Sports Entertainment Tours

What Sports Entertainment Tours does

Sports Entertainment Tours is a privately held specialist tour operator founded in 2021 and headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The company curates and sells bundled travel and hospitality experiences centred on major sports fixtures (rugby — Six Nations, Autumn Internationals, Rugby World Cup; Premier League and European football; Formula 1; NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL; plus cricket, tennis, golf, darts and horse racing) and live concerts (e.g., Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Luke Combs at Slane Castle). Its core offering packages official match or concert tickets together with flights, hotels, ground transfers, and tiered hospitality add-ons (lounge access, gourmet dining, private suites), sold either as full packages or as ticket-only land arrangements.

The business operates without disclosed proprietary technology: customer-facing capabilities are limited to a website catalogue, online booking enquiry, digital/email ticket delivery, Ticketmaster Transfer integration, and a downloadable events calendar. Operational depth comes instead from officially brokered relationships with rights-holders — IRFU for Ireland rugby, NFL teams and league partners, and venue-level partnerships such as Slane Castle — plus regulatory credentials (ATOL and Travel Trust Association) that provide 100% financial protection on all bookings.

Commercially, SET runs a hybrid go-to-market model. Direct channels (website, phone, email) serve individual consumers, with a dedicated Corporate Sales function (led by Head of Corporate Joely Bonner) handling bespoke enterprise hospitality and group bookings. A growing channel partner network — anchored by Hays Travel (500+ branches) and Travel Counsellors (2,200+ advisors) — distributes packages through UK and Irish travel agents, with SET retaining a dedicated agent portal and trade commercial role. Pricing is per-package/per-ticket in GBP and EUR, with non-refundable deposits and final balances due 12 weeks pre-event. Additional revenue comes from owned 'An Audience With' IP events featuring sports legends (Ronan O'Gara, Rory Best, Bryan Habana, Tommy Bowe) and a sister-company relationship with Sports Pro Travel, which provides professional-team group logistics capability.

Name

Sports Entertainment Tours

Legal name

Sports Entertainment Tours

Website

https://sportsentertainmenttours.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sports Entertainment Tours is a Belfast-based specialist tour operator that bundles official sports and concert tickets with flights, hotels, transfers, and hospitality, selling directly to consumers and corporate clients and through UK and Irish travel agent partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports & Entertainment Travel Services

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219), Tour Operators (561520), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Events & Match Tickets (THAJAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue Tours & Premium Hospitality Packages (Backstage, VIP, Suites) (THAJAFAL), Sports Ticketing (HSACALAB), Sports Hospitality & Premium Experiences (VIP, Suites, Fan Zones) (MPAGAMAJ)

Keywords

• Sports travel packages
• Event hospitality services
• Corporate hospitality events
• Concert ticket packages
• Rugby football travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Package Sales (Flights + Tickets + Hotels + Hospitality): The primary revenue stream is selling bundled travel packages that combine match/concert tickets, flights, hotel accommodation, ground transfers, VIP access, and hospitality dining. Packages range from affordable access tiers to luxury hospitality experiences. Revenue is one-time per booking with optional upsells (hospitality upgrades, extra nights, add-on experiences).
2. Ticket-Only Sales: Customers can purchase match or concert tickets without full travel packages (land-only), paying a per-ticket price. Tickets are sourced through official partnerships with teams, leagues, governing bodies, and Ticketmaster.
3. Corporate Hospitality: Bespoke corporate packages for client entertainment, staff incentives, and VIP events. Includes private suites, VIP seating, gourmet dining, flights, five-star hotels, and private transfers. Handled by Corporate Sales Manager Joely Bonner.
4. Travel Agent Commission / B2B Margin: Revenue generated through the agent channel, where travel agents resell SET packages to their own clients. The company describes growing from a few agencies in Northern Ireland to most independent agencies there and select agencies across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sports Entertainment Tours sells bundled sports and entertainment travel packages combining official event tickets (rugby, football, motorsports, US sports, concerts) with flights, hotel accommodation, ground transfers, and tiered VIP/corporate hospitality options. It also offers ticket-only sales and bespoke corporate hospitality packages for client entertainment and group bookings. Distribution combines direct consumer sales with a growing travel trade channel via Hays Travel, Travel Counsellors, and independent agents across the UK & Ireland.

