GameDay Sports Marketing

What GameDay Sports Marketing does

GameDay Sports Marketing, founded in 2001 by CEO Galen Beenken and headquartered at 4951 W 77th St in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a privately held boutique sports marketing agency that operates across two integrated lines of business: (1) publishing and print management for professional sports franchises, and (2) business development and revenue generation services for both team and corporate clients. The company serves professional franchises in the NFL, NHL, and MLB, select collegiate athletic programs, and corporate clients seeking affiliation with sports properties. Named customers include the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota United FC, Arkansas State Athletics, 3M, and Innovative Office Solutions, with operations concentrated in the Midwest region of the United States.

The company's underlying capability is a full-service publishing operation that handles concept, strategy, brand development, graphic design, content development, copywriting, editing, proofing, binding, finishing, fulfillment, logistics, mailing, lettershop, and direct marketing for official franchise publications. Its service-side offering layers sports business development expertise on top of this publishing infrastructure, providing consulting, strategic planning, corporate partnership development, marketing and promotions execution, and ROI evaluation to teams and corporate clients. Distribution occurs through a company-owned e-commerce storefront for direct-to-consumer yearbook and memorabilia sales (priced at $9.99-$11.99 per unit with one annual subscription tier at $49.99 for a six-issue Wild magazine) alongside consultative enterprise field sales for professional services engagements.

GameDay generates revenue through two primary streams: unit-priced sales of official team yearbooks and autographed memorabilia sold through its team store, and fee-based professional services for business development and consulting engagements. Go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales targeted at senior decision makers on both the team side (sponsorship and corporate partnership executives) and the corporate side (marketing and business development leaders). The company operates with a small team of 1-10 employees and serves a predominantly Midwest-focused client base, with documented case-study outcomes including a 236% revenue increase over two years for Arkansas State Athletics corporate partnerships, 20+ new partnerships generating over $3M for Minnesota United FC during the Allianz Field build-out, and 50%+ annual sales growth for Innovative Office Solutions via Minnesota Wild and Minnesota United FC partnerships.

Name

GameDay Sports Marketing

Legal name

GameDay Sports Marketing

Website

https://gamedaysportsmarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GameDay Sports Marketing is a Minneapolis-based, privately held sports marketing agency founded in 2001. It provides integrated publishing services and sports business development consulting for professional and collegiate franchises and corporate clients seeking sports partnership affiliation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing and Publishing Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAF

Sports Brand Strategy & Creative Services (Design, Content, Social)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

SECONDARYMPAKALAA

Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Sponsorship & Endorsements

SECONDARYMPAKAKAC

Sports Event Promotion & Tournament Operations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

Keywords

• Sports marketing services
• Team yearbook publishing
• Corporate sponsorship consulting
• Sports business development
• Print management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sports Yearbook and Memorabilia Sales: Sale of official team yearbooks and authentic autographed memorabilia for NFL teams (Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers) and NHL teams (Minnesota Wild). Products sold at various price points with regular and sale pricing.
2. Consulting and Strategic Planning Services: Business development consulting services for corporate clients including analysis, strategic planning, and development and implementation of revenue generating programs. Services include consulting, business development, marketing and promotions, and evaluation and measurement.
3. Corporate Partnership Development: Revenue generation through facilitating relationships between companies and sports brands. Services include opening doors to sales and marketing possibilities, developing non-traditional relationships and streams of revenue.
4. Print and Publishing Services: End-to-end publishing and print management services for sports franchises including concept, design, content execution, fulfillment, logistics, and direct marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GameDay Sports Marketing is a Minneapolis-based sports marketing agency that produces and sells official team yearbooks and autographed memorabilia for NFL, NHL, and MLB franchises (Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Wild) and select universities, while also providing sports business development services to corporate clients and team clients. Its services include consulting, strategic planning, corporate partnership facilitation, marketing and promotions, evaluation and ROI measurement, plus end-to-end publishing and print management covering concept, design, content, fulfillment, and direct marketing.

