They’ve bought another club For years, FC Thun Bernese Oberland has been looking for a strong partner willing to strengthen its inadequate equity base, but without taking over the majority of the football club. Now the squaring of the circle has succeeded. The Pacific Media Group (PMG), headquartered in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shenzhen, has found a partner who not only seeks long-term cooperation, but also leaves the character and culture of the FC Thun Bernese Oberland. The core business of PMG is the financing and distribution of digital content (films, TV productions, sports conferences and games) from the USA in the Asian market. For some years, the PMG has also achieved great success with international player databases. The PMG transferred the baseball and basketball practice to football and built up a worldwide directory of player statistics in recent years. * As part of the new field of activity, the PMG and a consortium took over the majority of the shares of the English second division Barnsley F.C. and was until recently also co-owner of the French first division OGC Nice. Under the leadership of the PMG, Nice qualified for the first time in its history for the Champions League. In addition, a new training and training center was built. Barnsley rose in the first year after the takeover by PMG in the English Championship (2nd league) on. The PMG is thus well acquainted with the European football market. * In addition to the PMG, Chien Lee, who also invested in OGC Nizza and Barnsley, and The Seelig Group, which co-financed feature films such as Avatar, Deadpool and The Martian, also participated in the investment at FC Thun Bernese Oberland. * The cornerstones of the partnership The cooperation between the Pacific Media Group and the FC Thun Bernese Oberland is characterized by three core themes. * data analysis The FC Thun Bernese Oberland gains access to player data and an expanded European network for player transfers. An opportunity for the FC Thun Bernese Oberland, sports director Andres Gerber finds. "We see the new possibilities as an ideal complement to our previous strategy," says Gerber. "The data gives us additional security and a wider selection of players. Accordingly, the prospects of success in this area are increasing. » * tourism The PMG and the FC Thun Bernese Oberland expect the partnership to be an optimal position for the marketing of the Bernese Oberland region in the Asian region. Associated with this are extended sponsoring options for the FC Thun Bernese Oberland. * capital The PMG invests in favor of the FC Thun Bernese Oberland funds with equity character in the range of 3 million francs. "An ideal size," says Markus Lüthi, President of the FC Thun Bernese Oberland. "In spite of this investment, the cost consciousness and the grip remain with the FC Thun Bernese Oberland." One continues to depend on every franc from the region. The participation rate of the PMG in the FC Thun Bernese Oberland is capped at 25 percent. At the beginning of the partnership, the participation rate of the PMG in the FC Thun Bernese Oberland amounts to almost 5 percent. * «The FC Thun Bernese Oberland keeps its soul» Particularly with a view to the recent past in Swiss football, the partnership with a foreign investor must be critically examined. This is also aware of Markus Lüthi. "It has always been our stated goal to financially strengthen the FC Thun Bernese Oberland without selling our souls," says Lüthi. "The strategic cooperation with the PMG also includes the investment in our share capital, albeit in the area of a minority stake." It is important that the majority of shares continue to be spread among many different shareholders and that the Thun Bernese Oberland in our region remains strongly connected. "That the PMG agrees is extraordinary," says Lüthi. Vice-President Markus Peter, who together with Lüthi conducted intensive discussions with PMG over the past six months, is impressed by the new partner. "Together we came to the conviction that we are working here with serious, honest people who are fit for the FC Thun Bernese Oberland," says Peter. And also PMG founder Paul Conway is looking forward to the cooperation. «The competent leadership, This is from tykes mad....sorry if ypu knew already.
