The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) recently announced its partnership with Fenway Sports Management (FSM) to develop a high-end tour marketing strategy.
As per Boardroom, the FSM is speculated to have a net worth of $8 billion. The company is the owner of multiple million-dollar baggers including Liverpool FC, a team of the Premier League.
The Fenway Sports Management was founded back in 2001 by John W. Henry and Thomas C. Werner. It was formerly known as New England Sports Ventures (NESV) before changing its name in 2011.
Just two months earlier, the company announced that it will own a Boston-based team in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's tech-based TGL which is scheduled to be launched in January 2024.
The list of subsidiaries of the Fenway Sports Management include:
- Boston Red Sox
- Liverpool F.C.
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- TGL Boston
- Fenway Park
- Anfield
- PPG Paints Arena
- Fenway South
- RFK Racing
- Salem Red Sox
- MGM Music Hall at Fenway
What did the officials of LPGA and Fenway Sports Management say about the new partnership?
On 22 August 2023, the Ladies Professional Golf Association's official website issued a press release stating that FSM is set to partner with the women's league to help their growth. The company will help the Tour develop and sell its assets.
Mollie Marcoux Samaan, the LPGA Commissioner, highlighted the major points of their partnership with Fenway Sports Management. She emphasized that the company is one of the most successful global sports brands and will help them increase their value. She was quoted by the Tour's official website as saying:
"This partnership is a game-changer for the LPGA, women's golf and women's sports. By partnering with Fenway Sports, one of the world’s biggest and most successful global sports brands, we are taking a significant step forward as we strive to grow our exposure and drive increased value back to our partners and to our members.
"This novel approach and partnership will provide the LPGA with access to new and unprecedented resources and networks, enabling us to accelerate our trajectory of growth, further strengthening our position as the leader in women's sports and enhancing our platform to inspire, elevate, and advance women and girls, on and off the golf course."
John Henry, the founder and principal owner of Fenway Sports Management, said that they are privileged to be partners with the LPGA. He added that he had already spoken with Mollie Marcoux Samaan about the needs and requirements of the Tour and they are happy to help them.
"Commissioner Marcoux Samaan has spoken about the need for infrastructure at the LPGA to help capitalize on the tremendous growth the sport is experiencing. Through this partnership, FSM will deliver a well-established, turnkey team with experience driving commercial revenue for blue chip companies.
"We look forward to a long collaboration and are excited to help expand the LPGA’s capabilities and capitalize on the immense interest they are seeing from brands looking to invest in one of the world’s longest-running women’s professional sports associations."
The partnership with the LPGA Tour is a significant milestone for Fenway Sports Management in the field of golf. As mentioned earlier, they already earned ownership of a team in the yet-to-be-launched TGL.
They believe that the partnership with the women's Tour will help the latter in immense growth and success in the near future.