Leading global growth investor General Atlantic announced the firm has led a strategic minority investment in LiveMode, a leading company within the sports and media ecosystem in the Brazilian market. This investment also included the participation of XP Private Equity.
The investors’ partnership with LiveMode aims to accelerate the company’s growth and impact on the sports and media market through its full range of solutions for rights holders and long-term investments in sports properties.
Launched in 2017 by Edgar Diniz and Sergio Lopes, LiveMode works with clubs, leagues, and sports federations to develop distribution solutions, produce live and social media content, and maximize commercial return and digital engagement for its customers. Solutions for sports broadcast rights holders include white-label streaming platforms and CazéTV, a partnership with streamer Casimiro, which reached over 12 million subscribers in its first year and broke several live broadcast records on YouTube.
LiveMode’s rights-holder partners include FIFA, UEFA, the International Olympic Committee, Federação Paulista de Futebol, Athletico Paranaense, and the Brazilian Olympic Committee. And in April 2024, LiveMode was renewed as the exclusive media rights agent to market the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Brazil.
After playing a major role in structuring the Liga Forte União, LiveMode became the exclusive agency of this group, comprised of 26 clubs, for negotiating the Brasileirão broadcasting rights from 2025 onwards.
This funding from General Atlantic and XP is expected to support LiveMode in improving its impact through long-term agreements with sports leagues, clubs, and federations across three critical domains: Football Leagues, Olympic Sports, and Emerging Sports. And LiveMode also intends to focus on international expansion, combining its well-established international relationships with General Atlantic’s global reach and operational resources.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our partnership with General Atlantic and XP marks a significant milestone in our journey. Both firms’ expertise in scaling growth companies, along with their extensive global networks, will be invaluable as we expand our operations and further innovate. We are thrilled to have their support as we focus on our ambition to help expand and professionalize the sport in Brazil and other countries.”
- Leo Lenz Cesar, partner at LiveMode, who will be leading the investment strategy and execution
“The Brazilian sports industry is reaching a critical inflection point. LiveMode is well-positioned at the crux of innovation and impact to build a leading multi-asset sports rights manager, as exemplified by the Company’s unique solutions to live sports and its support in the formation of Liga Forte União. We are excited to partner with the LiveMode team on the next step of their journey as the Company further strengthens its business through long-term partnerships, strategic IP investments, and global expansion.”
- Luiz Ribeiro, Managing Director and Co-Head of Brazil at General Atlantic
“Globally we are witnessing the traditional sports media value chain being disrupted by streaming services, and LiveMode is at the forefront of this trend in Brazil. With a proven track record, the Company has become the partner of choice for numerous sport entities, being well-positioned to explore its media rights and league management not only in soccer but also in other sport modalities. We believe this investment will help develop the business mindset of the sports industry in Brazil.”
- Guilherme Teixeira, partner and director of Private Equity at XP
