Category: News

Legends, a global data-intelligence fueled premium experiences company, announced today the appointment of Kirta Carroll as President of the company’s Global Merchandise division.  Carroll brings a strong retail and marketing background, joining Legends after more than a decade at Foot Locker.

Carroll will lead Legends’ growing Global Merchandise division, which is a fully integrated vertical solution operating brick and mortar, pop-ups, e-commerce, and in-venue retail experiences for renowned brands such as the NFL, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, UFC, Activision Blizzard and global tentpole events including Super Bowl LVI, 2019 Rugby World Cup, and 2016 Olympics.

“Kirta is a strategic leader with a great depth of omnichannel retail and merchandise experience,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “She brings a successful track record developing and leading merchandising, vendor, and consumer strategy to drive long term sustainability, growth, and scale. We are excited for her to join Legends and lead our Global Merchandise team as we continue to build upon the incredible business success of this past year.”

Legends Global Merchandise has grown substantially in the last 12 months, netting more than 20 new clients, including PGA, PFL, Cirque du Soleil, Madison Square Garden, Indiana University, Century 21 and setting merchandise per cap and sales records for 2022 Indianapolis 500, PGA Championship, Super Bowl LVI, UFC International Fight Week, MLB at Field of Dreams and more.

“I am thrilled to join the team of leaders at Legends and to continue to advance and accelerate our bespoke premium retail offerings while serving fans and consumers where they shop, buy, and intersect with our clients’ brands,” said Carroll.

Prior to joining Legends, Carroll spent 11 years at Foot Locker in increasingly broader roles. She most recently served as Vice President and Global General Merchandising Manager for the women’s division where she led the global footwear and apparel business across Foot Locker’s portfolio of brands. Before her product leadership role, Carroll led marketing for women’s focused retail concepts at Foot Locker, including strategic positioning and brand development, social media and ecommerce strategies, in-store merchandising and visuals. Carroll has a strong marketing background, having spent time working at marketing agencies across multiple industries as well as holding a position in public relations and marketing at Saks Fifth Avenue earlier in her career.  

Notre Dame Global Partnerships (NDGP), the multimedia rightsholder for the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department, today announced an expanded multiyear affiliation with the Allstate (NYSE: ALL) Corporation, which will become a Championship Partner of the program. Through its enhanced partnership, Allstate and Notre Dame will collaborate on new community focused initiatives as well as virtually displaying its digital branding on field goal nets during Notre Dame Football broadcasts on NBC and Peacock.

“We’re excited to deepen our relationship with Allstate, a leading brand in sports and their industry,” said University of Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. “Having the opportunity to bring together two of our great partners, NBC and Allstate, that support collegiate athletics at the highest levels was something we couldn’t pass up.”

In addition to Allstate’s unique in-game digitally infused field goal nets during home games, the brand will appear on physical nets at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on October 8 when Notre Dame takes on BYU in the 2022 Shamrock Series on NBC and Peacock.

“As Allstate kicks off its 17th year supporting college football nationwide, we could not be more excited to partner with one of the sport’s most iconic brands: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish,” said Allstate’s Director of Sponsorships and Consumer Engagement, Dan Keats.

“We’re excited to welcome Allstate as a fully-integrated partner into our Notre Dame Football broadcasts, expanding from advertisements to virtual on-field signage and presenting partner of our halftime show,” said Peter Lazarus, EVP, Ad Sales, NBC Sports. “This is the perfect example of how our three-decade relationship with Notre Dame can bring Championship-level benefits to sponsors, viewers and fans.”

Notre Dame Global Partnerships, a joint venture between Legends and JMI Sports, facilitated the partnership.

Comprehensive Collaboration Includes Premium Seating, Ticket Sales,

Marketing, and Business Intelligence for Wildcats Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics and Legends, a global premium experiences company, today announced a multi-year partnership that will enhance the fan experience at Wildcats’ sporting events and maximize Northwestern Athletics revenue generation through a streamlined, data-driven sales approach. As part of the overarching agreement, Legends will manage premium seating, ticket sales, marketing and business intelligence for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and other ticketed Northwestern varsity sports.

