VaynerSports
VaynerSports is a US-based sports talent representation and marketing consulting agency that represents approximately 360 professional athletes across football, baseball, combat, gaming, basketball, NIL, surfing, pickleball, and golf, while also advising corporate clients on sports marketing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What VaynerSports does
VaynerSports is a full-service talent representation and sports marketing consulting agency founded in 2016, operating from offices in New York (headquarters at 10 Hudson Yards), Dallas, and Costa Mesa/Los Angeles. The firm represents approximately 360 professional athletes across nine verticals: football, baseball, combat sports, gaming/esports, basketball, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), surfing, pickleball, and golf. Named clients include UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes and pickleball World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters, who reportedly earns approximately $2 million annually from the sport through endorsement deals including Nike. A separate consulting division sells sports-marketing strategy and athlete-partnership activation services to corporate clients.
The agency operates a sales-led, relationship-based go-to-market model, with revenue generated primarily through commission-based representation of athletes on contract values, endorsement deals, and NIL agreements. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has expanded its vertical coverage over time, launching a dedicated basketball division in 2024 and recruiting Charlie Bell from Roc Nation in March 2026 as VP and Head of Basketball Strategy. Leadership consists of co-CEO Greg Genske, co-founder AJ Vaynerchuk, VP of Marketing Hayley Cohen, and the recently hired Charlie Bell; founder-table data also lists Gary Vaynerchuk as a co-founder.
VaynerSports is privately held with no disclosed external institutional investors beyond a 2019 investment from Ruttenberg Gordon Investments (undisclosed amount). The firm reports 1-10 employees, which appears inconsistent with a 360-athlete roster and may reflect only core staff rather than total agent and contractor headcount. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, patents, or third-party technology integrations are disclosed; the business is built on human relationships, brand equity, and sports industry expertise rather than technology differentiation.
VaynerSports firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VaynerSports
- Legal name
- VaynerSports
- Website
- https://vaynersports.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- VaynerSports is a US-based sports talent representation and marketing consulting agency that represents approximately 360 professional athletes across football, baseball, combat, gaming, basketball, NIL, surfing, pickleball, and golf, while also advising corporate clients on sports marketing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VaynerSports industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Talent Management
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports Agents & Player Contract Negotiation Specialists (MPAKAMAB), NIL Representation & Compliance Services (Student-Athletes) (MPAKAMAE)
Keywords
Where VaynerSports is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
VaynerSports business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Talent Representation Services: The agency generates revenue through commission-based representation of professional and collegiate athletes, managing their careers, sponsorships, and brand partnerships. Revenue is derived from a percentage of athlete contract values, endorsement deals, and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) agreements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
VaynerSports product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VaynerSports is a full-service talent representation and sports marketing consulting agency. It provides contemporary career management services for professional and collegiate athletes across football, baseball, combat sports, gaming, basketball, NIL, surfing, pickleball, and golf verticals, including contract negotiation, sponsorship acquisition, brand development, and NIL opportunity management. It also operates VaynerSports Consulting, which delivers sports marketing strategy and brand activation services to corporate clients seeking to accomplish brand and business objectives through sports partnerships.
Product overview
VaynerSports is a full-service talent representation and sports marketing consulting agency operating across two main divisions. The first is athlete representation, which offers contemporary and innovative career management services for professional and collegiate athletes across nine sports verticals: Football, Baseball, Combat Sports, Gaming, Basketball, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), Surfing, Pickleball, and Golf. The second is VaynerSports Consulting, which creates innovative marketing solutions for companies seeking to accomplish their brand and business objectives through sports. The agency maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, and currently represents approximately 360 professional athletes across its verticals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Football Representation Career management and sports marketing services for professional and collegiate football athletes, including contract negotiation, brand partnerships, and public relations support.
- Baseball Representation Career management and sports marketing services for professional and collegiate baseball athletes.
- Combat Sports Representation Career management and sports marketing services for professional combat sport athletes, including MMA fighters and boxers.
- Gaming Representation Career management and brand partnership services for professional esports and gaming athletes.
- Basketball Representation Career management and sports marketing services for basketball athletes across high school, college, NBA, and women's basketball ranks. The division launched in 2024 and currently represents eight NIL athletes.
