Momentum Sports, one of China’s leading marketing, brand consultation and athlete rep companies, has merged into CAA China. As part of the agreement, VC firm Legend Capital, an investor in Momentum Sports, will become a shareholder in CAA China. Momentum’s founder and CEO Mark Gao will work closely with CAA China CEO Mary Gu to help guide and grow the agency’s sports efforts throughout Asia.
Gao, the former Vice President of NBA China, formed Momentum in 2016. Focused on traditional sports, eSports and crossover entertainment, Momentum has over the past two years provided professional and prospective consulting services for both local and international brands, including vivo, Mengniu, Home Credit, BMW, Logitech and Nike. It has also worked extensively with local sports professionals, including footballer Bowen Huang and rising basketball star Shaojie Wang, among its clients.
Majority-owned by CAA, CAA China launched in April 2017 in partnership with CMC Capital Partners and after CAA originally opened its China office in 2005.
Gu, an exec with an extensive sports background, was named CEO in July 2017 to further diversify CAA China’s capabilities and reach in sports and entertainment throughout the region. She previously served as President of the International Special Olympics in East Asia and established the IAAF Diamond League China League.
Of the new arrangement with Momentum, she said, “Mark Gao and his internationally-minded management team at Momentum will join our world-class sports business, helping further our efforts in China in such high-demand areas as broadcast rights, sponsorship, IP, and operation. In this moment of remarkable opportunity in China, Momentum’s local sports insights and experience, combined with CAA’s global reach and resources, will play a key role in the continued acceleration of our growth strategy.”
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