What Intersport does

Intersport is a privately held, Chicago-based sports media and marketing agency founded in 1985 by Charlie Besser, who remains chairman and CEO with more than 90% ownership. The company operates across three integrated functions: event production and management, partnership consulting and sponsorship activation, and content/media production. It owns or operates 23 sports properties including college basketball tournaments (CBS Sports Classic, Fort Myers Tip-Off), the Association of Pickleball Players tour (80% acquired in 2022), the Skechers World Champions Cup, the Rocket Mortgage Classic (a PGA Tour event), and the Double Eagle Club at Augusta National. Intersport produces more than 300 hours of broadcast and streaming programming annually and executes more than 1,000 events per year, working with every major U.S. sports network (ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports).

The company's core technology is human-capital-intensive: it relies on 40 years of accumulated sports industry relationships, 20 Sports Emmys, and proprietary property creation capabilities rather than a software platform. Its distribution advantage is built on direct access to league executives, network presidents, and brand CMOs. The firm employs approximately 240-250 people across offices in Chicago (headquarters), Detroit, New York City, and Tampa, and has scaled from 50 employees at the start of CFO Dave Boblink's 29-year tenure.

Intersport generates revenue across three streams: event production and property ownership (one-time license and ticketing/hospitality economics), sponsorship sales and activation as a professional services engagement, and media rights and content production (licensing and production fees). Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting Fortune 500 brand clients, including Chase (15-year Sundance presenting sponsor), State Farm (title sponsor of multiple properties since 2005), 7-Eleven, Under Armour, Skechers, Heineken, Pilot, Dropbox, and Fiserv. The company has recorded 280% revenue growth across affiliated companies and 210% growth at the parent level over the past five years, driven by new property launches and the APP Tour acquisition. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed.

Name

Intersport

Legal name

Intersport, Inc.

Website

https://intersport.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Intersport is a Chicago-based independent sports media and marketing agency that produces events, broadcasts, and brand experiences for Fortune 500 clients, owning and operating 23 sports properties across pickleball, golf, college basketball, and volleyball.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Marketing & Event Production Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Media & Broadcast Sponsorship (In-Game Broadcast, Streaming Sponsorship) (MPAKALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE)

Keywords

• Sports marketing agency
• Experiential marketing services
• Sports event production
• Sponsorship activation consulting
• Sports media programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Event Production: Owns and operates 23 sports properties including college basketball tournaments, pickleball tours, and golf events. Revenue generated through event ownership, ticketing, and hospitality.
2. Sponsorship Sales and Activation: Consulting and activation services for brand clients seeking sports, entertainment, and cultural marketing platforms. Revenue grew 280% over five years across affiliated companies.
3. Media Rights and Content Production: Produces more than 300 hours of broadcast and streaming programming annually for sports networks. Content monetization through production fees and media partnerships.
4. Pickleball Property Ownership: Acquired 80% of Association of Pickleball Players in 2022. Sponsorship revenue grew from less than $1M to projected $10M annually.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Intersport is a sports media and marketing agency that produces events, programming, and brand experiences for sports and entertainment. The company owns or operates 23 sports properties, executes more than 1,000 events and 300+ hours of broadcast and streaming content annually, and delivers sponsorship sales, activation, consulting, content production, and hospitality services to major brand clients across consumer categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Double Eagle Club: Premium hospitality facility at Augusta National during the Masters Tournament
• UA Next
• The John Shippen
• Association of Pickleball Players (APP Tour)
• World Champions Cup
• CBS Sports Classic

Products and services

• Events and Activations End-to-end event production and brand activation services for enterprise clients, spanning experiential activations, hospitality experiences, and on-site event management. Intersport executes more than 1,000 events annually across sports and entertainment, delivering culturally relevant moments that drive earned media and consumer engagement for major brands.
• Partnership and Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-Eleven generated 1 billion+ earned media impressions with Cleat Crew campaign
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• ESPNcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor media partner broadcasting college basketball events, APP Tour pickleball, and World Champions Cup. ESPN president David Hill compares founder Charlie Besser to industry pioneers.
• CBS SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for CBS Sports Classic college basketball tournament and APP Tour broadcast deals with combined 20 hours of televised coverage.
• Fox SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing relationship running events across college basketball, volleyball and other sports. Executive VP Jordan Bazant cites trust and relationship-building.
• USA PickleballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body that sanctions the APP Tour. Polisky touts grassroots participation levels.
• PGA TourcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanctions World Champions Cup and Rocket Mortgage Classic. PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady cites ongoing creativity and willingness to take risk positions.
• Illinois High School AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner for March Madness trademark licensing rights since 1995. NCAA acquired license from both entities in 2010.
• SkechersflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children's. President Michael Greenberg: commitment to innovating the golf experience.
• Augusta NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperates Double Eagle Club hospitality business at Masters tournament. Led to introduction of ESPN to broadcast Masters coverage since 2008.
• PGA of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary Experiences Group partnered with PGA of America for Ryder Cup hospitality at Bethpage in 2025.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency offering sponsorship consulting, event creation, and athlete management. Closest direct competitor to Intersport's sponsorship activation and event production business, serving similar Fortune 500 brand clients.
• Playfly Sports: Sports marketing platform focused on high school and college sports sponsorships, NIL, and fan engagement. Comparable to Intersport's college basketball events, UA Next youth platform, and emerging-property monetization capabilities.
• GMR Marketing: Sports and entertainment marketing agency focused on experiential programs, sponsorship activation, and event production. Comparable to Intersport's enterprise-field-sales model serving major brand clients.
• MKTG (Dentsu): Sports and experiential marketing agency owned by Dentsu, providing sponsorship activation, event experiences, and brand consulting for major advertisers. Direct competitor to Intersport's agency services and experiential business.
• Legends Hospitality: Hospitality, sponsorship, and venue experience company operating across major sports venues and events. Closely comparable to Intersport's Double Eagle Club Masters hospitality and golf-event operations like the World Champions Cup.
• Wasserman Group: Sports marketing, content, and events agency with sponsorship, consulting, and property representation capabilities. Competes with Intersport across brand consulting, event production, and media rights work.
• Learfield (Learfield IMG College): College sports multimedia rights holder and sponsorship platform across hundreds of universities. Direct peer to Intersport's college sports property operations (CBS Sports Classic, college basketball tournaments, volleyball showcase).

Broad incumbents

• Creative Artists Agency (CAA Sports): Major talent and sports agency with marketing, media rights, and property representation divisions. A broader incumbent that competes with Intersport for sponsorship sales, event consulting, and content production work.
• Endeavor (WME-IMG): Large entertainment and sports holding company with IMG agency, talent representation, and owned properties (PBR, UFC, etc.). A broader incumbent whose scale and integrated offering compete against Intersport's independent, property-led model.

Emerging players

• Excel Sports Management: Sports marketing and talent agency focused on athlete representation, endorsements, and brand consulting. Comparable to Intersport's sponsorship consulting business but with a stronger athlete-talent representation angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intersportbuzz
• Facebookfacebook.com/IntersportBuzz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intersport
• Instagraminstagram.com/intersportbuzz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Intersport