100 Leeds jobs created by sports media company
A GLOBAL sports media company, Perform Group, is creating 100 jobs with its Leeds expansion.
The company, which has 40 offices across the globe including Japan and New Zealand.
Twickenham-based Perform has grown exponentially since its inception in 2012 and now has four floors at 8 Park Row in Leeds.
It provides sports data via its Opta platform which is part of Perform Content which delivers sports-focused digital platforms, including DAZN which launched in August which it says is a live sports streaming service.
The company said it wanted to expand in Leeds rather than its other offices due to the talent from the multiple universities both in the city and within the wider region.
Ben Warn, CEO of new ventures at Perform Group, said: “Perform Group is at the pinnacle of digital sports content and media globally, as such we require the best people from analysts and coders through to account managers.
“When it came to the expansion we looked globally at where we could find the right people, with the right attitude in the right location, and it was then we realised we were already here in Leeds and just needed to expand.
“Over the last four years we’ve developed some fantastic relationships across the Leeds City Region, particularly with the universities. We also understand that the City Regions offer a unique environment that appeals to our employees.”
Roger Marsh OBE, chairman of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, added: “The expansion of Perform Group in Leeds is fantastic news and a testament to the confidence within the City Region and in our digital sector. In fact Perform is the latest in a string of international businesses from this sector to locate and expand within our region in the last 12 months, including household names such as Sky and Google.
“The LEP is working with the region’s leading universities and colleges to invest in the skills for the future labour market, helping to create a pipeline of talent that businesses like Perform Group can benefit from. In turn these international firms create career opportunities which ensure that the region is able to retain more of the world class talent it produces.”
Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake added: “This is very welcome news for Leeds and offers further evidence of the growing reputation of the city as a leading digital sector and technical innovation hub.”
The announcement comes as Perform takes part in Innovate 2016 alongside the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.
The two organisations have joined forces with the Department for International Trade’s Northern Powerhouse team to highlight the strength of the digital sector in the UK’s largest City Region outside of London.
