WPP Sells Sports Data Firm Two Circles

Venture capital backed sports marketing firm Bruin Sports Capital has agreed to acquire the majority of consumer data analytics, sports marketing and technology practice Two Circles from WPP. Terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2011 and with 180 employees, Two Circles uses proprietary platforms to analyze massive volumes of data on global sports fans, for use in business development and marketing strategies. Clients include the NFL, the Premier League, UEFA, Formula 1 and Wimbledon; and specialties include ticketing, premium hospitality, sponsorship, stadium redevelopment and subscriptions. The firm has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London and Bern, Switzerland. WPP will continue to hold a minority stake in the company, having bought control of it in May 2015 and added it to GroupM's ESP agency.

Bruin was founded in 2015 by current CEO George Pyne and includes media tech firm Deltatre, NFL joint venture On Location Experiences, sports and entertainment experiential marketing agency Engine Shop, design agency Soulsight, and NFL Game Pass operator OverTier. The company has almost $1bn in venture capital - a quarter of it from WPP itself and $600m in a recent round - and employs 1700 people in 37 offices worldwide. Two Circles has been affiliated with Bruin since 2017.

Pyne says of the deal: 'As we look to the future of the sports economy, everything we do will trace back to how well we can leverage consumer data intelligence to spur growth. Two Circles has been way ahead of the industry on this and has developed a new breed of agency that serves every business unit of a sports organization. We are excited to have them formally join Bruin and look forward to working even more closely with their great team'.

Gareth Balch, Two Circles co-founder and CEO adds: 'The sports industry is moving from a B2B model to a direct-to-consumer model where growth will be centered around a direct relationship between sports and fans. Over the last eight years, we believe we have built proven models that can take sports properties on this journey. With Bruin's backing, experience, and relationships in global sport, we have the perfect platform to enter the next phase of commercial growth - both for our clients and as an agency'.

The agreement is subject to regulatory approval.

Web sites: www.bruinsportscapital.com and www.twocircles.com .