CAA Sports acquires global management firm Portas Consulting
May 15, 2025
CAA Sports has acquired premier global management consulting firm Portas Consulting. The deal adds more than 160 consultants in 4 offices to its business.
Founded in 1975, US-headquratered Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is a leading entertainment and sports agency with 16 offices worldwide.
Its sports division – CAA Sports – advises and supports clients with a broad range of services, including consultancy, branding, media rights, venue development, property sales, and athlete representation.
Since its inception, CAA Sports has completed more than $11 billion in new sponsorship business on behalf of its property clients and orchestrated precedent-setting naming rights agreements, including the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium; Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center; and the LA Clippers’ Intuit Dome – while its sports media advisory practice has structured and negotiated more than $100 billion in media rights deals since its formation.
As CAA Sports looks to build on that legacy, it has announced that it has agreed to acquire sports advisory expert Portas Consulting, subject to customary regulatory approval. The move will see Executive Chairman David Portas and Managing Partner Donal McElwee, join CAA Sports, along with their team of 160 consultants and staff.
“Portas Conulting’s mission is to transform the world through sport,” said McElwee. “We have grown organically by 30% annually throughout the last 10 years to become the leading independent advisor to senior leaders in sport. Our new goal is to expand even faster to create a world leading end-to-end advisory business. CAA Sports is the ideal fit to achieve this growth and diversification for the benefit of the industry, our clients, and our people.”
Founded in 2006, Portas Consulting is ranked among Consultancy.uk’s top sports management consulting firms, and provides its clients in the sector with strategic advice across all areas of the sports economy.
Having delivered projects in more than 40 countries, Portas Consulting has helped create and improve national sports policies; win bids for major events; and optimised famous leagues, associations and clubs; among others.
With offices in London, Riyadh, Dubai, and Singapore, Portas Consulting will rebrand to CAA Portas, following the conclusion of the deal. It will exist alongside the CAA Sports brand, but also be part of the organisation. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Paul Danforth, CAA Managing Director and President of CAA Sports, commented, “The global sports marketplace is evolving rapidly, creating unprecedented opportunities for the agency and our clients in both established and emerging markets. As CAA Sports continues its international growth plan, we remain focused on creating new service offerings that we can deliver to clients to accelerate their business objectives.”
“Portas Consulting is a best-in-class management consultancy, whose likeminded leadership and collaborative approach to client service will fit seamlessly into the CAA Sports ecosystem. By adding this unique expertise to our suite of services, we are uniquely positioned to help shape the future of the global sports industry.”