Bradenton-based IMG Academy sold in $1.25B deal

The school and campus is one of the largest private employers in Manatee County.

By Mark Gordon
| 12:15 p.m. April 25, 2023
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IMG Academy was founded in 1978 as the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy.

Manatee-Sarasota

IMG Academy, a globally known youth sports campus in west Bradenton that’s both hosted multiple pro sports teams for practice sessions and placed more than 30,000 students into college sports rosters in 2022 alone, has been sold.

The new owner, according to a statement, is Swedish global private equity group EQT, in partnership with its portfolio company Nord Anglia Education. The all-cash deal, the release states, “reflects an enterprise value of $1.25 billion” for IMG, which, with some 1,000 employees, is a top five Manatee County employer.

EQT and its partners, including BPEA EQT, acquired IMG Academy from Beverly Hills-based Endeavor Group Holdings. Endeavor is one of the world’s largest entertainment and sports brands. Earlier in April it created a new entity when its mixed martial arts franchise UFC merged with World Wrestling Entertainment to create a $21 billion business.