Playfly Sports, renowned for its innovative approach in sports media, marketing, and technology, declared its strategic move to acquire Evolution Sports, a company based in London and led by Dan Lipman and Archie Woodhead. This move signifies Playfly’s entry into the international market, enhancing its ability to harness the commercial opportunities for its clientele through distinctive sponsorships and activities, rooted in the company’s data-centric strategies.
With this acquisition, Playfly strengthens its Global Partnerships division, which collaborates with prestigious entities like the English Premier League and Bayern Munich, offering expertise in brand consulting among other services. Welcoming Lipman and Woodhead as co-managing directors not only marks Playfly’s establishment of its inaugural international office but also propels the firm’s global expansion and enriches its leadership capabilities.
Since its inception four years ago, Playfly has emerged as a dominant force in the United States’ sports media and marketing landscape, connecting with 85% of American sports enthusiasts. The company boasts partnerships with over 2,000 brands and more than 100 sports properties, including giants like the NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball, supported by a workforce of around 1,000 across 43 states.
Mike Schreiber, the founder and CEO of Playfly, highlighted the vast opportunities in the European sports sponsorship market. He emphasized the company’s readiness to extend its successful model abroad, ensuring partners can effectively engage and monetize their fan base. Schreiber praised Lipman and Woodhead’s impressive capabilities in enhancing partner value, expressing enthusiasm for the synergy this collaboration is poised to create.
Playfly aims to utilize its extensive network, sales prowess, and innovative solutions to aid sports leagues, teams, and entities outside the U.S. in monetizing their sponsorship and media rights. This includes engaging American audiences with the company’s unique resources.
Lipman expressed excitement about bringing Playfly’s unparalleled media revenue generation capabilities to the European sports sector. He pointed out Playfly’s deep-rooted international experience and the extensive benefits clients will gain from the company’s comprehensive reach, scale, and expertise. This partnership is expected to leverage Playfly’s ‘Fandom as a Service’ platform for global commercial success.
Lipman and Woodhead have a notable history of developing technology-led sponsorships that resonate with worldwide audiences, enhancing brand value. Their careers have flourished at leading agencies such as CSM and IMG, where they’ve introduced groundbreaking tech products that transform rights monetization through data, content, interactive fan experiences, and more. Their portfolio includes advising and representing entities across various sports, contributing to the commercial strategies of some of the world’s largest sports organizations.
