Distinction Agency
Distinction Agency is a Miami-based athlete and influencer marketing agency founded in 2018 that connects athletes, creators, and brands through talent representation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, and public relations services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMiami, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Distinction Agency does
Distinction Agency is a Miami-based athlete and influencer marketing agency founded in 2018 by Alex Onaindia. The firm operates as a professional services intermediary connecting athletes, creators, and cultural figures with brands and sports properties. Its offering spans five integrated service lines: talent representation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, public relations, and athlete/influencer marketing. The company serves two primary client groups on the demand side (enterprise brands such as Coach, Netflix, NHL, Hologic, FOX Sports, and Underdog Fantasy, plus sports properties) and a supply-side roster of athletes across the NFL, WNBA, NBA, UFC, and Olympic sports, as well as digital content creators and cultural figures.
The business is monetized through agency fees and commissions on talent endorsements, campaign management fees paid by brand partners, and event production revenue. The go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B sales, with quote-based, project-scoped engagements and no publicly disclosed pricing or retainers. The agency has built a defensible niche in women's sports and creator marketing since 2018 and has recently extended into real money gaming via dedicated leadership. It also operates proprietary event IP, including the annual Sports Business Happy Hour at Miami Race Weekend (co-hosted with Vetted Sports) and the Gondola Sports Summit, which scaled to 500+ attendees and 50+ speakers in 2026.
Distinction is a privately held, founder-controlled entity with no disclosed institutional funding, operating with a 9-person team. The company has no proprietary technology platform, no APIs, and no disclosed AI capabilities; its competitive position is built on talent relationships, media access (including Super Bowl Media Row placements), and event-driven community building. Revenue scale, customer concentration, and contract structures are not disclosed.
Distinction Agency firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Distinction Agency
- Legal name
- Distinction Agency
- Website
- https://distinctionagency.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Distinction Agency is a Miami-based athlete and influencer marketing agency founded in 2018 that connects athletes, creators, and brands through talent representation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, and public relations services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Distinction Agency industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Advertising Agencies (54181), Public Relations Agencies (54182)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Brand Partnerships & Endorsement Agencies (MPAIAGAF), Celebrity & Influencer Talent Booking (HSACAHAE), Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA)
Keywords
Where Distinction Agency is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Miami
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Distinction Agency business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Talent Representation Services: The agency represents athletes, creators, and cultural figures, connecting them with brands for authentic partnerships that generate meaningful engagement and influence. Revenue is generated through agency fees and commission from securing endorsements and partnerships for represented talent.
- Brand Partnership Services: Distinction creates meaningful partnerships for brand partners, building out campaigns with multi-talent approaches that drive growth and captivate different audiences. Services include strategy planning, talent integration, and budget management for impactful brand narratives.
- Experiential Marketing & Events: The agency curates event experiences connecting brands, talents, and audiences through memorable interactions. Revenue generated from event production and activation services.
- Public Relations: PR services positioning clients at the center of conversations that matter, including securing high-profile opportunities like Super Bowl Media Row appearances and industry publication features.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Distinction Agency product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Distinction Agency is a Miami-based athlete and influencer marketing agency that connects brands with athletes, creators, and sports properties through five interconnected service lines: talent representation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, public relations, and athlete/influencer marketing. The agency curates multi-talent campaigns, secures endorsements and event activations for represented talent, and runs immersive events such as the Gondola Sports Summit. Services are sold to enterprise brand clients and to individual talent/creators seeking representation.
Product overview
Distinction Agency is a marketing agency offering a unified suite of services rather than a modular software platform. The core offering encompasses five interconnected service lines: Athlete & Influencer Marketing, Brand Partnerships, Experiential Marketing, Public Relations, and Talent Representation. These services work together to deliver transformative results for clients by connecting visionary athletes, creators, brands, and sports properties through authentic partnerships and dynamic content. The company specializes in uplifting talent and brands to succeed together, serving both global leaders and innovative startups.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Talent Representation Representation service for athletes, creators, and cultural figures that builds impactful partnerships between talent and brands, paired with strategic whitelisting services to ensure brand messages reach target audiences with authenticity and precision. For athletes, creators, and influencers seeking representation.
