HOUSTON, TEXAS (February 29, 2008) – Legendary boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya, founder of global sports promotion organization Golden Boy Promotions and longtime business partner Gabriel Brener , Chairman & CEO of Brener International Group have entered into an agreement to acquire significant ownership interests in the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer (MLS) it was announced at a press conference by Timothy J. Leiweke , President and CEO, AEG..
Current owner/operators of the two-time defending MLS Cup Champion Dynamo, AEG will retain ownership shares in the club and continue to operate the franchise in partnership with the new ownership group according to Oliver Luck , President and General Manager of the Houston Dynamo.
“Having Oscar and Gabriel as our partners in Houston is the right alliance in the right market at the right time,” said Leiweke. “With Gabriel and his family’s strong ties and commitment to Houston , our organization will have an even more significant, positive impact and influence within the community.”
“Oscar and our organization go back many years and having the ability to tap into his business background and marketing philosophies will be an asset for this team that the fans will see the benefits of from today forward,” Leiweke added. Together this ownership group will continue to build a model franchise and make it our highest priority to find a home for the Dynamo in the Houston metro area.”
“I’m a huge soccer fan and have been very impressed with the progress MLS and especially The Houston Dynamo have made in recent years. I also appreciate how much soccer, like boxing, appeals to the Hispanic community. I’m very excited to be part of such a top notch organization,” said De La Hoya.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Enterprises added, “We are very pleased to join the Houston family. The association with Brenner, AEG and The Dynamo is very much in keeping with our philosophy to partner with the best organizations and individuals out there. We look forward to being part of the team’s growth.”
“We are proud to team up once again with our friend and partner Oscar De La Hoya and honored to partner with the dynamic AEG organization,” said Gabriel Brener, Chairman & CEO of Brener International Group, LLC. “Brener International Group, LLC favors investing in the best of the best, and the Houston Dynamo clearly belongs in this category with its superb management, coaching staff, players, and most importantly, the fans. Not to mention this deal fits perfectly with our strategy of investing in sports and entertainment that appeal to both Hispanic and Anglo markets.”
In addition to consecutive league titles, the Dynamo advanced to the semifinal of the preseason CONCACAF Champions Cup, and semifinal of the first-ever SuperLiga. Dynamo star Pat Onstad became the first goalkeeper to win three MLS Cup Championships, and Onstad was a force behind the team’s modern-day, professional team sports shutout record of 727 minutes without allowing a goal. Dwayne De Rosario became the league’s first two-time MLS Cup MVP.
Aside from the team’s on-field success in 2006 and 2007, the Dynamo enjoyed three consecutive record-setting crowds of over 30,000 toward the end of last season. Dynamo home tickets sales grew 49% in 2007 compared to the team’s inaugural season in Houston , and expanded its season ticket base by similar figures. Sponsorship increased by 73%. The franchise was also nominated for El Premio de la Gente , (Sports Team of the Year) by TV Azteca. Dynamo players were honored at The White House, and the Texas State Capitol in 2007.
“We are very excited about the involvement that Oscar De La Hoya and Gabriel Brener will have in the organization,” said Oliver Luck , President & General Manager, Houston Dynamo. “Everyone associated with the Houston Dynamo looks forward to having them in our organization and working with them to continue to build the best possible MLS franchise.”
ABOUT THE HOUSTON DYNAMO
The Houston Dynamo was established on December 16, 2005, after Major League Soccer and AEG relocated the San Jose Earthquakes to Houston . The Dynamo began play at Robertson Stadium at the start of the 2006 season and has won back-to-back MLS Cup Championships since the move (2006 & 2007).
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 controls a collection of companies including facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), NOKIA Theatre Times Square, NOKIA Theatre at Grand Prairie (TX), the El Rey Theatre (Hollywood, CA), the WaMu Theatre (Seattle, WA) Sprint Center (Kansas City, MO), Prudential Center (Newark, NJ) and The O2, a 28-acre development located in the eastern part of London along the Thames River which includes a 20,000 seat arena and over 650,000sf of leisure and entertainment use; sports franchises throughout the world including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL), Los Angeles Riptide (MLL), the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo (MLS) in addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA). AEG developed and operates The Home Depot Center, a $150 million national training facility on the Campus of California State University Dominguez Hills in Carson , California designated as an “Official U.S. Olympic Training Site” by the United States Olympic Committee that includes major facilities for soccer, tennis, track & field, cycling, lacrosse, rugby, action sports, beach volleyball, basketball and other sports. AEG’s live entertainment division, AEG LIVE is one of the world’s leading concert promotion and touring companies.
AEG is overseeing the development of L.A. LIVE, a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, residential & entertainment district featuring NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE, a 7,100-seat state-of-the-art live theatre which opened this October, a 54-story, 1001-room convention center “headquarters” hotel, Club NOKIA at L.A. LIVE, a 2,400 capacity live music venue, a 14-screen Regal Cineplex, “broadcast” facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, restaurant, residential and office space and additional arenas, O2 World, on a 45-acre site in the heart of Berlin, Citizen’s Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
ABOUT GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2001 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2007, in its sixth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions set a record by selling over 2.5 million in pay-per-view homes in a single night. Also in 2007, Golden Boy Promotions established the record for highest grossing pay-per-view homes in a single year with more than 4 million total. Golden Boy Promotions is one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, TeleFutura, SHOWTIME and ESPN.
Golden Boy Promotions currently has close to 50 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley to current world champions Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jhonny Gonzalez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Israel Vazquez and Joan Guzman. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Librado Andrade, Rocky Juarez, Demetrius Hopkins and Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, as well as 2004 Olympians Abner Mares and Vicente Escobedo, highly regarded Antonio Escalante, Rock Allen, Billy Dib and rising Lightweight Star Francisco “Panchito” Bojado and 2008 young prospects, Michael Faragon, Danny Garcia, Jermell Charlo and Hylon Williams.
ABOUT GOLDEN BOY ENTERPRISES
Golden Boy Enterprises is a diversified holding company of legendary Olympic Gold Medal winner, ten-time world Champion and Grammy nominated recording artist Oscar De La Hoya. Its principle assets include a bi-coastal portfolio of real estate and various entertainment, sports, media and financial services related participations with a main focus on the growing U.S. Hispanic Market. Golden Boy Enterprises LLC the principal shareholder of Golden Boy Promotions, the leading boxing promotion company with close to 50 fighters under contract.
ABOUT BRENER INTERNATIONAL GROUP
Brener International Group, LLC is a Los Angeles-based private investment firm and family
office with global business and investment interests. Brener’s current investments comprise holdings in private companies (including Golden Boy Promotions), publicly traded companies, and other ventures. The Group acquires and builds ownership stakes in established, well-managed companies with solid market positions and strong growth potential. The Brener Group focuses its direct investments in: businesses directed to U.S Hispanic, sports & entertainment, consumer products and real estate.
ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Headquartered in New York City , Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the United States and around the world. The League’s 13 th season kicks off March 29. The 14 teams in MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, Red Bull New York, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC. The League’s 15 th team, Seattle, will begin play in 2009, and 16 th team, Philadelphia , will begin play in 2010. For more information about MLS, log on to the League’s official web site at www.MLSnet.com