HallPass Media

What HallPass Media does

HallPass Media is a privately held, full-service sports marketing agency headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, founded circa 2004-2008, that delivers marketing strategy, creative services, digital media, content production, and event management to clients across the sports and entertainment industry. Its core service portfolio spans event management, marketing strategy and campaign execution, graphic design and video production, digital marketing and advertising, and content development, with revenue generated primarily through professional-services fees negotiated on a per-project or retainer basis.

The agency's defining asset is its operational role in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, co-founded by President Albert Hall and Warren LeGarie with 6 teams in 2004 and grown to include all 30 NBA teams, 76 games over 11 days, 156,000 attendees in 2026, and an ESPN championship broadcast averaging 676,000 viewers. Around that flagship property, the company has built a portfolio of owned sub-brands: the Missin Curfew podcast produced at HallPass Studios; the Sports Business Classroom educational program; the Summer League Film Festival co-led with Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Garnett, and Deon Taylor; the Sports Medicine Series; the VSL Talent LinkedIn community; and the Balboa Fun Zone Arcade and Captain's Club entertainment venues in Newport Beach.

Its customer base includes the NBA league office, major broadcasters (ESPN, Turner Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, NBA TV), and Fortune 500 brands (Nike, adidas, Clorox, Mercedes-Benz, New York Life, Gatorade, DraftKings, 2K Sports, Wynn Las Vegas). Go-to-market is relationship-driven, enterprise field sales targeting sports leagues and brand marketing budgets, with the Summer League event serving as both the primary client showcase and a recurring business development platform. The company operates without disclosed external investors or proprietary technology, and its value proposition rests on 20+ years of NBA-adjacent relationships and event execution credentials.

Name

HallPass Media

Legal name

HallPass Media

Website

https://hallpassnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HallPass Media is a privately held, full-service sports marketing agency in Costa Mesa, California, offering marketing strategy, creative services, digital media, content production, and event management to sports leagues, broadcasters, and Fortune 500 brands, anchored by its co-founding operational role in NBA Summer League.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue & Event Presentation (Game Presentation, In-Venue Entertainment) (MPAKAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Backstage, Artist & Sports Access (HSACAMAE), Virtual & Hybrid Event Registration & Streaming Access Platforms (THAHAFAM), Party Games, Activities & Interactive Entertainment (HSACACAJ)

Keywords

• Sports marketing services
• Event management
• Brand activation
• Creative agency services
• Digital marketing campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Marketing Strategy & Campaign Execution: Fees for developing and executing marketing strategies for brands, including sponsorship acquisition and activation, advertising campaigns across digital, print, outdoor, radio, and TV media.
2. Event Management & Execution: Fees for managing live events including NBA Summer League, corporate events, hospitality experiences, and brand activations. Includes operations, staffing, technology integration, design and production.
3. Creative Services (Graphic Design & Video Production): Fees for brand identity design, visual content creation, video production, branded content, and creative campaign development.
4. Digital Marketing & Advertising Services: Fees for digital strategy, ad management (PPC, social media, remarketing), search engine marketing, email marketing, website design, and analytics services.
5. Content Development & Production: Fees for creating purposeful content including live broadcast production, media rights sales, OTT offerings, podcast production, and distribution partnerships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HallPass Media is a full-service sports marketing agency that sells integrated marketing, creative, digital, and event services to enterprise clients. Its offerings span Event Management (including operational co-leadership of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas), Marketing Strategy & Campaign Execution (brand strategy, sponsorship acquisition/activation, multi-channel advertising), Graphic Design & Video Production (brand identity, branded content, live streaming), Digital Marketing & Advertising (PPC, social, SEO, email, web design, analytics), and Content Development (live broadcast, media rights, OTT, podcasts). The firm operates owned sub-brands including the Missin Curfew podcast, Sports Business Classroom, Summer League Film Festival, Sports Medicine Series, VSL Talent LinkedIn community, and Balboa Fun Zone Arcade & Captain's Club venues in Newport Beach.

Product overview

HallPass Media is a full-service sports marketing agency offering a unified portfolio of creative and strategic services rather than a modular software platform. The core offerings include Event Management, Marketing Strategy & Campaign Execution, Graphic Design & Video Production, Digital Marketing & Advertising, and Content Development. These services are complemented by proprietary sub-brands: the Missin Curfew Podcast (produced from HallPass Studios), the Balboa Fun Zone Arcade & Captain's Club entertainment venues in Newport Beach, the Sports Business Classroom mentorship program, the Summer League Film Festival, the Sports Medicine Series, and the VSL Talent LinkedIn Group networking community. The agency also plays a central operational role in NBA Summer League events in Las Vegas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Missin Curfew: A podcast produced by HallPass Media featuring sports entertainment content, including episodes with the Fellas discussing sports topics.
• Sports Business Classroom
• Summer League Film Festival
• VSL Talent

Products and services

• Event Management
• Marketing Strategy & Campaign Execution
• Graphic Design & Video Production
• Digital Marketing & Advertising
• Content Development & Production
• Missin Curfew Podcast
• Balboa Fun Zone Arcade & Captain's Club

