What Navigate does

Navigate is a Chicago-based data-driven sports and entertainment consulting firm founded in 2006 by AJ Maestas, with Jeff Nelson serving as President. The firm delivers independent valuations and strategic advisory services to six core client segments: brands, leagues and teams, collegiate athletics, media companies, agencies, and venues. Its disclosed client base includes marquee enterprises such as the NFL, MLB, ESPN, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Visa, PepsiCo, Adobe, T-Mobile, Chicago Cubs, Houston Rockets, New York Mets, Milwaukee Bucks, MLS, Baylor University, University of Oregon, and the SEC. Client use cases span sponsorship valuations, partnership and naming rights deals, conference realignment analysis, multimedia rights RFP support, RSN strategy, fan segmentation, and portfolio optimization.

The firm's core offerings are Valuations and Impact Studies, Strategic Consulting, and Research and Analytics, supplemented by specialized service modules including a Talent Fair Market Valuation Model, Rate Card Evaluation, Sports Betting Studies, Gen Z viewership research, and the joint 'Power of MLS' white paper with Major League Soccer. Methodology combines proprietary valuation frameworks, primary research conducted with data partners (Alacria, RepData, Savanta), and analytics outputs such as fair market value estimation, purchase funnel KPIs, and proprietary scoring algorithms. Navigate has recently introduced 'Strategy Meets AI,' a service line helping sports and entertainment leaders craft and implement AI strategies.

The firm operates as a privately held, bootstrapped professional services business with no disclosed external funding or parent company. Revenue is generated through bespoke consulting engagements priced per project, with public pricing not disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales targeting C-suite and senior decision-makers. The team is structured around functional heads covering Analytics & Innovation, Custom Research, Consulting, Media, Revenue, and Marketing & Culture, supplemented by an Embedded AI Strategist, VPs, Directors, Senior Consultants, and Analysts. The firm operates from its headquarters at 211 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 300, Chicago, and distributes thought leadership through the weekly 'Navigating Sports Business' podcast, blog content, TEDx speaking, and industry conferences.

Name

Navigate

Legal name

Navigate

Website

https://nvgt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Navigate is a Chicago-based consulting firm serving sports and entertainment enterprises with sponsorship valuations, impact studies, fan segmentation, and strategic advisory. Founded in 2006, it serves brands, leagues, teams, collegiate athletics, media companies, agencies, and venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports & Entertainment Consulting

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer Experience (CX) & Journey Strategy (MPAAAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Experiential Logistics & Tour Management (Roadshows) (MPAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Sponsorship valuation consulting
• Sports marketing research
• Entertainment business advisory
• Sponsorship impact analysis
• Sports data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Strategic Consulting Services: Consulting engagements for brands, leagues, teams, collegiate athletics, media companies, agencies, and venues providing research, data, and analytics to guide major strategies and decisions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Navigate is a data-driven consulting firm that helps sports and entertainment leaders measure and value marketing investments, primarily through sponsorship valuations and impact studies. The firm delivers strategic advisory, custom research, and data analytics to brands, professional sports leagues and teams, collegiate athletics programs, media companies, agencies, and venues for major strategic decisions including sponsorship negotiations, naming rights, conference realignment, multimedia rights, and partnership strategy.

Product overview

Navigate is a data-driven sports strategy and entertainment consulting firm offering a unified suite of analytical and advisory services. The core offering centers on Valuations and Impact Studies, Strategic Consulting, and Research and Analytics, supported by specialized service modules including Fan Segmentation, Portfolio Strategy, Rate Card Evaluation, RSN Strategy Consulting, Talent Fair Market Valuation Model, Sports Betting Studies, and the Gen Z eBook research publications. The firm also produces the Navigating Sports Business Podcast as a content platform. Services are delivered through custom engagements tailored to specific client needs across brands, leagues & teams, collegiate athletics, media, agencies, and venues & entertainment sectors. Navigate has recently introduced 'Strategy Meets AI' to help clients craft and implement AI strategies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Navigating Sports Business Podcast: Navigate's podcast featuring interviews with key decision-makers from sports and entertainment industry about emerging trends, business insights, and personal stories.

