For Immediate Release
Relevent Sports, Ben Spencer, [email protected]
Derris & Company, Nick Rosen-Wachs, [email protected]
MATCHUPS, VENUES AND DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS
CUP NORTH AMERICA PRESENTED BY GUINNESS BEER
Key Matchups Include Current English Premier League Leader Chelsea vs. Current Spanish League Leader
Barcelona, Manchester United vs. Barcelona and Champions League Round of 16 Rematch Between
Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain
Matches to be Broadcast Live on FOX, FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2
Matches to Take Place Across North America and Europe Including the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, Levi’s
Stadium in Santa Clara, Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, CenturyLink Field in Seattle and
Stamford Bridge in London
NEW YORK (April 28, 2015) – Relevent Sports, a division of RSE Ventures – a multi-national sports and
entertainment venture firm with a focus on new technologies – today announced the matchups, venues and dates
of the 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness Beer. This year’s tournament
will be broadcast live on FOX, FOX Sports 1 or FOX Sports 2 and run from July 11 – August 5.
The 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness Beer will feature the best clubs
in the world competing across 12 regions in Canada, Mexico, England, Italy and the United States. One year
after winning the largest attended soccer match in United States history, Manchester United will face another
Spanish giant, Barcelona, at Levi’s Stadium in one of the premier games of the tournament. Another matchup
will feature the current English Premier League leader, Chelsea, facing current Spanish League leader
Barcelona at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. Chelsea will also face French League leader Paris Saint-Germain
at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, a rematch of the Champions League round of 16.
“These matchups speak to the immense success and quality of the International Champions Cup,” said Charlie
Stillitano, Chairman of Relevent Sports. “Not only are three of the quarter-finalists for the Champions League
participating, but the Chelsea vs. Paris Saint-Germain finish in the round of 16 was spectacular. Showcasing
this rematch, along with the multitude of other high quality and competitive contests, is truly exciting and
shows these games are more than just friendlies.”
Each team will play four contests and the club with the most points at the end of the tournament will be
crowned champion. Each win in regulation will result in three points and a tie will go straight to a shootout; the
winning team in a shootout will receive two points and the losing team will receive one. The results from inseason Major League Soccer contests involving tournament participants will be used as part of official
tournament scoring.
The ICC will be played across two continents, as games will be held at Stamford Bridge in London, Stadio
Artemio Franchi in Florence and multiple iconic venues throughout North America.
"The 2015 International Champions Cup North America will be an international affair,” said Matt Higgins,
CEO of RSE Ventures. “Multiple matches in two continents with the best clubs in the world demonstrates the
demand for our property both in the United States and abroad. We expect to see more fans, more excitement
and more sell-outs than ever before.”
As the presenting sponsor of the International Champions Cup in North America, the Guinness brand will be
hosting in-bar and onsite stadium events in local cities where the matches will be taking place throughout the
U.S. “Guinness has always been an advocate for sport all around the world, and we’re proud to have been such
an integral part of the ICC’s growth in such a short time,” said Guinness Brand Director Emma Giles. “The ICC
is a great opportunity for Guinness beer fans and soccer fans of legal drinking age in the U.S. to enjoy some of
the most premier clubs the world has to offer alongside a quality beer such as our recently launched Guinness®
Blonde™ American Lager.”
In total, 10 teams from around the globe, including England (Manchester United F.C., Chelsea F.C.), Portugal
(FC Porto), France (Paris Saint-Germain F.C.), Mexico (Club América), Spain (Barcelona), Italy (ACF
Fiorentina) and the United States (San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls) will
compete in the 2015 International Champions Cup North America Presented by Guinness Beer. The
participating teams have won a total of 91 domestic league titles, 98 domestic cup titles, six CONCACAF
Champions League titles and 10 UEFA Champions League titles. The teams feature nine of the 2014-2015
FIFA Ballon d'Or nominees, as well as 31 of the top 100 players in the world as chosen yearly by renowned
English magazine FourFourTwo.
Following is a list of the schedule of the tournament:
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Saturday, July 11
o Club América vs. Los Angeles Galaxy – StubHub Center; Carson, California. 11:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 14
o Club América vs. San Jose Earthquakes – Avaya Stadium; San Jose, California. 10:30 p.m. EST
Friday, July 17
o Club América vs. Manchester United F.C. – CenturyLink Field; Seattle, Washington. 11 p.m.
EST
Saturday, July 18
o FC Porto vs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – BMO Field; Toronto, Canada. 8:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 21
o Los Angeles Galaxy vs. FC Barcelona – Rose Bowl; Los Angeles, California. 11 p.m. EST
o Paris Saint-Germain F.C. vs. ACF Fiorentina – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 8:30 p.m.
EST
o Manchester United F.C. vs. San Jose Earthquakes – To Be Announced.
