AGENCY OF THE YEAR
50 Sport
The last twelve months were the biggest in 50 Sport history. The agency has grown 50% in revenue and headcount, built a new leadership layer, opened offices in 5 new markets and won its biggest client ever.
Big results come from big changes in focus. This shift in success has largely been attributed to three core changes. We’ve invested in developing new products and services, obsessed over improving our existing expertise and social capabilities, and lead the industry on championing effective women-in-sports marketing.
54
54 is a global sports and entertainment agency that has redefined the industry through innovation, strategic excellence, and a commitment to positive disruption. In 2024, the agency rebranded from Performance54 to 54, reflecting its expanded scope across football, F1, sailing, and more. With nine offices and 221 staff, 54 delivered exceptional results for clients including LIV Golf and the Aramco Team Series.
Highlights include £156.6M in revenue, 28 new client wins, 100% client retention, and the launch of new service divisions. 54’s work with LIV Golf generated $60M+ in new revenue models and welcomed 180K+ spectators across seven events. The Aramco Team Series saw 36K+ ticket sales and 99M+ video views, with innovations like the Aramco Energy Meter and Powered by How studio.
Sustainability and social impact are core to 54’s mission, with initiatives reducing emissions by 90% and supporting diverse communities through sport. Recognised by multiple industry awards, 54 continues to push the edge of possibility in sport.
Eleven Sports Media
Eleven Sports Media revolutionizes sports sponsorship by making elite team associations accessible to small to medium-sized local businesses (SMEs). We are the sole agency bridging the gap for SMEs, offering a proven, full-service model that delivers turn-key partnerships. Our formula of Association, Branding, Experiential, and Activation consistently provides tangible value, reflected in 5-star reviews from almost 1000 brands across 45+ global programs across Soccer, American Football, Basketball and Ice Hockey.
Operating from our new, state-of-the-art Manchester HQ, our experienced team has driven remarkable growth. In the last year, we’ve achieved over 50% revenue increase, secured multi-million-pound investment, and expanded our global footprint with landmark partnerships. These include the NBA’s and NHL’s first Small Business Partner Programs with the Milwaukee Bucks and New Jersey Devils, an inaugural West Coast partnership with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, and new EU market entry with FC Copenhagen. We’ve also added NBA partnerships with the LA Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sacramento Kings, and NFL partnerships with the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, and Baltimore Ravens. Our employee count has grown by 39%, and we’ve launched the Eleven Sales Academy to cultivate future talent, solidifying our position as a leading specialist sponsorship agency.
GMS Agency
GMS is the largest independent full-service marketing agency in golf, with headquarters near London and offices in Lisbon, Dubai, and North America. Operating globally, we represent some of the sport’s most iconic brands, clubs, resorts, and destinations. While golf remains central to our identity, GMS has evolved to deliver strategic, creative, and results-driven marketing services that meet the expanding needs of our partners.
We work across six specialist pillars: GMS Advisory, providing strategic counsel; Communications, leading PR and media; Partnerships, facilitating brand alliances; Studios, our creative and production team; Engage, focused on social media and community management; and Destinations, marketing the world’s leading golf resorts.
Our 23-strong in-house team ensures seamless quality control, consistency, and direct access to trusted experts. By keeping all work internal, we maintain agility, innovation, and high standards across every project.
GMS only works with partners who align with our values. We avoid short-term campaigns, choosing instead long-term relationships that encourage trust, creativity, and measurable success. This selective, client-first approach has driven our growth, strengthened our reputation, and secured one of the industry’s highest client retention rates—establishing GMS as a leading force in global golf marketing.
MatchFit
74% revenue growth.
A 100% new business pitch record.
Permanent headcount increased by 70%.
A second office opened in Manchester.
A client list featuring the world’s best sporting brands.
This was the rocket year MatchFit accelerated our vision to be the best sports communications agency in the UK.
The sports agenda, and the industry around it, is noisier than ever before. At MatchFit, we are the communications agency who speak the language of sport. Whether reaching a fan, player, consumer or business audience, we are trusted by world class clients across the full spectrum of sport.
This year we helped governing bodies such as The FA and The LTA drive grassroots participation. We worked with major rightsholders including Manchester City and LALIGA deepen their fan engagement. And we drove global brands including Topps, EA SPORTS and TravisMathew reach new consumer audiences.
