Jay-Z manages Vini Jr and outlines plans for athletes in the country – 07/12/2023 – Sport

“Hey Jay-Z. Waiting for you in Brazil!” wrote Vinicius Junior on Twitter.

It wasn’t spontaneous, just a marketing step. But the post, made last Friday (7), confirmed the willingness of Roc Nation, one of the largest agency companies on the planet, to enter the Brazilian market.

For an undisclosed amount, she bought TFM, which has 46 soccer players in its client portfolio. The North American company became responsible for the career, among others, of Vinicius Junior and Martinelli, members of the selection in the last World Cup. Endrick is also on the list, sold by Palmeiras to Real Madrid for around R$ 400 million.

Valued at around US$ 800 million (R$ 3.8 billion in current values), Roc Nation was created by billionaire rapper Jay-Z, husband of singer Beyoncé. Also known in recent years for association with big names in the sport, the musician has a fortune estimated at US$ 2.5 billion (R$ 12 billion), according to Forbes magazine.

“Brazil is the country of origin for the largest number of athletes involved with international transfers. Brazil is still the one that offers the most high-level athletes to everyone,” said Thiago Freitas, COO of Roc Nation in the country.

Negotiation draws attention, not only because of the fame of the brokers but also because of the broker. Jay-Z is one of the most famous names in world music (like his wife), and the strategy is to invest in the individual image of his clients, sometimes forgetting that they are part of a team sport like football.

The conclusion of the company’s executives is that the country’s stars are much better known than the teams in which they work.

“Our clubs are unknown to almost everyone in the main markets of the world, but the talent of Brazilian athletes is increasingly boasted, and they are increasingly present in the main clubs, in the main competitions, in the main games, and in the main titles. Roc Nation has expanded its business to represent and leverage Brazilian talent around the world, something in line with the purpose we’ve always had, which is to take the most talented people to the most important stages”, said Frederico Pena, CEO of Roc Nation .

The plan is for players to show not only information, photos and videos related to their teams, but also the lifestyle, personal stories, stories of overcoming obstacles, and social causes they defend. As if sport had become a complement.

“We follow the natural path of a revolution that is just beginning, but which is already evident”, observed Freitas.

Within this model, Vinicius Junior is the ideal agency and could become Roc Nation’s greatest asset in football. Talented and a member of a winning team, Real Madrid, he has been the target of repeated instances of racism in Spain. He became an activist in the fight against discrimination.

“The empowerment of those represented is a relevant objective, especially those who deal with different prejudices, whether of color or origin. Our roots are of a wonderful miscegenation”, added the COO.

Created in 2008 as a record label, Roc Nation has moved on to agency music artists. The biggest name under the brand umbrella is Alicia Keys. Roc Nation Sports, a sports agency arm, was born in 2013. In football, the best-known players until the arrival of Brazilians were Belgians: Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alex Witsel.

“In more developed sports markets like the United States and some European countries, the career of any athlete is planned considering earnings from salaries and awards, as well as sponsorships and publicity. In Brazil, despite having prominent names in various sports, team management athletes’ careers are still mostly amateur, and the percentage of active athletes who also feature in advertising campaigns is very low, hence the opportunity for professionalization and growth”, said Ivan Martinho, professor of sports marketing at ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda and Marketing).

Roc Nation reckons the company and its customers have 1.7 billion social media followers.

The purchase of TFM also makes Jay-Z inherit clients with much less return potential, such as Lucas Pires and Nathan. Both were sidelined by Santos last month due to technical and disciplinary problems.

Before the investment in Brazil, Roc Nation already managed 39 soccer players. In total, among sportsmen alone, there were 171 baseball, football, basketball, cricket and rugby hires.