- NIL Services Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) management services for collegiate athletes, helping them navigate and monetize endorsement opportunities in compliance with NCAA rules.
- Surfing Representation Career management and sports marketing services for professional surfing athletes.
- Pickleball Representation Career management and sports marketing services for professional pickleball athletes.
- VaynerSports Consulting Marketing consulting services that create innovative marketing solutions for companies seeking to accomplish their brand and business objectives through sports.
Companies that use VaynerSports
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
VaynerSports technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
VaynerSports partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
VaynerSports competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wasserman: Major athlete representation and sports marketing firm with deep rosters across baseball, basketball, action sports, golf, and soccer. Comparable offering spanning contract negotiation, NIL, and corporate consulting services to VaynerSports.
- Octagon: Global sports agency representing athletes across football, baseball, basketball, golf, and action sports, with a strong sports marketing consulting arm. Directly comparable dual model of athlete representation plus corporate consulting, similar to VaynerSports Consulting.
- Roc Nation Sports: Jay-Z-founded athlete representation agency with a multi-sport roster including NFL, MLB, NBA, and soccer. Directly comparable to VaynerSports as a multi-vertical talent agency offering contract negotiation, NIL, and brand partnership services; notably, VaynerSports' basketball hire Charlie Bell came from Roc Nation.
- Klutch Sports Group: Athlete representation agency led by Rich Paul with dominant basketball and football rosters. Most directly comparable to VaynerSports' emerging basketball division and its broader emphasis on contemporary, brand-forward athlete management.
- Excel Sports Management: Multi-sport athlete representation agency with strong MLB, golf, and tennis rosters. Highly comparable business model to VaynerSports — commission-based representation across multiple sports verticals with a focus on brand-building and endorsement sourcing.
- Athletes First: NFL-focused athlete representation and marketing agency with growing basketball and baseball verticals. Comparable model to VaynerSports' football division and its multi-sport expansion strategy.
Broad incumbents
- CAA Sports (Creative Artists Agency): One of the largest global talent and sports agencies with a broad portfolio spanning athlete representation, endorsements, and sports media rights. Larger and more diversified than VaynerSports, but competes directly for the same top-tier athlete clients.
- Endeavor (WME Sports): Global sports and entertainment conglomerate operating WME Sports, IMG, and UFC. Larger incumbent with vastly deeper capital and league relationships; competes with VaynerSports for athlete representation mandates and corporate sports marketing spend.
Regional players
- Sportfive: Global sports marketing and athlete representation agency with strong European presence and growing North American footprint. Comparable multi-sport representation model, though its geographic center of gravity differs from VaynerSports' US-focused operations.
Emerging players
- MVP Sports Group: Boutique athlete representation agency with multi-sport capabilities and a focus on emerging-sport and NIL athletes. Comparable scale and roster diversity to VaynerSports, particularly in newer verticals like pickleball and gaming.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VaynerSports social profiles
Digital presenceVaynerSports financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VaynerSports leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
VaynerSports funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VaynerSports 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 VaynerSports
What does VaynerSports do?
VaynerSports is a full-service talent representation and sports marketing consulting agency. It provides contemporary career management services for professional and collegiate athletes across football, baseball, combat sports, gaming, basketball, NIL, surfing, pickleball, and golf verticals, including contract negotiation, sponsorship acquisition, brand development, and NIL opportunity management. It also operates VaynerSports Consulting, which delivers sports marketing strategy and brand activation services to corporate clients seeking to accomplish brand and business objectives through sports partnerships.
Is VaynerSports a public or private company?
VaynerSports is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was VaynerSports founded?
VaynerSports was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is VaynerSports based?
VaynerSports is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does VaynerSports make money?
One revenue line is on record: talent Representation Services.
Who are VaynerSports's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wasserman, Octagon, Roc Nation Sports, Klutch Sports Group, Excel Sports Management and Athletes First. Broad incumbents are CAA Sports (Creative Artists Agency) and Endeavor (WME Sports). Sportfive is listed as a regional player. MVP Sports Group is listed as an emerging player.
Does VaynerSports have an API?
No public API is recorded for VaynerSports.
What industry is VaynerSports in?
VaynerSports's product category is Sports Talent Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAMAA, Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management), with a secondary code of MPAKAMAB, Sports Agents & Player Contract Negotiation Specialists. Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7311.