SportPursuit and Private Sport Shop announce merger

Bridgepoint Development Capital and bd-capital have announced a merger of their respective portfolio companies, SportPursuit and Private Sport Shop, to form Sportscape Group.

The merger forms a business with over €200 million in sales across the UK, France, Germany and ten other countries. The move help accelerate the group’s shared vision of creating Europe’s leading sports and outdoor hub.

The newly combined group creates a distribution channel for over 2,500 existing brand partners with access to an audience of over 24 million people.

Private Sport Shop is a sports and outdoor flash sales business, with brands including Clarks, The North Face and Millet. SportPursuit is an online retailer working with brands including Columbia, Castore and Speedo.

The merger hopes to offer existing customers the opportunity to enjoy larger product ranges with a greater selection of sport and outdoor brands.

Sportscape Group will be led by Sébastien Rohart, the current CEO of Private Sport Shop. He will be supported by the current executives from both companies, with Adam Pikett, current CEO and Co-founder of SportPursuit, taking up the role of Chief Vision Officer.

Sébastien Rohart, newly appointed CEO Sportscape Group, said: "The combination creates a European leader with a unique proposition to our customers and brand partners alike. In particular, the combination of Private Sport Shop’s huge sport coverage and social media presence with SportPursuit’s technology and data expertise creates significant additional growth opportunities, over and above what we could have created individually."