LOS ANGELES, Apr 19, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Grand Prix Sports, a subsidiary of Grand
Prix Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment
enterprise, recently announced three major milestones starting with
Grand Prix’s six year extension through 2018 of its U.S. Exclusive
Sanction and License Agreement with USA
Rugby to own, operate and globally broadcast the professional sport
of Rugby Sevens, which will debut as a new Olympic sport at the 2016 Rio
de Janeiro Summer Games; followed by Grand Prix’s naming of AEG’s Los
Angeles Home
Depot Center as the “Home of Grand Prix Rugby Championships;”
immediately followed by last week’s announcement that it had named the NFL
Network as Grand Prix Rugby’s “Exclusive Broadcast Partner.”
With this menu of exclusive sports content and global media rights
combined with a major league venue and broadcast platform in place,
Grand Prix today announced the acquisition of its New York franchise
interest by investor Carol Alyssa Childress. Grand Prix confirmed that
the sale was at the full asking price of $10,000,000.
Grand Prix Sports Chairman Alan Rothenberg, who was instrumental in
building Major League Soccer, endorsed Ms. Childress, stating, “In any
league formation, the first crucial anchor investors and franchisees are
the cornerstones on top of which you build a league and Ms. Childress is
exactly the kind of partner who will help bring America’s elite rugby
athletes to the Olympics in 2016 to defend the gold medal.”
Ms. Childress adds to the diversity that is the hallmark of Grand Prix,
bringing a wide ranged and multi talented skill set which includes
music, engineering and investments in media assets and entertainment
projects. Assisting Ms. Childress in the acquisition were her attorney,
Ronald E. Salley of New York, New York, a graduate of Harvard Law who
has practiced in the field of sports and entertainment for over 20
years; the international accounting firm of Citrin Cooperman; and Craig
A. Gleason, Vice President, Private Client Manager, U.S. Trust, Bank of
America Private Wealth Management, New York, New York.
Grand Prix Entertainment founder and Chairman William Tatham said, “Ms.
Childress is a smart, independent and aggressive businesswoman who
thinks out of the box allowing her to clearly see, and then seize, the
amazing multi sports and entertainment opportunity Grand Prix affords.
Bottom line, Alan and I are proud to have Alyssa and Mr. Jackson as
partners.”
To maximize Grand Prix’s world class foundation built on exclusive
rights, world class venue and broadcast partners, Tatham previously
assembled an equally world-class sports and entertainment executive team
including the aforementioned Olympics and FIFA World Cup leader Alan
Rothenberg, the visionary behind Major League Soccer; Neal Pilson,
former president of CBS Sports; Gary Marenzi, former president of MGM
International TV; Kelly Crabb, Senior Partner in the acclaimed law firm
of Sheppard Mullin; Rich Rose, former President and COO of Caesars
(Palace) World Sports; William Tatham, Sr., owner of multiple
professional sports franchises including the NBA’s Utah Jazz and the
USFL’s Arizona Outlaws; and Randy Bernstein, co-founder of the award
winning sports marketing, sponsor and branding firm, Premier
Partnerships.
Stemming from Ms. Childress’ deep love of music as a concert-level
violinist and cellist, through their production company Donalyssa
Entertainment, Ms. Childress and her long-time business partner author
and song writer/producer Bentley “Donnie” Jackson are currently working
in partnership with Polaris Development Group of Atlantic City in a
revitalization effort to rebuild the historic Club Harlem, situated near
the original site on Kentucky Avenue where in the 1950s blues and jazz
clubs like The Harlem, Grace’s Little Belmont, and Club Harlem made
Atlantic City’s Kentucky Avenue a highly sought after performance venue
for major stars like Ray Charles, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Donalyssa is also involved in television program development producing
two cable shows with filmmaker Zaire Baptiste in association with his
Visualizer Films production company. Ms. Childress also pioneered an
important automotive safety technology acquiring a US patent for a
four-wheel anti-lock braking system that was later sold to a major
automobile manufacturer.
About Grand Prix Entertainment
Grand Prix Entertainment is a diversified multi-media production and
distribution company that produces and distributes wholly owned sports,
entertainment and gaming properties. For more information about parent
Grand Prix Entertainment, please contact Caryn at Premier Partnerships
at (310) 656–2500 x13, or visit
www.grandprixentertainment.com .
About USA Rugby
Founded in 1975, USA Rugby is an official member of the United States
Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Rugby Board (IRB). The
organization has approximately 98,000 members and is responsible for the
development of the boys, girls, high school, collegiate and club rugby
programs, and ultimately all of the national teams representing the U.S.
in international competitions. USA Rugby’s national headquarters is
located in Boulder, Colo., and is run by full-time staff under the
direction of current CEO and President of Rugby Operations Nigel
Melville. For more information, please visit
www.usarugby.org .
SOURCE: Grand Prix Entertainment
Premier Partnerships
Caryn Rosoff, 310-656–2500 x13
Caryn@PremierPartnerships.com
Copyright Business Wire 2012
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