Leader in sport

What Leader in sport does

Leaders in Sport is a UK-headquartered, privately held sports business events and intelligence company operating two divisions: a Sport Business franchise serving off-the-field executives and a Performance Institute franchise serving on-the-field practitioners. Its core products are annual flagship summits (Leaders Week London, Sport Performance Summits in the UK, US, and Australia, Leaders Meet: Innovation), the Leaders Sports Awards, vertical events such as The Business of Soccer (run jointly with sister-publication Sports Business Journal, MLS, and Concacaf), annual Individual and Team tiered membership programmes (The Leaders Club and the Leaders Performance Institute, the latter with 800+ members), and a content platform (the Intelligence Hub and newsletters including Worth Knowing).

The company monetizes through a mix of event registration fees priced at £695+VAT for rights-holder passes and £1,395+VAT for agency passes, annual membership subscriptions, awards and summit sponsorship, and content subscriptions. Underlying technology is a conventional events-plus-content stack: event management for ticketed and invitation-only gatherings (Leaders Meet: Innovation caps at 350 attendees), a membership CRM powering two membership tiers, an editorial publishing platform for the Intelligence Hub and newsletters, and a video and virtual-learning delivery layer for content distribution.

Leaders in Sport sits within Leaders Group, itself owned by Advance, a diversified media and information conglomerate that also controls Sports Business Journal. The company is governed day-to-day by Managing Director Laura McQueen, with Jimmy Worrall as Chair and Simon Lau as Vice Chair, and operates from London (Wimbledon) and Charlotte, North Carolina, serving a global roster of elite sports rights-holders, leagues, agencies, and technology partners including the Premier League, The FA, Chelsea FC, MLS, Concacaf, LaLiga, USWNT, Brisbane Broncos, Seattle Mariners, the Houston Texans, and the Golden State Valkyries.

Name

Leader in sport

Legal name

Leaders in Sport

Website

https://leadersinsport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leaders in Sport is a UK-based sports business events and intelligence company running annual summits, awards, and tiered membership programmes for elite sport executives and performance practitioners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Business Events & Memberships

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI)

Keywords

• Sport business events
• Executive membership networks
• High-performance conferences
• Sport industry content
• Business networking memberships

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Registration & Attendance: Revenue from ticket sales to premium events including Leaders Week London, Sport Performance Summits, and Leaders Meet: Innovation. Events feature high-level speakers, networking opportunities, and conference sessions for sports industry professionals.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Recurring revenue from The Leaders Club and Leaders Performance Institute memberships. The Leaders Club develops future leaders through exclusive member events and curated networking. The Performance Institute provides a network of high-performance professionals with access to events, content, and peer connections.
3. Leaders Sports Awards: Annual awards ceremony at Café Royal celebrating individuals and organisations driving progress in sport. Revenue generated through nominations, attendance, and sponsorship of award categories.
4. Intelligence Reports & Content: Produced with support from sponsors (Little Dot Studios, Oracle, Genius Sports), these reports cover topics like digital activation, venue experiences, tech stacks, and alt-casting in sports broadcasting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Leaders in Sport operates a global sports business platform connecting senior industry leaders through premium events (Leaders Week London, Sport Performance Summits, Leaders Meet: Innovation, Leaders Sports Awards), invitation-only membership programmes (The Leaders Club for future sport business leaders and the Leaders Performance Institute for elite performance practitioners), and long-form intelligence content (reports, podcasts, articles, newsletters). The company serves two parallel communities: sport business executives working off the field and performance practitioners working on the field with athletes and elite teams.

Product overview

Leaders in Sport operates a multi-platform sports industry network combining global events, membership programmes, and intelligence content. The company serves two distinct audiences: sport business executives 'off the field' through The Leaders Club membership and Sport Business Intelligence Hub, and high performance practitioners 'on the field' through the Leaders Performance Institute membership and Performance Institute Intelligence Hub. Core products include Leaders Week London (annual summit), Leaders Sports Awards (annual ceremony), Leaders Meet: Innovation (invitation-only event), and Sport Performance Summits (held in UK, US, Australia). The Intelligence Hub delivers reports, podcasts, and articles covering sport business topics. Worth Knowing and Performance Institute newsletters provide ongoing industry intelligence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Leaders Club: Membership for future sport business leaders, brought to you by Leaders in Sport and Sports Business Journal. For those with 7+ years experience working in sports who are aspiring towards C-Suite and leadership roles.
• Leaders Performance Institute

