Veteran sports marketing & media executive to launch innovative new global golf tournament series on CBS Sports – over $10 million in prize money to be awarded
Orlando, FL – Armada Sports & Entertainment, Inc., announced today that it has engaged Atherton Communications, LLC, a CT-based sports media advisory firm to lead its wholly owned subsidiary, The Golf Championships, Inc. and appointed Kent Atherton to serve as the acting Chief Executive Officer, effective Nov. 1.
Atherton has enjoyed a distinguished career as senior sports television executive, most recently in the role of Vice President Sports at DIRECTV in New York. At DIRECTV, Atherton supervised revenue-generation for all sports programming assets including NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Extra Innings, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, NASCAR Hot Pass, NBA, NHL and college football, along with proprietary interactive channels for Summer & Winter Olympic games and major events in professional golf & tennis.
Before joining DIRECTV in 2008, Atherton served as President & Chief Operating Officer of Ginn Sports Entertainment, LLC (GSE), a division of FL-based Ginn Resorts, developer and manager of high-end residential golf resorts & private clubs throughout the United States and Caribbean. GSE was launched by Atherton following the successful debut of the LPGA Tour event he created, the Ginn Open, which was held at Reunion Resort in Orlando. Under Atherton’s supervision, GSE launched two additional professional golf tournaments on the PGA Champions Tour and LPGA Tour. All three tournaments were widely acclaimed as among the premier events in professional golf. GSE also managed a sponsorship portfolio of professional golfers (including Annika Sorenstam, Cristie Kerr, Lucas Glover, Lee Janzen) and led the company’s extensive corporate marketing efforts in NASCAR.
Prior to launching GSE, Atherton served as founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Pantheon International, LLC, a New York City-based niche sports marketing & event production firm, which owned high-profile sports properties across the USA, including the annual John R. Wooden Classic, men’s D1 college basketball invitational event created by Atherton in 1994 and held each year since in Anaheim, CA.
“Kent is a highly accomplished executive, with an extensive background in sports marketing & sponsorship, media sales, TV production, digital media, international syndication and tournament operations. His leadership will contribute significantly toward the development and execution of our high-profile television events,” stated Anthony Gebbia, Chairman and CEO of Armada. “The Company is truly fortunate to have an executive of his capability join our team.”
The opportunity to help launch another exciting new sports property was a compelling component of Atherton’s decision to lead the team at The Golf Championships. “It is not often an event opportunity comes along with the ingredients to create instant awareness on a global basis,” Atherton said. “People are naturally attracted to feel good stories and enjoy rooting for the underdog. The Golf Championships format has the potential to generate viral buzz and reward viewers with the type of thrilling moments most often associated with professional golf’s sudden death playoffs.”
About The Golf Championships, Inc.
The Golf Championships is seeking America’s undiscovered golf talent and the inaugural 2013 Season will host Million Dollar Invitational events at eight locations around the world. Each Million Dollar Invitational event will feature a full field of 144 players in a 54-hole tournament with a $300,000 purse. The top ten players after 54 holes immediately move on to a 9-hole shootout elimination televised by CBS Sports, for a “winner take all” prize of $1 million. Qualifying for the events will be held in February-March each year and are open to all golfers not currently playing on one of the four major professional tours (PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, European Tour and Champions Tour).
For more information, please visit www.thegolfchampionships.com
The Golf Championships, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Armada Sports and Entertainment, Inc.
About Armada Sports and Entertainment, Inc.
Armada is a FL-based sports marketing company engaged in owning, developing and producing nationally televised sports & entertainment events. Armada currently owns The Golf Championships, a series of unique competitions in the sport, known as The Million Dollar Invitationals, The World Putting Championships, and The Celebrity Golf Challenges.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the above statements contained in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results, events and circumstances (including future performance, results and trends) could differ materially from those set forth in such statements due to various factors, risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, risks associated with the company’s future growth and operating results, the uncertainty of market acceptance of the company’s business plan, competitive factors and general economic conditions. Armada Sports and Entertainment, Inc. has no duty and undertakes no obligation to update such statements.
Contact:
Steve Brener/Dana Gordon, Brener Zwikel & Associates, Inc., 818-344-6195, ext. 103/107
Ryan Julison, Julison Communications 321-377-6877
