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The NPPL is sold!?

MissyQ

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Pacific Paintball LLC has acquired both the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) and the Xtreme Paintball Sports League (XPSL), the leading national and regional paintball tournament operators in the United States. Shawn Walker, current owner and President of XPSL, will be President of Pacific Paintball.

Mr. Walker stated: “We are very excited to bring a level of professionalism, consistency and coordination to all tournament and league events from the national to the regional and to the local level. With the financial backing of Pacific Merchant Capital, we intend to bring significant investment to upgrade all aspects of our product offering. This will bring substantial value to our players, sponsors and spectators.”

“The experienced professionals at Pacific Merchant Capital have a long list of successes to their credit and are dedicated to add another success through the paintball industry. The combination of the largest regional league with the most recognized national level league is a perfect alignment of goals to achieve optimum success.”

Mr. Walker has managed the XPSL tournament series for the past 3 years and has worked with numerous paintball tournaments across the US. He has been involved in all aspects of the paintball industry for the past 15 years, and is co-host and consultant for the television show Inside Paintball, broadcast on the Outdoor Channel.

Bart Walkerdine, current CEO of NPPL and Pure Promotions, will consult for the league and tournament series. Mr. Walkerdine stated: “We have been approached by many people over the last several years seeking to become involved in the NPPL. Pacific Paintball is the first group to come along which combines significant paintball industry experience, meaningful growth capital and a dedicated focus to league and tournament operations.” Camille Baker, Director of Marketing for the NPPL, will be a key executive of Pacific Paintball.

The National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) has continually set the standard for high quality tournaments. Its innovations include: use of specialty turf, holding events at large well known arenas like Raymond James Stadium and Gillette Stadium, and offering a professional referee organization. The first NPPL event of the 2007 season, at Huntington Beach, California on March 23rd-25th, will feature over 200 teams hitting the beach for an unprecedented fifth straight year. Registration opens January 29th and more information can be found at www.NPPL.tv.

Chuck Hendsch, former President and owner of NPPL, will serve on an advisory board to the NPPL. Mr. Hendsch stated: “I have known Shawn Walker and the principals at Pacific Merchant Capital for over three years. They have been interested in growing paintball participation and this provides a solid platform as the largest and only independent paintball tournament and event operation in the United States. Their efforts should help to grow overall paintball participation as well as the number of core players in our sport.”

Xtreme Paintball Sports League (XPSL) is the largest regional event series in the United States. In 2006, over 120 teams attended each event and thousands of spectators continued to call the high quality, affordably priced circuit home. The first XPSL tournament of the season is February 16th-18th at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield, California. Registration is now open with more information available at www.XPSL.com.

Pacific Paintball has been formed by Pacific Merchant Capital (“PMC”), a Santa Barbara, California based investment group. The principals at PMC have owned/operated middle market radio stations as well as built several niche media companies, including the largest taxi top advertising company in the United States which is currently an integral part of Clear Channel Communications’ outdoor division. In addition to Pacific Paintball, PMC is currently building Brite Media Group, a leading alternative media business.

The NPPL's Mission is to be the World Wide Governing body of the sport of paintball, to run and promote the highest quality events, to ensure safe, fair, competitive play for members, teams and spectators, while showcasing Paintball as a major sport with integrity and professionalism. The NPPL is committed to setting rules, standards and guidelines for safe, competitive and fair Paintball competitions worldwide. For more information on the National Professional Paintball League, please visit www.nppl.tv
 

Baca Loco

Ex-Fun Police
Is this big news or no real surprise? Is this the happy face of a fire sale? What will really change? Don't inquiring minds want to know? Does this portend a new direction for the league and if the oft-proclaimed kings of promotion couldn't make this work how will the new guys be better? Will I ever stop asking annoying questions?
 

Robbo

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Is this big news or no real surprise? Is this the happy face of a fire sale? What will really change? Don't inquiring minds want to know? Does this portend a new direction for the league and if the oft-proclaimed kings of promotion couldn't make this work how will the new guys be better? Will I ever stop asking annoying questions?