Taking earned-first thinking and applying it through industry leading creative, media relations, influencer and content creator campaigns, social content, press office, events and crisis comms, we are the truly specialist PR agency the sports industry has been looking for.
And 2025 was the year we became truly MatchFit.
Soapbox
Soapbox is a multi-award-winning agency delivering communications and content for leading talent, brands, and rights holders in sport. Our mission is to cut through the noise of paid media by connecting sport and popular culture with earned-first thinking. We deliver resonant, authentic storytelling rooted in editorial insight, powered by trusted relationships, strategic counsel, and a bold, driven team. Our ‘Earn It’ proposition goes beyond media coverage, shaping how we approach content, ideation, and influencer collaborations. Founded in 2015 by Andy Bell and Rowan Wilkinson, Soapbox has grown from a borrowed desk to a full-service communications agency running global campaigns for some of the biggest names in sport.
In a crowded, paid-led landscape, Soapbox stands out by proving the enduring power of earned media. Redefining what it means to be a modern sports agency through cultural relevance, creativity, and purpose. We haven’t just earned media. We’ve earned influence, credibility, and a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking agencies in sport today.
TBA Group
TBA is a globally recognised agency with a standout reputation for delivering bold, creative campaigns across sport, brand, and B2B sectors. Sport sits at the heart of TBA’s DNA, with the agency consistently delivering high-profile activations that capture the passion, emotion, and global reach of sport. 2025 saw us shortlisted as Agency of the Year by Campaign.
With expertise spanning major international sporting events, fan engagement strategies, and experiential activations, TBA understands how to leverage the power of sport to tell compelling stories and deliver commercial impact. The agency’s strategic positioning, “Experience Everywhere,” aligns sport-led campaigns with cultural relevance and integrated marketing platforms – maximising reach and resonance across audiences and channels.
TBA’s growth reflects this strength, with successful delivery of Olympic hospitality activations, brand experiences at iconic locations like Covent Garden and Wilderness Festival, and global B2B events supporting the sports industry ecosystem. The agency combines deep sector knowledge with creative flair, delivering measurable results for clients such as Speedo and Carlsberg Group.
A strong internal culture underpins this success. With a people-first approach, industry-leading retention, and a commitment to inclusivity and development, TBA continues to set the standard for sport-focused creative agencies-blending insight, innovation, and impact.
The Space Between
We are the sports marketing agency for challenger brands. Our work sees us creating award winning campaigns for brands in partnerships, governing bodies, and endemic sports brands.
Our clients include Under Armour, Xero, AG1, Sky Sports and Sail GP.
Fiercely independent and ambitious, the agency was created four years ago as an innovative and nimble alternative to a sports marketing world dominated by holding companies and private equity investment. With double digit growth in each of our four years of trading, last year we grew our revenue by 13%, won significant pitches for AG1 x England Rugby and Sky Sports x British & Irish Lions, became the Under Armour retained agency in EMEA and won a competitive pitch for the 2026 Women’s Cricket World Cup. Our continued growth was balanced with our commitment to our people by placing 59th in the Campaign’s Best Places to Work 2025.
This year we set out to balance the present and future – exceeding all metrics for 2023/24 and developing our own proprietary tool for reaching sports fans. Our agency vision was built on a values-led culture and commitment to giving back which sees us donate 5% of our profit to charities each year.
WeAreFearless
WeAreFearless was born to solve problems for clients in a bolder way, always backed up by solid evidence.
Ten years on, we continue to stay true to our Boldness with Backup promise, constantly nurturing the two forces that power our work: creativity and science (whether that’s psychology, neuroscience or marketing science).
A challenging economic climate across the market saw us doubling down on this key differentiator.
We solidified our strategic offering with the addition of a data-led, AI-enabled property identification solution.
We broke new ground: We helped new, global e-commerce start-up ComAve build its brand and community through partnerships with ten iconic European Football Clubs.
We built new relationships: We helped brands within Danone (Harrogate, Volvic, GetPRO) tap into the power of sponsorship. We’ve started helping Royal London launch its iconic new British and Irish Women’s Lions partnership.
We celebrated longstanding client partnerships: The crowning moment of an eight-year relationship, Paris 2024 saw us launch our Prepared to Perform campaign for Bridgestone. Most importantly, we were steadfast in retaining and nurturing our team, the real force behind our most successful year of our decade-long existence.
