Country’s Largest Sports Travel Management Firm Gives On Location Important New Expertise & Positions New Company For Future Growth, Including International
February 22, 2016 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On Location Experiences, a premium experiential hospitality business owned by Bruin Sports Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, 32 Equity (the entity that oversees the NFL’s private equity efforts) and Jon Bon Jovi, today announced the acquisition of Anthony Travel. Anthony Travel is the largest university and sports travel management company in the country. As part of this deal, John Anthony will become an equity holder in On Location Experiences and will join its board of directors. He will also remain CEO of the continuing Anthony Travel business within the On Location Experiences platform. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
Based in Dallas, Anthony Travel was founded in 1989 and currently partners with 67 universities, – along with many amateur and youth sports organizations – to provide creative and comprehensive travel management services. Anthony Travel delivers exceptional service at 300-plus domestic and international events annually and is the largest contractor of group hotel rooms, airline seats and bus charters in sports. Key industry partners include Disney Sports and ESPN Events.
One of the highlights of Anthony Travel’s international work was managing the travel needs of more than10,000 fans in Dublin for college football’s 2012 Emerald Isle Classic between Notre Dame and Navy. The Boston College-Georgia Tech game on Sept. 3, 2016 in Dublin will be Anthony’s fourth college football game in Ireland.
“Anthony Travel is the perfect fit as we continue to expand the services and offerings within the On Location Experiences platform,” said John Collins, CEO of On Location Experiences. “As the number one authority in sports travel, John Anthony and his team immediately provide us with important new expertise that will transform our company and position us well for future growth. Adding the travel component enables us to go deeper with our existing core business, offer fans a more complete and customized experience and creates unlimited new opportunities with major international events.”
“Joining On Location Experiences will drive transformational growth for our company and new opportunities for our people and current clients,” said John Anthony. “Over 26 years we’ve grown by aligning with exceptional people and iconic brands. Our people, values and core purpose align extremely well with the On Location team and vision.”
Added Anthony, “We’re going to be exposed to the best practices in the guest experience world while taking on exciting new projects. We’ll have more resources and technology behind us and with increased volume, there will be tangible benefits for our client organizations and travelers.”
“John Collins, Jon Bon Jovi, Gerry Cardinale and George Pyne are people and partners we believe in and who share our core purpose of helping people experience and enjoy the world. Together, we aspire to create lifetime experiences for guests around iconic events. With this partnership, we are well-positioned for success and know the best is yet to come for Anthony Travel, our clients and our people.”
About On Location Experiences
On Location Experiences is a premium experiential hospitality business owned by Bruin Sports Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, 32 Equity (the entity that oversees the NFL’s private equity efforts) and Jon Bon Jovi. On Location Experiences specializes in custom domestic and international event and hospitality experiences in the worlds of sports and entertainment. On Location is the official event and hospitality business of the NFL, providing proprietary fan access to marquee NFL events, including the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft, and International Series Games in London and Mexico City. On Location is expanding its offerings through new partnerships, including the acquisitions of Anthony Travel, the nation’s largest provider of sports and travel management services, and Runaway Tours, the VIP hospitality business for premier music acts that was founded by Bon Jovi.
About Anthony Travel
Anthony Travel is the nation’s largest provider of sports travel management services. With 40 offices nationwide, Anthony Travel partners with nearly 70 of the nation’s most prestigious universities, along with leading amateur and youth sports organizations, to provide comprehensive travel solutions and unforgettable experiences to teams, alumni and fans at more than 300 domestic and international events annually. Anthony Travel is a division of On Location Experiences, a premium experiential hospitality business owned by RedBird Capital Partners, Bruin Sports Capital, 32 Equity (the entity that oversees the NFL’s private equity efforts), Jon Bon Jovi and John Anthony. The integration with On Location Experiences forms an unmatched vertical offering of hospitality, experiential and travel management services. For more information, go to www.anthonytravel.com.
About RedBird Capital Partners
RedBird Capital Partners is a New York and Dallas based principal investment firm focused on providing flexible, long-term capital in growth equity, build-up, and structured equity investments to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. RedBird seeks investment opportunities in growth-oriented private companies in which its capital, investor network, and strategic relationships can help prospective business owners outperform operationally, financially and strategically by virtue of RedBird’s involvement. For more information, go to www.RedBirdCap.com.
About Bruin Sports Capital
Bruin Sports Capital is a privately held international media, sports, marketing and branded lifestyle company. Bruin Sports Capital raised $250 million in equity capital, which provides for $500 million dollars in buying power to acquire, operate and build businesses in the respective segments. WPP, the world’s largest communications services group, is leading Bruin Sports Capital’s international syndicate of investors. George Pyne, an international business executive, founded Bruin Sports Capital in 2015. Pyne’s twenty-five year record of accomplishments in building businesses and superior management teams led to the transformation of both NASCAR and IMG, creating billions of dollars in shareholder value for the respective companies. Bruin Sports Capital’s investor base, along with Pyne’s reputation, will allow access to the best deals, and will provide a long-term and flexible capital structure, operating expertise and a heightened speed of execution. Bruin Sports Capital’s global access and wherewithal will position the company for unparalleled value creation opportunities. For more information, go to www.BruinSportsCapital.com.
Media Contacts:
On Location Experiences:
Kevin Sullivan Communications, Inc.
Rob Scichili (shick-lee), 214-663-3734
rs@ksullivancomms.com
Bruin Sports:
Hiltzik Strategies
Michael Goldberg, 516-369-3167
mgoldberg@hstrategies.com
RedBird Capital Partners:
Sard Verbinnen & Co
Dan Gagnier/Devin Broda, 212-687-8080
Bon Jovi:
Sunshine, Sachs & Assoc.
Ken Sunshine / Tiffany Shipp, 212-691-2800
shipp@sunshinesachs.com
National Football League:
Brian McCarthy, 212-450-2069
brian.mccarthy@nfl.com