2008 by affiliates of the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys. Sixth Street invested in a majority stake in Legends in January 2021. Legends provides holistic, data driven revenue solutions for some of the world’s most iconic brands and boasts an expansive client portfolio in sports, entertainment, live events and attractions.

NEW YORK, NY – Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker. Century 21 today announced it is making a New York City comeback, relaunching the beloved institution in Spring 2023 at its flagship location downtown across from the World Trade Center. The iconic retailer and purveyor of off-price luxury fashion has teamed with global premium experiences company Legends to introduce a revitalized shopping experience to Century 21’s faithful local – and global – fans.

Through this next evolution, Century 21 will remain true to its DNA – one synonymous with value and luxury – continuing to thrill New Yorkers and tourists alike with an exceptional assortment of designer brands at the unbeatable prices the brand has delivered for over 60 years. With an emphasis on their Big Apple roots, Century 21 will be adding NYC to their iconic logo.

Complementing Century 21’s long-standing legacy as a New York City icon, Legends boasts a prominent footprint in the New York City market, overseeing retail and hospitality operations at landmark establishments including Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees and NYCFC), One World Observatory and the MLB Flagship Store. As a global, data-driven holistic sales service provider, Legends has operated brick and mortar, pop-ups, e-commerce and in-venue retail experiences for renowned brands such as the NFL, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, Real Madrid, Dallas Cowboys, and the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, among many others.

This partnership will couple Legends omnichannel operating expertise with Century 21’s expert curation of designer brands at amazing prices, to bring fans of the iconic brand an enhanced shopping experience in-store and online.

“Century 21 is, and always will be, a New York City brand,” says Raymond Gindi, Century 21 Co-Chief Executive Officer, “Our flagship store has been a long-time symbol of this city’s resilience and unwavering spirit. In our 60 year history we have only closed our doors twice, once after the devastation of 9/11 and then again during the COVID-19 pandemic. But like the true New Yorkers we are, we have persevered. We could not be more excited to bring Century 21 back home, delivering the same products and value to customers, in partnership with Legends.”

“Legends is proud to partner with Century 21 to bring the beloved retail experience back to New York City,” said Dan Smith, President, Legends Hospitality. “Working side by side with the Century 21 team, we have enhanced the in-store and e-commerce experience and are excited to ‘open the doors’ to a global audience in 2023.”

As a result of this partnership, Century 21 will be introducing a more streamlined customer shopping experience through in-store upgrades and an elevated, e-commerce presence, which will debut at the same time the brick and mortar store opens its doors. The re-opened Cortlandt Street location will span the four main floors of the original downtown space and will offer men’s, women’s and children’s designer apparel, footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories, and fragrances.

Legends to Lead Planning, Project Management, Sales and Partnerships for New Stadium

The Buffalo Bills and Legends announced today an expansive partnership for the data-intelligence fueled global premium experiences company to lead planning, project management, sales and partnerships for the new Bills stadium project. The Bills recently secured a signed Memorandum of Understanding with New York State and received NFL approval for G-4 funding, significant steps towards final approval of the stadium.

Legends has been involved in the Bills new stadium project for the past year, working closely with the team and Pegula Sports & Entertainment on the feasibility study for the project and more recently, conducting valuable initial focus groups and surveys to help inform stadium design and sales. In addition to its work on the new stadium project, Legends currently handles e-commerce for the Bills.

“As we continue toward our goal of constructing a new stadium for our team, our fans and the Western New York community, having the right partners in place is critical to our success,” said Ron Raccuia, Bills executive vice president. “As we have seen in recent years at SoFi Stadium and Allegiant Stadium, the team at Legends brings an incredible level of expertise, success and understanding around NFL stadium development as well as sales and partnerships. We are proud to partner and get to work with them on our new stadium project.”

“Legends is proud to partner with the Buffalo Bills and Pegula Sports & Entertainment to apply our data-intelligence fueled 360-degree service solution to bring their fans a new, modern stadium that will dramatically enhance the game day experience,” said Shervin Mirhashemi, CEO, Legends. “Our seasoned execution team will apply their vast experience and institutional knowledge working with NFL teams on project development, sales campaigns, PSL programs, naming rights and founding partner engagements to deliver a stadium that is unique to Buffalo.”

Legends has provided its holistic solution powered by data and analytics to a number of high-profile stadium and venue projects that have opened in the past few years. Most recently, Legends provided planning, project management, sales and partnerships, including naming rights, for the Los Angeles Rams’ and Chargers’ SoFi Stadium, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium, Hollywood Park’s YouTube Theater, Los Angeles Football Club’s Banc of California Stadium and the Columbus Crew’s Lower.com Field.

 

Manchester United has appointed a team of leading consultants to begin work on creating a Masterplan for the redevelopment of Old Trafford.

The team will be led by Legends International and Populous, both of which have a wealth of stadium development experience from across the globe.

Work will begin immediately on developing options for Old Trafford and studying their feasibility, with the aim of significantly enhancing the fan experience.

Fans will be at the heart of the process, starting with a meeting between the consultants and the Manchester United Fans’ Advisory Board later this month.

