Sports Direct International Plc. of the United Kingdom entered into
separate agreements to acquire majority stakes in two leading European
sporting goods retailers: Sports Eybl & Sports Experts AG (EAG),
based in Austria; and Sportland International Group (SIG), based in the
Baltic region.
EAG operates two sports chains, Ebyl, which has 29 stores in Austria
and one in Germany, and Sports Experts, which has 26 shops in Austria
and two in Germany. Eybl is marketed as Austria's largest sports
specialist and carries a large selection of ball and outdoor sporting
goods. Sports Experts is focused on the value segment. SIG has 80 stores
in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, including a number of Nike shops.
Sports
Direct announced that it agreed to acquire a 51 percent equity stake in
EAG. The acquisition of EAG will be made by Sportsdirect.com Retail
Limited, a subsidiary of Sports Direct. The consideration for the EAG
transaction comprises €10.5 million payable to the current shareholders
of EAG - EYBL Holding AG and Ludwig Eybl Privatstiftung or "the Eybl
Family". In addition, Sports Direct has agreed to invest €30.0 million
in subordinated debt in EAG.
Upon the completion, Sports Direct
has the right for five years to acquire the remaining shares in EAG from
the Eybl Family for €15.5 million. During this period, the Eybl Family
also has the right to sell its remaining shares in EAG to Sports Direct
for €5.0 million.
From Dec. 31, 2019, Sports Direct and the Eybl
Family have the right to acquire the other party's shareholding in EAG
based on a multiple of EBITDA. For the 12 month period ending Aug. 31,
2012, EAG generated revenue of €323.8 million.
EAG also owns 96
percent of a real estate company, Sport Eybl Immobilien AG or IAG. IAG
owns 18 properties, which are leased to SSG, including 15 stores, a
warehouse and SSG's head office premises. The Eybl Family owns the
remaining 4 percent of IAG directly.
Representatives of the Eybl
Family, including Lorin Leitner, will serve on the supervisory boards of
EAG, SSG and IAG together with Sports Direct representatives. Following
the transaction, Hubert Schenk and Michael Weccardt, will remain as the
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of SSG.
The
EAG transaction is subject to various conditions, including clearance
from the Austrian competition authorities, and is expected to complete
by 31 July 2013.
In addition, Sports Direct said that it has
entered into an agreement to acquire a 60 percent equity stake in SIG
for an undisclosed price. SIG, which operates the Sportland, Sportland
Outlet, Timberland, O'Neill, Nike and Nike Outlet retail chains in
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as being a distributor for Nike,
is described as the largest sporting goods retailer in the Baltic
region.
The SIG transaction is subject to various conditions,
including clearance from local competition authorities, and is expected
to complete by 30 June 2013.
Sports Direct stated that the
consideration for the EAG transaction and the SIG transaction will be
funded from its operating cash flows and existing bank facilities.
Source Sports Direct through SportsOneSource
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