“We are excited to launch this comprehensive partnership with an unparalleled industry leader as we expand our sales and marketing infrastructure,” said Northwestern’s Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. “Our external team led by Sr. Associate Athletic Director, Tyler Jones along with Legends’ expertise will immediately position Northwestern Athletics to deliver an enhanced experience to our fans and allow us to generate critical additional resources to support the holistic development of Wildcats student-athletes.”

Legends will also support Northwestern Athletics in its approach to optimizing revenue generation and curating experiences for all fans as part of the University’s efforts to reimagine and rebuild Ryan Field, inclusive of premium product development and pricing, corporate hospitality, premium seating and ticket sales. Northwestern Athletics initially engaged Legends in 2021 through its research arm, CSL, to conduct a comprehensive study on improving the overall fan experience, which included a survey and series of focus groups to solicit direct feedback from ticket holders, alumni, and other fans. Additionally, Legends Project Development and CSL are supporting the ongoing, exploratory project planning for the new Ryan Field initiative.

“Legends has proven to be an invaluable partner since our collaboration began in 2021, and we are excited to introduce the Legends Way to the Wildcats community,” said Deputy Director of Athletics Jesse Marks. “Their robust sales, data analytics and proven facility development expertise will greatly enhance Northwestern Athletics’ reach within the University, Evanston and greater Chicagoland communities, providing an innovative experience and a first-class level of service throughout the sales and development process.”

“The college athletics landscape is rapidly evolving, and Northwestern University has fully embraced what it takes to be on the leading edge of the sports fan experience today—and into the future,” said Michael Behan, Chief Operating Officer, Collegiate Partnerships, Legends. “We are excited to partner with such a renowned university and athletics program and to leverage our expertise and development strategy to help invigorate and enhance the experience for the Wildcats’ community and supporters.” 

The latest collaboration bolsters Legends’ position as the leader in advising university athletic departments on identifying opportunities to enhance fan experiences and optimize revenue streams on new and renovated facility projects, having partnered on University of Notre Dame, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, Villanova University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Utah, and San Diego State University, amongst others.

Melvin Lenzy Named Chief Brand & Innovation Officer

Matt O’Neil Named Chief Content & Experience Officer

Legends announced today the appointment of two sports and entertainment industry executives to oversee marketing, creative, content, communications and events for the growing global data-intelligence fueled premium experiences company. Melvin Lenzy has joined as Chief Brand & Innovation Officer and Matt O’Neil as Chief Content & Experience Officer.

“With the accelerated growth of Legends global business, we are excited to have Melvin and Matt, two talented executives with deep industry experience, join to further advance and innovate the overall marketing efforts for our company and on behalf of our clients,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and Chief Operating Officer, Legends.

Collectively, Lenzy and O’Neil will manage marketing, creative, content, communications and events for the company, each focusing on different business verticals with the collective goal of helping drive business growth and revenue across all areas. They will work closely with Legends’ clients to provide marketing and branding consulting to heighten the customer experience, as well as develop revenue generating strategies to optimize awareness and sales.

Lenzy is a 25+ year business, brand and strategic marketing veteran and has been the brand architect of some of the world’s biggest brand marketing campaigns. He has driven strategic business and marketing initiatives for iconic sports brands EA Sports, Konami, NBA2K, The National Football League, and NIKE, where he spent 15 years of his career. Prior to joining Legends, Lenzy was the Global Head of Marketing for the NBA2K Franchise at 2K Sports.

A seasoned sports and entertainment executive, O’Neil’s vast branding, content and marketing experience spans top professional sports teams and leagues, brands, and university athletic departments. He previously oversaw all facets of marketing, media and content creation, and game entertainment for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Red Bulls, and for the past five years ran his own content and marketing agency, Ichi Go, where he worked with the New York Jets, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Devils, Ohio State, and Genesis Motor America, among others.

Legends to Manage Sponsorship Sales, Omnichannel Merchandise and

Make Minority Investment in Startup League

TeamTrak Cycling League, an entity of World Cycling Limited, and Legends announced a strategic partnership today to support the launch and growth of the startup indoor cycling league. The partnership spans revenue-generating sponsorship sales and omnichannel merchandise services as well as a minority investment in TeamTrak by Legends, a data-intelligence fueled global premium experiences company. TeamTrak is an innovative, proprietary format of indoor velodrome racing that will launch with a four-event tour at U.S. arenas in 2023.

