WPP Create New Sports Marketing Company ESP Properties

Advertising giant WPP will be expanding into the sports and entertainment business by forming a new sports marketing agency under its media investment management company GroupM.

They have announced the launch of ESP, buy sale | which is made up of two separate businesses: ESP Properties and ESP Brands.

ESP Properties will be GroupM’s first company dedicated to serving rightsholders from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including federations, leagues, events, teams, publishers and venues.

It will offer a thorough assessment of their commercial programs, and advise how to grow the revenue they generate through a full range of services across data, digital and content development. 

ESP Properties will be formed through new hires, the integration of existing GroupM business units including sponsorship agency IEG, and the acquisition of data-driven sports marketing agency Two Circles.

Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, said: “There is significant and growing demand on the part of clients to invest more in content and sports but few in our industry have had a serious response to this.

“Our new ESP Properties will bring creative power and commercial insight to rightsholders for the first time, providing unmatched opportunities to better tailor their offerings to the needs of today’s brand sponsors.

Dominic Proctor, Chairman of ESP and President of GroupM Global, said: “The global launch of ESP Properties brings leading commercial and creative capabilities to some of the world’s most celebrated names across sports and entertainment.

“Sport is a driving force in media and we want to serve the market better by assisting rightsholders in optimizing their properties and creating more winning partnerships with leading brands.”

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