Product overview

GameDay Sports Marketing operates as a sports marketing agency offering a dual product portfolio: (1) Publishing division producing official team yearbooks for NFL, NHL, and MLB franchises including Minnesota Vikings Yearbook, Green Bay Packers Yearbook, and Minnesota Wild Yearbook; and (2) Sports business development services including revenue generation consulting, corporate partnership development, and strategic planning for both team and corporate clients. The company was founded in 2001 and has evolved from its core publishing business into a full-service sports marketing agency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Minnesota Vikings Yearbook Official Minnesota Vikings yearbooks and authentic autographed memorabilia sold to fans and collectors, featuring stunning photos, articles, stats, and collectible content across multiple historical editions.
• Green Bay Packers Yearbook Official Green Bay Packers yearbooks commemorating each football season, featuring exclusive player profiles, stories, and collectible content for Packers fans.
• Minnesota Wild Yearbook and Magazine Subscription Official Minnesota Wild yearbooks and an annual magazine subscription for fans, featuring team photos, articles, and stats across multiple seasons and an optional recurring 6-issue subscription.
• Publishing and Print Management Services End-to-end publishing and print management for professional sports franchises (NFL, NHL, MLB) and select universities, including concept, strategy, brand and graphic design, content and copywriting, production, fulfillment, logistics, mailing, and direct marketing.
• Corporate Revenue Generation and Sports Marketing Services Consulting and business development services for corporate clients seeking affiliation with professional and collegiate sports franchises, including strategic planning, partnership facilitation, marketing and promotions, ROI evaluation, and hospitality execution at marquee sporting events.
• Team Client Business Development Services Business development services for sports franchises and properties, including analysis and strategic planning of revenue sources, consulting on non-traditional revenue streams, and implementation of revenue-generating partnership programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 236% increase in corporate annual revenue over two years (from $380,000 to $900,000+) for Arkansas State Athletics
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota VikingscoreGTM or Marketing Partner20-year partnership with the Minnesota Vikings. GameDay Sports sells official Minnesota Vikings Yearbooks and memorabilia. The company serves as a trusted partner for relationship development between companies and the Vikings franchise.
• Green Bay PackerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the Green Bay Packers for official yearbook sales and memorabilia. GameDay Sports runs the largest sale of Official Green Bay Packers Yearbooks.
• Minnesota WildcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with the Minnesota Wild (NHL) for official yearbook sales and memorabilia. GameDay Sports is the State of Hockey partner for commemorative publications.
• NFL FranchisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a fully integrated publishing and print management service provider, GameDay Sports works with NFL franchises for official publications and branded materials.
• NHL FranchisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a fully integrated publishing and print management service provider, GameDay Sports works with NHL franchises for official publications and branded materials.
• MLB FranchisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs a fully integrated publishing and print management service provider, GameDay Sports works with MLB franchises for official publications and branded materials.
• Select UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing and print management services provided to select university athletic programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency that brokers corporate sponsorships and manages athlete/brand partnerships for major sports properties. Direct competitor in the sports business development and partnership facilitation space GameDay operates in, but at a much larger enterprise scale.
• CSE (Crossfire Sports & Entertainment): Sports and entertainment sponsorship agency representing rights-holders and brands in sponsorship sales and activation. Comparable peer in the niche of facilitating corporate sponsorship deals with sports franchises.
• Genesco Sports Enterprises: Sports marketing agency specializing in corporate sports sponsorships, property representation, and brand consulting. Comparable mid-sized peer offering similar corporate-to-team partnership facilitation services.
• Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment: Sports marketing and sponsorship agency serving professional leagues, teams, and colleges with advertising, sponsorship sales, and brand activation services. Directly comparable business model to GameDay's sponsorship facilitation and publishing offerings.
• Premier Partnerships: Sports and entertainment sponsorship sales agency that represents properties (teams, venues, events) in selling corporate partnerships. Direct peer in the sponsorship-brokering segment of the sports marketing industry.

Broad incumbents

• Legends Hospitality: Sports and entertainment hospitality, sponsorship, and venue experience company that partners with professional franchises and collegiate programs. Comparable in delivering revenue-generating partnership services to teams and corporate sponsors, though with a broader hospitality and venue operating footprint.
• Learfield (Learfield IMG College): Leading collegiate athletic multimedia rights and sponsorship sales company. Comparable to GameDay's collegiate team client work (e.g., Arkansas State Athletics), but operates at massive scale across hundreds of university programs.

Emerging players

• MVP Marketing + Advertising: Sports-centric creative and marketing agency offering partnership activation, content, and brand work for sports properties. Overlaps with GameDay's corporate-to-sports marketing services, especially around brand strategy and content production.
• Wick Marketing: Regional sports marketing firm providing gameday programs, publications, and sponsorship sales to collegiate and minor league teams. Comparable niche publishing-plus-sponsorship services business model to GameDay.
• MMR Live / Mills Marketing: Smaller regional sports marketing and publishing agencies serving a few pro or collegiate teams with yearbook, gameday program, and partnership services. Comparable to GameDay in scope and scale, though limited public information on their current operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GamedaySportsMarketing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/22307047

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 GameDay Sports Marketing