About Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications is a Media & Entertainment company based in Plano (United States) founded in 1972, and was acquired by TPG in April 2026. Multimedia rights and marketing solutions for collegiate sports are managed. It operates in the Media & Entertainment and Technology sectors. The company has 2,255 employees. Learfield Communications has completed 4 acquisitions, including Jumbo TV, Mogo Interactive and SMAWORKS. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Cole Gahagan. Its website learfield.com draws about 94 thousand monthly visits. Learfield Communications offers products and services including Sponsorship Services, Ticketing Services, Licensing Services, and Digital Marketing Services. Its focus areas include Consumer, Sports Tech, Sports Marketing and Digital Media Marketing. Its legal entity is LEARFIELD COMMUNICATIONS, INC. Its competitors include Sponsorunited, Sportgenic and GolfStatus; 2 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Learfield is sports media company which holds the exclusive multimedia rights for 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments. The company helps businesses and universities by connecting big brands to college sports, through customized marketing solutions and experiences. Their marketing experts create customized campaigns, utilizing the multimedia assets of their collegiate partners. Learield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales, branding, licensing and trademark consulting, campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies. Learfield was acquired by Atairos, a Comcast backed private investment firm for reportedly 1.3 Billion.
- Headquarters Plano, United States
- Employees 2,255
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsMedia & EntertainmentTechnology
- Website learfield.com
- Social LinkedIn X Instagram
- Acquired by Atairos (Oct 2016)
- Legal Name Learfield Communications, Inc.
Products & Services of Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Sponsorship Services, Ticketing Services, Licensing Services, and Digital Marketing Services.
Connects brands to college sports fans for advertising opportunities
Manages ticket sales and venue experiences for live events
Handles multimedia rights and NIL solutions for partners
Provides data-driven marketing for brands and universities
Funding Insights of Learfield Communications
- Total Rounds 2
- Investors Count 1
All 2 funding rounds of Learfield Communications with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2016 | Debt – Conventional | – | – | – | |
| Dec 2011 | Private Equity Round | – | – |
4 investors in total: 4 institutional.
Investors in Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications has secured backing from 4 investors, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include TPG, Shamrock Capital Advisors and Atairos.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Private equity and debt funds focused on media, entertainment, content, sports, marketing, and education sectors | 1978 | shamrockcap.com | Los Angeles, United States | |
Private equity investments in the US are managed by Atairos. | atairos.com | New York, United States | ||
Private equity investments in media, communications, education, and technology sectors. | provequity.com | |||
Fund of funds focused on pre-seed and seed-stage companies | 1992 | tpg.com | Fort Worth, United States |
Investor details for Learfield Communications
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People of Learfield Communications
8 people are tracked at Learfield Communications (8 in leadership); the tracked headcount is 2,255.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Kenia Chavez | Leadership | |
Cole Gahagan | CEO | Leadership |
Peter Lori | CFO | Leadership |
John Raleigh | Chief Legal Officer | Leadership |
Cory Moss | President, Brand Management & Marketing | Leadership |
Kim Damron | President, Sports Properties | Leadership |
Ben Mathan | Chief Strategy Officer | Leadership |
Kristine Schroeder | Chief People & Culture Officer | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Learfield Communications
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Investments & Acquisitions by Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 4 companies. Notable acquisitions include Jumbo TV, Mogo Interactive and SMAWORKS.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full-service marketing agency operations are managed in the United States. | mogointeractive.com | Corte Madera, United States | 2007 | Jan 2017 | •••• | |
Provider of event management services | jumbo.tv | United States | 2002 | Jun 2016 | •••• | |
Digital marketing, SMM, and market research services are offered. | thinksocial.com | Orem, United States | 2011 | Feb 2016 | •••• | |
Resources and services for growing brands are provided. | smaworks.com | Indianapolis, United States | 1997 | Dec 2014 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Learfield Communications
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Timeline of Learfield Communications
10 dated milestones of Learfield Communications across 54 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Learfield Communications is founded.
- Funding First funding round.
- Exit Acquired by Providence Equity Partners.
- Acquisition Acquires SMAWORKS.
- Acquisition Acquires Think Social.
- Acquisition Acquires Jumbo TV.
- Exit Acquired by Atairos.
- Funding Latest funding round, Debt – Conventional,.
- Acquisition Acquires Mogo Interactive.
- Exit Acquired by TPG.
Competitors of Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications has 3 listed competitors in our database, 2 of them funded. They include Sponsorunited, Sportgenic and GolfStatus.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sponsorunited.com | 2016 | New York, United States | $39.7M | Sports marketing and sponsorship marketplace is provided for brand partnerships. | ||
| sportgenic.com | 2005 | San Francisco, United States | $10M | Sports marketing, planning, and enthusiast networks are facilitated. | ||
| golfstatus.com | 2010 | Lincoln, United States | Software platform for organizing charity golf events and fundraising efficiently. |
Detailed competitors of Learfield Communications
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Web traffic of Learfield Communications
The website of Learfield Communications (learfield.com) receives about 94.3K visits a month.
- Monthly visits94.3K
▲ 11.8% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Learfield Communications. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
learfieldsports.com | learfieldsports.com | 100% | – | ||
businessofcollegesports.com | businessofcollegesports.com | 88% | #1,203,156 | – | |
| sidearmsports.com | 79% | #221,933 | View details | ||
| espn.com | 75% | 507M | #78 | View details | |
umassathletics.com | umassathletics.com | 74% | #378,384 | – | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 40 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Learfield Communications
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- 40 similar websites
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Top companies in Sports Technology Platforms
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Learfield Communications (Sports Technology Platforms) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Subscription-based platform for streaming soccer content is offered. | 2015 | New York, New York, United States | USD 154.63 M | USD 1.62 B | 590 | |
Developer of a fantasy platform for multiple sports | 2009 | New York, New York, United States | USD 416.2 M | 4,115 | ||
Subscription-based social networking platform for runners and cyclists | 2009 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 180 M | 999 |
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Related news about Learfield Communications
Complete news archive for Learfield Communications
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Frequently Asked Questions about Learfield Communications
Learfield Communications was founded in 1972 and raised its 1st funding round 39 years after it was founded.
Learfield Communications is headquartered in Plano, United States. It is registered at Plano, Texas, United States.
Cole Gahagan is the CEO of Learfield Communications, as recorded in our data.
Learfield Communications has 2,255 employees.
Learfield is sports media company which holds the exclusive multimedia rights for 120 collegiate institutions, conferences and arenas, and supports athletic departments. The company helps businesses and universities by connecting big brands to college sports, through customized marketing solutions and experiences. Their marketing experts create customized campaigns, utilizing the multimedia assets of their collegiate partners. Learield also provides its collegiate partners access to professional concessions and ticket sales, branding, licensing and trademark consulting, campus-wide business and sponsorship development; and venue and technology systems through its affiliated companies. Learfield was acquired by Atairos, a Comcast backed private investment firm for reportedly 1.3 Billion.
Learfield Communications's top competitors include Sponsorunited, Sportgenic and GolfStatus.
Learfield Communications offers Sponsorship Services, Ticketing Services, Licensing Services, and Digital Marketing Services.
Learfield Communications has made 4 acquisitions, including Jumbo TV, Mogo Interactive, and SMAWORKS.
Learfield Communications has 4 investors. Key investors include TPG, Shamrock Capital Advisors, Atairos, and Providence Equity.
Learfield Communications operates through Learfield Communications, Inc..
Yes. Learfield Communications was acquired by Atairos in October 2016.