On the latest episode of La Previa, Asli Pelit talks to Sergio Friede and Pierre Jouannin, co-founders of Group 1, a new sports marketing agency, about how they plan to help athletes expand their global reach and revenues and become a bridge between the U.S. and Europe.
NBA players Larry Nance Jr. and Joe Harris and European soccer stars Thibaut Courtois and Marco Asensio are also investors in Group 1, which is based in Madrid.
Prior to Group 1, Friede and Jouannin had successful stints at the NBA, working closely with athletes. Friede spent seven years with the league as its head of marketing and growth for Europe and the Middle East, and Jouannin was the NBA’s player, influencer and partner marketing lead for the same region.
“In the last decade, we have seen that players are no longer just what they do on and off the pitch,” said Friede. “They want to be executive producers of documentaries or series; they want to be fashion icons; they want to release music albums, playing different roles beyond sport. They want to create their portfolio while they are active to have a plan once they retire from soccer.”
Globalization and social media have impacted how athletes made these plans. Often, athletes loop each other into deals.
“And it used to be Europe looking at the United States,” said Jouannin. “But what we see now is the opposite; players from the U.S. are interested in learning what their peers are doing in Europe. They come here and are impressed when they see a match and understand how the business works.”
Group 1 provides its clients with everything they might need, from commercial opportunities to travel arrangements, from branding to finding the right trainer worldwide.
“What we are seeing now in the United States with the growth of soccer, it’s something incredible,” Jouannin said. “The players are traveling more and more during their free time. When they do, they want the best of everything.”
In terms of marketing and at the commercial level, the co-founders of Group 1 see many opportunities to help athletes, especially in markets outside of the U.S.
“I think U.S.-based agents are missing the opportunity to see how big the NBA and NFL and its players are in Europe,” Friede said. ”Many international brands want to activate with those players in the market and digital platforms.”
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