Roc Nation Sports International, the sports management division of Jay-Z’s entertainment company Roc Nation, recently announced its purchase of Brazilian soccer agency TFM.
TFM’s roster of fútbol players includes Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli. They will join Roc Nation Sports’ clients like Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku.
“You think about [fútbol] and you think about talent, Brazil is probably the first market that you would put on the top of your list as it relates to a wish list for acquisition,” Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation Sports International, told Forbes. “If you know anything about TFM, they’ve got some of the best talent in the world.”
Roc Nation Sports International currently has a roster of more than 100 athletes across the wide world of professional sports. Along with fútbol, this includes basketball, football, rugby, and also represents a handful of sports broadcasters and personalities.
“Our desire was to open up our own office, start from scratch, and build,” Yormark said. After three and a half years, the company “decided that if we can find the right acquisition target that aligns with our goals and objectives and our overall strategy, then it’s the right opportunity to explore.”
He added: “There’s no better way to eliminate competition, than to buy the competition.”
Currently, Roc Nation Sports International ranks at No. 7 on Forbes’ list of the most valuable sports agencies in North America. Forbes reports that the company has an estimated $2.6 billion in active athlete contracts. TFM founder Frederico Pena will head a new Roc Nation Sports International office in Brazil.
“We want them to continue to run the business the way they’ve been running it, because they’ve run a very successful business,” Yormark said. “We complement their strengths, and they really complement our strengths. And so together, it’s kind of like one plus one equals three.”
