On Tuesday, New England Sports Ventures (NESV) announced that it has officially assumed a new corporate name, Fenway Sports Group.
Created in 2001, Fenway Sports Group is one of the largest sports, media and entertainment companies in the world. Fenway Sports Group’s portfolio of companies includes some of the most storied names and clubs in worldwide sports including: the Boston Red Sox, a Major League Baseball club; Liverpool FC, an English Premier League football club; Fenway Sports Management (formerly FSG), a sales and marketing company; 80 percent of New England Sports Network (NESN), a regional sports television network; and 50 percent of Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR racing team. The company also owns two of the most renowned venues in sports: Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox; and Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC.
Fenway Sports Group is led by principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, with additional ownership interests being held by a select number of prestigious individuals and The New York Times.
The name change occurred following the acquisition of Liverpool FC, which solidified the more global nature of the company’s diversified holdings and set its course for more worldwide pursuits. Fenway Sports Group, which began using the name informally over the last few months to replace NESV, made the change official Tuesday and has launched its new website, www.fenwaysportsgroup.com.
A change in the parent company name to Fenway Sports Group initiated rebranding efforts for FSG, the sales representation and sports marketing arm of the company. Boston-based FSG will now operate as Fenway Sports Management (FSM), which preserves the connection to its former name under which it operated for the last six years, while providing a more accurate reflection of the firm’s service offerings and worldwide aspirations.
FSM specializes in property representation, sponsorship sales, and brand management consulting, and serves as the global sports marketing and sales arm of Fenway Sports Group. Since its inception in 2004, FSM has created successful integrated sports marketing programs for the blue-chip brands it represents, including the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, NESN, Roush Fenway Racing, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Boston College Athletics and PGA Tour Playoff event the Deutsche Bank Championship. FSM’s current and former consulting clients include Verizon Wireless, Dunkin’ Donuts, JetBlue Airways, Solar Blue, Gulf Oil, Athletes’ Performance and the Green Bay Packers.
FSM will continue to operate with an entrepreneurial spirit, and seek opportunities to create and be involved with a select number of new projects with an eye toward those that are beneficial to the parent company. In 2010, FSM helped bring the NHL’s storied outdoor Winter Classic to Fenway Park, where the Boston Bruins hosted the Philadelphia Flyers.
To capitalize on the excitement of the Winter Classic, FSM developed Sun Life Frozen Fenway, the first-ever outdoor college hockey doubleheader to take place at the historic Park.
That summer, FSM also produced Football at Fenway, an international friendly match played on the ballfield featuring legendary Scottish Premier League contender Celtic Football Club vs. Sporting, a leading club from Portugal.
