German broadcaster Sport1 Medien has sold its majority stake in Match IQ to Onside Sports, marking another step in its strategic realignment.
Financial details have not been disclosed. The decision follows the entry of Turkish media company Acunmedya as a 50% shareholder in Sport1 earlier this year, which was followed by a stronger focus on entertainment programming beyond its traditional sports coverage.
Match IQ, founded in 2013, is a full-service event and sports consultancy agency specialising in event conception, organisation, media coverage, and marketing. The agency has worked with major football clubs, including Schalke 04, Eintracht Frankfurt, VfL Wolfsburg, FC Porto, Ajax Amsterdam, and PSV Eindhoven.
Onside Sports, which arranges friendly matches, training camps, and international travel for professional football clubs, sees the acquisition as a way to enhance its market position. “We build our network continuously and work with full energy to create optimal conditions for our partners,” said Henning Rießelmann, Managing Director of Onside. “With the acquisition of Match IQ, we underline our ambition to remain the number one destination for professional pre-season preparations.”
Nicholas MacGowan von Holstein, Founder and Managing Director of Match IQ, expressed confidence in the transition. “We have had a successful journey with Sport1 and have built strong partnerships with clubs and hotels over the years,” he said. “I’m convinced that this new step will benefit all our partners. Henning Rießelmann and his team at Onside have built a great company with a strong reputation, and it feels right to place our business – and the trust of our partners – into such capable hands.”
The sale of Match IQ is part of Sport1’s broader transformation, which includes the recent launch of its streaming platform show1.tv. The service focuses on entertainment content, featuring programmes such as My Style Rocks, MasterChef Germany, Power of Love, and Exatlon Germany. The streaming platform is designed to attract a younger and more diverse audience, complementing Sport1’s traditional sports coverage.
The divestment of Match IQ and the launch of show1.tv signal Sport1’s shift towards a more entertainment-focused strategy, driven by its new partnership with Acunmedya to expand its content offerings and audience reach.
