HALF TIME
HALF TIME is a Tokyo-based sports business platform providing specialized recruitment, PR/branding, and media services, plus conferences, for sports organizations and brands leveraging sports in Japan and select international markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersAriake, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What HALF TIME does
HALF TIME (HALF TIME株式会社) is a Tokyo-based sports business platform founded in August 2017 by Yusuke Isoda, operating at the intersection of recruitment, media, and events for the sports industry in Japan and select international markets. The company runs three core products integrated on a web-based platform: HALF TIME JOB, a sports industry-specific job portal with approximately 30,000 registered users and over 1,200 job postings; HALF TIME MAGAZINE, a sports business content publication; and HALF TIME CONFERENCE, a 14-edition industry conference with cumulative attendance above 5,100. Supporting products include HALF TIME AGENT (career consulting), HALF TIME Futsal (networking events), and educational programs (HALF TIME Global Academy, Athlete Career Ownership Academy).
HALF TIME monetizes through three primary revenue streams: fee-charging employment placement services conducted under a Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare license (No. 13-Yu-309228) where employers pay placement fees and candidates are not charged per Japanese labor law; PR and branding services including content production, event planning, and media support sold to sports organizations and non-sports companies using sports for marketing; and conference revenue from ticket sales (12,000 yen per in-person attendee, capped at 100) and corporate sponsorships. The go-to-market is sales-led, event-driven, and community-led, leveraging the conference, futsal events, and owned media as lead-generation channels for recruitment and PR engagements.
The client base spans marquee international sports organizations (Manchester United, Juventus FC, Bundesliga International, NBA, City Football Group), Japanese professional clubs and leagues (J.League, B.League, SV League, Japan Rugby), sports-related companies (ABeam Consulting, Bridgestone, Fanatics, Rakuten), and sports-utilizing brands (Nippon Life Insurance, Japan Post Group, Suntory). The company operates a full-remote model with employees across Tokyo, Nagoya, Kamakura, Vietnam, and Thailand, and has raised approximately 200 million yen (~$1.3M USD) cumulatively across a 2020 Pre-Series A and 2021 Series A, primarily from individual investors including Olympic athletes. HALF TIME achieved single-year profitability in the fiscal year ending August 2024.
HALF TIME firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HALF TIME
- Legal name
- HALF TIME株式会社
- Website
- https://halftime.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HALF TIME is a Tokyo-based sports business platform providing specialized recruitment, PR/branding, and media services, plus conferences, for sports organizations and brands leveraging sports in Japan and select international markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HALF TIME industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Business Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers) (MPAKAKAA)
Keywords
Where HALF TIME is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ariake
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
HALF TIME business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Recruitment Services (Fee-Charged Employment Placement): Fee-based recruitment and placement services for sports organizations and sports-related companies. Licensed employment placement service (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare License No. 13-Yu-309228). Charges employers; no fees charged to job seekers per Japanese labor law.
- PR and Branding Services: Corporate PR and branding services including content production, event planning, and media support for sports organizations and companies leveraging sports for marketing.
- Conference Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue from HALF TIME Conference ticket sales (Tokyo venue ¥12,000 per person, limited to 100 attendees) and partner sponsorships from companies like ABeam Consulting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | HALF TIME Conference 2026 Tokyo Venue |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | HALF TIME Conference 2026 Online Viewing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
HALF TIME product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HALF TIME operates an integrated sports business platform combining a job portal (HALF TIME JOB), business media (HALF TIME MAGAZINE), and industry conferences (HALF TIME CONFERENCE) to serve sports organizations, sports-related companies, and individual sports industry professionals in Japan and globally. The company provides fee-charging employment placement services licensed by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, corporate PR and branding services leveraging sports content, career consulting for job seekers, and live networking events (HALF TIME Futsal), all supported by an integrated community ecosystem spanning 30,000+ registered users, 1,200+ job postings, and 5,100+ conference attendees.
Product overview
HALF TIME operates as a sports business platform offering a portfolio of integrated services. The core offering includes HALF TIME JOB (recruitment/job portal), HALF TIME MAGAZINE (sports business media), and HALF TIME CONFERENCE (industry conference), all serving employers, candidates, and PR/marketing clients in the sports industry. Additional services include HALF TIME AGENT (career consulting) for matching companies with sports professionals, and HALF TIME Futsal (networking events). The platform connects sports organizations with talent and provides media, events, and PR/branding services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HALF TIME JOB: Sports industry-focused recruitment and career change support service providing job listings from domestic and international sports organizations.
- HALF TIME MAGAZINE
- HALF TIME Conference
- HALF TIME Futsal
- HALF TIME Global Academy
- Athlete Career Ownership Academy
- HALF TIME AGENT
Products and services
- HALF TIME JOB Recruitment and job hunting support service dedicated to the sports industry, offering job listings from domestic and international sports organizations and sports-related companies, with support from specialized consultants for both employers (recruitment) and candidates (career change).
- HALF TIME MAGAZINE Specialized sports business media platform for business professionals delivering insights on sports business, sponsorship, and career development through articles, interviews, and industry news content.
- HALF TIME CONFERENCE One of Japan's largest sports business conferences, bringing together global clubs, leagues, and corporations to share latest trends, insights, and case studies through a hybrid format combining in-person venue sessions and online streaming. The 14th edition reached 5,100+ cumulative participants.
- HALF TIME AGENT Career consultation service connecting companies seeking sports industry talent with job seekers aiming to work in the sports industry; offers job introductions, interview coaching, and recruitment support at no cost to candidates (per Japanese labor law).