A similar process is already under way in relation to the club’s training facilities, with KSS appointed to develop a Masterplan for an expanded, state-of-the-art facility for the Men’s, Women’s and Academy teams.

Legends International appointed as Project Manager

Stockholm Globe Arena Fastigheter AB (SGAF) have announced a best-in-class team, led by the premium experiences company Legends International, has been appointed to support them in reimagining the performance space of Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden, in accordance with preliminary decisions made by Stockholm City Council.

Legends International has been appointed to deliver project management services, and to lead a team of experts in supporting SGAF, creating a concept design and contributing to the business case, with the focus on enhancing the fan and guest experience and additional revenue generation.

“It has been a long and rewarding process, and we feel confident that we, together with our tenant Stockholm Live among others, have procured a very competent team in Legends International. We are looking forward to working up proposals for the Stockholm City Council and begin the development of Avicii Arena“, says Mats Viker, CEO, SGAF.

“Avicii Arena is an iconic venue, which our team are privileged to be helping SGAF reimagine,” Martin Jennings, Managing Director UK & Head of Global Planning for Legends International, said. “We believe we have brought together a great combination of international design and project expertise, combined with local knowhow, to help SGAF make Avicii Arena a landmark venue for live entertainment and top-tier Ice Hockey for years to come”

“Avicii Arena is such a significant and wonderful landmark in Stockholm and has a long and storied history as a premier destination for concerts, entertainment and hockey,” said John Rhodes, director of Sports + Entertainment at HOK. “We are honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate with Legends International and SGAF to infuse the arena with new offerings and energy that will elevate the spectator, athlete and performer experience.”

• Legends International (project managers): is a premium experiences company that specialises in delivering holistic solutions for legendary brands. Our Global, multi-disciplinary service solutions collaborate on every project to ensure success across each of our verticals. Headquartered in London, together with our US colleagues, our experts have delivered over 1,800 innovative solutions across our six verticals. From creating a robust financial model for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, developing retail strategies for the Rio 2016 Olympics, providing award-winning catering at Manchester City, and 360-degree services for The View From The Shard – Legends International deliver it all.
• HOK (architects): HOK’s Sports + Entertainment practice specialises in the design of arenas, stadiums, ballparks, training facilities and entertainment centres. The group plans and designs world-class sports complexes that are centrepieces of successful, vibrant entertainment districts and communities. Current and recent arena projects include FC Barcelona’s New Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona, Spain; Casal España Arena in Valencia, Spain; Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi; the Footprint Center modernization in Phoenix, Arizona; the renovation of State Farm Arena in Atlanta; and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
• schlaich bergermann partner (structures): is an internationally renowned structural engineering and consulting firm based in Stuttgart, Germany with expertise in large-scale, long-span, high-rise, sports and entertainment projects which are architecturally and aesthetically pleasing, but also innovative, efficient and lightweight. With a multidisciplinary team of more than 200 members designing and delivering holistic and sustainable solutions, projects of note include many stadium projects for the FIFA World Cups in Korea and Japan, Germany, South Africa, Brazil, and the first fully demountable container stadium for the 2022 World Cup, several club stadiums throughout the world, and various multipurpose arena projects in Europe. The rehabilitation of BC Place Stadium (Canada) or Stadium Maracanã (Brazil), and more recent projects such as Wanda Metropolitano Stadium (Spain), or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (Great Britain), are just a few of these highlights.
• Ramboll (engineering): Across the world, Ramboll’s 16,000 experts combine local experience with a global knowledge base to create sustainable cities and societies. In this project, Ramboll are leading building services engineers, including, for example, MEP, fire safety, sustainability, and 3D scanning expertise. Ramboll Sweden and Ramboll UK collaborate on this project, delivering enduring and resource-efficient solutions. Previous experience for the Ramboll team include work on the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Tampere Arena, Finland.
• Efterklang (acoustics): Based in Europe with a team of over 130 engineers with architectural, musical and physics backgrounds, Efterklang is appointed to design the acoustics for the arena.  With a long running track record designing sports arenas and live performance venues, they work to optimise the sonic experience of live events by careful design of architectural form, materials and sound systems.  Their recent work includes the new Bratislava Congress Center and they have provided acoustic designs for several sports arenas in the Nordics including the Swedish Hockey Stadiums in Skellefteå, Karlstad, and Umeå.
• Light Bureau (lighting): Having recently completed award-winning lighting projects such as The Twist at Kistefos Museum in Norway, Maggie’s Cancer Care Center in Leeds, and the restoration of the Sammy Ofer Centre in London, Light Bureau has been appointed as the lighting designer at Avicii Arena.  Light Bureau is a design studio based in London & Oslo and has a portfolio of projects worldwide that showcase elegance and innovation in lighting.
• AFRY (cost management): AFRY are a European leader in engineering, design, and advisory services, with a global reach.  Since 2017, AFRY has provided cost calculation for the Globe Arena and has a history with the project throughout its lifetime.  AFRY has consulted on many of the major stadiums in the Nordic countries including Tele2 Arena and Friends Arena in Stockholm.
• Movement Strategies (crowd dynamics): Movement Strategies, part of the GHD group of companies, is the world’s leading crowd dynamics consultancy, advising new-build and existing sports and entertainment venues, major events, transport and cultural venues globally. Long term clients include Liverpool Football Club (Anfield), The FA (Wembley Stadium), and AELTC (The Wimbledon Championships).

