Wasserman Media Group To Buy World-Famous Bay To Breakers Footrace From AEG

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading sports and entertainment marketing company Wasserman Media Group today announced the purchase of the world-famous San Francisco footrace Bay to Breakers from AEG. Wasserman will now preside over this historic 12-kilometer event, which dates back to 1912 and spans from San Francisco's Embarcadero to Ocean Beach.

"We are excited and proud to be the new stewards of one of the greatest footraces in the world," said Casey Wasserman, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman Media Group. "Our goal, first and foremost, will be to maintain the traditions and the individual color of this beloved race. This is an iconic event, one that is central to San Francisco's social fabric, and we are committed to preserving its history and traditions.

There is no doubt that since acquiring the Bay to Breakers in 2004, AEG has been very successful in operating and furthering the reputation of one of the premiere events of its kind.  We thank them for their stewardship and allowing us the opportunity to take the event to an even higher level," Wasserman added.

"While we weren't actively pursuing a buyer, after meeting with Casey and his team, we were convinced that their passion for events as special as the Bay to Breakers along with the investment they are prepared to make and the platform they have to showcase this historic event makes them the ideal ownership group to raise the bar even higher for the Bay to Breakers," said Dan Beckerman, President & CEO, AEG.

"The enthusiasm and commitment that Casey and the Wasserman Media Group team have brought to the table has convinced us that they are dedicated to devoting the resources and investment to helping the Bay to Breakers reach even greater heights while preserving the reputation, traditions and iconic standing that the race become known for," said Kristin Bachochin, Sr. Vice President AEG Sports.

Founded in 1912 and held on the third Sunday of May for more than 100 years, it is not only the most historic event of its kind, it is also the most fun and colorful, with world class competitors running beside thousands of costumed participants. Still today, Bay to Breakers is one of the most popular footraces in the world drawing over 50,000 participants and 100,000 spectators annually.

Starting immediately, Wasserman plans to work with neighborhood leaders, government officials, charitable organizations, local businesses as well as race enthusiasts to gather their input and further enrich the iconic event for years to come.

About Wasserman Media Group:

Founded in 2002, Wasserman Media Group is a global sports, entertainment marketing and management company with expertise in media rights, corporate consulting, athlete management and partnerships. Wasserman is based in Los Angeles and also has operations in New York, London, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Miami, Toronto, Raleigh and Carlsbad, CA.  For more information please visit www.wmgllc.com.

About AEG:

AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, owns or is affiliated with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world's preeminent facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), Best Buy Theater (Times Square, New York), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China),  Allphones Arena (Sydney, Australia) and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England).  Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, & entertainment district featuring Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, Club Nokia, and a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination.  In addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, assets of AEG Sports include franchises such as the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo and the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race.  Along with AEG Facilities, other global divisions include AEG Live, the world's second largest concert promotion and touring companies comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions and AEG Global Partnerships, responsible for worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships, naming rights and other strategic partnerships.  In 2010, AEG launched its AEG 1EARTH environmental program featuring the industry's first sustainability report while in 2011, AEG introduced AXS Ticketing, a new entertainment platform serving as the company's primary consumer brand which will also feature a mobile service as well as video content service now in development as well as the AXS TV network.
For additional information, visit www.aegworldwide.com.

SOURCE Wasserman Media Group