Playground, a leading company in France in the organization of running races and an expert in supporting major international sporting events, announces the acquisition of Olbia, a firm recognized for its strategic expertise, its knowledge of the sports ecosystem and its training offering dedicated to French sports stakeholders.
A natural union between two already close actors
Playground and Olbia are not a new collaboration, but rather a continuation. For several years, the two organizations have collaborated on projects combining events (the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relay), territorial strategy and activation (particularly the Greater Paris Metropolis).
Both share the same conviction: sport, beyond performance, is a lever for social, territorial, and economic transformation. This requires agile, credible, strong, and committed players to bring about this transformation, and this is the reason for this rapprochement.
Obvious synergies for public and private clients
By combining their expertise, Playground and Olbia now offer a relevant offering on the French market:
- Strategic advice for communities, federations, businesses and sports institutions;
- From the design and production of useful, eco-responsible events anchored in the regions;
- Training to improve the skills of elected officials, professionals and leaders in the world of sport;
- Operational solutions to structure, finance and deploy impact projects for all types of stakeholders.
Public clients (cities, departments, regions, ministries, national agencies, etc.) and private clients (sports federations, event organizers, businesses, etc.) will find a consistency of offer and a reinforced level of expertise, serving their concrete challenges.
Olbia continues its mission
Olbia continues to exist as a brand, team and structured entity, integrated within Playground, to provide a consolidated offer of consulting, training and solutions for sports stakeholders.
Thomas Remoleur, founder and CEO of Olbia, says:
“This merger allows us to take a step forward and strengthen Olbia. We remain true to our DNA: helping sports stakeholders think, transform, and act. Now, we have the means to do so on a larger scale, with greater impact and responsiveness. We are also delighted to support the Playground teams as they continue their development. I would like to thank Yoann Arzur, CEO of Playground, and his management teams, as well as Franco Tufo, President of Playground and founder-CEO of CITEC, owner of Playground, for their trust.”
Yoann Arzur, CEO of Playground, adds:
“The integration of Olbia into the Playground universe is much more than an acquisition: it’s a joint project taking shape. We share the same values, the same field culture, and the same demand for quality. Together, we will offer a 360° solution to sports stakeholders, capable of combining strategic vision, event execution, and knowledge transfer. This is a great step in Playground’s development.”