Products and services

• Leaders Week London

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ senior high-performance professionals in the Leaders Performance Institute network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Sports Business JournalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2024Sister company and collaborative partner for The Business of Soccer conference. SBJ brings deep insights into North American sports market while Leaders provides global perspective and industry connections.
• Major League SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2024Multi-year partnership for The Business of Soccer conference. MLS is entering its 30th season and represents a growing soccer league in North America with significant media and sponsorship deals.
• ConcacafcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2024Partnership for The Business of Soccer conference. Concacaf represents 41 federations and organizes official competitions for men's and women's national teams and clubs across North and Central America.
• National Basketball Players AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to support and advance professional basketball players' interests through Leaders platform and events.
• The Football AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to drive a more inclusive future in sport, supporting EDI initiatives across English football.
• Women in FootballmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to expand access to women working in sport, supporting diversity and inclusion in the industry.
• Women's Sport CollectivemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to support women's sport initiatives and expand opportunities for women in the sports industry.
• Royal Challengers BangaloremajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with IPL franchise bringing Leaders into the Indian sports market and connecting with cricket's growing business ecosystem.
• Facebook/MetamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration on Diversity Series with launch of new initiatives for 2021, supporting inclusion efforts in sport industry.
• Infront XmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021New partnership to present Leaders Live, bringing sports content and discussions to wider audience.
• Elite Performance PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Renewed partnership continuing to drive potential in high performance through the Leaders Performance Institute. Partnership has continued to expand access to performance expertise.
• KeisermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202110-year partnership milestone reached, providing pioneering performance solutions for teams and athletes through the Leaders Performance Institute.
• Science in SportmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to provide pioneering performance nutrition solutions for teams and athletes in the Leaders Performance Institute network.
• LaLigamajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Joined LeadersWeek.direct series as a Main Partner, bringing Spanish football's business perspective to the Leaders platform.
• Chelsea FCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial host partner for Leaders Week London 2026. The event moves to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea FC's home stadium, providing a central London venue for the sports business summit.
• DeloittemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year sponsorship of the Leaders Under 40 Award, recognizing young leaders shaping the future of sport.
• TikTokmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent series partnership producing 'The TikTok Gameplan' podcast exploring TikTok's approach to sport through key executives and content creators.
• Little Dot StudiosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported production of Leaders Report on maximizing moments on digital platforms, covering digital activation in sports marketing.
• OracleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported production of Leaders Report 'The Recipe for Success' on food & beverage operations in sports venues and fan experience.
• Genius SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported production of Leaders Report on alt-casting in live sports coverage, exploring new broadcasting formats.
• NagravisionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor/partnership for Leaders Meet: Innovation, bringing sports media and technology expertise to the event.
• ViagogominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor/partnership for Leaders Meet: Innovation, bringing ticketing and live event expertise to the event.
• INEOSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSir Dave Brailsford, Director of Sport at Team INEOS, has participated as speaker and advocate for Leaders events.
• San Francisco 49ersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAl Guido, President of San Francisco 49ers, has participated as speaker at Leaders events.
• DP World TourminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGuy Kinnings, CEO of DP World Tour, has participated as speaker at Leaders events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sports Business Journal: Sister company of Leaders in Sport under Advance-owned Leaders Group. SBJ is the leading US sports business media brand and a co-producer of The Business of Soccer conference, making it the most directly comparable peer in terms of audience, content, and event portfolio.
• SportsPro: SportsPro operates a sports business news, intelligence, and events platform serving the global sports industry — closely aligned with Leaders' sport business executive audience and event-led model.
• MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference: Annual flagship sports business and analytics conference hosted by MIT. A direct comparable in convening senior sport executives and high-performance practitioners around intelligence content, though operated as a one-off academic-industry hybrid event.
• World Football Summit: A sports business event series focused on the football/soccer industry, with summits and awards. Directly comparable to Leaders' event-driven, soccer-specific activations like The Business of Soccer.

Emerging players

• Sportico: Sports business news and intelligence publication owned by Penske Media, covering deals, media rights, and leadership across the sports industry. Comparable as a newer entrant in the same sports business intelligence category.
• Front Office Sports: Digital-first sports business media brand targeting executives across leagues, teams, and brands. Comparable as an emerging challenger in the same sports business intelligence category that Leaders' Worth Knowing newsletter serves.

Broad incumbents

• The Athletic: Subscription-based sports media company (acquired by The New York Times) covering leagues, teams, and the business of sport. Overlaps with Leaders' subscriber/intelligence offering at a much broader scale.

Others

• Leaders League: Paris-based media and events business focused on elite professional sectors (legal, consulting, sport). Operates similar award and ranking programs in sport and provides a comparable model of B2B executive intelligence + events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeadersBiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2547477
• Instagraminstagram.com/leadersinsport_/?hl=en-gb
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeadersBiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Leader in sport