Sports Marketing Group

What Sports Marketing Group does

Sports Marketing Group (SMG), legally The Sports Marketing Group Limited, is a privately held sports marketing agency founded in 2017 and headquartered in London. The firm operates from four offices — London, Monaco, Dubai, and Riyadh (with an embedded team in Jeddah) — and specialises in brand partnerships, public relations and communications, social and digital strategy, and activations across the international sports industry. Its primary client base is motorsport rights holders (Formula 1 teams and Grand Prix promoters, the FIA, Formula E, the Dakar Rally) and brands seeking to enter or expand within motorsport and esports, including enterprise names such as Stake, KICK, Wilkinson Sword, Sauber Motorsport, NEOM, Circuit of the Americas, Las Vegas Grand Prix, Baku City Circuit, Saudi Motorsport Company, and BLAST.

SMG's offering is structured around four integrated service pillars: Brand Partnerships (sponsorship brokerage and consultancy), PR + Comms (event communications, media relations, crisis management), Social + Digital (end-to-end content and channel management), and Activations (campaign and event execution). The firm operates on both sides of sponsorship negotiations, brokering multi-year deals such as the Stake x Sauber title sponsorship and the KICK x Sauber global principal partnership, and provides embedded communications services to event promoters. It is a professional services business rather than a technology company; there is no proprietary platform, no disclosed API or SDK surface, and no AI/ML capabilities in the source material.

The business model is a sales-led, professional-services model. Revenue is generated through retainer- and project-based fees, brokerage commissions on sponsorship deals, and agency fees for campaign execution, with bespoke negotiated pricing per engagement. Go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement via business development, RFP processes and relationship-based selling, supported by a website portfolio, LinkedIn presence, Instagram content, and editorial blog output covering Middle Eastern motorsport. SMG claims £500M+ of revenue delivered cumulatively through sponsorship brokerage and consultancy, 450M+ social media engagements generated across client accounts, and coverage of 5 FIA/FIM World Championships alongside 15 Formula 1 Grands Prix, though these figures are stated as cumulative or aggregate rather than annualised.

Name

Sports Marketing Group

Legal name

The Sports Marketing Group Limited

Website

https://thesmg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sports Marketing Group is a privately held UK sports marketing agency founded in 2017, offering brand partnerships, PR and communications, social and digital strategy, and activations primarily to motorsport and esports rights holders and global brand sponsors, operating from offices in London, Monaco, Dubai, and Riyadh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sports Marketing Professional Services: SMG generates revenue through retainer-based and project-based professional service fees for brand partnerships brokerage, PR and communications, social and digital management, and event activations for enterprise clients in motorsport and esports. Revenue is derived from consultancy, brokerage commissions on sponsorship deals, and agency fees for campaign execution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMG is a sports marketing agency that brokers brand partnerships and sponsorship deals, delivers PR and communications programmes for major sporting events, and runs social, digital, and on-the-ground activation campaigns. It works primarily across Formula 1, Formula E, the Dakar Rally, and esports, serving both rights holders (teams, race promoters, federations) and brands seeking to enter or expand in motorsport and gaming audiences.

Product overview

Sports Marketing Group (SMG) is a sports marketing agency offering four integrated service pillars: Brand Partnerships (sponsorship brokerage and consultancy), PR + Comms (communication specialists for sporting events), Social + Digital (end-to-end digital and social services), and Activations (campaigns and event activations). SMG operates across international sports including Formula 1, Esports, Rally (Dakar), and Formula E, working with clients worldwide to deliver brand partnerships, promote sporting events, and create digital/social campaigns that engage fans across multiple markets and languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Brand Partnerships Delivers ROI for consumer and B2B-focused businesses through strategic brand partnerships, sponsorship brokerage, commercial rights, brand campaigns, talent collaborations, and experiential marketing across global sporting events.
• PR + Comms Provides high-impact communication campaigns for sporting events, including major event communications, media relations, crisis management, and bilingual stakeholder engagement to build visibility and protect reputation.
• Social + Digital Delivers end-to-end digital services including digital campaigns, social strategy, and content creation across events, teams, talent, and brands to drive audience engagement and grow follower bases.
• Activations Creates impactful campaigns and event activations connecting brands with audiences through strategic planning, creative ideation, and on-the-ground execution at major sporting moments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £500M in revenue delivered through sponsorship brokerage and consultancy
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

