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Bain Agrees to Acquire Cheerleading Outfitter Varsity Brands

Bain Capital To Acquire Varsity Brands From Charlesbank Capital

(Bloomberg) -- Bain Capital agreed to buy Varsity Brands, a maker of cheerleading uniforms and school spirit merchandise, betting on the sport’s future as it inches toward inclusion in the Olympic Games.

Bain, which will acquire the company from investors led by Charlesbank Capital Partners, plans to develop the company by supporting its e-commerce operations and through acquisitions, according to a statement Tuesday. While terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, CNBC reported earlier that the transaction values Varsity Brands at about $2.5 billion, citing sources it didn’t identify.

The deal comes at a potentially critical moment for cheerleading, which had more than 4 million U.S. participants in 2016, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association -- more than ice hockey, lacrosse or team swimming. Enthusiasts have for years lobbied to become part of the Olympics, and in late 2016 the sport was granted provisional status by the International Olympic Committee, the first step in a long process toward possible inclusion in future games.

Varsity’s sporting roots date back to 1974, when former University of Oklahoma cheerleader Jeff Webb founded the Universal Cheerleaders Association. In the 1980s, its three main business groups -- selling uniforms, operating cheerleading camps, and hosting competitions -- were combined to form Varsity Spirit.

In 2011 it merged with Herff Jones, which sells products like class rings, graduation robes and yearbooks. That brand, along with Varsity Spirit and equipment and apparel distributor BSN Sports were all combined under the Varsity Brands umbrella.

Charlesbank and funds affiliated with Partners Group bought Varsity Brands in 2014 for about $1.5 billion. The following year it acquired Allgoods LLC, a specialty company that makes custom merchandise for school fundraising.

“This new partnership presents Varsity Brands with an exciting opportunity to continue to expand and improve our products and services,” said Adam Blumenfeld, chief executive officer of Varsity Brands in the statement.

Jefferies Group LLC, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Peter J Solomon Co. advised the Charlesbank-led group of investors on the deal.

To contact the reporters on this story: Melissa Mittelman in New York at mmittelman@bloomberg.net;Eben Novy-Williams in New York at enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Elizabeth Fournier at efournier5@bloomberg.net, ;Janet Paskin at jpaskin@bloomberg.net, Lisa Wolfson

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