A team-oriented head-to-head track racing series, TeamTrak gives fans a front row seat to high-energy bike racing, pitting teams of men and women against each other in a heart-pumping indoor velodrome format. The new event series will also feature state-of-the-art technology designed to elevate the fan experience including real time scoring and athlete stats like speed, power output and heart rate as well as on board cameras. TeamTrak is the first privately owned and funded indoor track cycling league based upon a single entity league ownership model and will feature eight location-based teams in year one.

“TeamTrak was developed with a fan-first mentality, reimagining the best elements of track cycling into a fully accessible and easy-to-follow format. Our high energy co-ed team model is specifically designed to appeal to modern American sports fans,” said CEO of World Cycling Limited and two-time Olympic cyclist David Chauner. “We are excited to launch our first season in 2023 using our own portable indoor velodrome. This gives us the ability to bring TeamTrak to hundreds of existing arenas across the country and offers significant expansion potential.”

Legends will manage a data-driven approach for TeamTrak, leveraging data and analytics to provide fan insights and asset valuation to drive sponsorship sales and overall revenue-generating opportunities for the league. As well, Legends will provide broadcast and media rights partnership support for TeamTrak. As TeamTrak grows, the league will have access to all areas of Legends’ intelligence-fueled 360-degree service solutions, including planning, sales, and hospitality to support expansion.

“We are excited to partner with TeamTrak to bring fans and sponsors a modern take on cycling, one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world,” said Gabby Roe, President, Legends Growth Enterprises. “The TeamTrak leadership group has created a competition format that is fan and television friendly, easy to follow and features co-ed teams competing ‘elbow to elbow’ in the most exciting version of track cycling in the world. We see an incredible growth opportunity for the league.”

Earlier this year, Legends launched a Growth Enterprises division focused on leveraging the company’s 360-degree service solution to support sports and entertainment properties, attractions, events, and platforms that are positioned for accelerated development. TeamTrak is Legends’ latest partnership with a high-growth property.

Following record-breaking official merchandise sales at Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, World Rugby, via their master licensee IMG, has appointed Legends as the Official Retail Partner and operator for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France next year.

Taking place from 8 September until 28 October, the pinnacle event in the men’s fifteens game will build on the phenomenal spectator, media and commercial success of Japan 2019 where Legends served as the Official Retail Partner and operator.

Legends will operate all the official retail stores for Rugby World Cup 2023 in venues and celebration areas located within the host cities. Two flagship stores in Paris and Marseille are also set to open in August 2023. In line with World Rugby’s mission to create an exceptional fan experience, the physical stores will be stocked with merchandise featuring all 20 participating teams, exclusive event memorabilia for men, women and children, as well as a large range of official licensed products including official replica jerseys, and the official Gilbert match ball.

Rugby World Cup 2023 will set new standards in social responsibility, inclusion and sustainability for a major rugby event, with one of four key pillars focusing on respecting and protecting the environment. As the official retail partner, and in line with World Rugby’s Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030, Legends will support all environmental initiatives with the delivery of a retail operation for Rugby World Cup 2023 consistent with the company’s ongoing standards of delivery throughout its global business.

It has been 16 years since France last hosted the tournament, and Rugby World Cup’s 10^th edition is expected to be spectacular on and off the pitch. During the tournament’s seven weeks, international fans and the French public will celebrate togetherness in rugby’s 200^th birthday year.  (1823-2023).  

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said:“Our ambition is to deliver a world-class experience for rugby fans in France in 2023 and Legends will help us achieve that mission, bringing their expertise and comprehensive experience to the table to deliver an outstanding event. Through a network of official retail stores covering all hosts venues and cities, we will innovate together and give fans a tangible memory of what promises to be a spectacular tournament on and off the pitch.”

Legends Vice President of International Retail, Victoria Hawksley added: “Legends is proud of its long-standing relationship with World Rugby, and we are excited to once again bring fans a spectacular retail experience and expansive offerings for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, a location where Legends has a growing presence and commitment.” 

Whether you’re shopping for IU merchandise on-line, in-person, or on game-day, Hoosier fans can look forward to a brand-new, world-class experience.

Today, Indiana University and Legends announced a new multi-year partnership to provide Hoosier fans with the very best in officially licensed Indiana University merchandise in-store, at events and online. Last week, Legends Global Merchandise unveiled its initial line of merchandise offerings for Hoosier fans on-line at https://shop.iuhoosiers.com. Later this summer, Legends Global Merchandise will also re-open the familiar on-site retail shopping options for IU fans in both Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and at the Carmichael Center located across from the Indiana University Sample Gates on Indiana Avenue.