Product overview

Sports Entertainment Tours operates as a specialist sports and entertainment travel operator offering a unified platform combining event tickets, travel arrangements, and hospitality services. The core offering consists of sports event tickets spanning football (Premier League clubs, European competitions), rugby (Six Nations, Autumn Internationals, Rugby World Cup), motorsports (Formula 1 including Silverstone), US sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL), and live concerts. The platform delivers complete travel packages bundling flights, hotels, ground transfers, and match tickets, complemented by VIP hospitality upgrades for premium experiences. Recent additions include dedicated US sports travel programmes and exclusive agent partnership networks through Hays Travel and Travel Counsellors. Additional products include corporate hospitality services, gift vouchers, and exclusive events like An Audience With sports legends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Event Tickets and Travel Packages Official match tickets for global sporting events with optional bundled flights, hotel accommodation, ground transfers, and matchday logistics for individual fans and groups.
• Concert Tickets and Packages Tickets and hospitality packages for major live music events worldwide, with optional bundling of hotel stays and travel arrangements.
• VIP Hospitality Packages Premium hospitality upgrades such as lounge access, gourmet dining, welcome drinks, fast-track entry, and dedicated on-the-ground hosts for luxury event experiences.
• Corporate Hospitality Bespoke corporate packages for client entertainment and staff incentives featuring private suites, VIP seating, gourmet dining, flights, five-star hotels, and private transfers for groups.
• US Sports Travel Programme Dedicated programme for US sporting events including NFL games (Super Bowl, Croke Park Dublin), NBA basketball, MLB baseball, and NHL ice hockey with tailored American sports experiences.
• An Audience With Sports Legends Events Exclusive hosted hospitality events featuring live Q&A sessions with sports legends such as Ronan O'Gara, Rory Best, Bryan Habana and Tommy Bowe at premium venues.
• Gift Vouchers Gift voucher packages for sports and entertainment experiences, ideal for birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, and other special occasions for sports fans.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-star Trustpilot rating sustained across multiple verified reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Travel CounsellorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 May 2026Sports Entertainment Tours secured a major new UK and Ireland partnership with Travel Counsellors, one of the industry's most established advisor networks. The partnership gives advisors across UK and Ireland access to SET's full range of entertainment travel packages including global sporting events, concerts, and bespoke experiences. It connects the business to a global network of more than 2,200 Travel Counsellors — one of the largest communities of independent travel professionals — each serving their own loyal base of leisure and corporate clients. The collaboration responds to growing demand for premium experience-led travel.
• Slane CastlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sports Entertainment Tours announced an exclusive hospitality partnership with Slane Castle for Luke Combs' My Kinda Saturday Night Tour on Saturday 18th July and Sunday 19th July 2026. This was a landmark partnership at one of Ireland's most iconic concert venues (1,500-acre estate, 80,000+ capacity). SET clients enjoyed private seating within the exclusive Castle compound, grandstand seats, hospitality marquee access, and three dining options. SET's Managing Director John Boyde described the partnership as 'incredibly exciting.' The event drew 180,000 fans over the double weekend, making Luke Combs the first country artist ever to headline the iconic Slane Castle stage.
• Hays TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 July 2025Belfast-based Sports Entertainment Tours announced a new partnership with Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent. This expands Hays Travel's offering in the fast-growing sports and entertainment travel sector, giving SET access to Hays Travel's network of over 500 retail branches and thousands of homeworkers. The partnership enables agents to offer SET's Premier League football, Formula 1, rugby, cricket, tennis, golf, horse-racing, and concert packages to a much wider consumer audience. SET's growth over 18 months across corporate, public, group hospitality, and trade sectors was a driver for the partnership.
• NFL Teams and League PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports Entertainment Tours has built direct working relationships with US-based NFL teams and league partners over the past two years. These relationships allow SET to secure exceptional ticket inventory and exclusive experiences for NFL Dublin games (e.g., Minnesota Vikings vs Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park) and other NFL International Series fixtures. Jordan McCluskey, Travel Trade Executive, noted that these connections are a key enabler of the company's US sports travel programme.
• IRFU (Irish Rugby Football Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports Entertainment Tours positions itself as a provider of '100% verified official IRFU tickets' for Ireland rugby matches at the Aviva Stadium, including Six Nations, Autumn Internationals, and Rugby World Cup fixtures. This official relationship with the Irish Rugby Football Union enables guaranteed ticket access for SET's rugby packages.
• Herbert Park HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSET has a preferred hotel partnership with the Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin, described as within walking distance of Aviva Stadium, offering modern restaurant service and high-quality hospitality. The hotel is recommended as part of SET's rugby matchday package offering.
• Sports Pro Travel (Sister Company)coreOthersSports Pro Travel is the sister company of Sports Entertainment Tours, managing high-volume group travel for professional sports teams globally. SET leverages Sports Pro Travel's expertise and operational infrastructure to deliver complex group and corporate bookings, demonstrating the group's proven capability in large-scale logistics. The relationship is described as adding 'added strength' to SET's offering.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ticketmaster: Dominant global primary ticketing platform and the upstream supplier SET relies on for many allocations. Not a direct package competitor but a structural counterpart whose policy changes, fees, or direct-to-consumer moves could materially affect SET's ticket supply and pricing.
• Viagogo: Global secondary ticketing marketplace for sports, concerts and theatre. Operates in adjacent ticket-purchase behaviour to SET's sports fan customers and represents the unofficial resale channel that SET's official-partnership model is explicitly positioned against.
• Eventim: Major European ticketing and live entertainment platform with growing sports and concert ticketing across the UK and Ireland. Relevant broader incumbent as it expands into sports event inventory that SET also targets.

