The Australian Football League (AFL) Aussie rules competition has unveiled the creation of a new agency, Lumen8 Media, in partnership with the TGI Sport Bruin-backed firm to manage LED signage.

This follows the AFL and TGI Sport's decade-long partnership (to kick off in 2025) agreement last November, to upgrade the match experience - and specifically the in-stadia signage - at the 100,000-capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) stadium, and the 53,359 Marvel Stadium.

The MCG is the permanent host of the AFL Grand Final in a deal set to last until 2059, while five different AFL teams have deals to play home games at the Marvel Stadium (also in Melbourne).

This latest development means Lumen8 Media will manage the commercial rights for the match day LED signage at those two venues, on behalf of the AFL.

Raefe Winstanley will lead Lumen8 as chief executive, supported by Natalia Cordeiro as commercial director. Both come from TGI Sport - Winstanley having previously been that agency’s head of media and tech.

The AFL had been tendering for a partnership for in-stadia signage for 18 months before bringing in TGI Sport, following the league conducting a strategic review of its signage and content offering.

This move follows on from TGI Sport striking a deal to acquire UK virtual advertising firm Supponor, unveiled earlier this month.

The tie-up is “scheduled to close mid-summer,” with Supponor to become part of the TGI Sport technology division. In this sector, it will spot alongside other TGI Sport acquisitions such as Brand Brigade, ISG, and Sportseen.

TGI Sport, also part-backed by Quadrant Private Equity, has been a minority shareholder in Supponor since 2019.

Currently, the TGI Sport client list includes sports properties such as soccer’s LaLiga, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1, and ice hockey’s NHL.