In this episode of The Deal Room Sport from Sporting Group International and Sporting Jobs, host Ed Nell is joined by Adrian Wright, Ian Dutton and Harry Lynch to unpack what they call the “middle market” of sport, the space between elite, big-money rights and the grassroots. They share current deal activity across football, rugby, cricket, MMA and MLS, introduce Head of Sponsorship Taylor Ryan, and explore why mid-tier clubs and Leagues can offer better value, deeper relationships and more tangible ROI for brands than some top-tier properties.

Key Takeaways

The “middle market” is where SGI sees real growth. Adrian defines the middle market as clubs and properties outside the very top tier – the ones struggling to sell or even properly define assets like naming rights, training wear or portfolio rights. SGI step in as an extension of the club’s sales team, bringing realistic valuations, properly prepared collateral and genuine board-level buy-in so deals don’t collapse at the last minute.

Commercial income is survival money further down the pyramid. Ian stresses that for EFL and National League clubs, sponsorship is not “nice to have” – it can literally pay wages, fund infrastructure and build out commercial teams in the absence of huge broadcast revenues. That makes regional and mid-tier deals more meaningful for both club and brand, with sponsors seeing exactly where their money is going on and off the pitch.

Career-building opportunities flourish in smaller clubs. From a recruitment perspective, Harry highlights how Championship, League One/Two and non-league environments give candidates far broader experience than some elite set-ups. CEOs and execs wear multiple hats – from ticketing and hospitality to commercial and operations – creating leaders who genuinely understand every part of a club.

Good examples:

Reece Ellingham at Southend and James Corrigan at Northampton show how people can rise from entry-level roles to senior leadership by growing with a club.

SGI runs a disciplined, retained model in this space. SGI now operate a six-month minimum retained programme where they only take on rights they believe in. They benchmark valuations, shape presentations, test internal commitment and carry out due diligence on both clubs and brands – from board appetite to financial stability over a five-year term. Adrian notes they’ve brought offers to the table on every retained brief in the company’s history, even if clubs sometimes move the goalposts on value mid-deal.

League and portfolio deals are an underused play. Beyond individual shirt deals, Adrian sees big potential in league-wide or portfolio partnerships in areas like second-tier rugby – affluent audiences, national spread and strong alignment with sectors like financial services. With structures similar to EFL league sponsorships, brands can secure instant nationwide presence across multiple clubs through one, well-structured agreement.

Spotlight on Taylor Ryan: from selling vans to selling sponsorship. The episode “lifts the curtain” on SGI’s Head of Sponsorship, Taylor Ryan, whose route into sport started in car sales. After selling Adrian a van, he was invited to interview and has spent the last two and a half years brokering deals from the Premier League down to the National League North – including a training-wear deal worth £30–40k that effectively covered a club’s player wages, highlighting how impactful mid-tier sponsorship can be.

Top talent is actively choosing “projects” over prestige. Harry is seeing senior leaders deliberately leaving big clubs and NGBs for ambitious, medium-sized projects – such as Neil Hart joining MK Dons or Dave Boddy taking the CEO role at Solihull Moors. With clear 4–5 year plans, supportive ownership and room to make visible change, these roles can be more rewarding than moving sideways within another elite...