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Digital Media Services (DMS), the digital arm of Choueiri Group has been appointed as the exclusive media representatives for global football content and media business, Footballco, which is home to the two most popular digital football media brands in MENA, Kooora and GOAL.
DMS, alongside Footballco’s Dubai-based commercial team, will be the exclusive representative of Footballco properties targeting audiences in MENA.
DMS’ partnership with Footballco follows Footballco’s acquisition in 2022 of long-term DMS partner, Kooora. The acquisition complemented Footballco’s existing footprint in the Middle East, which prior to the acquisition was served by seven local editions of GOAL, as well as FC Player, the world’s number one in-stream sports video player, used by more than 1,000 publishers.
The combination of GOAL and Kooora, doubled Footballco’s regional audience to 60 million fans, and its monthly global reach to 800 million. This scale means Footballco reaches 80 per cent of the GCC football market.
To celebrate the partnership, Footballco's President, Stefano D'anna, Senior Vice President of Sales, Seth Hart, and Executive Vice President of Content & Operations, James Lamon, were in attendance at an exclusive event on May 24.
During the event, they shared invaluable insights on leveraging the power of football for brands, explored the evolving identity of modern football fans, and imparted strategies to effectively engage with their dynamic relationships.
The event was followed by a cocktail reception dinner held at Attiko Dubai, W hotel, where partners and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the exciting new partnership between Footballco and DMS.
During the evening, Pierre Choueiri, Chairman and CEO of Choueiri Group, and DMS COO, Ziad Khammar, warmly welcomed Footballco's executives.
Seth Hart, Senior Vice President of Sales for Footballco said: “The MENA region has seen incredible growth in terms of football investment and fanbase. This includes the $15bn investment in football infrastructure since 2017 to fans in the region increasing from 392m to 524m in the past two years. “We’re upbeat about the opportunity to culturally connect brands with the football fandom and the opportunity to serve our customers in the region through greater innovation and new offerings.
“As the world’s largest football content and media business the MENA region is integral to not only our business but football as a sport and an industry. This is why we acquired Kooora last year and are now partnering with DMS to help connect brands with the hundreds of millions of fans we reach and entertain every month both inside and outside of the region.”
Ziad Khammar, COO DMS said: "We are thrilled to team up with Footballco, solidifying DMS's commitment to exceptional brand experiences. This partnership is a natural progression, given our successful representation of KOOORA throughout the last decade and the countless milestones we have accomplished together.
With football standing as the foremost activity in the region, together, we will bring a fresh approach to sports marketing, blending global and local services to reshape the industry like never before.”
