ROYAL WOOTTON BASSETT, United Kingdom, Aug. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Carlton James Group, a private investment group specialising in diversified portfolios across varying global asset classes including equity, FX trading and real estate, is proud to announce its debt and equity investment into i2Media, a media management group specialising in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and Health and Fitness media, and its director, Robert Hewitt.

i2Media Group has extended its activities from an international magazine publisher distributing across the UK, US and overseas, to becoming a producer of live events and a digital publisher of websites, social media and applications. It has also established third party content marketing and digital agencies which provide marketing services for a growing portfolio of clients.

With the help and support of Carlton James, i2Media seeks to expand their current team before entering new markets, including India, Africa and the Middle East to gain a more global reach. This expansion comes at a time when, according to Nielsen Sports, there are 451 million people interested in MMA, with 85% coming outside of the United States. In 2018, UFC revenue topped $700 million, and is now worth $7 billion after its recent $1.5 billion TV contract with ESPN

“There are two main reasons I believe in i2Media and their offerings: their industry focus and their leadership,” said Simon Calton, CEO of the Carlton James Group. “They are deeply embedded into the extremely high-growth, multibillion-dollar industry that is Mixed Martial Arts which continues to skyrocket in terms of popularity and revenue. Rob Hewitt has demonstrated absolute dedication to i2Media, and his prominent standing in the industry positions the Company well for years to come. We are very pleased to add i2Media to our exciting portfolio of companies and look forward to watching the Company’s growth.”

i2Media Group maintains a range of verticals:

• i2Media also publishes the largest Mixed Martial Arts magazine in the world, Fighters Only magazine.
• Fighters Only Inc. operates Fighters Only World MMA Awards, the largest award ceremony celebrating MMA accomplishments, and widely considered the Oscars of the Mixed Martial Arts world.
  ○  The 10^th ceremony in 2018 was viewed by nine million people on FOX Sports.
  ○  The 11^th ceremony was broadcasted live on ESPN+ on 3^rd July 2019 and has since appeared on a Primetime Broadcast across the CBS Sports Network. For one month following the Fighters Only World MMA Awards, NBC Sports and the fastest growing cable network BE Sports will broadcast the results.
• i2Media Ltd is a publisher of the Health and Fitness magazines; TRAIN and TRAIN for Her.
• i2Digital Ltd (i2Digital) operates the Group’s five websites: TRAIN; TRAIN for Her; Fighters Only; Macros; and 3XSport.
• i2Content was established to provide third party content marketing facilities to clients who wish to power their digital, social and ecommerce facilities with engaging, fully optimised and high-quality content without the cost of employing direct expertise.
• i2e-comms extends the content provisions by helping clients build digital platforms from which to use its websites, landing pages and online stores.

“As a small UK company who punches above its weight in terms of its brands and products, we are excited to expand our team and our unique business model into further new International Territories with the help and support of the Carlton James Group. Their commitment to us and their proactive partnership mentality fits directly into our company culture and ethics,” said Robert Hewitt, Director of i2Media. “We plan on enjoying many years of continued growth and success together as well as fulfilling the destiny of our brands as leaders within their respective marketplaces, worldwide!”

For more information on i2media Group, please visit www.i2mediagroup.com. Please follow the Carlton James group on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

About the Carlton James Group

The Carlton James Group is a private investment group specializing in diversified portfolios across varying global asset classes with a core emphasis on real estate. The company’s Diversified Alpha Fund (DAF) is designed to manage risk and diversify over multiple asset classes, jurisdictions and marketplaces to offer truly diversified strategy that can follow the market and secure shareholders against market uncertainty. The Carlton James Group structured its DAF to utilize its existing strategies and experience which has historically overcome macro-economic issues beyond their control successful over previous economic cycles.

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