LeadOff Sports

What LeadOff Sports does

LeadOff Sports is a New York City-based boutique sports agency founded in 2008 that operates as a cross-cultural facilitation and consulting firm between the United States and Japanese sports markets. The firm delivers four core service lines — Partnership Facilitation, Athlete Marketing, and Agent & Athlete Management as primary offerings, plus Sports Business Consulting — supplemented by ancillary services including Sports M&A Support, Sports Technology advisory, eSports engagement, Study Abroad Support for Athletes (notably the TOMODACHI Go For Gold program), and Sports Event Planning. The agency has no proprietary technology platform; its value creation is entirely relational and reputational, monetized through professional services engagements and deal-by-deal facilitation fees on a consultative, non-transparent pricing basis.

The firm has built an unusually deep network spanning six US leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, PGA) and three Japanese leagues (NPB, B League, J League), with documented engagements including the role of MLS Players and International Relations Consultant for Asia (since 2010), global advisory for Sagan Tosu/Sagan Dreams in J-League, facilitation of the Yanmar/New York Red Bulls marketing partnership (the largest in franchise history), the DC United / FC Machida Zelvia best-practices partnership, and the historic limited partnership of Soichiro Minami with the New York Yankees ownership group (2023). Most recently, the firm facilitated Wacoal's global advertising deal with Shohei Ohtani (2025). Its go-to-market is sales-led, direct-to-client, and relationship-driven, targeting three primary segments: major corporations seeking sports-marketing-driven brand awareness, professional athletes (active and retired) seeking brand maximization, and sports teams/leagues pursuing international partnership facilitation.

The company is structured as LeadOff Sports LLC, founder-owned by Taka Shirai (Founder & President) with an executive team comprising Tak Mihara (EVP), Takehiko Nakamura (General Manager, formerly FC Barcelona), and Court Honda (Business Development Associate). Headcount is 1–10, there is no evidence of external institutional investment, and operations are dual-market (USA and Japan) with global deal-flow reach. The firm rebranded in 2021 from LeadOff Sports Marketing to LeadOff Sports and adopted the .nyc domain, signaling its NYC-based identity.

Name

LeadOff Sports

Legal name

LeadOff Sports LLC

Website

https://leadoffsports.nyc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LeadOff Sports is a New York City-based boutique sports agency founded in 2008 that facilitates cross-border partnerships, athlete marketing, and sports business consulting between US and Japanese leagues, teams, athletes, and corporations. A 1–10 person team operates a relationship-driven, professional-services model spanning MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, NPB, B League, and J League.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Agency Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers) (MPAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL), Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK)

Keywords

• Sports agency services
• Athlete marketing
• Partnership facilitation
• Sports business consulting
• Athlete management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Partnership Facilitation Services: Facilitating partnership opportunities between corporations and sports properties (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, PGA) to generate revenue and increase brand awareness through sports.
2. Athlete Marketing: Maximizing active and retired athletes' brand and value through marketing campaigns and endorsement deals.
3. Agent & Athlete Management: Comprehensive management and support including contract negotiations for talented athletes.
4. Sports Business Consulting: Consulting services for sports organizations including strategic planning, event management, and international expansion support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LeadOff Sports is a professional sports agency headquartered in New York City that delivers custom-designed services connecting US and Japanese sports markets. Core offerings include Partnership Services (connecting corporations with sports properties such as MLB and NBA), Athlete Marketing (maximizing athletes' brand value), and Agent & Athlete Management (including contract negotiations). Supporting services include sports M&A support, sports technology advisory, eSports, study abroad support for athletes, sports business consulting, and sports event planning and implementation.

Product overview

LeadOff Sports is a professional sports agency offering a suite of services centered around sports business facilitation. The core offerings include Partnership Services (connecting corporations with sports properties like MLB and NBA), Athlete Marketing (maximizing athlete brand value), and Agent & Athlete Management (comprehensive athlete support including contract negotiations). Supporting services include Sports M&A Support, Sports Technology, eSports, Study Abroad Support for Athletes, Sports Business Consulting, and Sports Event Planning. The company operates as a unified service agency rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Partnership Services Delivers partnership opportunities and creative activation ideas for corporations seeking revenue generation and brand awareness through sports, leveraging the agency's global network with major sports properties including MLB and NBA.
• Athlete Marketing Maximizes active and retired athletes' brand and market value through strategic marketing initiatives and endorsement facilitation.
• Agent & Athlete Management Provides comprehensive management and support including contract negotiations for talented athletes, covering active and retired players.
• Sports M&A Support Advisory and support services for mergers and acquisitions within the sports industry, leveraging LeadOff's network of teams, leagues, and investors.
• Sports Technology Technology-related advisory services within the sports business sector, supporting sports organizations with technology engagement.
• eSports Services related to esports industry engagement and development, supporting clients exploring esports partnerships and opportunities.
• Study Abroad Support for Athletes Assistance for athletes pursuing educational opportunities abroad, including program coordination with the TOMODACHI-U.S. Embassy Go For Gold Leadership Program and LeadOff Breakout Tour.
• Sports Business Consulting Consulting services for sports business strategy and operations, including international expansion support and global brand strategy.
• Sports Event Planning and Implementation Planning, organizing, and implementing sports events for sports properties, leagues, and corporate clients.