Products and services

• Valuations and Impact Studies Navigate's flagship offering providing quantitative analysis to measure and value marketing investments, particularly sponsorship valuations and impact assessments for brands, leagues, teams, collegiate athletics, media companies, agencies, and venues.
• Strategic Consulting Advisory services guiding major strategies and decisions for sports and entertainment leaders, including conference realignment, partnership negotiations, naming rights, multimedia rights, and business transformation engagements.
• Research and Analytics Business intelligence services applying research, data, and analytics to inform strategic decisions and measure marketing investments in sports and entertainment, combining primary and secondary research methodologies.
• Sponsorship Valuation Services Conducts over 80 sponsorship valuations annually to assist clients in understanding full sponsorship value across TV, digital, and on-site exposure for all partners of major broadcast properties and events.
• Portfolio Strategy Analysis of sponsorship portfolios to identify best and worst performers, establish consistent measurement frameworks, and optimize deal selection and renewal decisions for brand clients.
• Rate Card Evaluation Development of comprehensive rate cards for commercial partnerships, including valuation and support for naming rights and founding partnerships for arena and entertainment district deals.
• Talent Fair Market Valuation Model Data-driven tool for establishing baseline values for talent endorsement deals, including inputs for Talent, Brand, Attributes, and Assets with outputs such as Ceiling Price, Target Price, and Aspirational Price.
• RSN Strategy Consulting Advisory services for regional sports network decisions including market research, price-demand elasticity analysis, and recommendations on linear vs. OTT strategy and inventory commitment.
• Sports Betting Studies Primary research studies on sports betting sentiment and behaviors, including fan engagement impact, on-site sportsbooks, and the sports bettor profile, conducted with data partners Alacria, RepData, and Savanta.
• Navigating Sports Business Podcast Weekly podcast featuring interviews with key decision-makers from sports and entertainment industry, covering emerging trends, business insights, career paths, and personal stories—available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, and Spotify.
• Strategy Meets AI AI strategy services helping sports and entertainment leaders craft and implement winning AI strategies from ideation to execution, led by Embedded AI Strategist Bruce Bassett.

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis for an NBA Playoff sponsor showed the partner receiving more value from an ESPN competitor through comparable partnership, leading to format adjustments and more value provided in following years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• AlacriasupportingOthersData collection partner for sports gambling studies released in January 2022. Navigate teamed up with Alacria and RepData to survey sports fans about betting sentiment and behaviors.
• RepDatasupportingOthersData collection partner for sports gambling studies released in January 2022. Collaborated with Navigate and Alacria on primary research study.
• SavantasupportingOthersData collection partner for 2021 sports gambling study surveying over 1,000 American adults to evaluate gambling's impact on fan engagement and receptiveness to sports betting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IEG (now Engine Shop / ESP Properties advisory): Historic direct competitor in sponsorship valuation and consulting — both firms produce valuations, impact studies, and research for brands and rights holders, often competing on the same RFPs (e.g., naming rights, league deals).
• SponsorUnited: Sports sponsorship data and analytics provider producing sponsorship valuations, deal benchmarking, and partnership insights — overlapping with Navigate's core valuation and impact study offerings.
• Hookit (GumGum Sports): Technology-driven sponsorship analytics and valuation platform serving brands, leagues, and teams — directly competitive with Navigate's sponsorship measurement and impact study services.

Broad incumbents

• Octagon: Large global sports marketing agency with a research and consulting practice covering sponsorship strategy and valuation — broader portfolio than Navigate but overlapping on valuation engagements for major rights holders.
• Wasserman: Major sports marketing and talent management agency with a research division providing sponsorship analytics — comparable service lines to Navigate but as part of a much larger agency ecosystem.
• Nielsen Sports (formerly Repucom): Global sports measurement and sponsorship analytics arm of Nielsen — produces sponsorship valuation research and media value studies comparable to Navigate's methodologies, at significantly larger scale.
• Deloitte Sports Business Group: Big-4 consultancy with a dedicated sports practice offering strategy, analytics, and M&A advisory to leagues, teams, and sponsors — competing for the same enterprise engagements from a position of greater scale.
• PwC Sports: Big-4 firm with a sports industry advisory practice providing valuation, deal advisory, and analytics — increasingly overlapping with Navigate's enterprise sponsorship and rights valuation work.

Emerging players

• Front Office Sports: Sports business media and research platform — overlapping audience with Navigate's thought leadership (podcast, research publications) and increasingly producing proprietary research and benchmarks.
• Two Circles: Sports data and analytics consultancy specializing in fan data, sponsorship measurement, and commercial strategy for sports rights holders — direct functional overlap with Navigate's research and analytics practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nvgtinsights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nvgt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Navigate