In this special 10th-anniversary episode of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by founder and CEO Adrian Wright, UK Managing Director Ian Dutton and Sporting Jobs’ Harry Lynch to look back on a decade in business. They revisit why Adrian walked away from a senior role at West Bromwich Albion to launch an agency, the early recruitment and sponsorship deals that proved the model, how they navigated Covid better than most, and why the next 10 years in sport will be driven by data, technology and a stronger pyramid.

Key Takeaways

Adrian explains how his role at West Brom featured constant takeover rumours, long hours, and endless trips to London to meet potential new owners pushed him to consider a different path. Backed by venture capital, he launched SGI and Sporting Jobs on the same day, leveraging his “half-decent black book” to combine sponsorship sales with a specialist sports recruitment desk. The very first placement was essentially his replacement at West Brom; Simon King, now a senior leader at Stoke City, quickly followed by an early sponsorship win with kit supplier Luke at Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

One of SGI’s most ambitious early plays was a proposed 10-club sleeve sponsorship across the Premier League. Adrian secured written interest from clubs and an offer from a major software brand, only for the deal to fall foul of an existing league-wide agreement in the same category. Later, a shirt deal with Olympique de Marseille saw nearly £1m in revenue land in the company account in a single day, a memorable milestone, but Adrian stresses the real challenge is repeating success and building something sustainable, not just landing one blockbuster agreement.

Unlike many in sport, SGI thrived through Covid. They helped negotiate what Adrian believes was one of the first Covid-specific clauses in a football sponsorship contract, scaling fees up or down based on live attendances (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%) to reflect lost hospitality and in-stadium exposure. At the same time, the team decamped to Adrian’s house, turning the kids’ playroom into a four-person office so they could collaborate in person while staying within restrictions. They even benefitted from “entrepreneurial instinct” when they chose not to renew an office lease just days before lockdown, avoiding a costly empty space.

The panel note that while top-flight clubs have grown sophisticated commercial and activation teams, further down the pyramid many sides in League One, League Two and even the National League have little or no dedicated commercial department. Instead of spending £70–100k on a single head of commercial, some clubs now retain SGI as an outsourced sales arm for 3–6 months, gaining instant access to a whole team, warm brand relationships and up-to-the-minute market intelligence. SGI can “switch on” activity from day one and bring a Premier League-style blueprint to properties like county cricket or smaller football clubs that would otherwise rely on inbound calls and opportunistic deals.

Key Moments

“We had in one day just under a million pounds’ worth of revenue drop [into the account].”

“We would probably have negotiated one of the first Covid sport-related contract clauses… if there’s no fans in the stadium for X amount of games, the fee would come down by Y.”

“We can literally bring a county championship cricket team a Premier League blueprint – they’re not going to get that by hiring a head of commercial under the cricket club.”

“Whenever we’re looking at doing a deal… the brand’s due diligence involves analysing how many social media followers they’ve got, what their database size is, what the broadcast lens looks like.”

About Sporting Group International

Sporting Group International (SGI) is a global sports marketing and sponsorship

In this Sporting Jobs special of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by regular guest Harry Lynch and new team members Max and Alex.

Together, they talk about breaking into the sports industry, the reality of graduate competition, and why voluntary experience is so valuable. They also reflect on Birmingham’s fast-evolving sporting landscape, from the Invictus Games and Deloitte’s Union of Sport Midlands event to Birmingham City’s new “Powerhouse” stadium, and lift the lid on current Sporting Jobs projects and where future roles in sport might emerge.

Key Takeaways

At the UCFB careers fair at Wembley, the question every student asked was, “How do I stand out?”. The team’s answer: get experience where others don’t. Voluntary matchday roles, media assistant positions at non-league clubs, writing blogs, starting podcasts or helping a local commercial director sell perimeter boards all build a portfolio that lifts you above a pile of identical degrees. Initiative, not just education, is what catches a recruiter’s eye.

Harry stresses that senior figures in sport are generally very willing to help if approached respectfully. Reaching out on LinkedIn after events, asking for a 10–15 minute call and being open-minded about roles (ticketing, retail, operations as well as commercial) can open doors you didn’t know existed. The message: don’t be blinkered about your “perfect” job, use conversations to discover new pathways in sport.

Deloitte’s Union of Sport Midlands event highlighted the Invictus Games coming to Birmingham in 2027. Hearing chair Vicky Gosling’s story brought home how pivotal sport can be in rehabilitation for injured service personnel. Max has a personal connection: his uncle helped organise the first Invictus Games in 2014 and even shared an office with Prince Harry, while both his parents served in the military. For Sporting Jobs, the Games represent both a powerful human story and a major opportunity to support new roles created in the city.

The new “Powerhouse” stadium proposal for Birmingham City is seen as transformative – not just for the club but for the Midlands. With talk of NFL games, concerts and thousands of jobs post-completion, the team believe it will force other local clubs and businesses to innovate, help cement Birmingham’s status as the UK’s second city, and complement existing developments from the Commonwealth Games legacy to the Bullring’s “glow-up”.

Harry and the team discuss their retained search for the Chair of the Board at Warwickshire County Cricket Club / Edgbaston – one of the most prestigious non-executive roles in sport, and how their Birmingham base helps them meet candidates and stakeholders face-to-face.

In this Christmas special (better late than never) of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by CEO Adrian Wright, UK Managing Director Ian Dutton and SGI’s Country Manager for Spain, Diego Pesqué.

Together they chart SGI’s journey from early international work in India through to a growing presence in Europe, Japan and the Far East, and unpack what “internationalisation” really means for clubs, Leagues and brands looking to reach new fans and unlock fresh revenue streams.

Key Takeaways

Diego frames internationalisation as the deliberate actions a club or rights-holder takes to grow its brand beyond its home market. With domestic markets in Spain, the UK and elsewhere increasingly saturated, he argues clubs must expand abroad to find new revenue and fans. In a data-driven sponsorship world, brands demand clear metrics and reach; clubs that remain purely domestic will struggle to attract international money or blue-chip partners.

Where once a club’s only real international income came from shirt sales and limited broadcast, Diego highlights how digital fans around the world now subscribe to memberships, buy merchandise online and pay for pay-per-view or streaming. Ian explains how SGI’s structure with people on the ground in the UK, Spain, India and soon the Far East – allows them to identify assets in one market and match them with brands in another. Europe is already “tick” for SGI, with Diego leading in Spain and plans to hire further in the region. Adrian reveals a new strategic partner for 2026 that will give SGI a footprint in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan, operating in collaboration rather than as a simple badge-swap.

The US is the next major target: SGI are already talking to MLS clubs and other properties, and see 2026 as the year they must have a formal presence there. Ian observes that many modern fans, especially internationally, follow players more than clubs. When a star like Lionel Messi moves, a large portion of his global following moves with him. Diego’s own journey, admiring Barça, then Arsenal, Liverpool, West Ham, and now leaning towards Manchester City while also backing Deportivo La Coruña and Barça at home, illustrates how fluid overseas fandom can be and why clubs must think globally rather than assume lifelong local allegiance.