The Women's Sports Group

What The Women's Sports Group does

The Women's Sports Group (WSG) is a London-based specialist advisory consultancy focused exclusively on women's sport, founded by Dame Heather Rabbatts in 2021 and acquired by M&C Saatchi PLC in October 2025. The firm operates from 10–12 Emerald Street, London, with a team of approximately five to six professionals led by two Managing Directors (Steph Harries and Rachel Knight) drawn from BBC Sport, BT Sport, Sky, DAZN, IMG, and The FA. WSG delivers six integrated service lines: Media Rights Advisory, Broadcast and Content, Data and Insight, Strategic Communications, Brand Partnerships, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, applied to international federations, football clubs, broadcasters, brands, intergovernmental agencies, and platform clients.

The firm's service portfolio is delivered as bespoke professional services rather than productized software; notable engagements include acting as exclusive advisor to The FA on the 2021 WSL media rights deal, supporting DAZN on the UEFA Women's Champions League launch and award-winning films, advising Angel City FC on international expansion, and structuring the Zwift title partnership for the inaugural Tour de France Femmes. WSG's technology posture is intentionally non-technological — its competitive differentiation is rooted in domain expertise, senior rolodexes, and relationship-driven advisory rather than proprietary platforms or APIs.

WSG generates revenue through professional services fees on a project or retainer basis, with pricing bespoke and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market model is sales-led and referral-driven, leveraging industry reputation and direct enterprise engagement. Following the October 2025 acquisition, WSG operates as part of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment within the group's Passions & PR specialism, funded from M&C Saatchi's balance sheet and integrated into the parent's broader advertising and communications network. No public revenue, ARR, or deal value figures have been disclosed.

Name

The Women's Sports Group

Legal name

Women's Sports Group

Website

https://womenssportsgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Sports Group is a London-based specialist advisory consultancy focused exclusively on women's sport, providing media rights, broadcast, data, communications, brand partnership, and DEI services to federations, broadcasters, clubs, and brands; acquired by M&C Saatchi PLC in October 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media Consultancy

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Media Relations & Rights Support Services (Press Ops, Rights Packaging Support) (MPAKAKAN), Sports Public Relations, Communications & Reputation Management (MPAKAKAE)

Keywords

• Sports media rights advisory
• Women's sport consulting
• Broadcast strategy advisory
• Brand partnership consulting
• Sponsorship advisory services

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: WSG generates revenue through providing bespoke advisory services in strategy and negotiation across all sport. Services include media rights advisory, broadcast and content production, data and insight, strategic communications, brand partnerships, and diversity, equality and inclusion consulting. Revenue is generated through professional services fees, likely project-based or retainer arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Women's Sports Group provides bespoke advisory services in strategy and negotiation across women's and men's sport. Its core offerings cover media rights advisory, broadcast and content production, data and insight, strategic communications, brand partnerships, and diversity, equality and inclusion consulting, delivered by a specialist team to rights holders, broadcasters, brands and governing bodies.

Product overview

The Women's Sports Group is a specialist advisory and media rights consultancy in women's sport, operating as a single integrated consultancy rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its service portfolio comprises six distinct but interrelated offerings: Media Rights Advisory (broadcast strategy and negotiation for rights holders and broadcasters), Broadcast and Content (award-winning content creation and technical production), Data & Insight (data rights acquisitions and strategy across media, betting, and audio-visual data), Strategic Communications and Partnership Development (communications counsel and campaign delivery), Brand Partnerships (commercial and sponsorship consultancy), and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (governance and inclusion strategy). These services are delivered by a specialist team and are designed to be used in combination, providing a full-spectrum advisory offering to clients across international federations, football clubs, broadcasters, brands, intergovernmental agencies, tech companies, and platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Media Rights Advisory Advisory services to rights holders on broadcast strategy to maximize exposure and media revenues, and to broadcasters on content acquisition and portfolio management including bid strategy, negotiation and broadcast partnerships.
• Broadcast and Content Award-winning expertise in content creation, technical production, and broadcast, including coverage of UEFA Women's Champions League for DAZN and YouTube and advisory for films such as 'Game On: The Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport' on Netflix.
• Data & Insight Advisory services on media, betting, and audio-visual data rights acquisitions, integration, integrity and strategy, positioning WSG as trusted leaders across the sports data landscape.
• Strategic Communications and Partnership Development Expert communications counsel and narrative-driven campaigns for clubs, governing bodies, athletes, sports business leaders, event bidders, governmental bodies, and global brands, including the global launch of Angel City FC and title partnership advisory for the inaugural Tour de France Femmes with Zwift.
• Brand Partnerships Sales and commercial consultancy expertise for brands and rights holders on commercial partnerships, sponsorship and brand building, including campaign strategy, creative, architecture, innovation and asset creation to drive brand awareness and measurable return.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bespoke diversity, equity, inclusion and governance strategies for clients, with a guiding principle of measurable commitments to create and maintain an inclusive working culture and accelerate social and societal change in sport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exclusive advisors on landmark WSL media rights deal in 2021 - maximized exposure and secured vital revenue for the league's growth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• M&C Saatchi PLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025M&C Saatchi PLC acquired The Women's Sports Group in October 2025, funded through available cash on its balance sheet. The acquisition strengthens M&C Saatchi's sport and entertainment capabilities within its Passions & PR specialism, aligning with its strategy to invest in higher-margin growth areas. WSG now operates as part of M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Sports Consultancy: UK-based boutique sports advisory firm offering strategic consulting to leagues, federations, broadcasters, and brands. Closely comparable to WSG in size, geography, and advisory mandate scope.
• Sportfive: Global sports rights and marketing agency specializing in media rights sales, sponsorship, and digital content for sports properties. Closely comparable to WSG in media rights advisory, particularly for European football properties.
• Two Circles: Sports data and consumer insights consultancy working with sports rights-holders, broadcasters, and brands on data-driven commercial strategy. Direct overlap with WSG's data & insight advisory and broadcast-side strategy offerings.
• Wasserman: Global sports marketing, consulting, and talent management agency with deep capabilities in properties, brand partnerships, and media rights. Operates in the same advisory space as WSG, particularly around women's sports properties.
• CSM Sport & Entertainment: International sports marketing and communications consultancy offering sponsorship, communications, and event-based advisory. Comparable to WSG in brand partnerships and strategic communications work for sports federations and brands.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing consultancy offering sponsorship consulting, brand partnerships, and rights advisory. Closely comparable to WSG in advisory, commercial partnerships, and brand activation services for sports properties.

Regional players

• Mailman Group: China and Asia-focused sports digital and marketing agency acquired by CSM Sport & Entertainment. Comparable in advisory and partnership services to WSG, but with a primarily Asia-Pacific geographic focus rather than WSG's global federation and broadcaster focus.

Broad incumbents

• IMG (Endeavor): IMG is the world's largest sports and entertainment agency, offering media rights advisory, brand partnerships, and content production across global sports properties. Directly comparable to WSG in media rights advisory and broadcast strategy, but at vastly greater scale and across both men's and women's sport.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Major global talent and sports agency representing athletes, brands, and leagues across commercial partnerships and media rights. Comparable in sports representation and rights advisory but operates at significantly greater scale across both men's and women's sport.
• Endeavor: Global entertainment and sports conglomerate owning IMG, WME, and UFC. Broader incumbent comparable to WSG's parent (M&C Saatchi PLC) in being a publicly-listed group with sports advisory capabilities embedded within a larger portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WSportsGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-s-sports-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 The Women's Sports Group