Rocket Sports

What Rocket Sports does

Rocket Sports is a London-headquartered sports marketing and commercial consultancy founded in January 2012 by Sir Elton John and Luke Lloyd-Davies. It operates four service lines — Consultancy (commercial advisory for brands and rights holders), Partnerships (sponsorship sales, servicing and activation), Talent Management (commercial representation for elite athletes), and Productions (podcasts, documentaries and broadcast content). Its content portfolio includes the Watts Occurring and Watts Occurring Femmes cycling podcasts and the Billie Jean King documentary 'Give Me the Ball!' premiering at Sundance 2026; production is delivered in association with Ridley Scott Associates, Story Syndicate and Disney/ESPN.

The firm serves three primary customer segments: sports rights holders (LTA for British Tennis, UK Athletics / Athletic Ventures), brand marketers across financial services, automotive, FMCG, technology and apparel (HSBC, Novuna, AJ Bell, Lexus, Infosys, Ford, Barclays, adidas, Red Bull, FAGE, Rothesay, Schweppes, Brita, Vita Coco, Haier), and approximately 15-18 elite athletes across cycling, tennis, diving, swimming and para-sports. Revenue is generated through professional services fees for sponsorship sales and commercial advisory, talent representation commissions, and content production including brand integration and licensing. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise sales via CEO-led pitches, account directors and event-driven activation, with bespoke pricing per engagement rather than disclosed rate cards; the company reports 250M+ audience reach across core rights holders and £70M+ in partnership value secured.

In 2025 the business delivered record sponsorship sales and expanded headcount, earning Specialist Agency of the Year at the 2026 Sports Industry Awards. The operating model combines long-cycle embedded mandates (in-house commercial teams for the LTA and UK Athletics) with event-driven project work (RideLondon, GB & NI Athletics, Sundance documentary premieres), creating a mix of recurring and episodic revenue streams.

Name

Rocket Sports

Legal name

Rocket Sports

Website

https://rocketsports.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rocket Sports is a London-based sports marketing and commercial consultancy serving sports rights holders, major brands, and elite athletes across sponsorship sales, talent representation, partnership activation, and premium content production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing Consultancy

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKALAK

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting)

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

SECONDARYMPAKAKAA

Athlete & Talent Representation (Agents, Managers)

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

SECONDARYMPAKAMAD

Athlete Brand Management & Public Relations (Image, Media, Crisis)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Athlete Representation & Agency Services

SECONDARYMPAKAKAC

Sports Event Promotion & Tournament Operations

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

Keywords

• Sports marketing consultancy
• Sponsorship sales
• Athlete representation
• Rights holder advisory
• Brand activation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Sales and Consultancy: Rocket Sports generates revenue by providing sponsorship sales services for sports and entertainment properties, building tailored propositions that reflect market demand and rights holder ambition. This includes leading commercial processes, structuring and valuing partnership rights, and managing pitch processes for major sponsorship deals.
2. Commercial Advisory Services: Marketing and commercial advisory services provided to brands and sports/entertainment properties. Includes white-label sales services, brand advisory, rights holder advisory, and strategic consultancy for sponsorship and partnership decisions.
3. Partnership Servicing and Activation: Ongoing partnership management including brand activation, measurement and reporting frameworks. Revenue derived from activation planning, live experiences, hospitality management, and performance evaluation services.
4. Athlete Talent Representation: End-to-end commercial representation for athletes including endorsements, media management, speaking engagements, and live events. Revenue from securing brand partnerships, managing athlete media profiles, and arranging corporate speaking opportunities.
5. Content Production: Production of original podcast formats, documentaries, TV shows, and branded content. Revenue generated through partnerships with commissioners, production partners, and brand integrations within content.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rocket Sports is a marketing and commercial consultancy specialising in the sports, marketing and entertainment sectors, delivering four core service lines: Consultancy (commercial innovation, brand advisory, white-label sales services, rights holder advisory), Partnerships (sponsorship sales, servicing and activation), Talent Management (end-to-end commercial representation for elite athletes including endorsements, media, speaking engagements and live events), and Productions (podcasts including Watts Occurring and Watts Occurring Femmes, documentaries, TV formats such as From The Top, and brand activation production).

