English Premier League football club Southampton has been acquired for what is believed to be a sum of £100m (€120m) by the Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak, founder of the United Group, which itself owns Fortuna Esports and the Esports Balkan League (EBL).
Founded in 2000, United Group has grown from a small cable operator in central Serbia to become a regional leader in broadband, mobile and pay-TV services. Today, the business serves more than 40 million people across eight countries and generates annual sales of over €2bn.
Fortuna organises events, studio and video production of esports content for national and international audiences, as well as television and online streaming for international esports tournaments. Its flagship project, the EBL, is the first professional esports league in the region, with teams from 12 countries competing for the Championship title.
Commenting on his backing of the purchase of a majority (80%) stake in Southampton FC, Mr. Solak said: “We are delighted to be able to complete this acquisition as a first step towards execution of our investment strategy. Southampton will be a cornerstone of the organisation we plan to build.”
