Sports tech firm Pitchero in Leeds purchases rival Teamer

The acquisition grows Leeds-based Pitchero’s active club membership to over 22,000. The deal also takes the number of teams, including groups of friends organising social games, to 160,000 on its platform.

Pitchero says it will now have over two million active members, players, parents, coaches and club officials, across grassroots and semi professional sport.

Mark Fletcher, CEO of Pitchero, said: “This acquisition is about consolidating the UK’s most popular grassroots sports technology providers for the benefit of grassroots sport.

“It begins to bring the UK in line with the US and the rest of Europe where consolidation has benefitted stakeholders.”

Pitchero was founded in 2008 by Mr Fletcher and chief technology officer Jon Milsom to make it easier for people to coordinate teams and manage clubs online.

Ireland-based Teamer was also founded in 2008. It focusses on team management through a mobile application. The firm acquired Club Website in 2015 aiming to combine the team management app with football club websites as a direct competitor to Pitchero.

Leeds-based Pitchero has acquired the holding company Beamax meaning that Teamer, Club Website and Fixtures Live, another of its rivals platforms, will all fall under its control.

The purchase, Pitchero says, will give it screen views north of 80 million a month. The firm added that the deal also gives it reach into other grassroots sports while strengthening its stronghold in football, rugby, hockey, netball and cricket.

The acquisition also gives Pitchero a presence in Ireland, the home of Teamer, and Australia.

Mr Fletcher said: “It is an exciting time for grassroots sports and we are proud to be at the forefront of development, communication and activation and we have big plans for both Pitchero and Teamer.”

Pitchero and Teamer will continue under their current names, with consolidation taking place at management and development level.

Pitchero has 24 staff while Teamer has 22 employees based in London, seven based in India and one in Australia. Pitchero says four new jobs will be added in Leeds as a result of this acquisition.

Mr Milsom said: “Users of both Teamer and Pitchero will be unaffected by the acquisition, but over time players, coaches, parents, sponsors and advertisers will begin to see additional benefits of being part of the UK’s biggest grassroots sports network.”