Adam Davis Joins Two Circles As MD North America
September 21, 2021
Bruin Capital sports marketing and data technology company Two Circles has hired Adam Davis as Managing Director, North America.
Davis joins from Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), where he was Chief Commercial Officer, leading a property portfolio which boasts the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center, the Premier League’s Crystal Palace and esports conglomerate Dignitas. Over his tenure, the HBSE portfolio produced triple-digit percentage revenue growth. He will assume the role at Two Circles from October 1.
Two Circles is the industry leader in using data analytics around sports fan behavior to help sports properties drive ticketing, premium, sponsorship and media growth. Its international client base includes the Premier League, F1, Liverpool FC and Wimbledon, while North American clients include the NFL, Learfield and several major league sports teams.
Recent game-changing work in North America includes supporting Learfield on the development and roll-out of Fanbase, the most comprehensive data and analytics platform in college sports, and creating a new customer data platform for the NHL’s New York Islanders, who sold out season tickets for their inaugural season at the UBS Arena.
Davis, who is based in New York, will focus on building the Two Circles brand across North America, and growing Two Circles’ sponsorship business. Two Circles is the market-leader in developing data-driven, audience-led packages that give teams, leagues and brands the ability to directly influence their target consumers and measure effectiveness in real-time, and its Rights Management vertical has generated over $1bn in sponsorship revenue for some of the world’s biggest properties including the All Blacks, Chelsea, AC Milan, UEFA and World Rugby.
Two Circles’ EVP Services & Products Sam Yardley, who is based at the company’s Los Angeles office, will continue to lead Two Circles’ Consultancy, Marketing Services and Technology business.
Gareth Balch, CEO of Two Circles, said: “We’re really excited to have Adam join us on our mission to rewire sports. Adam’s track record driving growth across a range of business streams speaks for itself, and he knows first-hand the opportunities that can be opened at sports properties, and in sponsorship in particular. He’s a dynamic leader who has transformed businesses and will play a pivotal role in Two Circles having an even bigger impact in a region where we see so much potential through our unique approach rooted in data analytics.”
Adam Davis added: “I’ve been blown away by the impact Two Circles are having globally and across some of North America’s leading sports properties. Data is driving the key decision making and growth of the best companies in the world, and in sports, the decisions being made every day on the field. But off the field buying habits have changed, decision makers have changed, and sports consumption has changed – now it’s time for sports properties to use data to increase revenues and profit across ticketing, premium, sponsorship and media. Two Circles’ approach has already helped drive billions in revenue for the biggest sports properties in Europe, and can stimulate a new era of growth across the North American sports industry.”
Prior to HBSE, Davis spent six-and-a-half-years at the Madison Square Garden Company, where he was responsible for generating new revenue streams across all divisions and acquired a portfolio of ‘Signature Partners’ worth a combined $1.2bn for the newly-renovated Madison Square Garden. He is also an alumnus of SportsBusiness Journal’s ‘Forty Under 40’, and was named in the Leaders Under 40 Class of 2018.
Two Circles, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this month, has been part of George Pyne’s investment and operating company Bruin Capital since 2019. Over this time Two Circles has experienced record commercial growth – doubling revenue and tripling profit – and has doubled its headcount across its global network of teams based in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Bern.