Hoosier fans can look forward to not only a best-in-class shopping experience that includes adidas and other top apparel manufacturers, but also an ever-expanding assortment of merchandise options in the coming weeks and months. Shirts, sweatshirts, hats, outerwear and even memorabilia will be among the offerings both on-line and in-person.

As part of its retail operations efforts, Legends Global Merchandise will also significantly expand to on-site options for Hoosier fans on IU Football gamedays at Memorial Stadium.

“We are excited to partner with Legends to offer Hoosier fans everywhere a new-and-improved experience when it comes to officially licensed Indiana University merchandise,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson. “The Legends Global Merchandise team has a well-earned reputation for providing fans of all ages with a wide variety of options and a world-class shopping experience, both on-line and in-store.  As an Indianapolis-based company, they also have a first-hand feel for what Hoosier fans want. While I’m excited about what this partnership means for our department, I’m most excited about what it means for our fans who are always so proud to show off their support for IU with what they wear.”  

Added Dan Smith, President, Legends Hospitality: “We are proud to add Indiana University to our growing roster of NCAA partnerships for Legends Global Merchandise. Our team will work closely with IU, using a tailored, data informed approach, to expand the retail product assortment and deliver a best-in-class omnichannel retail experience for Indiana University students, alumni, and fans.”

Legends Global Merchandise is the premier event retail and merchandising company in the world, having worked with some of the top brands in sports and entertainment. The company is building a roster of NCAA partnerships to operate the official athletics department shops, including current partners Purdue University, Ohio State University, Villanova, and Georgia Institute of Technology. As well, this year, Legends Global Merchandise kicked off a partnership to operate merchandise for The College Football Playoffs.

Long-term agreement set to accelerate USL’s growth strategy and
support aggressive business objectives

The United Soccer League (USL) and Legends, a leading global premium experiences company, announced today a multi-faceted, 10-year partnership that will accelerate the USL’s already-unprecedented growth and drive the next evolution of the USL’s business.

Through a strategic, data-first approach, Legends will bolster national sponsorship sales, provide actionable fan insights, and unlock innovative business solutions for the USL’s unique suite of men’s and women’s soccer properties, including the USL Championship, USL Super League, and USL League One. Legends also will help USL clubs increase their local presence and business growth through stadium planning, development and operations, ticketing strategy, stadium naming rights and sales, merchandise, and technology and digital solutions.

“The USL is perfectly positioned to shape the future of soccer in America at all levels, for both men and women, and this long-term partnership with Legends will help us take advantage of the tremendous opportunity ahead of us,” said USL CEO Alec Papadakis. “We are aligning more closely with the global game than any other American soccer property, and as we enter a critical, new growth phase for our commercial business, Legends’ unmatched expertise in both global football and the domestic sports landscape will help us achieve our key business objectives, while continuing to honor the passion of our fans, the dedication of our players, and the commitment of our owners.”

The USL is the largest and fastest-growing professional soccer organization in North America with more than 200 professional and pre-professional clubs across the United States. This transformative partnership with Legends comes at a time when the USL is in rapid expansion mode, looking to add more than 25 professional clubs over the next five years, highlighted by the launch of the USL Super League, a new professional women’s soccer league that will kick off in August 2023.

As an emerging commercial property with a young, diverse fan base, the USL offers collaborative flexibility to brands looking to invest in soccer ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.  

“The USL is poised for exponential business growth and has a forward-thinking leadership team that sees the incredible potential for men’s and women’s soccer in the United States,” said Mike Tomon, Co-President and COO, Legends. “Legends is proud to partner with the USL long-term to leverage our holistic expertise working with leagues, rights holders and stadiums around the globe utilizing data-driven solutions to maximize revenue. With the launch of the USL Super League, aggressive expansion plans across all USL properties, a deep commitment to stadium development, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, interest and excitement around soccer will only continue to grow.”

Legends has provided its unique 360-degree service solution to some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment around the globe. The company’s expansive experience in worldwide football includes A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Liverpool F.C., Manchester City F.C., Manchester United F.C., Real Madrid and U.S. Soccer, among others.

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.