What Master Group Sport does

Master Group Sport S.r.l. is an Italian sports marketing and event management firm headquartered in Milan, founded in 1996, operating with a small professional services team (11-50 employees) across offices in Milan and Rome. The company delivers an integrated portfolio of sponsorship consulting and management, large-scale sporting event organization, corporate hospitality, digital marketing for sports properties, ticketing, and organizational secretariat services. Its flagship events include the Gran Galà di Apertura del Calciomercato — the official Italian football transfer market opening gala held in Rimini, organized in collaboration with ADiSe, Calciomercato (Gazzetta dello Sport), and Sky Sport — the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup (ATP Challenger, Parma, fifth edition in 2026), and the Estathé 3X3 Italia Streetbasket tournament.

The business operates an event-driven go-to-market model in which flagship sports properties function as live B2B platforms to attract corporate sponsors, sports federations, and Italian football and sports clubs. Core counterparties include Regione Emilia-Romagna (strategic regional government partner), Circolo del Castellazzo (venue partner), Bureau Veritas-certified processes (ISO 9001, ISO 20121 for sustainable events), and UNI PDR 125 (gender equality). Revenue is generated through professional services fees across sponsorship consulting, corporate hospitality, and event management, supplemented by ticketing transaction fees; pricing is custom, quote-based, and delivered under multi-year contracts rather than standardized tiers. Customer segments are split horizontally across sports federations/organizations, corporate sponsors, and Italian sports clubs, with go-to-market conducted via direct B2B sales, LinkedIn, Instagram, website content, and sports media (Calciomercato, Sky Sport).

Name

Master Group Sport

Legal name

Master Group Sport S.r.l.

Website

https://mastergroupsport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Event Organization Services: Organization and management of sports events including tennis tournaments, football galas, and 3x3 basketball competitions. Revenue generated through event management fees, ticket sales, and related services.
2. Sponsorship Consulting and Management: Marketing strategies, management, and optimization of sponsorship agreements for sports properties and corporate sponsors.
3. Corporate Hospitality: Corporate hospitality services for sports events, providing businesses with premium access and entertainment opportunities.
4. Digital Marketing: Digital marketing services for sports organizations and sponsors.
5. Ticketing and Organizational Secretariat: Ticketing services and organizational secretariat for sports events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

No source content was provided to describe the company's core offerings.

Product overview

Master Group Sport is a sports events management and sponsorship consultancy company offering a unified suite of services. The portfolio includes sponsorship consulting and management, sporting event organization, corporate hospitality, digital marketing, ticketing and organizational secretariat, accreditation policy, testimonial management, and featured sponsorship opportunities. The company also maintains a case history portfolio showcasing past projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Regione Emilia-RomagnacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for sports event development and territorial promotion. Regione Emilia-Romagna supports major events organized by Master Group Sport including the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup and Gran Galà di Apertura del Calciomercato. The partnership aims to enhance tourism and economic development through sports events.
• ADiSe (Associazione Italiana Direttori Sportivi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ADiSe for organizing the Gran Galà di Apertura del Calciomercato, the official opening of the Italian football transfer market. ADiSe represents Italian Football Directors.
• Circolo del CastellazzocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for the Emilia-Romagna Tennis Cup at the Circolo del Castellazzo in Parma. The club provides tennis facilities for the ATP Challenger tournament organized by Master Group Sport.
• Sky SportkeyGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership with Sky Sport for coverage and co-hosting of the 'Colpi da Maestro' talk show at the Gran Galà di Apertura del Calciomercato. Conducted by Cristiana Buonamano and Luca Marchetti of Sky Sport.
• CalciomercatokeyGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Calciomercato (Gazzetta dello Sport) for co-creating the 'Premio Colpi da Maestro' award and joint event organization for the football transfer market gala.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Legends Hospitality: Hospitality, merchandise, and event management specialist working with major sports venues and brands. Direct comparable on the corporate hospitality and event organization services that anchor Master Group Sport's offering to Italian sports properties.
• Infront Sports & Media: A global sports marketing company specializing in media rights, sponsorship, and event management across football, winter sports, and more. Highly comparable in sponsorship consulting, event organization, and corporate hospitality services, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple geographies.
• MATCH Hospitality: Specialist in official corporate hospitality programmes for major sports events including FIFA World Cup and UEFA events. Directly comparable offering in the corporate hospitality vertical that Master Group Sport targets for Italian sports properties.
• Sportfive (now part of Hudl): International sports marketing agency focused on sponsorship, media rights, and event services, with strong European football presence. Comparable to Master Group Sport in sponsorship consulting, hospitality, and event organization, particularly within top-tier football leagues.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency providing sponsorship consulting, event management, and athlete/brand representation. Directly comparable service portfolio — particularly sponsorship strategy and experiential/event execution for brands and rights holders — though operating across many more sports and markets.

Broad incumbents

• Havas Play (formerly Havas Sports & Entertainment): Global sports and entertainment marketing network within Havas offering sponsorship strategy, content, and experiential activation. Comparable to Master Group Sport on the corporate sponsorship consulting and brand activation lines, with a much broader agency infrastructure.
• Lagardère Sports (rebranded): Previously Lagardère Sports, now operating as part of Lagardère's broader portfolio with continued sports marketing and event operations. Comparable sponsorship and event management capabilities, though embedded within a larger media and publishing conglomerate.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global leader in sports, events, and entertainment operating across licensing, events, media rights, and talent representation. Overlaps with Master Group Sport's sponsorship and event management services as part of a much broader portfolio including tennis (IMG owns/operates ATP events), making it both a peer and a potential competitor.

Emerging players

• Two Circles: Data-driven sports marketing agency combining sponsorship, digital, and event services. Overlaps with Master Group Sport's sponsorship consulting and digital marketing lines, but differentiates with proprietary data analytics and a more international client base.

Regional players

• SEIC (Sports Events International Consulting): Italian sports event management and consulting firm. Direct regional peer operating in a similar Italian sports marketing environment, with overlapping services across event organization, sponsorship, and hospitality for football and other sports.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/master-group-sport
• Instagraminstagram.com/mastergroupsport
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance4 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 Master Group Sport