ISG Interregional Sports Group

What ISG Interregional Sports Group does

ISG Interregional Sports Group is a London-based virtual sports media group that owns, commercialises and produces geo-targeted virtual advertising for live premium sports broadcasts. Founded in 2015 by Tony Ragan and Simon Burgess, the company controls over US$300 million of virtual media rights and produces virtual media within over US$6 billion of live premium sports rights, including all 380 Serie A championship matches per season, 53 La Liga games featuring Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Ligue 1 Uber Eats fixtures and Formula 1 races. ISG's core technology stack combines virtual LED perimeter replacement, virtual goal-mat advertising, virtual centre-circle and dug-out placements, integrated compliance and proof-of-broadcast dashboards, and the Supponor AIR™ AI-supported computer-vision system (co-developed with Supponor, in which ISG holds a shareholding). The company also operates ISG Connect, the television industry's first fully cloud-based broadcast play-out distribution platform and exclusive provider to UEFA for sponsor promotional video transcode and global delivery; ISG Productions (formerly Skibbly Media) for live broadcast production; ISG Graphics (formerly AKISPORT) for live broadcast graphics; ISG Live (formerly Sportcel) and ISG Partnerships (formerly Samson Sport Consultancy) for sponsorship activation and rights-holder advisory; and the F1 Play predictor app for betting-operator customer acquisition.

ISG serves three primary customer segments. The first is sports rights holders and broadcasters (Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, F1, UEFA), for whom ISG delivers turn-key virtual feeds and revenue-share on sold regional inventory. The second is betting and gaming brands (188BET, Yabo Sports, ManBetX, PokerStars, SportPesa, Wellbet), which purchase territory-specific virtual ad packages and betting data/streaming rights, particularly across Asian and African broadcasts. The third is global consumer brands and media buyers (Isuzu, HUGO BOSS, HSBC, Continental Tyres, Co-op, Cloudy Bay, Belvedere), which use ISG for sponsorships and activations across football, sailing, rugby and motorsport properties. Revenue is generated through a mix of advertising (rights sales to brands and operators), managed services (virtual feeds production and distribution for leagues and broadcasters), professional services (sponsorship acquisition and activation), and data monetisation (betting data and live streaming sub-licensing). Pricing is bespoke per territory, league and season and is not publicly disclosed.

Since September 2022, ISG has operated as a subsidiary of TGI Sport, itself backed by Bruin Capital and Quadrant Private Equity, under the 'ISG powered by TGI Sport' brand; founders Tony Ragan and Simon Burgess continue to lead the business as joint Chairmen. The group maintains key offices in London (HQ), Lissone/Milan (production and tech centre), Coventry (ISG Productions), and Prague (ISG Graphics / Eastern Europe operations).

Name

ISG Interregional Sports Group

Legal name

Interregional Sports Group Limited

Website

https://isg.media

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISG is a London-headquartered sports media group that owns and commercialises over US$300 million of virtual media rights for live premium sports, producing geo-targeted virtual advertising for rights holders (Serie A, UEFA, F1, La Liga, Ligue 1), betting operators and global brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media & Virtual Advertising Services

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Event Media Rights Licensing (MPADALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graphics, Branding & Character Generation (CG) (MPAHAKAF), Sports Streaming Distribution & App Platforms (CTV, Mobile, Web) (MPAKAOAL)

