WPP launches WPP Media Sports, a unified sports and gaming practice

WPP has announced the launch of WPP Media Sports, a unified sports and gaming practice aimed at delivering scalable sports sponsorships, integrations and content solutions for brands. The new practice builds on WPP Media’s existing sports capabilities and is designed to address the changing ways audiences engage with live sports, streaming, social platforms, creators and gaming.

According to the company, WPP Media Sports brings together media, partnerships, content, experiential and analytics under a single operating model. The objective is to help brands plan, activate and measure sports investments more holistically, moving away from fragmented planning and disconnected measurement.

“It’s one thing to be on a fan’s mind during the game, but it’s another thing to stay there after the final whistle,” said Martin Blich, WPP Media executive director and head of US sports investment & partnership. “We focus on making every sports moment count — using data, insights, and tools to help brands turn fleeting attention into lasting engagement and real business impact.”

The launch comes at a time when live sports continue to play a central role in the global advertising ecosystem. As per WPP Media’s latest This Year, Next Year forecast, global advertising revenue is expected to grow 8.8% in 2025 to reach $1.14 trillion, driven by AI-led efficiencies, new advertiser categories and reinvestment into media. Live sports, the company notes, remain a key driver of premium attention, streaming growth and cultural relevance.

WPP Media Sports will eliminate fragmented planning and disconnected measurement, enabling brands to plan sports holistically, activate with precision, and optimise continuously over time.

A key element of the practice is its data-led foundation. WPP Media Sports will leverage proprietary, partner and marketplace data, supported by partnerships with GumGum and Relo Metrics, to provide real-time sponsorship measurement and contextual intelligence across platforms.

“Sports delivers unmatched attention. The real challenge is converting it into results. That’s what we do at WPP Media — we bridge the excitement of the game with the rigor of data-driven marketing, ensuring passion translates into performance,” said Susan Schiekofer, chief media officer, WPP Media US.

The practice is launching in a year marked by several global sporting events, including Super Bowl LX, the Winter Olympics and the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026. WPP Media said the offering is designed for an environment where speed, integration and intelligence are critical.

“For millennia, sports has united people and ignited passion across cultures and generations,” added Blich. “Our role is to make sure that power translates into tangible growth, embedding sports strategically into broader marketing and growth plans, so every partnership contributes to measurable impact.”

With WPP Media Sports, the company aims to move sports marketing beyond isolated moments towards connected, long-term strategies aligned with evolving fan behaviour and business outcomes.