Global sponsorship consultancy — Est. 2017, London
We help brands and rights holders unlock the full potential of sport — through smart strategy, intelligent procurement and activation fans actually feel.
Why we exist
Sport is built on moments — skill, passion, controversy, loyalty. For brands those moments are a chance to tell a story and join the conversation. For rights holders they are inventory that can fund the future.
Sakura Sports sits between the two. We have stood on both sides of the table, so we know what a deal is worth to each of them — and what it takes to make it land.
*Two Circles, 2024. The rest is activation and media — where value is won or lost.
What we do
End-to-end, or dropped into the middle of a live negotiation. The model flexes to the brief — the rigour doesn't.
Sponsorship strategies aligned to business objectives and audience — built to give you a competitive edge before a single right is bought.
A trusted conduit between brands and rights holders. We surface the properties that fit audience, ambition and budget — including the ones that never reach the market.
Win-win structuring with the insight and rigour to make sure nothing is left on the table — the reason our partnerships last beyond the first term.
Strategy turned into moments fans feel, share and remember — hospitality, content, fan experiences and campaign platforms that convert visibility into value.
KPIs agreed before signatures, tracked after them. Every engagement ends with evidence for the renewal conversation — not a highlight reel.
How we work
Focused, flexible, and shaped by your objectives from day one. Six moves — every one of them earned on real deals.
We start with your challenges, not our rate card. Objectives get prioritised and shaped into a clear, actionable plan.
We begin with the end in mind — audience insight, business priorities and tailored KPIs that say what winning looks like.
Deep sector knowledge plus market research and audience data produce a shortlist that matches your brief and budget.
You get the evidence to make a confident, informed decision — so the sponsorship lands as an investment, not a leap.
We negotiate with insight and rigour. Bespoke rights packages, priced on evidence, structured for tenure.
The right metrics, tracked honestly — used to prove the deal and improve the next one.
Where we play
Not a directory of sports — the arenas where we have closed deals, built audiences and learned what fans respond to.
Brand side / Rights side
The deepest sponsor category in sport. We know how trading, payments and betting brands buy — and how clubs price against it.
Founder background
Twenty years in and around the paddock. Premium inventory, hospitality economics and B2B activation that justifies the spend.
Growth territory
A generation that watches competition the way their parents watched football. Native formats, honest metrics, no forced fit.
Proven — BJK Cup
The fastest-appreciating inventory in the market — and the one where brand alignment matters most. We closed a multi-year landmark deal here.
Proven — IHF 2025
Handball, volleyball, arena properties — concentrated attention, free-to-air reach and sponsor value the big leagues can't match per pound.
Proven — 745 Game
Charity fixtures and cause-led properties done seriously: broadcast deals, sell-out crowds and sponsor rosters with real names on them.
Selected work
Working alongside 1XBET's Global Sponsorship Team, we sourced, structured and negotiated a multi-year partnership with the Billie Jean King Cup — the world cup of women's tennis.
As an extension of INTERSPORT's global brand & marketing team, we evaluated the market and delivered a partnership with the IHF Men's World Championship 2025.
One match uniting rugby league and union for motor neurone disease. We drove visibility and revenue — including a first-of-its-kind broadcast deal with TNT Sports.
In their words
"Sakura Sports made sure they completely understood our business and our needs. The level of detail, diligence and insight made this partnership an easy decision to make."
Andy Hogg — GM, Global Brand & Marketing, Intersport
"From our initial call through to the final contract negotiations, Matt was there every step of the way. Creative, professional — and he delivers great results."
Kerstin Lutz — CEO, Billie Jean King Cup
"Matt evaluated and identified a progressive approach to leverage sponsorship as a platform to drive our social responsibility strategy — and further ROI."
Elliott Santon — Regional Marketing Director, DHL Express
"We brought Matt in with tight deadlines and big targets. His effort and reliability were important to making the event such a success."
Rob Webber — CEO, The 4Ed Foundation
The team
The people who pitch are the people who do the work. Three careers, sixty-plus years of sport between them.
Founder · Strategy & Negotiation
Twenty-plus years with Red Bull, Formula 1, IMG and Wembley Stadium. Turns customer insight, negotiation and sporting knowledge into partnerships that perform.
Commercial Strategy
23 years advising 42 of Europe's 100 largest businesses. Professional-services rigour applied to the emotional dynamics of sponsorship.
Data, BI & Analytics
Led Business Intelligence at Volleyball World; part of the team that delivered FIVB's $300M investment. Turns data into decisions.