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

• Wilkinson SwordcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026SMG initiated and brokered the multi-year partnership between Wilkinson Sword and the Williams F1 Team, launching in January 2026. SMG shaped F1 strategy for Wilkinson Sword, identified the most aligned team opportunities, supported partner rights selection, deal negotiation, contracting, and is now supporting activation with social content and influencer activations.
• PolymarketcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Polymarket, the world's largest prediction market, became the 'Official Prediction Partner' throughout 2026 with BLAST. SMG supported Polymarket through the partnership sales process to develop the first prediction market partnership in esports, spanning BLAST Premier and BLAST Slam tournament properties.
• KICKcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024SMG brokered the global principal partnership between KICK, a global streaming platform, and Sauber F1 Team. KICK was integrated into the team name (Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber) for 2024 and 2025 seasons. KICK also became the title naming partner of Sauber's F1 Sim Racing Team, ensuring major commercial growth and market share acquisition for the streaming platform.
• StakeflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2023SMG brokered the record-breaking multi-year title partnership between Sauber Group and Stake, one of the world's leading entertainment and lifestyle brands. SMG worked on both sides to identify and enable the mutually beneficial agreement. Key rights included team name integration, dominant car branding, driver access for content creation, and unique experiences. The official announcement and livery launch took place in February 2023.
• TezoscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022SMG enabled the multi-year partnership between French-based esports organisation Team Vitality and global blockchain network Tezos, which became the main technical partner of the organisation in 2022. The partnership included cutting-edge fan experiences, blockchain education, and digital innovation in Web3.
• NEOMcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022NEOM partnered with McLaren Racing as title sponsor of its electric racing teams (Formula E and F1 Academy). SMG was tasked with bringing the partnership to life at the start of the 2024/25 season — activating across key moments, maximising impact in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, and delivering year-long internal communications connecting employees and leadership to the partnership.
• Baku City CircuitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG played a central role in shaping and promoting the identity of the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix over a near decade-long collaboration, working with Baku City Circuit to position the Grand Prix as a must-watch race for global audiences.
• Circuit of the Americas (COTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG works in close partnership with Circuit of the Americas to support delivery of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, bringing its story to a global audience. SMG serves as an extension of COTA's communications team.
• Las Vegas Grand PrixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG partners with the Las Vegas Grand Prix communications team to develop and execute international media strategies. SMG is the only race promoter on the F1 calendar promoted by Formula 1 itself, and SMG supports international PR and media operations.
• Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG has partnered with SMC since 2021 to support the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and since 2022 for the Dakar Rally. SMG delivers fully integrated communications including strategic consultation, PR, crisis management, end-to-end media operations, and bilingual communications (Arabic/English) from Dubai and Jeddah.
• Saudi Automobile & Motorcycle Federation (SAMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG delivers comprehensive social media management and content creation for the Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia, operating under four content pillars: Humans of Dakar, Inviting Innovation, The Future Generation, and The Saudi Story.
• Formula EcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMG was appointed as the PR agency for Formula E across the MEA region ahead of its move from Diriyah to Jeddah in 2025, delivering high-impact strategic communications and media relations.
• Rosland CapitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading precious metals firm Rosland Capital partnered with SMG in November 2022 to deliver a high-impact campaign for the Fernando Hierro coin collection, including PR, social media, and a launch event at Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid.
• Flatrock MotorclubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn 2022, SMG was engaged by Flatrock Motorclub in Tennessee to build awareness, shape perception, and establish the club as a serious new entrant in the international private motorclub space, securing features in Robb Report, DuPont Registry, Road & Track, The Athletic, and ESPN.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IMG (Endeavor): Global sport and entertainment group handling rights distribution, events, talent management and sponsorship sales across motorsport, golf and more. Comparable to SMG on event-side representation and brand-rights brokering, but at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
• Excel Sports Management: Sports talent and marketing agency representing athletes and brokering commercial deals, with motorsport clients. Comparable to SMG on sponsorship brokerage and athlete/team partnership work, with overlapping F1 and motorsport relationships.
• Havas Sports & Entertainment: Havas-owned sport marketing network offering sponsorship, PR, content and activation services to brands and rights holders globally. Comparable to SMG's integrated PR-plus-activation model, but operating at network scale.
• MKTG: Dentsu's sport and lifestyle activation agency, offering sponsorship, experiential and content services to global brands. Comparable to SMG on activation and brand-side sponsorship work, but operates at significantly larger scale as part of a global network.
• Wasserman: Global sport marketing, talent management and events agency with motorsport and brand-side mandates. Comparable to SMG on sponsorship consulting and brand activation, but with much broader sport and entertainment coverage.

Direct peers

• CSM Sport & Entertainment: International sport marketing and PR agency (part of Chime Group) working with brands, rights holders and events across motorsport, esports and entertainment. Closely comparable to SMG in client base, service pillars and event-led delivery model.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency owned by IPG, offering sponsorship consulting, PR/comms, and event activation across major sports including motorsport and esports. Most directly comparable to SMG in service mix and global brand-side mandate profile.
• Two Circles: Data-driven sports marketing agency working with rights holders and brands on sponsorship and fan engagement across major sports. Comparable to SMG's sponsorship brokerage plus social/digital model, though with a stronger data/tech overlay.
• Engine Sports: UK-based motorsport and sport marketing agency providing sponsorship, PR and activation services to motorsport clients. Closest comparable to SMG on size, motorsport vertical focus and mid-market enterprise client profile.

Regional players

• Mailman Group: China-focused digital sport marketing agency serving global brands seeking to reach Chinese sport audiences. Comparable to SMG on sponsorship-led sport marketing services, but primarily serves a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-sports-marketing-group-smg-
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesportsmarketinggroup/?hl=en-gb

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 Sports Marketing Group