Keywords

• Virtual advertising media
• Sports broadcast production
• Regionalised broadcast advertising
• Live sports media rights
• Cloud broadcast distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Virtual Media Rights Sales & Sponsorship: ISG creates, owns and sells virtual advertising inventory across premium live sports broadcasts. Brands purchase regionalised virtual advertising packages targeting specific geographic markets. Revenue is generated through sponsorship deals with betting brands, financial services, and other advertisers wanting geo-targeted access to sports audiences.
2. Virtual Feeds Production for Leagues: ISG produces virtual broadcast feeds for leagues (Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 Uber Eats, Formula 1) on a per-season, per-territory basis, commercialising virtual LED inventory to its brand portfolio and generating revenue share with rights holders.
3. Sponsorship Consultancy & Activation: ISG provides sponsorship acquisition, management and activation services for events (Steven Gerrard Foundation, National Apprenticeship Awards), brands (Isuzu, Co-op, Cloudy Bay, Ardbeg), and rights holders, earning fees for securing commercial partners.
4. Live Broadcast Production: ISG Productions (formerly Skibbly Media) provides live, near-live, post-production, highlights and promo TV broadcast services for UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and other clients on a production fee basis.
5. Betting Data & Streaming Rights: ISG secures live betting streaming and data rights from Serie A TIM and sub-licenses these to bookmakers (Snai, Sisal, Lottomatica, Goldbet, Bet365) in regulated markets. F1 Play predictor game drives customer acquisition for betting partners.
6. ISG Connect Distribution Services: Cloud-based broadcast play-out distribution service (exclusive provider to UEFA and partner sponsors for multi-format transcode and global delivery of sponsor promotional videos). ISG Connect is offered to brands, broadcasters and rights holders as a managed service and SaaS model.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISG owns, controls and commercialises virtual media advertising rights across major live premium sports broadcasts, including Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Formula 1 and UEFA competitions. It produces geo-targeted virtual advertising feeds (virtual LED perimeter, goal-mat, centre circle, dug-out replacement), distributes content via its ISG Connect cloud platform, and provides broadcast production, virtual graphics, sponsorship consultancy and live betting data services to rights holders, broadcasters, brands and betting operators.

Product overview

ISG is a challenger International Sports Media Group focused on global premium sports, specializing in virtual media production and commercialization in live sports broadcasting. The company operates as a full-service agency combining multiple integrated products and services. Core offerings include: (1) Virtual Media Solutions - the turn-key solution covering virtual replacement and placement technologies; (2) ISG Connect - cloud-based broadcast play-out distribution platform; (3) ISG Productions - award-winning broadcast production division; (4) ISG Graphics - virtual graphics services; (5) ISG Live - sponsorship and events agency; (6) ISG Partnerships - club and brand partnership management; (7) F1 Play - free-to-play prediction app for Formula 1. The company owns and controls over US$300 million of virtual media rights and produces virtual media in over US$6 billion of live premium sports rights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ISG Connect: Cloud-based international broadcast play-out distribution platform providing OTT, IP and multi-platform content delivery. Exclusive providers to UEFA and its partner sponsors for multi-format transcode and global delivery of sponsor promotional videos for Champions League, Europa League and European Qualifiers.
• ISG Productions
• ISG Graphics
• ISG Live