Named customers7 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Major League Soccer (MLS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadOff Sports serves as MLS's Players and International Relations Consultant for Asia, coordinating Asian soccer relations and facilitating scouting activities in Japan. The company coordinates MLS scouting trips to Japan and assists with international player recruitment.
• New York YankeescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadOff Sports facilitated Soichiro Minami's limited partnership with the Yankees - the first Japanese person to join the Yankees ownership group. Also involved in various Yankees-related marketing and athlete representation activities.
• NHL (National Hockey League)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnerships with NHL and specifically the New York Islanders, including coordination of the Lighthouse International Tournament and Japanese team participation.
• Sagan Tosu / Sagan DreamscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadOff Sports was hired as Asia/Global business consultants to increase Sagan Tosu's brand value internationally and manage global business strategies.
• YanmarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated the largest marketing partnership in New York Red Bulls franchise history between Yanmar and MLS's New York Red Bulls.
• DC UnitedmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated partnership between DC United and FC Machida Zelvia for best practices sharing including technical scouting, strategic development, and marketing initiatives.
• U.S. Japan CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeadOff Sports serves as implementing partner for the TOMODACHI U.S. Embassy Go For Gold Sports Leadership Program, hosting Japanese university students for sports business education in New York.
• New York IslanderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Japanese youth ice hockey team participation in Lighthouse International Tournament and rookie camp opportunities for Japanese players.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for TOMODACHI Sports Leadership Program delegates, providing sports business education and industry insights.
• MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organization for TOMODACHI Sports Leadership Program, providing access to sports business perspectives from the players' association.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Excel Sports Management: Boutique US sports agency specializing in athlete representation, marketing, and endorsements. Directly comparable to LeadOff's agent and athlete management services, with similar size and relationship-driven model.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency offering athlete representation, sponsorship consulting, and event management. Closely overlaps LeadOff's core partnership facilitation and athlete marketing services for corporate and league clients.
• Wasserman Group: Global sports marketing, athlete representation, and consulting agency. Directly comparable to LeadOff's partnership facilitation and athlete marketing services, though at vastly larger scale and broader sport/geography footprint.
• MVP Sports Group: Boutique sports marketing agency focused on athlete marketing, endorsements, and consulting. Comparable in scale and service mix to LeadOff's core offerings, with overlap on corporate and athlete clients.
• Boras Corporation: Premier baseball player agency representing high-profile MLB players including Japanese stars. Highly relevant given LeadOff's baseball-heavy client roster (Matsui, Tanaka, Ohtani facilitation).

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Massive global talent and sports agency with deep athlete representation, sponsorship sales, and consulting practices. Already a LeadOff partner via TOMODACHI program; represents the scaled incumbent LeadOff competes against for cross-border mandates.
• CSM Sport & Entertainment: International sports and entertainment marketing agency within Chime Communications. Overlaps with LeadOff's sponsorship consulting, athlete marketing, and event planning services at a much larger scale.
• Endeavor (WME | IMG): Global entertainment and sports powerhouse encompassing talent representation, IMG sports properties, and brand consulting. Represents the broad incumbent LeadOff would face when pitching scaled international mandates.

Regional players

• Sportfive: Global sports rights, sponsorship, and athlete marketing agency with strong European base and growing Asia presence. Comparable service portfolio (partnerships, consulting, athlete marketing) but competing from a European footprint.
• Yutaka Sports & Entertainment Group: Japanese sports marketing and athlete management firm. Direct Japan-side peer given LeadOff's US-Japan corridor focus, though operates from the opposite side of the bilateral relationship.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LeadOffSportsMarketing
• Xx.com/leadoffsports
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leadoff-sports-marketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 LeadOff Sports