SEG acquires SeiSei – a new chapter in talent and brand management
Talent management agency SEG - Sports Entertainment Group has confirmed that it will acquire creative management agency SeiSei as of 1 January 2026, in a move designed to strengthen its focus on talent development, branding and brand partnerships.
Under the agreement, SeiSei founder Karim Erja joins SEG in a senior role, while SeiSei Football – the agency’s football division – will continue to operate under its own name but work closely with SEG Football. The idea is to combine SEG’s global player-management infrastructure with SeiSei’s creative, branding and partnership expertise to build stronger, more holistic careers for athletes and creators.
In SEG’s own words, Erja brings “long-standing experience, a proven track record and an international network” and will take on a Partner Creative & Business Strategy role, developing new business domains, leading innovative projects and shaping brand structures aimed at “long-term, sustainable growth.”
Together, SEG and SeiSei say their working methods “complement each other naturally,” which is why the collaboration is being formalised into a full acquisition rather than remaining a loose partnership.
Who are SEG and SeiSei?
SEG – from Dutch football agency to international talent group
SEG (Sports Entertainment Group) was founded in 2000 by Alex Kroes and Kees Vos, initially under the name MT&V Sports International. It began as a management company for professional footballers and has since grown into a broader international firm representing footballers (Cody Gakpo or Nico O’Reilly), coaches (Guardiola), basketball players, cyclists and artists.
SEG Football is known for its licensed agents, international reach and strong presence in European markets, helping players and coaches with transfers, contract negotiations and long-term career planning.
In recent years, SEG has clearly shifted from being “just” a football agency towards a multi-vertical talent, media and brand platform, adding cycling, basketball and more structured commercial services to its core football business.
SeiSei – a creative management agency with lifestyle roots
SeiSei is a creative management agency specialising in sports, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Founder Karim Erja started in events and brand work in the late 1990s, turning his college event company into a modern creative agency before launching SeiSei in 2007 with the goal of building “game-changing international brands.”
SeiSei’s team includes former professionals such as Orlando Engelaar and Edward Burleson on the football side, combining on-pitch experience with agency and transfer know-how. The company positions itself at the intersection of talent representation, brand strategy, partnerships and lifestyle storytelling, helping athletes and creators grow as full-scale brands, not just performers.
That hybrid profile is exactly what makes SeiSei an attractive fit for SEG’s broader ambitions.
What Karim Erja brings to SEG
In his new role as Partner Creative & Business Strategy, Karim Erja will focus on developing new business domains around talent, lifestyle and entertainment. He will contribute in leading creative and commercial projects that link athletes, brands and media .
SEG describes his background as spanning sports, entertainment, media and technology, with a strong emphasis on creative positioning and partnerships – skills that go beyond traditional transfer and contract work.
SeiSei Football and SEG Football – how will it work?
A key detail of the deal is that SeiSei Football will continue under its own name, while integrating closely with SEG Football.
The two units are designed to be complementary rather than competing. SEG brings scale, global relationships and operational depth in football; SeiSei brings boutique creative strategy and a storytelling-first approach.
How this fits SEG’s wider strategy in talent development
This acquisition comes shortly after SEG announced another strategic move: the integration of leading women’s football agency FLOWSPORTS, now operating as SEG FLOWSPORTS, led by founder Leoni Blokhuis. FLOWSPORTS represents top names such as Vivianne Miedema, Jana Fernàndez Velasco and Wieke Kaptein, along with Dutch women’s national team coach Arjan Veurink.
That deal underlined SEG’s ambition to play a leading role in international women’s football. The SeiSei acquisition adds another layer, this time focused on creative strategy, brand building and partnerships across sports and entertainment.