Wednesday, July 22
o Chelsea F.C. vs. New York Red Bulls – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 8 p.m. EST
Friday, July 24
o ACF Fiorentina vs. FC Porto – Rentschler Field; Hartford, Connecticut. 8 p.m. EST
Saturday July 25
o Manchester United F.C. vs. F.C. Barcelona – Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, California. 4 p.m.
EST
o Paris Saint-Germain F.C. vs. Chelsea F.C. – Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, North
Carolina. 6 p.m. EST
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Sunday, July 26
o FC Porto vs. New York Red Bulls – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey. 7:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, July 28
o FC Barcelona vs. Chelsea F.C. – FedEx Field; Washington D.C. 8 p.m. EST
o Club América vs. FC Porto – Estadio Azteca; Mexico City, Mexico. 10 p.m. EST
Wednesday, July 29
o Manchester United F.C. vs. Paris Saint-Germain F.C. – Solider Field; Chicago, Illinois. 9 p.m.
EST
Sunday, August 2
o ACF Fiorentina vs. FC Barcelona – Stadio Artemio Franchi; Florence, Italy. TBD
Wednesday, August 5
o Chelsea F.C. vs. ACF Fiorentina – Stamford Bridge; London, England. 3 p.m. EST
Exclusive presale tickets for most matchups will be available beginning Monday, May 4 at 10AM ET while
general public will have access to tickets Thursday, May 7 at 10AM ET. Fans can sign up
at www.internationalchampionscup.com for access to the presale. All venue-specific and other ticket
information is available at www.internationalchampionscup.com.
"These matchups showcase the popularity and growth of soccer in the United States,” said David Tyler, CEO of
Relevent Sports. “Our tournament has expanded to include 17 games with top-tier clubs competing in iconic
venues. Soccer is only going to continue to grow domestically and we are thrilled to be at the forefront.”
In 2015, the International Champions Cup will expand into new continents, as both China and Australia will
host versions of the tournament during the summer. A.C. Milan, Inter Milan and Real Madrid will play in the
International Champions Cup China in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai that runs from July 25- July 29.
Real Madrid, Manchester City and AS Roma will play in the International Champions Cup Australia in
Melbourne from July 18-24, providing even more fans from around the world the opportunity to see their
favorite clubs live.
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About Relevent Sports
Relevent Sports provides an innovative approach to building a soccer presence in the United States and around
the globe. Relevent Sports showcases the best matchups and tournaments in soccer featuring the top clubs,
international teams and players. In addition to hosting the International Champions Cup annually every summer,
Relevent Sports works closely with national teams including Brazil, Argentina and Portugal to host exhibition
matches in major sports venues throughout the year. Utilizing brand development, grassroots planning,
corporate sponsors, international touring and philanthropic initiatives, Relevent Sports promotes and grows the
love of soccer worldwide.
About the International Champions Cup
The International Champions Cup is an annual summer soccer tournament organized by Relevent Sports,
featuring the best clubs from around the world. A staple property of Relevent Sports and RSE Ventures, the
International Champions Cup brings the best in soccer to iconic sports venues across North America, Australia,
Europe and China.
Last year, the International Champions Cup featured premier European clubs including Manchester United,
Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City, AC Milan, Roma, Inter Milan and Olympiacos. The tournament,
played across 13 North American cities, saw Manchester United go undefeated en route to the championship.
The International Champions Cup also featured the largest attended soccer match in United States history, when
109,318 fans packed the “Big House” at the University of Michigan to witness Manchester United defeat Real
Madrid. The inaugural tournament in 2013 featured eight clubs – Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Inter Milan,
AC Milan, Valencia, Everton and the L.A. Galaxy. It concluded with Real Madrid’s victory over Chelsea in
front of nearly 70,000 fans.
Since its inception in 2013, more than one million fans have packed stadiums to watch clubs compete in the
International Champions Cup, along with more than 700 million households watching worldwide. In 2015, the
tournament will expand to Asia and Australia, as it continues to grow rapidly and attract fans from all over the
world.
About RSE Ventures
Founded in 2012 by Stephen M. Ross and Matt Higgins, RSE Ventures is a multi-national sports and
entertainment venture firm with a focus on new technologies. RSE builds, owns and operates companies in
sports, media, entertainment and technology, including Catalyst Media Group, VaynerMedia, Vayner/RSE,
Relevent Sports, Ascendent Sports Group and the International Champions Cup.
About Guinness®
The Guinness® brand enjoys a global reputation as a uniquely authentic beer and the best-selling stout in the
world. Famous for its dark color, creamy head and unique surge and settle, this distinctive beer originated at the
St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Over 10 million glasses of Guinness beer are enjoyed every single
day around the world, and 1.8 billion pints are sold every year. Guinness beer is available in well over 100
countries worldwide and is brewed in almost 50. Additional information about the Guinness brand can be found
at www.guinness.com.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits, beer and
wine categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Buchanan’s, Windsor whisky,
Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The
company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (DGE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO). For
more information about Diageo, our people, our brands, and performance, visit us at www.diageo.com. Visit
Diageo’s global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to
share best practice.
Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.