- Brand Partnerships End-to-end partnership service for brand clients that crafts meaningful, multi-talent campaigns driving growth and engaging different audiences, including strategy planning, talent integration, and budget management. For brands and enterprise clients seeking authentic athlete/creator endorsements.
- Experiential Marketing Service for creating and hosting standout events that magnify brand visibility and audience interaction, including immersive experiences and owned events such as the Gondola Sports Summit and Sports Business Happy Hour at Miami Race Weekend. For brands and sports properties seeking live event activations.
- Public Relations PR service that leverages media relationships to position clients in prominent outlets, securing high-profile opportunities such as Super Bowl Media Row appearances, features in The Drum, Forbes, Good Morning America, and Yahoo Finance. For brands, athletes, and creators seeking earned media exposure.
- Athlete & Influencer Marketing Integrated marketing service uplifting athletes, brands, creators, and sports properties through authentic partnerships, dynamic content creation, and strategic PR to amplify clients' influence across social and traditional channels. For brands, athletes, creators, and sports properties.
Companies that use Distinction Agency
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Distinction Agency technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Distinction Agency partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- DealMakerminorDealMaker is the presenting sponsor for the second annual Sports Business Happy Hour at Miami Race Weekend. DealMaker is a platform powering fan-led ownership in sports, helping teams, leagues, and athlete brands raise capital from fans.
- RootNoteminorSupporting sponsor for the Sports Business Happy Hour. RootNote is a platform helping athletes, creators, entrepreneurs, and brands tell stories with data, unifying social, content, and revenue metrics while automating brand reporting.
- Truist WealthminorSupporting sponsor for the Sports Business Happy Hour. Truist Wealth delivers personalized financial guidance for those working in sports and entertainment, with over 30 years of experience serving athletes, musicians, drivers, and race teams.
- PoppiminorSupporting sponsor for the Sports Business Happy Hour. Poppi is a leading prebiotic soda brand blending bold flavor with gut health benefits, with a growing presence across wellness and lifestyle spaces.
- Vetted SportscoreCo-host of the second annual Sports Business Happy Hour at Miami Race Weekend. Vetted Sports and Distinction Agency partner to bring together athletes, creators, founders, investors, and industry leaders for connection and community during Miami's cultural moment.
- Underdog FantasyminorBrand partner for which Distinction has facilitated talent partnerships. Underdog Fantasy works with Distinction's roster of creators and athletes for sports gaming activations.
- CoachminorLuxury fashion brand partnered with Distinction-represented talent Aliyah Funschelle for Courtside Five activation at New York Liberty games, including Story Sessions featuring Breanna Stewart.
- HologicminorHealthcare company partnered with Distinction for the 'Ultimate Defense' cervical cancer awareness campaign featuring WNBA athlete Erica Wheeler. Campaign extended to national coverage through Good Morning America, Forbes, and Yahoo Finance.
- NHLminorNational Hockey League partnered with Distinction client Jacob Kalashnikoff as an official partner for the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic in Edmonton, creating video content for social media engagement.
- NetflixminorDistinction supported Netflix's community event at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis for the Avatar: The Last Airbender launch, featuring athlete Erica Wheeler at a YMCA event.
- FOX SportsminorDistinction worked with Austin Franklin to support his role as FOX One's Chief World Cup Watcher for FIFA World Cup 2026, a partnership secured through Indeed.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Distinction Agency competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Excel Sports Management: Excel Sports is a full-service athlete representation agency handling contract negotiation, marketing, and endorsements for MLB, NBA, NFL, and golf clients. It directly competes with Distinction for athlete talent and brand partnership work, particularly in the marketing services layer.