- HALF TIME Futsal Futsal event series for sports business networking featuring individual futsal events and corporate tournaments held at MIFA Football Park Toyosu, with networking opportunities at the venue's cafe for participants to build relationships across organizational boundaries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 5,100 professionals attended HALF TIME Conference across 14 editions
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use HALF TIME
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HALF TIME technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
HALF TIME partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Skylight Consulting (SKYLIGHT Sports)flagshipSkylight Consulting became the top partner of HALF TIME Futsal for 2026. The event series will be branded as 'HALF TIME Futsal supported by SKYLIGHT Sports'. Partnership aims to build community in the sports industry through networking events where participants play futsal together transcending organizational boundaries.
- ABeam ConsultingcoreConference partner for HALF TIME Conference 2025 Vol.2. Event branded as 'HALF TIME Conference 2025 Vol.2 supported by ABeam Consulting'. ABeam consulting executives participated as speakers and moderators in conference sessions.
- Relo MetricscoreConference partner for HALF TIME Conference 2025 Vol.2. CEO Jay Prasad spoke on AI and data-driven sponsorship analysis. Partnership supports thought leadership content on sports analytics.
- YAPPLI Inc.coreConference partner and co-research partner for fan marketing surveys. Jointly conducted 'Sports Team Fan Marketing' research report covering 21 teams across 5 sports. Also co-hosts fan marketing seminar series attracting 100-200 participants.
- Playbox Inc.minorConference partner for HALF TIME Conference 2025 Vol.2.
- Sumitomo Rubber Industries (DUNLOP Tennis)minorConference partner for HALF TIME Conference 2025 Vol.2. DUNLOP tennis partnership with Australian Open promoted through HALF TIME Magazine.
- World Football SummitflagshipOfficial media partner for World Football Summit Hong Kong (September 3-4, 2025). HALF TIME Magazine distributes WFS content on global football business in Japanese. First time WFS will be held in Hong Kong.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HALF TIME competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leaders in Sport: UK-headquartered sports business community and events business (Leaders Week conference, networking, and talent services). Closely comparable integrated media + events + talent model for the sports industry.
- SportBusiness: Sports industry media and events company covering commercial aspects of sport (sponsorship, media rights, events). Comparable B2B sports business information and conference portfolio.
- SportsPro Media: International sports business media, events, and data business. Comparable in producing recurring sports business conferences, newsletters, and industry intelligence for sports executives.
- World Football Summit: Global football business conference and media platform; HALF TIME is its official media partner in Asia. Comparable in combining large-scale sports business events with content publishing for the industry.
- Sports Recruitment International (Elevate Talent): Global sports industry recruitment firm (formerly Sports Recruitment International) where HALF TIME's CEO previously worked. Directly comparable sports-business talent placement model, serving clubs, leagues, and federations worldwide.
Broad incumbents
- CAA (Creative Artists Agency): Global talent representation and sports agency. Comparable in representing sports talent and serving enterprise clients in sport, though operates at vastly larger scale and with a global athlete-talent focus rather than sports business hiring.
- LinkedIn (Talent Solutions): Global professional network and recruitment platform; provides generalist hiring tools that increasingly overlap with HALF TIME's sports industry recruitment focus. Represents the dominant broad-incumbent threat to specialized platforms.
- Indeed Japan: Largest generalist job board in Japan with growing recruiter/HR services. A potential entrant that could replicate sports vertical capabilities at scale and compress placement fees in HALF TIME's core recruitment market.
Emerging players
- Sportico: US-based sports business media outlet covering leagues, finance, and media rights. Comparable in-depth business-of-sports editorial targeting industry decision makers, though without HALF TIME's recruitment and events pillars.
- SportTechie: Sports technology business media and events platform covering innovation, data, and investment in sport. Comparable in publishing sports business intelligence and hosting industry events for executives.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HALF TIME social profiles
Digital presenceHALF TIME compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
HALF TIME financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HALF TIME leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
HALF TIME funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HALF TIME M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HALF TIME
What does HALF TIME do?
HALF TIME operates an integrated sports business platform combining a job portal (HALF TIME JOB), business media (HALF TIME MAGAZINE), and industry conferences (HALF TIME CONFERENCE) to serve sports organizations, sports-related companies, and individual sports industry professionals in Japan and globally. The company provides fee-charging employment placement services licensed by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, corporate PR and branding services leveraging sports content, career consulting for job seekers, and live networking events (HALF TIME Futsal), all supported by an integrated community ecosystem spanning 30,000+ registered users, 1,200+ job postings, and 5,100+ conference attendees.
Is HALF TIME a public or private company?
HALF TIME is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was HALF TIME founded?
HALF TIME was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HALF TIME based?
HALF TIME is headquartered in Ariake, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does HALF TIME make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Recruitment Services (Fee-Charged Employment Placement) is the primary driver. The others are PR and Branding Services and conference Tickets and Sponsorships.
Who are HALF TIME's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leaders in Sport, SportBusiness, SportsPro Media, World Football Summit and Sports Recruitment International (Elevate Talent). Broad incumbents are CAA (Creative Artists Agency), LinkedIn (Talent Solutions) and Indeed Japan. Emerging players are Sportico and SportTechie.
Does HALF TIME have an API?
No public API is recorded for HALF TIME.
What industry is HALF TIME in?
HALF TIME's product category is Sports Business Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAKAA, Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers). Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7361.