The Social Chain Group,  made up of the world’s fastest growing social-first marketing agency and social media publishing house, has acquired the high reaching network of sport social media channels; The Football Republic (TFR) from FremantleMedia. The deal will see TFR’s brands such as The Full Time Devils become a part of Media Chain – The Social Chain Group’s powerful social media publishing house. The acquisition will increase Media Chain’s sport network reach by more than 2.5 million, taking the company’s global sport network to over 17 million followers, adding to the well-known SPORF network.  

Launched in 2015 by Shotglass Media, the digital arm of FremantleMedia UK, TFR has built a highly engaged fan base by providing informative but entertaining football content, and has seen exponential growth across all platforms, with three million followers across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Each month, TFR generates up to 35 million cross-platform video views and has a monthly Facebook reach of 100 million. A network of wider fan channels, including Chelsea Fan Channel, Spurred On and Blue Moon Rising have also been acquired, with relaunch plans being made for later in the year.  

Richard Johnson, Head of Sports at Media Chain says: “As brands, rights-holders and broadcasters open their eyes to the power of social focused publishing, TFR, Full Time Devils and the wider network of fan channels will provide access to authentic fan engagement and a true alternative to traditional sponsorship. The team at Media Chain look forward to making this happen and continuing to see the brands grow.”

Kat Hebden, Managing Director, Shotglass Media, said: “We launched The Football Republic because we saw a gap in the market for football entertainment content that served a young, digital savvy audience. We are incredibly proud of the brand and network we have built, in particular its incredible reach and influence and we believe Media  Chain will provide a great home for these communities to continue to flourish.”