Private Sport Shop and SportPursuit agree on merger

Private equity firm Bd-capital and growth-focused Bridgepoint Development Capital have announced they will be merging their portfolio companies, SportPursuit and Private Sport Shop to form Sportscape Group.

According to a release, the combination will create a business operating more than 200 million euros of sales across the UK, France, Germany and 10 other countries. Each will continue to function as consumer-facing brands in their home markets.

It comes as part of the duo’s plan to create a leading European sports and outdoor hub engaging sports enthusiasts throughout the region.

Current CEO of Private Sport Shop, Sébastien Rohart will be leading the group, supported by a handful of current executives from both companies. Meanwhile, Luke Pikett, managing director and co-founder of SportPursuit, and Yannick Leouffre, managing director of Private Sport Shop, will continue to lead both businesses.

“I am excited to become the CEO of Sportscape Group. The combination creates a European leader with a unique proposition to our customers and brand partners alike,” said Rohart.

He continued: “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.”