Offer focused on helping brands promote and protect their reputation in sport
- Formalises growing client demand for deeper sector expertise across integrated sports communications and advisory
- Where passion meets scrutiny, the new division is dedicated to elevating and safeguarding the reputation of sports brands
29 October 2025, London:
Edelman UK has launched Edelman Sport, a dedicated sports division, in response to growing client demand and the continued expansion of its work in the sector. This evolution reflects the firm’s momentum and success across a series of high-profile campaigns and partnerships, formalising a capability that has long operated at the intersection of culture, commerce, and competition.
Edelman’s expanded focus on sports communications reflects the continued growth and transformation of the sector. Sport has become an integral part of culture, business, and public dialogue, bringing with it increased visibility, stakeholder interest, and reputational considerations.
The firm’s enhanced capability is designed to help clients promote – by earning cultural relevance through meaningful action – and protect – by building trust and resilience when it matters most. By blending a heritage in trust and corporate reputation with world-class brand strategy and integrated creative excellence, Edelman enables clients to engage in sport with confidence, clarity, and cultural impact.
Julian Payne, UK CEO, Edelman, said: “At Edelman we have long understood the delicate balance between promoting and protecting reputations and nowhere is this more in focus than the world of sport.
In recent years, the reputations of teams, sponsors and governing bodies have become subject to much greater scrutiny as audiences grow ever larger around the world. To be able to thrive in this environment you must establish a strong identity and a relationship of trust with your audiences.
At Edelman we have studied what it takes to build trust for more than 25 years and we have seen that there are unique forces at play within the sporting arena which is why we have decided to create a dedicated space to serve this industry. We have an incredible array of clients already and I am excited to see where this team can go next.”
Edelman UK’s sports division is driven by a cross-practice hub that unites specialists from Corporate, Brand, Strategy, Creator, Crisis & Risk and Talent. Fraser Walters (Corporate Director), Nick Parnell (Brand Senior Director), Will Butterworth (Strategy Lead), and Loulou Dundas (Talent & Content Senior Director), will co-lead the group. This collaborative approach leverages Edelman’s UK and global network to deliver integrated communications programmes for some of the world’s leading sports organisations.
With more than 6,000 people in over 60 offices worldwide, Edelman brings unmatched scale and depth to sports communications, offering clients local insight with global reach. From global governing bodies and grassroots charities to elite athletes, iconic teams, brand sponsors, and leading media platforms, Edelman’s deep experience across every corner of the sporting landscape offers a unique vantage point.
The move follows the agency’s appointment by European Football Clubs (EFC) – the independent body representing over 800 professional football clubs across Europe – the latest in a string of major client wins that includes multiple motorsports teams and world-leading fitness brands. Together, these partnerships underscore Edelman’s growing reputation as a trusted advisor to the world’s most ambitious brands and organisations in sport.
EFC selected the agency after a competitive pitch to support its pan-European communications strategy and stakeholder engagement as part of a major repositioning and rebranding exercise earlier this month. Edelman’s new sports division, in collaboration with Edelman offices in several European markets, will help articulate EFC’s increasingly influential role in shaping the future of European club football.
Alongside these latest signings, the team has worked with some of the biggest names in sport and sponsorship including Heineken, Unilever, and Ascot Racecourse. From the relaunch of Formula 1 under Liberty Media’s ownership to the Cannes Lions Grand Prix-winning Eternal Run for ASICS, Edelman has a rich heritage in the sector, advising brands and organisations at the heart of sport’s cultural and commercial evolution. For more information, please visit the website here.
About Edelman
Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organisations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. For more than 20 years, we have studied the influence of trust across society — government, media, business, and NGOs — to shape conversation, drive results and earn action.
In 2024 alone, we were awarded the EMEA SABRE Award for Large Regional Consultancy of the Year, ranked 2nd across the board at Cannes Lions for Independent Network of the Year, were the first legacy PR agency to win a Titanium Lion, recognised as PRWeek's Dynasty Agency for the Past 25 Years and named an Agency Stand Out by AdAge.
Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data x Intelligence (research, data), Edelman Smithfield (financial communications), EGA (government and public affairs advisory), and UEG (entertainment, sports and lifestyle).