Named customers20 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Second Round Foundation (Jalen Brunson)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026HallPass Media continues its partnership with the Second Round Foundation, co-founded by NBA champion Jalen Brunson and his family. The partnership supports the annual Golf and Charity Classic in New York and community initiatives including hydroponic farms, STEM labs, and workforce development programs. HallPass provides event management and marketing support for foundation activities.
• Sports Business ClassroomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Sports Business Classroom (SBC) is an immersive educational program held during NBA Summer League and All-Star game. HallPass Media supports this front office training program featuring mentorship-driven leadership model. Featured in Forbes for its innovative approach to developing sports business professionals.
• Balboa Fun Zone Arcade & Captain's ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026HallPass Media owns and operates Balboa Fun Zone Arcade and Newport Beach Captain's Club in Newport Beach, California. The venue serves as entertainment destination and location for community events, brand activations, and private celebrations.
• BallislifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026HallPass Media played key role in bringing Ballislife High School All-American Weekend to life at SeaWorld. Transformed venue into basketball and entertainment experience over two action-packed days featuring top high school basketball players.
• Ferrari FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Ferrari Foundation partners with Second Round Foundation (Jalen Brunson's foundation) on community initiatives including hydroponic farms, STEM labs, and workforce development programs.
• Covenant HouseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Covenant House partners with Second Round Foundation on community initiatives supporting underserved youth through workforce development programs.
• Wynn Las VegascoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026Wynn Las Vegas is a preferred hospitality partner for NBA Summer League, offering exclusive VIP hotel rates through HallPass Media's established relationships. Partnership provides preferred pricing at premier Las Vegas properties for Summer League guests.
• Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic IdeasflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 July 2025Co-led Summer League Film Festival with Mark Wahlberg's Unrealistic Ideas, Kevin Garnett's Content King Studios, and Deon Taylor's Hidden Empire Film Group. The festival celebrates stories produced by NBA stars and creates a platform for athlete-filmmakers.
• Kevin Garnett's Content King StudiosflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 July 2025Co-led Summer League Film Festival with NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett's production company. Festival showcases films produced by NBA players past and present.
• Deon Taylor's Hidden Empire Film GroupflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 July 2025Co-led Summer League Film Festival. Deon Taylor's production company collaborates on sports storytelling initiatives at Summer League.
• Sports Medicine Series PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 July 2025Sports Medicine Series at NBA Summer League brings together sports medicine professionals from NBA teams and other sports organizations. Powered by Sports Business Classroom with support from organizations across sports medicine.
• Kits EyewearminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2025Kits Eyewear joined the HallPass Media & Missin Curfew brand family. Partnership includes podcast sponsorship and promotional code integration on Missin Curfew show.
• VSL PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2024VSL Properties manages Vegas Summer League events. HallPass co-founder Albert Hall serves as VP of Business Operations for NBA Summer League, creating deep operational integration between HallPass and Summer League management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency owned by IPG that provides sponsorship consulting, athlete marketing, and event management for major brands and rights holders. Directly comparable as a full-service sports marketing agency serving Fortune 500 brands and sports leagues, though at significantly larger scale than HallPass.
• Wasserman: Full-service sports marketing and talent management agency representing athletes, brands, and properties across consulting, content, and experiences. Comparable in scope of services and target clients, though Wasserman operates at much larger scale with athlete representation as a core differentiator.
• GMR Marketing: Global experiential marketing agency serving sports and consumer brands with sponsorship activation, event management, and digital marketing services. Comparable to HallPass as a sports-focused full-service agency, though GMR operates at greater scale with international reach.
• Lagardère Sports: Global sports marketing agency offering sponsorship sales, athlete representation, and event management (note: Albert Hall previously worked at Lagardère). Comparable in services and client base, though Lagardère operates as part of a larger media conglomerate with broader capabilities.
• Learfield IMG College: College sports multimedia rights holder and marketing agency managing sponsorships, events, and content for university athletic programs. Comparable as a sports rights and marketing organization, though Learfield focuses on collegiate vs. professional sports properties.
• CAA Sports: Sports division of Creative Artists Agency offering marketing, property consulting, and event management to brands and rights holders. Comparable in client base and service offerings, with significantly larger scale and integrated talent representation capabilities.

Direct peers

• MKTG: Sports and lifestyle experiential marketing agency (Dentsu-owned) specializing in brand activation, sponsorship consulting, and event execution for major brands. Directly comparable to HallPass's event management and sponsorship activation services, with overlapping client categories in sports and consumer brands.
• 160over90: Creative agency within Endeavor focused on sports, entertainment, and lifestyle brands. Directly comparable as a creative-led sports marketing agency delivering campaign work, content, and event activations for enterprise brands like Nike, ESPN, and AB InBev.
• Engine Shop: Experiential marketing agency specializing in sports and entertainment sponsorships, brand activations, and event production. Directly comparable to HallPass's event management and sponsorship activation business with overlapping Fortune 500 client base.

Emerging players

• Fanatics Events: Sports platform company increasingly moving into live events, merchandise experiences, and fan engagement. Adjacent comparable as a sports ecosystem player leveraging IP and audience scale; could be either a competitor for sports event work or a partner for HallPass's brand activation clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hallpassmedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/hallpassmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hallpass-media
• Instagraminstagram.com/hallpassmedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 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 HallPass Media