SportsCover Direct

What SportsCover Direct does

SportsCover Direct is a UK-based specialist sports insurance provider, founded in 1991 and operating as a trading name of Starpeak Insurance Solutions Limited. The company serves amateur and semi-professional sports participants (explicitly defined as individuals earning under £5,000 per year from sport, not on a sports contract, and not on a sports scholarship) who are excluded from coverage under standard travel insurance policies. The product portfolio comprises Sports Travel Insurance (single-trip and annual multi-trip), Sports Accident Insurance (domestic cover), Golf Insurance, Activity TopUp Insurance (bolt-on for existing travel insurance), Shooting Insurance, and Sports Team Insurance, collectively covering 500+ sports and activities from mainstream to extreme disciplines. All policies are underwritten by AXA XL, with claims complaints handled through XL Catlin Services SE.

Name

SportsCover Direct

Legal name

Starpeak Insurance Solutions Limited

Website

https://sportscoverdirect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SportsCover Direct is a UK-based specialist sports insurance provider (founded 1991) serving amateur and semi-professional athletes with travel, accident, and activity-specific coverage spanning 500+ sports, operating as a trading name of FCA-regulated Starpeak Insurance Solutions Limited and underwritten by AXA XL.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Sports Insurance

NAICS

Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers (52412), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)

SIC

Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Sports & High-Risk Activity Travel/Accident Insurance (FSAJAJAL)

Keywords

• Sports insurance
• Travel insurance
• Activity insurance
• Specialty insurance
• Leisure insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

High Wycombe

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: SportsCover Direct generates revenue through annual and single-trip insurance policy premiums. Policies are offered on a one-day, multi-day, or annual basis with coverage periods ranging from single events to full year protection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SportsCover Direct is a UK-based direct-to-consumer insurance provider specializing in sports, leisure, and activity-related insurance products. It offers sports travel insurance, golf insurance, sports accident insurance, shooting insurance, sports team insurance, and an Activity TopUp add-on, covering over 500 sports and activities. All policies are underwritten by AXA XL and can be purchased online with instant policy document delivery.

Product overview

SportsCover Direct offers a portfolio of specialized insurance products for amateur sports and leisure activities. The core offerings include Sports Travel Insurance (for trips abroad), Golf Insurance, Sports Accident Insurance (for domestic activities), and Sports Team Insurance. These are complemented by Activity TopUp Insurance (an add-on to existing travel insurance) and Shooting Insurance. The product line covers over 500 sports and activities, ranging from mainstream sports like football and tennis to extreme activities like skydiving and mountaineering, providing travel cover, accident protection, equipment coverage, and liability protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Protectivity: A specialist in niche small business insurance covering individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK, offering products such as Hairdressing Insurance, Personal Training Insurance and Pet Business Insurance.
• Les Mills Insurance

Products and services

• Sports Travel Insurance Provides single trip or annual multi-trip cover for holidays that involve taking part in sports. Benefits include medical expenses, personal liability, cancellation, baggage cover, and emergency repatriation. Aimed at amateur and semi-professional sports enthusiasts traveling domestically or abroad.
• Golf Insurance Cover for golfers providing personal liability protection, personal accident, equipment cover, and hole-in-one indemnity as standard, with the option for worldwide coverage. Designed for individual golfers.
• Sports Accident Insurance Protects individuals while participating in sport or activities within their home country. Cover includes personal accident benefits, personal liability protection, broken bone payment, and physiotherapy cover with optional income replacement. Offered on a one-day, multi-day, or annual basis.
• Activity TopUp Insurance Add-on policy for those who already have travel insurance but need coverage for activities excluded by their current policy. Covers medical expenses, repatriation, search and rescue, personal accident, and personal liability for the specific excluded activity.
• Shooting Insurance Annual shooting insurance policy protecting shooters and their guns. Policies can include public liability, equipment cover, personal accident, and gun dog veterinary fees. Tailored to individual shooters' needs.
• Sports Team Insurance Annual policy providing Personal Liability and Personal Accident cover for sports teams during matches or training. Offers six-level policy options tailored to team needs. Protects more than 75,000 customers a year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average claims rating of 4.9/5 according to Feefo score
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• AXA XLcoreOthersAXA XL is the primary underwriter for all SportsCover Direct policies. They are described as 'a leading provider of insurance in the sports and leisure industry' providing tailored cover. SportsCover Direct states 'We're pleased to offer tailored cover from AXA XL'. The underwriter also handles claims complaints through XL Catlin Services SE.
• Starpeak Insurance SolutionscoreOthersStarpeak Insurance Solutions is the parent company and data controller for SportsCover Direct. The company was established in 2023 to bring together SportsCover Direct, Protectivity, and Les Mills Insurance under one corporate brand. Starpeak is FCA authorized and regulated (Firm Reference Number 309959).
• ProtectivityminorOthersProtectivity is a sister brand specializing in niche small business insurance including Personal Trainer Insurance, Event Insurance, and Pet Business Insurance. Brands were brought together under Starpeak Insurance Solutions in 2023.
• Les Mills InsuranceminorOthersLes Mills Insurance provides Personal Trainer Insurance to self-employed Les Mills Registered and Non-Registered Instructors. Part of the Starpeak Insurance Solutions portfolio since 2023.
• FeefomoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerFeefo is an independent customer review platform that collects and displays verified customer reviews for SportsCover Direct. The company prominently displays Feefo ratings and awards including Platinum Trusted Service Award 2024 and 2025.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• HeyMondo: Digital-first travel insurance provider with sports/activity cover tiers targeting independent travellers. Similar online-purchase funnel and activity-led positioning, but newer and broader geographically.

Others

• Compare the Market: UK insurance aggregator that channels price-comparison traffic to specialist providers including sports travel cover. Ecosystem / channel partner rather than a direct underwriting competitor — relevant because aggregator economics affect SportsCover Direct's distribution.
• MoneySupermarket: UK insurance and financial-services comparison platform routing consumer demand to travel and activity insurance providers. Adjacent ecosystem participant that can either funnel or disintermediate demand for specialist sports cover.

Direct peers

• World Nomads: Specialist travel insurance for adventure and sports activities covering many of the same activities (skiing, diving, trekking). Direct competitor in the niche sports/travel insurance category with global distribution and similar underwritten-by-a-carrier model.
• InsureandGo: UK-based travel insurance provider offering sports and activity cover tiers directly to consumers, with similar online quote/purchase flow. Comparable product structure and UK customer base make it a head-to-head online competitor.
• Staysure: UK specialist travel insurance provider with activity- and adventure-sports cover options, serving a similar DIY online buyer. Direct competitor in the UK specialist travel/sports insurance segment.

Broad incumbents

• Direct Line Group: Major UK personal-lines insurer with travel and activity cover in its product mix. Comparable UK footprint and customer overlap, but operates as a broad-incumbent multi-line insurer rather than a sports specialist.
• Saga Travel Insurance: UK insurer serving the over-50s segment with travel insurance that includes activity cover. Comparable UK channel and regulated-authority status, but a broader incumbent with a niche demographic rather than a sports specialist.
• Allianz Travel: UK arm of a global travel insurance incumbent offering standard policies with optional sports extensions. Overlaps in the sports-travel insurance category as a broader-portfolio incumbent rather than a sports-only specialist.

Regional players

• Cover-More: Australia-headquartered specialist travel insurance group with extensive sports and activity cover. Comparable specialist product offering, but primarily serves Australia/NZ rather than the UK, making it a regional analogue rather than direct rival.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SportsCoverDrct
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SportsCoverDirect
• Facebookfacebook.com/SportsCoverDirect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportscover-direct

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SportsCover Direct