JAY-Z‘s Roc Nation Sports has agreed to expand into South America with the acquisition of the renowned Brazilian soccer agency TFM.
On Thursday (July 6), Roc Nation Sports International announced that it had acquired the São Paulo-based TFM Agency, as well as the news that notable soccer stars Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid) and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) would be joining the agency’s roster.
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With TFM in the fold, the Roc Nation Sports International soccer roster has expanded to about 120 players under the Roc’s umbrella after launching the division in 2019.
Other soccer stars already signed to the Roc include Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku, Federico Dimarco, Chris Richards, Axel Witsel and Jack McGlynn.
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“In terms of football, Brazil is the center of it all. I strongly identify with a culture that has such an incredible passion for sport and music,” Roc Nation Sports founder Juan Perez said in a statement. “Our influence in this game is growing and this move shows our intentions to the world.”
Sharing a promo video for the partnership on Instagram, Roc Nation wrote: “A new era. Brazil, welcome to the family.”
According to Forbes, the lucrative TFM deal will quickly raise revenue margins as agents take a 10 percent cut of contracts in transfer deals and a reported six percent of player wages.
“By introducing a full-service sports representation service to South America, we are providing a level of service that has never before existed in this market, and one that our players truly deserve,” TFM Agency founder Frederico Pena added.
“Roc Nation embodies the pinnacle of culture, sports, and entertainment. It made perfect sense to join Roc Nation, elevate our operations, and provide our athletes with comprehensive, global representation.”
Earlier this year, JAY-Z and Roc Nation took action when defending Romelu Lukaku from racist abuse during a Coppa Italia semi-final match.
Roc Nation Sports released a defiant statement calling on Italy, its fans and the “worldwide community of sports” to come together and “hold bigots accountable to a human standard” in an effort to stamp out such racist behavior in sports.
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Hov’s company purchased a full-page ad in the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport declaring “enough is enough” after Lukaku endured racist gibes during Inter Milan’s away match against Juventus in April.
