The United States SailGP Team announced it has engaged the global sports marketing agency SPORTFIVE to lead its global partnerships relationship development.
SPORTFIVE will provide the U.S. SailGP Team with comprehensive sales and marketing services to help grow its roster of corporate and brand partners and secure new revenue opportunities for the American entry of the five-year-old global racing league.
“SPORTFIVE has an impressive network and deep relationships with marquee brands around the world,” said Mike Buckley, CEO and co-owner of the U.S. SailGP Team. “As part of one of the fastest growing sports properties, we have a lot to offer partners thanks to a global racing calendar, an award-winning TV product, incredible hospitality and impressive audience growth. We are looking forward to being part of the SPORTFIVE family for years to come.”
SailGP was launched in 2019 by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts, and over four seasons the league has grown from six teams and five events to 2023-2024’s Season 4 with 10 teams and 13 events around the world.
The U.S. SailGP Team was purchased last November by an all-star group of major sports, technology and entertainment leaders, led by founding Uber engineer Ryan McKillen, Margaret McKillen, and two-time world champion sailor Mike Buckley. The Avenue Sports Fund, led by Avenue Capital Group CEO Marc Lasry, is the lead investor in the largest team acquisition in SailGP history.
“We have worked with Mike and Taylor for a number of years, so joining them in their SailGP endeavor was a natural evolution for SPORTFIVE,” said Steve Loy, SPORTFIVE president of Americas. “The extraordinary growth of SailGP is undeniable and we are incredibly proud to represent the U.S. SailGP Team. Their impressive ownership and investor group is proof that the sport of sailing is being redefined. Creating revenue opportunities for our sports properties is paramount to our business and we see SailGP sitting uniquely between our golf and F1 businesses.”
SailGP is one of the only global professional sport leagues that have men and women competing on the same team, an aspect that SPORTFIVE believes is both a competitive advantage and an incredible opportunity for brands.
SPORTFIVE has an elite sales leadership team and an incredible network, which allows the agency to provide first-class commercial sales services to sports rights holders around the world. The agency has managed rights and delivered premium events across more than 30 different sports, and has a portfolio of more than 60,000 rights holders, brands, hospitality clients and broadcasters. On average, SPORTFIVE generates over $1 billion in gross sales per year, on behalf of its valued rights holder clients.
