Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127936
inant position in sports marketing. Alongside its existing subsidiaries Advantage International of Washington, D.C., and London's Alan Pascoe International - two of the world's leading sports-television production and marketing companies, whose clients range from the Bennetton Formula One team to the Commonwealth Games and other leading track-and-field events to U.S. Major League Soccer - Octagon announced on February- 11 that it had purchased CSI, another London-based market leader in sports-television marketing. In addition to selling international sports TV rights to more than 300 TV companies worldwide, CSI also specializes in the production and distribution of highlights-based TV sports shows, as well as consulting. CSI's high-profile clients include the FA Cup and English Football League, as well as all the major rugby-playing . nations around the world, and the Australian, New Zealand and South African cricket boards. "When we began putting our plans together, one of our first priorities was to bring a global television-sales company into the group," Lowe said in announcing the "tens of millions of dollars" purchase of CSI. "Considering the demand for sports programming has grown by 1400 percent between 1980 and 1995 in the USA and by 250 percent between 1988 and 1995 in Europe, it's easy to see why this is a vital ingredient in spor\S-marketing operations." The CSI acquisition has cemented Octagon's rapid rise in less than a year to its current position as the world's second, largest sports-marketing and management company - with estimated annual billings of around $500 million. It is surpassed only by lMG, run by superagent Mark McCormack, at $800 million. But Octagon is still growing. The new Flamminiderived motorsports division has just negotiated the purchase of orth American race promoters Professional Sports Cars (PSC), and other deals are promiSed to follow. What does this mean to motorcycle racing and, specifically, the World Superbike Series? We can assume that Octagon didll't decide to take over a controlling interest in'SBK without being satisfied that this wa a global championship series with long-term potential. With exciting on-track action that translates well to television and the fact that all four Japanese manufacturers are involved, plus the essential element of a competitive European package in the form of Ducati (a company now run by an American business entity which Octagon - and Interpublic - will know and be comfortable with), and the promise of more to come from the likes of Aprilia, Bimota, MY Agusta, etc., it's easy to see why they found it SO attractive. The fact that there are presently few major multinational sponsors involved in the World Superbike Championship may also have added interest, giving Octagon a clean slate on which it can encourage its sister companies in the Interpublic Group to write their clients' names. Remember, this is a one-stop sales-promotion conglomerate, <;>ffering clients a total service package that can include the opportunity to sponsor a team involved in a sporting promotion that one of the lnterpublic subsidiaries owns - and has a vested interest in placing on as many TV screens worldwide as commercially feasible. 'Not only may we see changes in the look of the World Superbike paddock in two years, but the SBK package of Superbike, Supersport and Supermon,o will likeIy see a far wider worldwide TV viewing audience than any form of two-wheeled racing has achieved. "Octagon will be looking to imprOVe the global marketing of the World Superbike brand, which is our area of expertise," Lowe said. "Responsibility of the organization will remain with Flammini." cr