Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports continues its venture into soccer by acquiring Brazilian sports agency TFM, adding a slew of rising soccer talent to Roc Nation’s portfolio.
Forbes reports with the acquisition, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, who led his country Brazil in assists during the 2022 World Cup, and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, whose current transfer value is estimated at $87 million, joins Roc Nation’s list of pro soccer players which includes Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne
and Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku among the120 players the agency represents.The acquisition signals how fast Roc Nation, which launched its international arm in 2019, has established itself in soccer. In September 2020, the agency hired soccer agent Alan Redmond as the head of football and absorbed his agency R10 Sports Management.
“Our desire was to open up our own office, start from scratch, and build,” Michael Yormark, president of Roc Nation Sports International, told Forbes earlier this month. The agency has “now decided that if we can find the right acquisition target that aligns with our goals and objectives and our overall strategy, then it’s the right opportunity to explore.”
Under Roc Nation, TFM Founder Federico Pena
will run the agency’s Brazil office, which will now give its clients a full-service agency, including the marketing of its athletes.The agency has established itself as a top sports agency stateside as well. Its list of American athletes includes MLB players Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Dominic Smith. NFL stars Jaire Alexander, Saquon Barkley, Gabe Davis, and Leonard Fournette are signed to Roc Nation, and retired athletes Tony Allen, Caron Butler, Victor Cruz, Zach Randolph, Jalen Rose, Kenny Smith, and Michael Vick.
The acquisitions and signings have boosted Roc Nation from a boutique agency to seventh on the Forbes list of North America’s most valuable sports agencies. The agency currently has over $2 billion in active contracts and is expected to collect up to $203 million in commissions.