SP Holdings snaps up Interactive Sports Store

Marketing and financial services company SP Holdings has bought The Interactive Sports Store, which operates a number of sports-related online stores.

SP has also been acquiring a range of companies in the marketing, sponsorship, television and new media sectors. Recent purchases include Swiss company TSE Consulting, which advises governments and cities on bidding campaigns for major sporting events, bought in June, and Clever TV, which owns the Dreamleague.com sports games site, bought in January.

Last November, SP appointed former Coca-Cola sponsorship chief Stephen Hayward as its chief operating officer, tasked with developing the SP Active retail and sponsorship business (MW November 6, 2003).

Hayward joined SP from CIC Video International, where he was senior vice-president for international marketing; he also previously served as chief operating officer of internet company upmystreet.com. At the same time, SP formed DSP TV, a joint venture with independent television production company Diverse Productions, to produce sports and entertainment programmes.

TISS’s main sites include the Official England Cricket Store (englandcricketstore.com), the English Football Association’s official online store (england-direct.com) and the independent Manchester United Store (sportsetail.com).