Axel Springer Expands Digital Sports Portfolio With Investments in Futez and Marquee

Axel Springer Expands Digital Sports Portfolio With Investments in Futez and Marquee

(IN BRIEF) Axel Springer is expanding its digital sports portfolio through investments in two international platforms: Futez, a Brazilian football fan app, and Marquee, an Israeli AI platform for professional sports decision-making. Axel Springer has acquired a majority stake in Futez, which allows fans to rate matches, review games, vote for players and record personal football moments. The app has already gathered more than 900,000 match ratings and 4.5 million player ratings from over 100,000 users. The company has also invested in Marquee, which consolidates tracking data, video footage and scouting reports to help clubs and federations make faster, better-informed decisions. The investments strengthen the BILD Group’s international digital sports portfolio, which includes SPORT BILD, Transfermarkt and TorAlarm.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERLIN, 6-Aug-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Axel Springer is expanding its digital sports portfolio through investments in two international sports technology platforms: the Brazilian football app Futez and the Israeli AI platform Marquee.

The moves strengthen the sports offering of the BILD Group, which already includes established brands such as SPORT BILD, Transfermarkt and TorAlarm.

Axel Springer has acquired a majority stake in Futez, one of Brazil’s fastest-growing football apps.

The platform was founded by Brazilian entrepreneurs João Tomazetti Scholz and Giuliano Reginatto, who will continue to manage the business as managing directors.

Available on iOS, Android and web since 2025, Futez gives football fans a digital space to record, evaluate and share their match experiences.

Users can rate matches, write reviews, vote for the best players and assess aspects such as stadium atmosphere and refereeing performance.

Through these features, Futez enables supporters to create a digital archive of their personal football moments and share them with other fans.

More than 100,000 users have already submitted over 900,000 match ratings and 4.5 million player ratings on the platform.

João Tomazetti Scholz, founder of Futez, said football remains one of the few experiences people still share collectively, but that fans have lacked a dedicated place to preserve those memories.

He said Futez turns what supporters feel during a match into something they can revisit and share, adding that Axel Springer’s support can help the platform reach fans beyond Brazil.

In a separate move, Axel Springer has also invested in Marquee, an Israeli artificial intelligence platform serving the professional sports industry.

Marquee consolidates data from multiple sources, including tracking data, video footage and scouting reports.

The platform helps football clubs and federations make faster and better-informed sporting decisions.

More than 20 professional clubs and federations already use Marquee, including organisations from the English Premier League, Serie A and Major League Soccer.

Marquee is also expanding beyond football and developing solutions for other sports.

The company is already working with basketball teams from the NBA and the EuroLeague.

Selina Wahl, General Manager SPORT and Portfolio at BILD, said digital platforms are reshaping sport both on and off the field.

She said Axel Springer’s investments in Futez and Marquee address two important dimensions of that transformation: fan passion and the tools that help clubs make better decisions.

Wahl added that the investments further expand BILD’s digital sports portfolio internationally.

Through the investments in Futez and Marquee, Axel Springer is strengthening its position at the intersection of media, sports technology, fan engagement and data-driven performance intelligence, while extending the international reach of BILD’s sports portfolio.

Media Contact:

Cecilie von Heintze
Senior Communications Manager BILD Group
cecilie.von-heintze@axelspringer.com

SOURCE: Axel Springer