Digital Sports Mgmt

What Digital Sports Mgmt does

Digital Sports Mgmt (DSM) is a London-headquartered sports marketing, gaming, and entertainment agency founded in 2016 by Rob Wadsworth and Tom Henderson. The company operates four service divisions — Marketing Services (campaign activation, events, creative), Gaming Services (esports consultancy, live production, tournament management), Commercial Services (sponsorship brokerage, licensing, consultancy), and Talent Services (influencer marketing, 360° talent management, content strategy) — serving three primary customer segments: brands seeking to reach sports and gaming audiences, rightsholders (sports federations, leagues, clubs) seeking to monetize assets, and creators (sports stars, esports players, lifestyle influencers) seeking commercial representation. Its exclusive talent roster of 100+ sports, gaming, and lifestyle creators reaches 65M+ combined followers and includes high-profile athletes such as Sir Mo Farah.

The agency's core 'product' is its curated talent network and its cross-industry relationships, not proprietary technology. Deliverables include influencer campaign execution, sponsorship and licensing deal brokerage, live esports event production, social media strategy, and PR campaigns. Notable client engagements include Xbox multi-year partnerships with The FA and French Football Federation, Panini's Paris 2024 Olympic collection (with McDonald's and IOC), the Sorare–La Liga NFT deal, Purina PRO PLAN's ATP Tour partnership, and exclusive management of The FA eLions esports program. The company also runs its own sub-brand properties tied to represented talent (e.g., Snappy Gilmore). Technology stack is not disclosed beyond standard marketing channels (website, Instagram); no APIs, SDKs, or platform products are referenced.

DSM became a majority-owned subsidiary of YMU Group in September 2022, gaining access to a global talent management infrastructure while retaining its brand identity within YMU Sports. It earns revenue through commissions and fees on talent representation, brokerage commissions on sponsorship and licensing deals, and professional services fees for campaign management and activation. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated per engagement with no public rate card. The company operates from London (HQ) and Los Angeles (North America office), and serves clients across the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Sweden, India, and Australia.

Name

Digital Sports Mgmt

Legal name

Digital Sports Mgmt

Website

https://www.digitalsportsmgmt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Digital Sports Mgmt is a London-based sports, gaming, and entertainment agency representing 100+ creators reaching 65M+ followers, brokering sponsorships and licensing deals, and running influencer campaigns for brands, rightsholders, and talent. Majority-owned by YMU Group since 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing Agency

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship & Sports Media Rights Buying (BPAFABAH), B2B Sports Digital Syndication & White-Label Streaming Services (MPAKAOAJ), Sports & Event Media Rights Licensing (MPADALAE)

Keywords

• Sports marketing agency
• Talent representation
• Sponsorship brokerage
• Esports services
• Influencer marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Talent Management & Representation: DSM earns commissions and fees from representing sports, gaming and entertainment creators, managing their commercial engagements, brand partnerships, and content deals.
2. Sponsorship & Licensing Brokerage: DSM acts as intermediary between rightsholders and brands, brokering sponsorship deals, licensing agreements, and partnership contracts for a fee or commission.
3. Campaign Management & Activation: Full-service campaign delivery including strategy, creative, events, and influencer coordination for brand clients.
4. Esports & Gaming Services: Consultancy, live production, tournament management, and talent representation for gaming and esports clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Digital Sports Mgmt is a sports marketing, gaming and entertainment agency that connects brands to world sport through four service lines: Marketing Services (campaign activation, events, creative studio), Gaming Services (esports consultancy, live production, tournament management), Commercial Services (sponsorship brokerage, licensing, partnership strategy), and Talent Services (representation, influencer marketing and campaign management for a roster of 100+ creators reaching 65M+ followers). The agency also exclusively operates programs such as The FA eLions on behalf of rightsholders.

Product overview

Digital Sports Mgmt is a sports marketing, gaming, and entertainment agency that operates as a unified service offering across four core divisions: Marketing Services (activation, campaigns, events, creative studio), Gaming Services (consultancy, live production, tournaments, talent), Commercial Services (sponsorship, licensing, consultancy), and Talent Services (influencer marketing, campaign management, talent representation, content strategy). The agency represents a network of over 100 creators reaching 65 million followers and manages The FA eLions esports program. Founded in 2016 and joined YMU Group in 2022, DSM serves brands, rightsholders, and talent across global sports, gaming, and entertainment sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Services Full-service marketing offering covering campaign activation, campaign management, events organization and creative studio services for brands targeting sports audiences globally.
• Gaming Services Gaming and esports offering born out of the EA FC scene, providing gaming consultancy, live production, tournament management and esports talent representation services.
• Commercial Services Partnership strategy and commercial services including sponsorship development, licensing brokerage and sports talent coordination designed to maximize the value of sports partnerships for brands and rightsholders.
• Talent Services Comprehensive talent management covering influencer marketing, campaign management, exclusive talent representation for over 100 sports, gaming and lifestyle creators, plus content and channel strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65 million+ combined follower reach for talent roster
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 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

