Collaboration set-up to help the sports industry address the challenges & opportunities in the post-pandemic “new normal”
N3XT Sports (“N3XT Sports”) co-founded by Mounir Zok, former Director of Innovation & Technology for the US Olympic Committee, G2 Strategic (“G2”), led by former NBA executive Marshall Glickman, and Maheta Molango, former CEO of RCD Mallorca football club, today announced the formation of a new consulting group, 3MS CONSULTING.
While N3XT Sports, G2 and Molango will continue to operate independently, they have identified several opportunities where their collective expertise will provide clients with more benefits and efficiencies. In that context, 3MS CONSULTING has already launched discussions with several federations and leagues. The consortium will emphasize four key pillars:
- Strategy & Monetization
- Operations
- Digital & Innovation
- Mergers & Acquisition and Club Acquisition
“For us, we believe that for certain clients, the sum of the parts will be greater than the individual parts,” commented Glickman. “We all bring very different experience and background to the table, and have a unique Euro/American perspective that we think is appealing, especially as properties struggle to work through the challenges brought on by COVID-19.”
Zok, Glickman and Molango decided to establish the consortium following regular video conferences they have had since the pandemic outbreak last March, where they exchanged observations and ideas. As they began to identify the immense challenges that the industry will face once the doors open (initially assumed with reduced capacity), they concluded that regardless of anticipated requirements set forth by governments and health authorities, all sports clubs will still face reluctance from many fans that may fear large gatherings, and others that do not have the financial resources to pay for season tickets in a single lump sum several months before the start of each season.
“We pride ourselves as disruptors,” commented Zok. “In that spirit, we think there is also opportunity for federations, leagues and clubs to discover new forms of engagement with fans and communities, to structure a future-proof data and digital strategy, to take advantage of technological advances such as contactless payment, self-service food & beverage, digital ticketing, CRM consolidation and automated marketing.”Added Glickman, “While some traditional sponsor categories may retrench, new categories will emerge that want to align with sports properties that innovate, produce compelling content and provide unique platforms to communicate and inspire.”
“Sports properties must diversify, refresh their fan bases and be willing to reassess the basic pillars of their business models. At the same time, the evolution of certain leagues over the last few years, opens the doors to the arrival of sophisticated investors into the sports industry,” said Molango. “We must accept that one of our main responsibilities is to entertain people, and also to use our platform to promote change and build economic models that are sustainable and profitable in the long-term.”
“Our principles are well traveled, have a unique combination of backgrounds and speak many languages, so we are an authentically global offering,” said Zok. “With Maheta, we understand the practical issues linked to EU club management within a crisis framework, the transfer market strategy planning and legal. And Marshall has extensive experience with venue development, finance, commercial assets and organizational management. We think it’s a powerful combination.”
Sports organizations, event organizers, brands and commercial partners that are establishing their next steps in the post-pandemic “new normal” are encouraged to reach out to the emails below. We will deploy the transversal and holistic approach of the consortium to tackle your strategic challenges alongside your organization’s leaders.
About N3XT Sports
N3XT Sports is a strategic consulting firm specialized in end-to-end innovation, digital, technology, data, and investment strategy. N3XT Sports works with international sporting organizations in football, basketball, and the Olympics, among others, to identify and address their most critical challenges, enabling them to achieve sustainable competitive advantage within the rapidly changing sports landscape. The company was born in 2018 in the world’s epicenter of innovation in Silicon Valley and its operational headquarters are in Barcelona. The main reason the company was created was because
For more information, go to www.n3xtsports.com
About G2 Strategic
G2 Strategic is a boutique sports, entertainment and venue development consultancy, based in Portland, Oregon. In addition to working with LaLiga for the last four years, the firm is in its 19th year as an advisor to EuroLeague Basketball. G2’s European clients have included the French Professional Football League (LFP), a consortium of French sports clubs (Antibes Sharks basketball, AS Nancy, Chamois Niortais FC, Olympique Lyonnais, Lille OSC, Limoges CSP basketball, Metz, Stade Français rugby, Stade Rochelais rugby), Bayern Munich Basketball, French Tennis Federation (BNP Paribas Masters, new Roland Garros stadium), Association of Tennis Professionals, Paris Saint-Germain, CSKA Moscow (new arena and stadium development), Asvel Basket, Groupe Gones & Sports (new arena development in Villeurbanne, France), Turkish Basketball Federation, and several major tennis tournaments, including Dubai Duty Free Open, Matura Madrid Masters, Hamburg Masters, Aegon Open Nottingham, and the Düsseldorf Open.
Mr. Glickman is the former president of the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, where he orchestrated the development of the 21,000-seat Rose Garden arena. Later, as founder and chairman of Portland Family Entertainment, Mr. Glickman oversaw the public/private partnership with the City of Portland that resulted in the renovation of Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field and PGE Park), and the return of the Portland Beavers (Pacific Coast League baseball) and Portland Timbers (Major League Soccer) to Portland.
For more information, go to www.g2strategic.net
About Maheta Molango
Maheta Molango has been the CEO of Spanish LaLiga professional soccer club Real Mallorca until February 2020 and has spent more than 10 years being a lawyer at US law firm Baker McKenzie in Madrid. He was appointed CEO of the club in January 2016 after Real Mallorca was bought by a group of US investors led by Robert Sarver and Andy Kohlberg (owners of the Phoenix Suns) and Steve Nash (2-time NBA MVP).
Prior to joining Real Mallorca, Maheta was a lawyer at Baker McKenzie in Madrid (Spain) specialised in labour/employment law, as well as sports law, admitted to practice in Spain and New York (USA). He also worked as Legal Counsel for La Liga club Atlético Madrid. Maheta still teaches several courses on a part-time basis at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Centro de Estudios Garrigues, ISDE and other universities. He is also a guest speaker at New York University (Madrid campus).
Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Maheta played soccer at a professional level for several European clubs, including Atletico Madrid, Wacker Burghausen and Brighton & Hove Albion. After his playing career came to an end, he still remained linked to the soccer world, as he worked for Charlton Athletic as a scout for the Spanish market and was a guest commentator on Real Madrid TV international channel.
For more information, go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahetamolango/