Sportfive (Active Sports Marketing)

What Sportfive (Active Sports Marketing) does

SPORTFIVE is a privately held global sports marketing agency operating under the German holding entity SPORTFIVE Global Holding GmbH, with principal headquarters in Hamburg, Germany and a historical operating presence dating back over 20 years. The firm runs 60+ offices across more than 20 countries and employs a headcount in the 251-500 range, anchored by 410 national premium sales experts embedded directly inside the offices of sports rightsholders such as Borussia Dortmund, Olympique Lyonnais, Stade Français Paris, and the NBA. Its commercial platform serves two complementary customer sets: global brands seeking sports-led marketing solutions (EA SPORTS, DHL, Adidas, Polestar, Xylem, Adobe, Bank of America) and sports rightsholders seeking to commercialize media rights, sponsorships, and hospitality (NBA, BVB, DFB, ICC, Panam Sports, McLaren Racing, Liga Portugal Betclic).

The agency's core technology stack combines a proprietary SPORTFIVE Global CRM with 490,000+ brand contacts that powers data-driven sponsorship sales, alongside Virtual Board Replacement (VBR) perimeter advertising technology and next-generation 6mm pixel pitch AI-enabled LED perimeter systems deployed across Bundesliga, UEFA EURO 2024, NBA, and NHL broadcasts. The offering is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture: the core agency services sponsorship brokerage, media rights commercialization, brand consulting, and content production, while sub-brands OFFICIAL VIP (hospitality e-commerce), Build a Rocket (esports and gaming agency), Team Copa, Event Knowledge Service / EKS (Lausanne-based data services), and projectFIVE (athlete management, launched in 2025 with Marc Kosicke) extend the surface area into adjacent verticals.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: media rights commissions (Liga Portugal Betclic, Pan American Games, Longines Global Champions Tour, ICC), sponsorship and partnership brokerage fees, VIP hospitality and ticket transactions via OFFICIAL VIP, athlete representation via projectFIVE, and branded content and event activation services. Pricing is custom and quote-based for brand and rightsholder engagements, while VIP hospitality is unit-priced per event. The GTM motion is enterprise field sales (410 embedded experts plus a global sales network), supplemented by direct-to-consumer e-commerce (OFFICIAL VIP) and channel partnerships with agencies of record for specific regional deals.

Name

Sportfive (Active Sports Marketing)

Legal name

SPORTFIVE Global Holding GmbH

Website

https://sportfive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SPORTFIVE is a privately held global sports marketing agency that brokers sponsorship deals, media rights, athlete representation, and VIP hospitality for brands and sports rightsholders across 60+ offices in 20+ countries, supported by a proprietary CRM of 490,000+ brand contacts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers) (MPAKAKAA), Sports Event Promotion & Tournament Operations (MPAKAKAC)

Keywords

• Sports marketing agency
• Sponsorship sales
• Media rights commercialization
• Athlete management services
• Hospitality and ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulogne-billancourt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Media Rights Commercialisation: Sportfive acts as exclusive global media rights sales agent, commercialising and distributing broadcast rights on behalf of rights-holders (e.g., Liga Portugal Betclic, Pan American Games, Longines Global Champions Tour, ICC). Revenue is generated via sales commissions and distribution fees on rights deals.
2. Sponsorship & Partnership Brokerage: Core revenue stream where Sportfive brokers and structures sponsorship deals between brands and rightsholders, charging agency commissions / fees on long-term partnerships (shirt, sleeve, training wear, naming rights, etc.).
3. VIP Hospitality & Ticket Sales: Revenue generated via OFFICIAL VIP e-commerce platform selling official hospitality packages, VIP sports tickets, business seats, corporate hospitality, and luxury sports travel experiences to brands and individuals.
4. Athlete Management / Representation: Revenue from projectFIVE athlete career management and representation services including branding and post-career planning.
5. Branded Content & Event Activation Services: Revenue from producing and monetising content, events, hospitality experiences and brand activations (e.g., OMR Rooftop Session, BatFast fan park activations, Samsung x Minecraft TubNet).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sportfive is a global sports marketing agency that brokers and commercializes sponsorship deals, media rights, athlete endorsements, and premium hospitality experiences between brands and sports rightsholders (clubs, leagues, federations, athletes). Operating across 60+ offices in 20+ countries, it delivers end-to-end services including sponsorship sales and activation, media rights distribution, athlete career management, branded content production, and VIP hospitality via its OFFICIAL VIP e-commerce platform.

Product overview

SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency operating a platform-plus-modules architecture rather than a single unified product. Its core offering combines sponsorship sales and activation, media rights commercialization, brand consulting, and original content creation for brands, rightsholders, media platforms, and fans. This core platform is extended by several named sub-brands and service modules: OFFICIAL VIP (the e-commerce hospitality platform), Build a Rocket (esports agency), Team Copa, Event Knowledge Service / EKS (data services out of Lausanne), and projectFIVE (athlete management). Specialized service lines include SPORTFIVE VIP Tickets & Hospitality (curated VIP access and bespoke corporate packages) and proprietary research whitepapers such as Cricket Reborn, Soccer Fandom in the US, and The Rise of Women's Football, which feed insights back into the agency's commercial offering. SPORTFIVE also represents specific properties it has helped commercialize, exemplified by the International Masters League founding partnership. The portfolio spans football, golf, motorsports, rugby, handball, basketball, esports, cricket, sailing, tennis, cycling, and Olympic multi-sport events across 60+ offices in 20+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Build a Rocket: Esports marketing agency positioned as 'A SPORTFIVE Company', based in Cologne, Germany.
• Event Knowledge Service (EKS)
• Team Copa
• OFFICIAL VIP

Products and services

• Sportfive Global Sports Marketing Agency Services End-to-end global sports marketing services including sponsorship brokerage, media rights commercialization, brand consulting, athlete representation, VIP hospitality, and original content creation for enterprise brands, sports rightsholders, media platforms, and fans across 20+ countries and 60+ offices.
• OFFICIAL VIP Hospitality Platform E-commerce platform providing direct purchase or request of premium hospitality tickets, VIP sports tickets, corporate event access, and bespoke luxury sports travel across Football, F1, Wimbledon, NBA, Cricket, and Rugby events worldwide.
• Build a Rocket Esports Agency Specialized esports marketing agency providing sponsorship, partnership, and brand activation services for brands entering the gaming ecosystem, including platform-specific strategy for Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft.
• Event Knowledge Service (EKS) Knowledge and data services platform supporting event intelligence for sports rights and partnerships, operating from Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Team Copa Sub-brand of Sportfive listed on the official website navigation.
• projectFIVE Athlete Management Comprehensive athlete career management, branding, and post-career planning service for athletes, coaches, and personalities, delivered in partnership with Marc Kosicke.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 billion brand interactions worldwide (Xylem x City Football Group partnership)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers67 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Corpay Cross-BordercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026Corpay Cross-Border entered partnership with Toulouse FC as Official Foreign Exchange Supplier, providing FX risk management and cross-border payment solutions. The deal was facilitated by SPORTFIVE as sports marketing agency and marks Corpay's expansion into French professional football (Ligue 1).
• Liga Portugal Betclic / Sport TVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026SPORTFIVE renewed and expanded partnership with Sport TV to represent Liga Portugal Betclic's international media rights for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons, covering all markets outside Portugal with limited territorial exceptions under a global distribution model.
• Panam Sports (Pan American Sports Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Panam Sports and SPORTFIVE signed an agreement making SPORTFIVE the exclusive global media rights partner for the Pan American Games in Lima 2027 and Asunción 2031. SPORTFIVE will manage and commercialize global media rights for both editions, focusing on visibility, engagement and value across the Americas and global broadcast/digital platforms. Signed in Santiago, Chile.
• DHL GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026DHL Group named Major Partner of Stade Français Paris through 2029 - first time DHL partnered with a French sports team. DHL branding appears on the front of Stade Français' jersey in TOP 14 and European Cup matches, while DHL Express France supports transport of sports equipment. Deal facilitated by SPORTFIVE.
• McLaren Racing & Hedera FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2026McLaren Racing announced multi-year partnership with Hedera Foundation to leverage distributed ledger for Web3 fan engagement experiences; digital collectibles during F1 Grand Prix and Arrow McLaren IndyCar events; Hedera branding on race cars and driver suits. SPORTFIVE brokered the deal and continues to advise on partnership strategy.
• Gen.G EsportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 December 2025Multi-year strategic alliance making SPORTFIVE Gen.G's lead commercial representative to develop international business and manage sponsorship engagements. SPORTFIVE markets all of Gen.G's commercial rights across South Korea, the US, and China.
• Polestar & Borussia DortmundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2025Three-year partnership making Polestar Borussia Dortmund's official mobility partner and exclusive sleeve sponsor through the 2027-28 season; Polestar supplies 60 EVs to players, coaches and executives. Deal brokered by SPORTFIVE, positioning Germany as a key market in Polestar's European growth strategy.
• CELSIUS & Arthur FilscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 May 2025CELSIUS announced exclusive partnership with Arthur Fils (France's top-ranked tennis player) during Roland-Garros 2025 facilitated by SPORTFIVE. CELSIUS branding appears on Arthur Fils' sleeve, accompanied by digital content and fan activations - CELSIUS's first French ambassador.
• DAZN & Longines Global Champions Tour / GCLflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025DAZN secured multi-territory broadcast rights to the 2025 Longines Global Champions Tour and GCL in a deal facilitated by SPORTFIVE. All Grand Prix and team competitions streamed live and free across DAZN's global markets; SPORTFIVE was appointed in 2024 as global media rights agency for the tour.
• Marc Kosicke (projectFIVE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2025SPORTFIVE launched projectFIVE in partnership with Marc Kosicke to provide comprehensive career management, branding and post-career planning services for athletes, coaches and personalities. Initiative aims to expand into Asian and North American markets and set new standards in athlete representation globally.
• BatFast & ICC (ICC T20 World Cup 2024)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2024BatFast delivered cricket simulator activation at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Fan Park at the Oculus World Trade Center in New York City, in partnership with SportFive representing the ICC. Over 4,000 fans used the simulators across 13 days, with 25% under 16, generating over 9 million social media views featuring South African cricketer Dale Steyn.
• On Location (FIFA World Cup 2026)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPORTFIVE has been appointed as the exclusive sales agent of On Location in Germany and Austria for distribution of the official hospitality programme of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• EA SPORTS (EA SPORTS FC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPORTFIVE brokered the launch of EA SPORTS FC in partnership with Uber Eats, providing brand consulting and partnership strategy for the world's biggest football game.
• Bundesliga (DFL)coreTechnology or IntegrationSPORTFIVE delivers Virtual Board Replacement (VBR) perimeter advertising technology deployed across Bundesliga broadcasts and referenced alongside UEFA EURO 2024, NBA and NHL rollouts.
• Spotify (Creator Kickoff)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSPORTFIVE partnership with Spotify on a Creator Kickoff activation referenced as a success story.
• Airwell (Stade Français Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirwell became main partner of Stade Français Paris (rugby) facilitated by SPORTFIVE; referenced in rightsholder portfolio.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CSM Sport & Entertainment (Chime Group): CSM, part of Chime Communications, is a global sport and entertainment agency providing sponsorship, athlete management, brand activation and content services. Directly comparable in client mix (global brands, federations, leagues) and service portfolio to Sportfive.
• Havas Sports & Entertainment: Havas Sports & Entertainment is the global sports marketing arm of Havas, offering sponsorship, content and experiential services. Direct peer to Sportfive given the shared agency heritage (former Lagardère Sports sister division) and overlapping brand and rightsholder client base.
• Wasserman (The Collective): Wasserman is a global sports, music and entertainment agency offering athlete representation, sponsorship sales and brand consulting. Direct peer to Sportfive in athlete management (projectFIVE overlap) and brand-side sponsorship consulting for major global advertisers.
• Octagon: Octagon, part of Interpublic Group, is a global sports marketing agency offering sponsorship consulting, athlete management, and experiential marketing. Closest direct competitor to Sportfive's sponsorship brokerage, athlete representation and brand activation services for premium global brands.
• Infront Sports & Media: Infront, owned by Wanda Group, is a leading international sports marketing company with media-rights distribution, sponsorship sales and event management. Direct peer to Sportfive in media-rights commercialisation and winter/federation sport partnerships across Europe and Asia.

Emerging players

• Two Circles: Two Circles is a data-driven sports marketing agency serving rights-holders, brands and broadcasters with audience insights and sponsorship sales. Overlaps with Sportfive's data-led sponsorship sales motion and CRM-driven approach, but smaller and more analytics-led.

Broad incumbents

• IMG (Endeavor): IMG, part of Endeavor/TKO Group, is the world's largest sports marketing and events agency with global rights representation, athlete management, and licensing. Directly comparable to Sportfive in sponsorship brokerage, media-rights sales and athlete representation across global sports.
• Dentsu Sports (Dentsu Inc.): Dentsu Sports, part of Dentsu Group, is a Japanese-headquartered global sports marketing and sponsorship network. Overlaps with Sportfive in Asian sponsorship brokerage (e.g., Tokyo 2020 Olympics legacy work) and rights representation, though embedded within a much broader advertising holding group.

Regional players

• TEAM Marketing AG: TEAM Marketing, based in Switzerland, is a long-standing sports marketing agency best known for centralising UEFA Champions League media and sponsorship rights. Comparable in media-rights agency role for European football properties and overlapping client base with Sportfive.
• Mailman Group: Mailman Group is a leading digital sports marketing agency headquartered in China with operations across Asia. Comparable to Sportfive's Asia-Pacific offices and digital/esports activation capabilities via Build A Rocket, though primarily focused on Greater China.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportfive
• Instagraminstagram.com/sportfiveagency
• Xx.com/sportfiveagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/lagarderesportsus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sportfive (Active Sports Marketing)