THE TORCH: THE #1 WORLDWIDE BRAND IN COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT COVERAGE - OVER 250 MILLION VIEWS & LISTENS PER YEAR REREACHING MORE FANS EVERY WEEK THAN ANY OTHER INDEPENDENT SOURCE • VIA THE WEB, MOBILE, PRINT NEWSLETTER, AND ITUNES
A number of MMA clothing brands have been acquired by the North American based Authentic Brands Group LLC, as the company announced today they have purchased TapouT and Silver Star Casting Company. In addition to the official announcement, they have also reportedly acquired Hitman Fight Gear as well.
"This sport is still in its infancy," ABG Chairman & CEO Jamie Salter said. "We strategically chose these acquisitions as our first big move because we're getting into the right business at the right time. We're looking forward to working with the best brands and the best athletes in the world as we transition these two companies into global lifestyle brands with our retail and licensing partners."
TapouT is the leading brand in the MMA clothing market. Founded by the late Charles "Mask" Lewis along with friends Dan "Punkass" Caldwell and Timm "Skyskrape" Katz. The company exploded along with the sport, moving from $30,000 sales in 1999 to nearly $200 million in 2009.
"TapouT is more than a company or a brand to me, it is a way of life," said Caldwell. "With the passing of my best friend and co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis, we've been through a lot. Now we are focused on continuing to set the standard as the industry leader, bringing to life Mask's dream of building a billion dollar empire. Authentic Brands Group understands what TapouT is about and they share our vision. Mask always said to simply 'believe' and that one word became our formula for success. We believe in Authentic Brands Group and they believe in us."
Caldwell and Katz will continue to be involved with the brand after the acquisition. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed.
Silver Star now joins their former rival under the same ownership group. Founded in 1993, Silver Star touts themselves as a lifestyle apparel brand making its mark in the MMA, action sports and motor sports industries. Founded by by Luke Burrett and his wife/business partner Charis Burrett, Silver Star sponsors a number of high level fighters including UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.
"Charis and I are extremely excited to work with the Authentic Brands Group team to take Silver Star to the next level. We've built our brand on staying true to our passion for sponsoring champions and making high quality products", said Luke Burrett. "We are confident that having Authentic Brands Group behind us will allow us to realize our goals and the potential of the brand."
Penick's Analysis: Personally I'm not a huge fan of MMA fashion, but I respect and appreciate what they do and have done to build the sport and to help the fighters in the sport make a living beyond their fight purses. This acquisition will bring another major backer to these companies and could bring more sponsorship money for fighters as well, so this should be a good thing overall.
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