Products and services

• Virtual Media Solutions
• ISG Connect
• F1 Play
• ISG Productions (Broadcast Production)
• ISG Graphics (formerly AKISPORT)
• ISG Live (formerly Sportcel)
• ISG Partnerships
• Live Betting Streaming and Data Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 35,000 minutes of virtual advertising visibility delivered to clients during the 2016/17 football season
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Ligue 1 Uber Eats / LFP MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2023LFP Media (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) signed agreement with ISG/TGI Sport for ISG to produce virtual feeds across minimum 3 territories (Asia, Americas, EMEA excl. France) for designated Ligue 1 fixtures from 2023/24 season, and commercialise virtual LED inventory to brand partners.
• Leaders in SportminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 October 2021ISG and Leaders in Sport partnered to build greater awareness among brands and federations of the value of regionally targeted advertising and fan engagement around major sporting events. Leaders showcases sport industry innovations across its network.
• Samson Sport Consultancy (Acquired — ISG Partnerships)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2021ISG acquired Samson Sport Consultancy, strengthening its European football rights market position. Samson Sport's founding partner Sam Arora became Head of ISG Partnerships. Client list includes Arsenal, Leeds United, Southampton FC, AC Milan, Atalanta, Napoli, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, plus F1, cricket and rugby teams.
• MediaPro (La Liga)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 April 2019ISG agreed a three-season deal with MediaPro to acquire virtual perimeter and virtual goal-side advertising rights from 53 high-profile La Liga games per season (featuring Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid) through end of 2021/22 season.
• Lagardère Sports (ISG sales partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 April 2019ISG works with Lagardère Sports on the sale and distribution of La Liga virtual advertising rights.
• Sportseen (ISG sales partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 April 2019ISG works with Sportseen on the sale and distribution of La Liga virtual advertising rights alongside Lagardère Sports.
• SportradarcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 September 2018ISG partnered with Sportradar and Formula 1 for a ground-breaking sponsorship and data rights partnership enabling live in-play betting markets during F1 Grand Prix. Sportradar provides live odds models, data distribution, and integrity services (Fraud Detection System) to protect F1 from match-fixing risks. Sportradar already partners with FIFA, NBA, NHL, UEFA, ICC and most major sports bodies.
• Sportcel (Acquired — ISG Live)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2018ISG acquired Sportcel, a London-based sports and entertainment marketing agency established in 2006 by Aidan Day and Rob Owen. Renamed ISG Live, providing strategic advice and support to rights holders and brand investors within the live events industry.
• AKISPORT (Majority Stake)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2017ISG acquired majority stake in AKISPORT, a live sports broadcast graphics company operating in Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, Slovakia, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Germany and Russia. Company renamed ISG Graphics with commercial base in Prague and operational HQ in Brno.
• Infront Italia (Lega Serie A)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 October 2016Infront Italia, official advisors to Lega Serie A, worked with ISG to develop the International Presenting Sponsor category for Serie A. Infront is part of Wanda Sports Holding.
• Formula 1flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2016ISG brokered F1's first-ever betting partnership (with 188BET), enabling live in-play betting, F1 Play predictor game, virtual trackside advertising, and official betting data via Sportradar. This was the first time in close to 40 years that betting firms had a physical presence on F1 racetrack.
• Skibbly Media (Acquired — ISG Productions)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2016ISG acquired Skibbly Media, a UEFA-preferred TV production company with nearly 20 years of award-winning live broadcast production experience for UEFA Champions League, Europa League, NFL Europe and IRB. Renamed ISG Productions, based in Coventry, UK.
• SupponorcoreTechnology or IntegrationISG holds a strategic shareholding in Supponor, the market-leading virtual advertising technology company. ISG has worked with Supponor since ISG's founding ~2015. ISG and Supponor co-developed the Supponor AIR™ AI-supported virtual media technology. ISG has a long-standing relationship activating perimeter rights created through Supponor DBRLive technology from La Liga and The FA, among others. ISG increased its shareholding in Supponor in October 2018.
• The Football Association (FA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISG worked with The FA to deliver a world first by deploying Virtual Replacement Technology on LED perimeter signage to target different worldwide broadcast audiences during England's friendly against Costa Rica (FIFA World Cup warm-up). ISG secured rights from The FA for virtual perimeter advertising.
• John Lanyon / Arkios Corporate FinanceminorOthersJohn Lanyon of Arkios Corporate Finance was appointed as an Advisor to the ISG Board, providing strategic and financing advice. Arkios specialises in capital raising and M&A advice across the globe.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Stats Perform: Sports data and AI company serving leagues, broadcasters, and betting operators. Comparable as a sports data and content provider that monetises official data rights across multiple major leagues — an adjacent revenue stream to ISG's betting data sub-licensing.
• Genius Sports: Sports data and technology company focused on betting and media. Listed peer in the sports-betting data ecosystem comparable to ISG's data rights and betting partnership work with F1 and Serie A.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports and entertainment media company, part of Endeavor. Much larger incumbent with comparable sports media rights sales, licensing, events, and broadcast production capabilities across many of the same properties ISG touches.
• Deltatre: Established sports broadcast and digital media services provider (now part of Bain Capital-backed Deltatre). Broader portfolio than ISG but directly comparable in providing broadcast graphics, content management, and digital services to rights holders and broadcasters.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency (Interpublic Group). Broader scope across sponsorship consulting, athlete management, and event production but comparable in commercialising sports rights and brokering brand-rights holder partnerships.

Direct peers

• Infront Sports & Media: Global sports marketing and media rights company, part of Wanda Sports. Has worked alongside ISG as official advisor to Lega Serie A. Directly comparable in commercialising sports rights and brokering sponsorships across football and other sports.
• Lagardère Sports and Entertainment: International sports marketing agency. Has been an ISG sales and distribution partner for La Liga virtual advertising rights. Direct comparable as a sports media rights sales and marketing intermediary serving brands and rights holders.
• Sportradar: Sports data and technology company that partnered with ISG on the F1 betting partnership. Direct comparable in serving the intersection of live sports media and betting industry with data, content, and rights services.
• Hawk-Eye Innovations: Sony-owned sports broadcast technology company providing ball-tracking, line-calling, and visual augmentation. Comparable to ISG/Supponor as a sports broadcast graphics and tracking technology provider integrated into live coverage.

Emerging players

• WSC Sports: AI-powered sports content automation platform that creates real-time highlights and personalized video for rights holders and broadcasters. Comparable as an AI-driven sports media technology vendor with overlap in live broadcast workflows and content distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISG_Media

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISG Interregional Sports Group