Growing outside your home market is one of the toughest challenges a football club, league or federation can face — broadcast deals are shifting to streamers, sponsorship dollars are fragmented by region, and premium match-day revenue requires world-class execution.
The right sports & entertainment partner can dramatically compress that learning curve. Below, we profile the best firms for international football growth in 2025, what they’re great at, when to choose which, and we include real case studies so you can benchmark results and brief with confidence.
Why You Need a Partner for International Growth
Expanding globally means mastering multiple moving parts: media-rights packaging across time zones, local sponsorship sales, fan-engagement in non-home markets, and match-day revenue monetisation when you may lack physical presence.
Rather than build everything in-house, many clubs and federations outsource to firms with proven distribution networks, brand-partner relationships and experience navigating international markets.
How to Choose the Right Type of Firm
Before engaging an agency, clarify your objective:
- Are you focusing rights recovery and global distribution?
- Is your priority match-day revenue, premium seating and hospitality?
- Do you want to grow sponsors/brand partners in new regions?
- Or do you need market-entry strategy, local activation and analytics-led growth?
Match your goal to the agency type below. Set KPIs such as: incremental media-reach, cost per thousand views (CPM/CPV), premium-seat yield, sponsor-pipeline velocity, customer-acquisition cost (CAC) vs lifetime value (LTV) for D2C platforms.
Top Firms by Specialty
A) Global Media & Commercial Rights
- Relevent Sports — The lead agency for UEFA Champions League and other men’s club competitions from 2027-2033. They’re restructuring the global tender model, bundling regions, streamers and global matches to maximize value. Ideal for clubs/federations targeting large scale rights recovery.
Infront Sports & Media — A strong rights-sales partner with significant pan-European reach. Recently collaborated with Bundesliga International to close Eastern Europe broadcast deals from 2025–26. Ideal for leagues expanding distribution.
- Asia Football Group (AFG) — The exclusive commercial partner of the Asian Football Confederation (2023-2028). Great entry-point for Asian market commercialisation — media, sponsors, distribution.
- SPORTFIVE — Strong in regional commercialisation, especially across Asia and clubs. Good when you need a turnkey rights/distribution partner for a specific region.
B) Premium Experiences, Ticketing & Venue Revenue
- Legends Global (formerly Legends + ASM Global) — Specialists in stadium-led premium revenue (hospitality, premium seats, venue commercial optimisation). Partnering with clubs like Aston Villa F.C. and Valencia CF to optimise match-day income and fan experience. Ideal if your growth lever is match-day monetisation rather than purely media.
C) Sponsorship Sales, Brand Partnerships & Fan Marketing
- Wasserman — Global brand/partnership agency with a strong sports pedigree. Working with clubs expanding in North America and the women’s game. If your mandate is brand growth + sponsor sales in new markets, this is a strong pick. Also, one of best football agencies.
- SPORTFIVE (once again) fills the club-marketing niche for partners and activation in Asia/USA.
- IMG (Endeavor group) — A legacy global network agency. While broader than pure football, a credible option when you need multi-vertical (events + media + licensing) capabilities.
D) Strategy & Management Consulting for Global Expansion
- CAA Stellar Sports (with Portas Consulting) — In 2025 CAA acquired Portas, adding ~160 consultants and strong MENA presence. Ideal when your need is strategic market-entry, organisational design or commercial planning before handing off to a sales/execution agency.
-Dentsu Sports & Entertainment — Strong in JAPAC and culture-to-commerce branding + activation. Good when the growth play is non-linear (brand + culture) rather than purely media/sponsors.
Rapid Comparison: When to Pick Whom
- Rights maximisation & global distribution: Relevent, Infront, AFG
- Venue & match-day revenue growth: Legends Global
- Brand/sponsor growth (USA/women’s): Wasserman
- Asia-commercial rollout: SPORTFIVE
- Market-entry strategy & MENA focus: CAA Sports (Portas)
- Japan/APAC brand activation: Dentsu Sports & Entertainment
Mini Case-Study Snapshots
- UEFA x Relevent (2027-2033): Global mandate, new showcase match format, streamer-friendly packaging—setting the blueprint for a +€5bn/yr ambition.
- Bundesliga Int’l x Infront: New Eastern Europe broadcast deals from 2025-26 extend reach and stabilise value in growth territories.
- AFC x AFG: Single-client model across 2023-28, with fresh partner/media deals across Asia (e.g., ESPN, Canal+, Coupang).
- Aston Villa & Valencia x Legends Global: Multi-year commercial partnerships for hospitality, premium seats, venue optimisation.
- Valencia CF x Wasserman (North America): Rapid push for US/Canada brand partners; aligning women’s football growth via Wasserman’s specialist arm.
- BVB x SPORTFIVE: Long-term marketing/commercial partner; explicit focus on USA/Asia partner activation.
How to Brief These Firms (Checklist)
- Define growth objective (market, product, revenue line) clearly.
- Provide fan-data map: where you already have demand, where you don’t.
- Show inventory available: media rights, hospitality, signage, digital assets, content.
- Provide access to talent (players/coaches) for activation.
- Agree KPIs: reach, revenue, new markets entered, sponsor count, premium revenue.
- Clarify budget, length of engagement and whether you need full-service or niche support.
- Ask for case-studies in similar markets (region + sport).
- Set governance: who owns data, who owns creative, who owns growth/local team.
FAQs
Do I need a rights-house and a marketing agency?
Yes — one handles distribution & media rights, the other handles sponsors/activation. Often clubs engage both, or one agency covers both if they’re full-service.
How long before I see ROI in a new market?
Typically 12-24 months minimum. It takes time to build brand awareness, local partner pipelines, and convert fan demand into monetised revenue.
Which KPIs matter most in new markets?
Media / streaming reach, fan-growth (social/followers), premium-seat yield, sponsor pipeline velocity, cost per acquisition (CPA) vs fan lifetime value (LTV).
Do I need to provide assets?
Yes. Clubs/federations must provide content, player access, match-data, brand assets, local rights clearance. The agency executes — you supply raw material and brand story.
Final Thoughts
International growth isn’t about “getting more eyeballs” alone — it’s about turning those eyeballs into monetised value (rights revenue, sponsorships, premium match-day income, brand partnerships). The right partner gives you both capability and credibility in new markets.
Use the comparison above, align it with your objective, and brief smart. With the right fit, you’ll fast-track region-by-region growth rather than reinventing the wheel every time.