Direct peers

• Gullivers Sports Travel: Long-established UK sports tour operator offering tickets and travel packages for Premier League, rugby internationals, F1, horse racing, and tennis. Comparable in product mix (event tickets + bundled travel) and target customer (UK leisure sports fans).
• Hospitality Finder: UK sports hospitality specialist selling official VIP boxes, lounges, and dining experiences for football, rugby, cricket, tennis and concert events. Overlaps directly with SET's corporate hospitality and premium hospitality package business.
• Sportsbreaks.com: UK-based specialist sports tour operator selling match tickets bundled with flights, hotels, and official hospitality for Premier League, UEFA, rugby, F1, and concerts. Most direct competitor on sports-event packages to UK/Ireland consumers with similar official-partnership inventory model (owns Keith Prowse).
• Champions Travel: UK sports tour operator specialising in Champions League and European football match packages with bundled travel. Comparable on football-centric event packages and UK consumer target market.
• Destination Sport Group: Ireland-headquartered international sports travel group operating sport-specific tour brands (e.g., Ireland rugby travel, Grand Slam tours). Closest geographic peer with comparable event-bundling model serving rugby and football fans across UK/Ireland.
• Keith Prowse: Official hospitality provider for UK sporting events (cricket, rugby, tennis, horse racing), now part of Sportsbreaks Group. Direct competitor on premium hospitality packages and corporate event experiences with strong rights-holder partnerships.

Emerging players

• Seat Unique: Digital hospitality marketplace offering official VIP hospitality for sports and music events with a consumer-facing booking platform. Competes in the same premium packages / corporate hospitality vertical with a tech-first UX versus SET's traditional enquiry-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportsentertainmenttours-com

Compliance2 records

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 Sports Entertainment Tours