IMG, the international sports and entertainment company, has entered a partnership with BEC-Tero, the prominent entertainment and multimedia operation in Thailand, to develop a joint venture company in the country.

IMG said that the new venture - IMG BEC-Tero Sports and Entertainment Company Limited – will focus on sports and fashion and its general manager will be Khun Charvalit, until now IMG’s vice president for Thailand.

BEC-Tero is seen as a suitable partner, in part because it is a unit of BEC World, the owner of Thailand’s leading free-to-air broadcaster Channel 3, which holds rights to sports including sepak takraw, a popular attraction in south-east Asia.

Martin Jolly, senior vice president and managing director of IMG Asia-Pacific, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Thailand’s leading entertainment company. We hope to bring our expertise in sports business as well as fashion and entertainment to the joint venture. BEC-Tero is a great joint venture partner due to its local presence and the support of BEC World, the operator of terrestrial TV Channel 3.”

Brian Marcar, managing director of BEC-Tero, said: "Today is a landmark day for us with Thailand's leading entertainment provider BEC-Tero joining with the world's premier sports, fashion and entertainment powerhouse IMG to create IMG BEC-Tero Sports and Entertainment Company Limited. It is with great delight and anticipation that we look forward to an exciting future together."

Last year, IMG partnered with Reliance Industries, India’s largest private-sector company, to create a joint venture called IMG Reliance which has a remit to develop world-class sporting infrastructure and coaching facilities and to create and operate sports and entertainment assets in India.

IMG Reliance’s projects include tie-ups with the Basketball Federation of India and the All India Football Federation.