Partnership Furthers Legends Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Growth

Legends, a global premium experiences company, will serve as a presenting partner of the National Sports Forum’s Business of Diversity in Sports & Entertainment (BDSE) program. The multi-year partnership starts with the 2022 National Sports Forum that begins today through March 2 in Austin, Texas.

BDSE, in conjunction with the National Sports Forum, recognizes the need for more programs supporting the importance of diversity in the front office. The program aims to increase the opportunities for up-and-coming ethnic minority and/or women sports professionals to have access to the senior-level best practices of revenue generating responsibilities within the industry and networking opportunities. Each year through an application process, 31 individuals that are early in their sports career from around the world are selected by the BDSE committee to receive a scholarship to attend the National Sports Forum. This provides them with full day workshop and access to network with 1,000+ sports business professionals over the 3-day conference.

The year-round partnership between BDSE and Legends builds on Legends’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and provides a unique platform for the company to offer current employees professional development opportunity through the BDSE program at the National Sports Forum. Beyond the onsite conference, BDSE members will have access to quarterly speaker sessions, to attend National Sports Forum Virtual Summits, networking sessions and mentorship program.  Since 2013, BDSE has had over 250 leaders go through the program and continue their rise within the sports and entertainment industry.

Legends will work with the National Sports Forum and BDSE to integrate employees into the BDSE’s annual programming, workshops, events and mentorship program. The company’s employee resource groups – BE Collective and The LEAGUE of Legendary Women – will be key partners in the program. BE Collective’s mission is to promote a culture of inclusion, which specifically ensures Black team members are engaged, empowered, and treated equitably in efforts to grow professionally and personally. The LEAGUE of Legendary Women seeks to create an empowered, best-in-class network committed to the advancement and development of women at all levels and foster values of inclusion and respect.

To learn more about National Sports Forum’s BDSE platform visit https://sports-forum.com/bdse/. For more information about Legends’ commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Growth, visit https://www.legends.net/diversity-inclusion.

Highest Overall Per Cap in History for Full Capacity Super Bowl

Legends, a global premium experiences company, today announced record-breaking sales for food and beverage, as well as merchandise for Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Legends operates hospitality, which includes concessions and premium spaces, at SoFi Stadium and is partnered with the NFL to execute on-site retail for the Super Bowl and other NFL tentpole events.

The overall per cap for Super Bowl LVI, including general concessions, premium dining and merchandise sales, was $167.37, the highest overall per cap in history for a full capacity Super Bowl. This marks a 14% increase over the previous record at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. The number is for Super Bowl game day sales at SoFi Stadium only.

In total, Legends generated over $18 million in revenue for all NFL related activities (Feb. 5 – Feb 13), including SoFi Stadium sales, NFL Shop presented by Visa at the Super Bowl Experience, additional Super Bowl retail pop-up and hotel locations throughout Los Angeles, and on-site merchandise for the 2022 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Our team was incredibly proud to be a part of Super Bowl LVI, turning up the spotlight on Los Angeles and celebrating the diverse culture of the area through our food and beverage program at SoFi Stadium and unique merchandise partnerships with local artists,” said Dan Smith, president of Legends Hospitality. “The buzz around the game and the city was incredible, with the home team playing and back to a full capacity Super Bowl. Our team worked around the clock to ensure an expedient, first-class experience for fans inside the stadium and at the retail locations throughout the city.”

“SoFi Stadium was built to host world-class events like the Super Bowl. We collaborated with Legends on our point-of-sale infrastructure from day one. For the Super Bowl, we added additional point-of-sale locations and provided multiple types of access points throughout the building and across the Hollywood Park campus for food, beverage and merchandise. This allowed us to operate for the NFL at the highest level and create an unforgettable Super Bowl experience for guests at SoFi Stadium,” said Jason Gannon, managing director, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.

Throughout the stadium there were more than 900 concession points of sale (fixed and handheld), making for easy access for fans to get food and beverages without having to wait in long lines. There were 24 merchandise locations inside the stadium, including the main team store. Outside the venue there were 12 portable retail trailers.

Legends was the NFL’s official retail merchandise concessionaire for Super Bowl LVI. The NFL Shop presented by Visa at the Super Bowl Experience was open for one week from Saturday, February 5 through Saturday, February 12 and covered 30,000 square feet. The store offered the largest collection of Super Bowl merchandise anywhere, with the majority of the product mix being exclusive. In addition to the main NFL Shop presented by Visa, there were five pop-up locations throughout Los Angeles and 30 hotels carrying merchandise, all operated by Legends.

Legends manages on-site retail at NFL tentpole events, including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft and NFL Combine. In addition, Legends and the NFL partnered recently to open NFL Las Vegas presented by Visa, an innovative NFL-themed store located in the renowned Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.