Key insights
- Versant Media Group (VSNT) announced a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America focused on youth development and career exposure. While socially positive, the partnership is unlikely to have a material impact on Versant's financials or the broader US equity market.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Versant Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSNT) today announced a two-year national partnership to expand youth-centered storytelling, deepen employee engagement, and provide young people with career exposure opportunities across news, sports and entertainment.
The partnership marks Versant’s launch of its enterprise-wide community impact strategy, focused on education, opportunity, empowerment and goodwill. Together, the organizations will elevate youth voices, connect young people to real-world opportunities, and bring visibility to the impact of Clubs in communities across the country.
“At Boys & Girls Clubs of America, preparing young people for life after high school means delivering real, measurable outcomes, whether that’s graduating on time, earning job-ready credentials, or securing meaningful work,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Today, 97% of Club teens say they are on track to graduate, Club alumni are 60% more likely to be employed full time than their peers nationally. Partnerships like Versant Media help us bring this to life by enabling young people to explore career possibilities, develop essential media skills, and connect with leaders shaping the industry’s future.”
The partnership will include:
“We’re thrilled to launch this foundational partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” said Mark Lazarus, CEO at Versant. “Their work creating opportunities for young people across the country is inspiring, and we’re proud to support and extend that impact through this partnership. VERSANT, our brands, and our people are committed to building on the success of our Fandango relationship to deliver meaningful and positive outcomes for the next generation.”
Mark Lazarus serves on the Board of Governors of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Versant is home to a portfolio of leading news, entertainment and sports brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E! and SYFY, along with digital platforms such as GolfNow, GolfPass, Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, reaching millions of audiences nationwide. The partnership with Versant builds upon the nonprofit’s partnership with Fandango, which has raised more than $3 million to date and translates audience engagement into meaningful youth impact. Versant’s community impact strategy will extend the impact of its iconic brands to deliver moments that matter to communities across the country.