It was officially decided on the 10th that the IT company "mixi" will acquire the management rights of soccer J1 and FC Tokyo, and President Koki Kimura of mixi said "I want to be a strong and beloved team". did.
At the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of FC Tokyo's operating company held on the morning of the 10th, after it was officially decided that mixi will acquire the management rights of FC Tokyo, the management team held a meeting in Tokyo and explained the circumstances etc. did.
Among them, FC Tokyo President Naoki Ogane said, "I feel that the rules that have been regulated so far have been relaxed and we are entering the phase of competition between clubs. It is a great possibility to entrust management to mixi. I think it's an opportunity to expand. "
And, President Koki Kimura of mixi said, "It has tremendous potential as a base for transmitting Japanese sports and football from Tokyo to the world. I feel a very heavy responsibility as well as looking forward to it. I want to be a beloved team. "
From February 1st next year, Mr. Shigeya Kawagishi, who is the general manager of the sports division at mixi, will be appointed president of FC Tokyo.
President Mixi Kimura "I can draw out more potential"
It was decided to acquire the management rights of FC Tokyo, and President Koki Kimura of mixi said, "There is no subject that makes people feel uncomfortable and emotionally disturbed as much as sports. Utilizing our communication know-how and IT technology , I can bring out more potential. "
Specifically, in order to search for sports bars where live broadcasts of various sports including the J League can be seen, we will have them use the system operated by mixi to increase opportunities to come into contact with FC Tokyo outside the stadium. It means that we will also focus on.
In the J League, there have been a series of cases where IT companies have started to manage clubs in recent years, and in 2018, "CyberAgent" acquired the management right of J2 Machida Zelvia, and "Mercari" is J1. Became the largest shareholder of Kashima Antlers and entered the management.
Regarding this, President Kimura said, "It may be a coincidence or it may be inevitable. Since it is a listed company, we have to explain to our shareholders how we can grow by utilizing technology. So, I think it's a common point that we feel the potential to grow with IT. "
In addition, mixi is focusing on professional sports business, not limited to soccer, such as making the B League "Chiba Jets" a group company.
President Kimura said, "In order for Japanese sports to grow further, there are issues with financial resources compared to the United States and Europe." I want to do it. "