Product overview

Rocket Sports is a sports marketing and commercial consultancy agency offering four core service lines: Consultancy (commercial innovation, brand advisory, white label sales, rights holder advisory), Partnerships (sponsorship sales, servicing, activation, measurement), Talent Management (athlete representation across management, endorsements, media, speaking, events), and Productions (podcasts including Watts Occurring and Watts Occurring Femmes, documentaries, TV formats, social media content). The agency also represents 18+ world-class athletes and manages various sports rights holder commercial programs for the LTA, UK Athletics, and other organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultancy Services Commercial advisory services for brands and sports/entertainment properties, including commercial innovation, brand advisory, white-label sales services and rights holder advisory.
• Partnerships Services (Sponsorship Sales, Servicing and Activation) End-to-end sponsorship sales, servicing and activation: building and managing partnerships between brands and rights holders, with creative solutions, data-driven rationale, and evaluation frameworks.
• Talent Management End-to-end commercial representation for elite athletes including career management, endorsements, media management, speaking engagements and live events.
• Productions Premium content production sitting at the intersection of production, creative and commercial — covering podcasts, documentaries, TV formats, social media content and brand activation production with disciplined budgeting and channel strategy.
• Watts Occurring Podcast Original cycling podcast combining authentic storytelling with partner integration across multiple audio and visual outputs, produced as part of Rocket Sports' Productions offering.
• Watts Occurring Femmes Podcast Women's cycling podcast companion to Watts Occurring, extending the franchise with authentic storytelling and partner integration.
• From The Top TV Series Original TV series for The Olympic Channel pairing Olympic athletes with musicians, executive produced by Sir Elton John.
• Give Me the Ball! Documentary Feature documentary recounting Billie Jean King's life and legacy, produced in association with Rocket Sports and premiering at Sundance 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250M+ audience reach across core rights holders
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Birmingham AirportcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Official Airport Partner of Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships at Alexander Stadium (10-16 August 2026). Partnership will welcome athletes, officials and fans from across Europe to Birmingham.
• NovunaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Landmark sponsorship making Novuna Title Partner of GB & NI athletics team and three flagship domestic events (London Athletics Meet, UK Athletics Championships, UK Athletics Indoor Championships). First commercial brand to appear on official GB & NI team kit at World Athletics competitions. Most significant commercial agreement in UK athletics for over a decade.
• HSBCflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Four-year partnership through 2028 making HSBC title sponsor of the HSBC Championships at Queen's Club. Reintroduced women's tennis to Queen's Club after 52 years, creating a two-week proposition with WTA 500 and ATP 500 events. Most successful Championships in history with record audiences and 40% increase in commercial revenue.
• BRITAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Sustainability partnership with LTA. In 2025 alone, removed over 260,000 single-use plastic bottles from events, taking total to almost 500,000 bottles saved and over 77,000kg CO2e reduced. Shortlisted for Purpose Driven Sponsorship Award at 2026 Sports Industry Awards.
• SchweppescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Five-year partnership as Official Mixer of the LTA's summer grass court events. Spans HSBC Championships at Queen's Club and wider grass court calendar, integrating across tournament bars and hospitality with signature mixer range.
• Butternut BoxcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025First dog food brand to sponsor British Tennis as Official Partner to LTA. Multi-year partnership promoting health, happiness and sustainability, with event branding at major LTA tournaments including Queen's, Rothesay Nottingham Open, Rothesay Classic Birmingham and Rothesay International Eastbourne.
• InfosyscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Three-year strategic partnership (2024-2027) as Official AI and Innovation Partner of HSBC Championships. Infosys leverages AI-first suite (Infosys Topaz) for player performance insights, fan engagement, and operational excellence across broadcast, digital and on-site platforms.
• FAGEcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Official Yoghurt Partner of British Tennis across major events including HSBC Championships, Lexus Birmingham Open, Lexus Nottingham Open, and Lexus Eastbourne Open. Lead partner of LTA Youth programme and supporter of LTA Women and Girls and She Rallies programme.
• LexuscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Multi-year partnership as Official Performance Partner and Official Automotive Partner of LTA. Provides naming rights across performance areas, national teams (Lexus Great Britain Davis Cup Team, Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup Team), and Lexus Trophy Series, Pro Series, and British Tour competitions.
• AJ BellflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Five-year title partnership with the Great Run Series, including the Great North Run (world's largest half marathon with 60,000 entrants). AJ Bell appointed Rocket Sports to find the right sponsorship for the next evolution of their brand strategy, including establishing KPIs and managing the pitch process.
• FordcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Presenting partner for RideLondon cycling festival. Title sponsor of Ford Queen of the Mountains competition for top women pro riders in UCI Women's WorldTour three-day stage race (RideLondon Classique). Ford Kuga PHEV as race convoy vehicle and Mustang Mach-E as Official Electric Vehicle.
• Eden Mill St AndrewscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Four-year partnership as Official Spirit of British Tennis across four major grass court events. Spirits served at public and hospitality venues with onsite branding and experiential engagement, including limited edition 'Wildcard' gin crafted for tennis fans.
• RothesaycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Multi-year title sponsor of three grass court events: Rothesay Open (Nottingham), Rothesay Classic (Birmingham), and Rothesay International (Eastbourne). Also supporting partner of cinch Championships at Queen's Club. UK's largest pensions insurance specialist.
• Junk KouturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strategic partnership as lead brand partnerships agency in UK and Europe for world's largest sustainable fashion competition for young people. Defined as a 'sport for creative kids', Junk Kouture brings together 13-18 year olds to create designs from recycled materials.
• NIVEAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022First UK athlete ambassador campaign for NIVEA, structured and secured partnership with British surfing champion Lucy Campbell. Campaign shaped around authentic connection to ocean and commitment to protecting marine environments.
• The Daily Mile FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Supported by INEOS as event supporter of World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022. Partnership activated through World Wide Welcome Youth Relay and youth engagement initiatives.
• LTAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house sponsorship sales and consultancy team for British Tennis. Rocket Sports led the complete redesign of grass court commercial model, unifying ATP 500 and WTA 500 tournaments under single proposition. Expanded LTA portfolio with partners including FAGE, Coca-Cola, and Journey's End.
• UK Athletics / Athletic VenturesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsorship agency for UK Athletics and Athletic Ventures (commercial arm). Developed integrated commercial framework securing Novuna partnership spanning London Athletics Meet, UK Indoor and Outdoor Championships, and GB & NI Athletics Team.
• adidascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal sportswear brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• BarclayscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor banking brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• HSBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor banking brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• Red BullcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal energy drink brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• La Roche-PosaycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare/dermatology brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• Vita CococoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoconut water brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• HaiercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal appliances/electronics brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• BritacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWater filtration brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client, notable for sustainability partnership with LTA.
• Crew ClothingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClothing brand partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.
• ROUVYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndoor cycling platform partnered through Rocket Sports as a client.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IMG: Global sports and entertainment giant (Endeavor-owned) operating sponsorship sales, athlete representation (IMG Athletes) and rights-holder services at portfolio scale — broader incumbent that routinely competes with Rocket Sports for marquee mandates.
• Dentsu Sports: Sports marketing arm of the global Dentsu network delivering sponsorship, athlete marketing and rights-holder strategy for enterprise brands — broader incumbent competing for the same brand-side commercial mandates.
• CSM Sport & Entertainment: Chime-owned global sport and entertainment agency offering sponsorship strategy, talent management and brand activation — broader incumbent with established enterprise clients overlapping Rocket Sports' brand-side pitch list.
• CAA Sports: Sports division of Creative Artists Agency combining athlete representation, sponsorship sales and brand consulting — represents the global talent-management incumbent Rocket Sports' athlete business must compete against.