Paul - it's big news and no real surrpise and there's also a happy face that the fire didn't start after HB :)

As for what will change?
Only time will tell but having Bart and Chuck still on board does tend to indicate no radical changes just yet...... :rolleyes:
 

Robbo

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All proposed future changes I am privy to are all entirely positive for the league.
In fact this is positive for everyone involved, in my opinion.
Come on Misxsy, spill the beans mate.....you can't come on here bandying words like 'privvy' about and not delivering....
 

MissyQ

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Pete, I don't hav all the facts, and I also have facts I can't disclose, but I do know a rough plan as it would effect the teams.

The Pacific Group want to continue to build the NPPL brand, initially by supporting the feeder event/membership program started by the NPPL 2 years ago with limited success. This will be something the Group focus on for sure.
Pacific group are committed to expose the NPPL to a TV audience, and have the funds to make this happen at a far more rapid rate. They are investing in the league based on the transformation of the NPPL in the past 4 years under Pure Promotions. They want the same things that PP wanted, only they want them much faster, and are prepared to invest $$'s to expidite the process.
Camille will be better off, and will still be the team liaison. She has had a tough couple of years and it is great to see she will finally be able to further her own career.
Some teams will not have the luxury of blaming WDP's involvement in the league for their own piss-poor performances and losses against Angel Teams (that's one I won't miss, but to be fair they still have the paint, their guns, and of course the refs to blame, so they will be fine...)
WDP will remain a founder platinum Sponsor of the NPPL, but will also be present at the PSP. CFOA, XPSL and NEPL this year. WDP are very happy to focus on their own products, and enjoy the NPPL events as a sponsor and supporter of the league.
The venues are pretty much decided (some are waiting on contracts I understand) and for the following season I expect it to be business as usual, while Pacific group decide where best to invest in order to get the NPPL more exposure outside of paintball. Remember that Pacific group have no paintball products. Their interest in the league is untainted by existing industry bias, and thier only focus/goal is to make the league successful. Otherwise all they have bought is a database a few fields and some poles. My understanding is that the crew will remain unchanged for the time being.

Like I said, I am not the authority on this, but I am veiwing it as good news all round.
 

Robbo

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Jul 5, 2001
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Pete, I don't hav all the facts, and I also have facts I can't disclose, but I do know a rough plan as it would effect the teams.

The Pacific Group want to continue to build the NPPL brand, initially by supporting the feeder event/membership program started by the NPPL 2 years ago with limited success. This will be something the Group focus on for sure.
Pacific group are committed to expose the NPPL to a TV audience, and have the funds to make this happen at a far more rapid rate. They are investing in the league based on the transformation of the NPPL in the past 4 years under Pure Promotions. They want the same things that PP wanted, only they want them much faster, and are prepared to invest $$'s to expidite the process.
Camille will be better off, and will still be the team liaison. She has had a tough couple of years and it is great to see she will finally be able to further her own career.
Some teams will not have the luxury of blaming WDP's involvement in the league for their own piss-poor performances and losses against Angel Teams (that's one I won't miss, but to be fair they still have the paint, their guns, and of course the refs to blame, so they will be fine...)
WDP will remain a founder platinum Sponsor of the NPPL, but will also be present at the PSP. CFOA, XPSL and NEPL this year. WDP are very happy to focus on their own products, and enjoy the NPPL events as a sponsor and supporter of the league.
The venues are pretty much decided (some are waiting on contracts I understand) and for the following season I expect it to be business as usual, while Pacific group decide where best to invest in order to get the NPPL more exposure outside of paintball. Remember that Pacific group have no paintball products. Their interest in the league is untainted by existing industry bias, and thier only focus/goal is to make the league successful. Otherwise all they have bought is a database a few fields and some poles. My understanding is that the crew will remain unchanged for the time being.

Like I said, I am not the authority on this, but I am veiwing it as good news all round.

The smartest move those guys could have made is making Camille in charge of everything ..... that's my very humble opinion.
As for the changes you mention...well not much flesh on that particular bone mate that but hey, I like the sound of the stuff you are holding back :)

Interesting potential here though Missy, an investment company coming in for the league ... Hmmmmmm there has to be something else going on in the background to this one, there just has to be something else.........nobody would come in just for a league ...no way :)
 

Chicago

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Missy hit what I think is the most important piece of this:

The league is not owned by a manufacturer/distributor. This is as it should be, and opens up some doors not otherwise available.

And, the "turf" will be replaced with Turf.