Is a serious player coming to Lithuanian basketball? Gediminas Žiemelis buys the Siemens Arena



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More companies will be included in this transaction package. The SEVEN Entertainment group of companies not only owns Siemens, but also manages Panevėžys Cido Arena, as well as ticket distributor Tiketa and event organizer SEVEN Live.

15 minutes According to sources, this move by G.Žiemelis is also related to the ambitions to lead the basketball team in Vilnius.

When the crisis in the crown affects the companies managed by G. Žiemelis, these plans may be delayed a bit. But the intentions of the chairman of the Avia Solutions Group board of directors to enter the Lithuanian basketball field behind the scenes have long been debated.

Photo from personal archive / Gediminas Žiemelis

Photo from personal archive / Gediminas Žiemelis

15 minutes knowledge, G.Žiemelis in 2019-2020. was identified as a potential buyer for Vilnius Rytas. It’s true, according to 15 minutes sources, at this time it seems more likely that G. Žiemelis will try to establish a completely new basketball club in the capital in the future.

In 2019, G. Žiemelis was ranked third in the ranking of the 500 richest people in Lithuania compiled by Top magazine. Its assets were valued at 630 million last year. euros.

„Siemens“ arena It is the second largest stadium in Lithuania. Up to 10,000 people can meet at basketball games. spectators, at concerts – up to 12.5 thousand.

VIDEO: UrBONUS: Rumors about Rytas, a new force in Vilnius and COVID-19 in Žalgiris

Part of a plan to advance in the direction of the NBA?

In 2019, G. Žiemelis spoke about his ambition to acquire an NBA club. It was proposed to carry out this business plan in 5 years.

“Personally, the goal is to buy the NBA team as a business. Which one? The cheapest. But as a business, not as a toy. The cheapest club costs a billion dollars. dollars You need to buy 70-75 percent. shares, which would cost about $ 700 million. dollars, – in January 2019, G. Žiemelis taught. – There is an algorithm of what to do with the equipment. <…>. You build a bigger arena for another city, you move to another city, you buy two stars, you choose Jasikevičius as a coach, other players have to be cheap. The stars attract viewers. Tickets must start at $ 125. Increase to 200. A larger arena allows for more ticket sales. Sand creatures retailerą (retail, past ed.) when people come to the arena to shop but don’t watch basketball. Half of the income comes from stadium tickets and a third from souvenir sales. “

After half a year, G.Žiemelis recalled these plans lrt.lt He assured journalist Jonas Deveikis that he did not renounce his intentions.

“I continue to work with determination to achieve this. An important aspect here is not even money, but verification. You need to move her, be a person related to basketball. You must be a sponsor of basketball and have an interest in that field. The NBA does not want to be admitted as a stupid shareholder who does not know which players to buy and how to determine the direction of the club, “said G. Žiemelis in September 2019.

The businessman told more about his vision for the NBA club last year 15 minutes in the urBONUS basketball hoop.



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