- Wasserman: Wasserman is one of the largest global sports marketing and talent management agencies, directly competing with Distinction in athlete representation, brand endorsements, and experiential marketing. The two agencies overlap across football, basketball, and women's sports talent, with Wasserman offering far greater scale and infrastructure.
- Roc Nation Sports: Roc Nation Sports is Jay-Z's athlete representation division, operating as a full-service agency across NFL, NBA, MLB, and soccer. It competes head-to-head with Distinction for talent signings and brand endorsement deals, backed by the broader Roc Nation entertainment ecosystem.
- The Marketing Arm: The Marketing Arm is an Omnicom-owned experiential and talent partnership agency that connects brands with athletes, creators, and cultural icons. It overlaps directly with Distinction's brand partnerships, influencer marketing, and experiential activation service lines.
Emerging players
- Catalyst Sports & Media: Catalyst Sports & Media is a sports-focused digital media and athlete marketing agency working with brands on social content and athlete-driven campaigns. It competes with Distinction in the same mid-market brand partnership and influencer marketing lane, especially in lifestyle and sports verticals.
- Range Sports: Range Sports is a next-generation sports marketing and talent agency representing athletes, creators, and emerging sports properties. It competes directly with Distinction in athlete representation, brand partnership sales, and women's sports marketing, with a comparable boutique positioning.
- Overtime: Overtime is a sports media and brand company that operates creator-driven leagues, content, and athlete marketing initiatives, particularly in basketball and emerging sports. It overlaps with Distinction in the athlete marketing and brand partnership space, especially in next-generation and women's sports content.
- OpenDorse: OpenDorse is a NIL and athlete marketing technology platform helping brands, athletes, and agencies execute endorsement deals. While tech-enabled rather than service-based, it increasingly competes with Distinction in connecting brands to athletes for partnership campaigns, particularly in women's sports and creator verticals.
Broad incumbents
- WME (Endeavor): WME, part of Endeavor, is a global talent agency representing athletes, actors, musicians, and creators. While much broader in scope than Distinction, it competes for the same brand endorsement budgets and athlete representation mandates, particularly for premium-tier talent.
- Creative Artists Agency (CAA): CAA is one of the world's largest entertainment and sports talent agencies, with deep representation across athletes, actors, and creators. Its CAA Sports division directly competes with Distinction in athlete marketing, brand partnerships, and sports property deals, at much greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Distinction Agency social profiles
Digital presenceDistinction Agency financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Distinction Agency leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Distinction Agency funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Distinction Agency M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Distinction Agency
What does Distinction Agency do?
Distinction Agency is a Miami-based athlete and influencer marketing agency that connects brands with athletes, creators, and sports properties through five interconnected service lines: talent representation, brand partnerships, experiential marketing, public relations, and athlete/influencer marketing. The agency curates multi-talent campaigns, secures endorsements and event activations for represented talent, and runs immersive events such as the Gondola Sports Summit. Services are sold to enterprise brand clients and to individual talent/creators seeking representation.
Is Distinction Agency a public or private company?
Distinction Agency is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Distinction Agency founded?
Distinction Agency was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Distinction Agency based?
Distinction Agency is headquartered in Miami, United States, in the North America region.
How does Distinction Agency make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Talent Representation Services are the primary driver. The others are brand Partnership Services, experiential Marketing & Events and public Relations.
Who are Distinction Agency's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Excel Sports Management, Wasserman, Roc Nation Sports and The Marketing Arm. Emerging players are Catalyst Sports & Media, Range Sports, Overtime and OpenDorse. Broad incumbents are WME (Endeavor) and Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Does Distinction Agency have an API?
No public API is recorded for Distinction Agency.
What industry is Distinction Agency in?
Distinction Agency's product category is Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAMAA, Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management), with a secondary code of MPAIAGAF, Brand Partnerships & Endorsement Agencies. Its NAICS code is 71141 and its SIC code is 7311.