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• YMU GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSM joined YMU Group in September 2022, with YMU acquiring a majority stake. This merger expanded YMU into gaming and esports while giving DSM access to global talent management infrastructure and expanded brand client base.
• The FAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDSM is the exclusive esports agency for The FA, running all aspects of the eLions programme including strategy, content planning, channel strategy, media, live-stream production, event planning and player management.
• XboxcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered multi-year partnership between Xbox and The FA covering Men's, Women's and eLions teams. DSM also activated Xbox deals with French Football Federation (FFF).
• SoraremajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered landmark deal between Sorare (NFT fantasy football platform) and La Liga. DSM also brokered Sorare partnerships with La Liga and conducted influencer activations.
• PaninimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM acted as talent procurement sales agent for Panini's Paris 2024 Olympic sticker collections in partnership with McDonald's and IOC.
• Nordeus (Top Eleven)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered deals with World Cup winning managers Del Bosque and Scolari for Top Eleven, and secured Xabi Alonso as global ambassador.
• Purina PRO PLANmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered multi-year partnership between Purina PRO PLAN and ATP Tour. Also produced Like a Pro TV commercial campaign.
• The IOC (International Olympic Committee)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM acted as sales agent for Panini's Official Olympic Collection in association with IOC for Paris 2024 Games.
• CorpayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered Corpay's partnership with the ITF (International Tennis Federation).
• Thomas LytemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM manages Thomas Lyte's social media strategy, PR campaigns, and partnership delivery with The FA, Nitto ATP, SA20 and ILT20 since 2023.
• EA SportsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrusted by EA Sports for FIFA/esports talent representation and campaign management.
• Avery DennisonmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM represents Avery Dennison at Premier League Mornings Live Fan Festivals and manages partnership activations. Avery Dennison is official licensee for Premier League names, numbers and sleeve badges.
• DP World TourminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSnappy Gilmore collaborated with DP World Tour for content creation around Play-Off events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
• LootboyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLootboy acquired services of DSM gaming talent for app promotion campaigns with FIFA content integrations.
• FotMobminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM built influencer launch program for FotMob's Premier League season app to boost UK downloads.
• R&AmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM delivered full-scale influencer gaming activation at Royal Liverpool Golf Club for R&A at 151st Open Championship in partnership with Mastercard's One Club.
• MastercardmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Mastercard's One Club membership programme for R&A eOpen activation at The Open Championship.
• French Football Federation (FFF)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM brokered Xbox's partnership as Official Gaming Partner of French Men's and Women's National Football Teams.
• RegenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM managed launch of Regen gaming glasses including influencer talent supply and social media strategy.
• CorsodylminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM led Corsodyl's FIFA 22 awareness campaign with prank content and social amplification across TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.
• SaracensminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHy-Pro has ongoing partnership with Saracens; DSM helped construct and organize player appearance content for Hy-Pro brand.
• Warner BrosmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDSM supported Apple TV+ promotion of Ted Lasso by managing rights holder relationships and coordinating activations with football clubs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global talent and sports agency with a much broader entertainment and media portfolio. Comparable on athlete and creator representation and brand partnership capabilities, but operates at significantly larger scale across multiple verticals.
• United Talent Agency (UTA): Major talent agency with growing sports, gaming and influencer representation practices. Competes with DSM for brand campaigns linking talent, sport and gaming audiences, while serving a much wider range of entertainment clients.

Emerging players

• Fuse: Sport and entertainment marketing agency focused on partnerships, branded content and influencer campaigns for challenger brands and rights holders. Comparable in offering to DSM's campaign management and activation services, though smaller in scale.

Direct peers

• MKTG: Sports and lifestyle marketing agency offering sponsorship consulting, activation and influencer programs for global brands. Overlaps with DSM on brand-side campaign delivery and rights holder engagement across sport and entertainment.
• YMU Group: Global talent management group that holds a majority stake in DSM. Operates an analogous 360° talent representation and brand partnership model across sport, entertainment and music, and is the closest corporate and strategic comparator.
• Excel Sports Management: Sports talent management and marketing agency representing professional athletes across golf, tennis, baseball and soccer. Comparable on athlete representation and brand partnership brokering, especially in tennis and football where DSM has marquee clients.
• Wasserman: Major sports marketing, talent representation and consulting agency. Directly comparable on athlete management, sponsorship brokerage, and brand activation in sports, with much larger scale and global footprint.
• Strive Sponsorship: B2B sponsorship and sports marketing consultancy working with brands and rights holders on partnership strategy, valuation and activation. Comparable on the sponsorship brokerage and rights-side consulting work DSM performs for clients like Sorare and Panini.
• rEvolution: Independent sports marketing agency focused on sponsorship strategy, consulting and activation for brands and rightsholders. Comparable service mix to DSM's commercial and marketing divisions.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency offering sponsorship consulting, athlete and influencer representation, and event activation. Overlaps directly with DSM's sponsorship brokerage, talent management, and rightsholder services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalsportsmgmt
• Xx.com/digisportsmgmt
• Facebookfacebook.com/digitalsportsmgmt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-sports-mgmt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Digital Sports Mgmt