Hanson Search specialises in Sports Marketing Recruitment. We hire senior sports marketing leaders, Heads of Marketing, Directors of Marketing, Directors of Partnerships and Sponsorship, VPs of Commercial and Chief Marketing Officers, for rights holders, federations, leagues, clubs, sports agencies, sponsors and PE-backed sports portfolios across  London, Europe, the USA and the Middle East.

Sports marketing has become one of the most consequential commercial disciplines in modern sport. The role now sits at the intersection of brand, partnerships, content, fan engagement and rights commercialisation, and the right leader can materially change how a rights holder, sponsor or agency monetises its audience. Consequently, the strongest senior sports marketing leaders rarely respond to inbound approaches or sit on agency databases. We headhunt them directly, assessing them on commercial instinct, sponsorship track record, content and partnership fluency, and the strategic judgement that boards, CEOs and CMOs increasingly demand.

Senior Sports Marketing Roles We Recruit

Our sports marketing searches span the full senior bracket. Specifically, we place Chief Marketing Officers, Chief Commercial Officers, Chief Growth Officers, VPs of Marketing, Directors of Marketing, Directors of Partnerships and Sponsorship, Directors of Fan Engagement, Heads of Brand, Heads of Content and the senior leaders responsible for commercial strategy, rights commercialisation and go-to-market.

Furthermore, we run specialist senior searches in adjacent areas including sponsorship activation leadership, broadcast and media rights, athlete and talent marketing, digital and OTT growth, fan data and CRM leadership, and the founding commercial hires that scaling rights holders, federations and challenger leagues make ahead of major rights cycles or institutional capital raises.

Why Sports Marketing Hiring Is Distinctive

The sports marketing market reads differently from any adjacent industry. Notably, sport now operates as a global content, media and commerce business running 365 days a year, with rights holders, sponsors, agencies and broadcasters competing for the same senior commercial leaders. The role profile is also unusually broad. Today’s senior sports marketing leaders frequently own brand, partnerships, content, fan engagement, sponsorship sales and commercial strategy inside a single mandate, often reporting directly to a CEO, COO or Commercial Board.

Equally, the rapid expansion of women’s sport, the scale of Saudi and UAE investment, and the growth of OT and direct-to-fan platforms have materially expanded the demands on the role. Consequently, our clients increasingly need sports marketing leaders capable of translating sporting properties into commercial narratives that resonate with global sponsors, broadcasters, fans and investors alike.

How Hanson Search Approaches Sports Marketing Recruitment

A lead consultant owns every sports marketing search end to end. We resist the volume-agency habits of long databases and light shortlists that hold back senior sports marketing hiring across the industry.

Three principles anchor every brief we deliver. First, we map talent across rights holders, federations, leagues, clubs, sports agencies, sponsors and PE-backed sports portfolios, because the right marketing leader often sits in an adjacent corner of the sports ecosystem. Second, we benchmark each candidate against commercial instinct, sponsorship and partnership track record, content and digital fluency, and the strategic judgement to operate inside fast-moving global sports businesses. Third, we test cultural fit thoroughly, because senior sports marketing leadership rewards leaders who combine commercial discipline with genuine sporting credibility. Our B Corp certification reflects a settled commitment to responsible search.

Speak With Our Sports Marketing Recruitment Team

For a confidential conversation about Sports Marketing Recruitment, our team welcomes a direct introduction via the form below. We advise on permanent appointments, interim leadership and confidential succession planning across senior sports marketing roles for rights holders, federations, leagues, agencies, sponsors and the wider global sports community.

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