Riccardo Silva

Early life and education

Riccardo Silva was born in 1970 in Milan, the grandson of the founder of Italsilva – Gruppo Desa, one of Italy’s largest chemical groups. His maternal family, Fabbri, is known for its publishing company, Fabbri Editori, is now part of the RCS Media Group. Silva completed his studies at Bocconi University and Tulane University.

Early career

In 1998 Riccardo Silva launched MP Web, an internet start-up of the Milan-based Media Partners Group (now Infront Media), managing sports rights and content for mobile and Internet platforms, which first came to prominence in the 1990s. In 2001 Riccardo Silva became CEO of Milan Channel, the official TV channel of AC Milan football club, and guided the international development of the channel.

MP & Silva

Riccardo Silva founded MP & Silva in 2004 and it has since ‘grown to rival the big beasts of the sports agency world’. MP & Silva is an international media rights company based in London, with 18 offices around the globe.

The company manages sports TV rights for a range of international sporting events and distributes around 10,000 hours of programming to some 500 broadcasters globally. The company's portfolio includes FIFA World Cup rights, senior European football leagues, Grand Slam tennis, motor racing, handball, baseball, volleyball, boxing and the Asian Games. MP & Silva is also a major distributor of the English Premier League across a number of countries around the world. The company is estimated to have had revenues of $750m in 2014-15.

It was announced on May 24, 2016 that Chinese brokerage Everbright Securities and internet entertainment company Beijing Baofeng Technology bought a 65% stake in MP & Silva following a competitive sales process with interest from international companies and equity funds. Under the strategic partnership, Baofeng and MP & Silva will cooperate on management of sports media rights, as well as sponsorships and consulting services. Baofeng also plans to launch its own sports platform Baofeng Sports, which is expected to work closely with MP & Silva and will focus on online sports videos. Riccardo Silva and Andrea Radrizzani had owned 80 percent of MP & Silva before the sale. The company's former owners will retain a combined stake in MP & Silva of 35%. The deal values MP & Silva at $1.4 billion. MP & Silva Chief Executive Marco Auletta announced that "Everbright and Baofeng have emerged as the right partners to support our international growth and help us expand in adjacent fields such as virtual reality, where Baofeng is a key player in China."

Other business interests

In 2016 Riccardo Silva established and is now owner of Silva International Investments. Silva International Investments is an investment company which manages and invests in assets across multiple sectors, including sport, media, fashion, restaurants, the arts and real estate. Silva International Investments is based in Mayfair, London.

In 2015, Riccardo Silva became President and co-owner of Miami FC, the soccer club that competes in the USA’s North American Soccer League (NASL), with legendary AC Milan and Italy star, Paolo Maldini. Miami FC was unveiled in May 2015, and began playing in April 2016 at Florida International University's Ocean Bank Field. The Head Coach of Miami FC is AC Milan and Italy legend, Alessandro Nesta, and the club made a major signing in 2015 when it signed Wilson Palacios, the Honduran former Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur player.

It has taken less than a year to develop Miami FC from an idea to a reality and Miami FC played the first match in its inaugural season in the North American Soccer League (NASL) on April 2, 2016. Miami FC drew 1-1 against local team, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. A crowd of 10,156 watched Miami FC play its first ever home match at Florida International University (FIU) on April 9, 2016. Miami FC tied 1-1- against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Amongst the crowd were many youth soccer club members. There were pre-match and half-time performances from the Colombian pop star, Maluma. The Miami FC set a new scoring record of 4-0 against Minnesota United on August 6. The Telegraph reported that Riccardo Silva wants NASL to be more attractive to fans.

They signed Ghanaian midfielder Kwadwo Poku in June 2016; he previously played for the New York City Football Club. They also acquired Jonny Steele from Ottawa Fury, in July 2016 and Vincenzo Rennella in August 2016, before the close of the transfer window. On the 16th July 2016 Miami FC, in partnership with Equality Floria, hosted Miami FC Pride Nights. 50% of all ticket sales went towards the Pulse Victim's fund.

Riccardo Silva is also well-known for leading the project to establish the Americas Champions League (ACL) tournament involving teams from North America, South America and the Caribbean. The intention is for a 64-team competition to mirror the UEFA Champions League's format, which could generate an estimated $500 million in television and marketing rights—quintupling the current annual take-ins for the CONCACAF Champions League and CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores combined. It is set to become the all-Americas version of Europe’s popular UEFA Champions League, and has been described as ‘a vehicle to help place the country at the forefront of game’.

In November 2016 Riccardo Silva's company, Silva International Investments, commissioned a report by Deloitte, on promotion and relegation in United States professional soccer. The report found that promotion and relegation could assist US club soccer in capitalising on the undoubted interest in, and potential for, the sport in USA.

In February 2017 Ricardo's company, Silva International Investments, invested more than $1M into Mast Capital, a Miami based real estate and development company.

Riccardo Silva has other business interests, including in fashion, arts and restaurants. He is owner of the QP restaurant group, with restaurants in London and Miami launching in 2016. Riccardo Silva also owns the MP talent agency network, which manages talent, models and celebrities, through its agencies in Milan, Miami and Paris. The network acquired its Paris agency from Major Model Management in August 2015.

Personal life

Riccardo Silva is married to Tatyana Silva and they have two sons.