Direct peers

• Pitch International: Independent sports marketing agency offering sponsorship sales, rights-holder consulting and athlete representation across multiple sports — comparable boutique competitor with overlapping UK and European rights-holder mandate focus.
• Two Circles: Data-driven sports marketing agency with comparable rights-holder sponsorship sales and brand-side commercial advisory focus; competes head-to-head for the same UK and European sports governing-body mandates Rocket Sports targets.
• Wasserman: US-headquartered sports marketing and talent management agency combining sponsorship sales, athlete representation and brand consultancy — direct overlap with all four of Rocket Sports' service lines and a benchmark for the athlete rep + sponsorship model.
• M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment: UK sports marketing agency offering sponsorship strategy, sales and brand partnership activation with overlapping client types and rights-holder advisory work — closest UK mid-market peer on service mix.
• Redtorch: UK sports sponsorship and PR consultancy serving rights holders and brands with sponsorship strategy, sales support and activation — directly comparable boutique competitor in the British sports marketing market.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency (Interpublic-owned) operating the same sponsorship sales, athlete representation, and content-production model as Rocket Sports, but at vastly greater scale across tennis, athletics, cycling and golf — the most direct competitive overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rocketsportsuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/RocketSportsManagement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rocketsportsagency
• Instagraminstagram.com/rocketsportsmanagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Rocket Sports