News Wiggin advises Perform on £40 million acquisition of Opta

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Specialist media law firm, Wiggin, has advised Perform Group on the acquisition of sports data company, Opta. The deal, which was completed on 4 July 2013, is worth £40 million and will see Perform further strengthen its position as a provider of sports content to the media and betting sectors.

Perform is a long-standing Wiggin client and is a global leader in the distribution and commercialisation of sports content across connected digital platforms. The acquisition of Opta, a market-leader in collecting, packaging, analysing and distributing sports data in digital format, will strengthen Perform’s position in the market.

The Wiggin team was led by partner Michael Brader, co-head of Wiggin’s Corporate Group and head of the Sports Group.

Oliver Slipper, joint CEO of Perform, commented: “By acquiring Opta, we have cemented our position in key European markets, and ensured our continuing ability to deliver a market-leading service. This is going to be a great partnership, and as ever, thanks to Michael and the team at Wiggin for their fantastic work.”

Michael has also advised Perform Group on the creation of Perform Sports News Limited; its acquisition of goal.com, the world’s largest football website; its IPO on the main market of the London Stock Exchange; and on its acquisition of Mackolik, Turkey’s leading sports website provider, and Runningball A.G, a worldwide sports data provider.