IMG, the largest sports management and marketing company in the world, is planning to get even bigger.
The company started by Mark McCormack, still chairman of the group, and built around the star power of golf legend Arnold Palmer in the '60s, has grown into a massive worldwide enterprise representing the likes of golfers Tiger Woods, David Duval and Karrie Webb; Olympic marathon champion Naoko Takahashi; and tennis stars Pete Sampras and the Williams sisters.
But the International Management Group has been a bit of a latecomer to the world -- and riches -- of soccer. That is now changing, and with the World Cup coming to Japan next year, IMG plans to delve deeper into the market.