With Demand for Sponsorship Data Surging Worldwide, SponsorUnited Secures $35 Million from Spectrum Equity

SponsorUnited serves 2,900 brands and properties in over 25 countries, tracking 1.1 million sponsorship, media and endorsement deals per year

Stamford, CT – [November 21, 2022] – SponsorUnited, the leading global sports and entertainment intelligence platform, tracking 1.1 million sponsorship and media partnerships across 250,000 brands and properties, today announced a $35 million growth investment led by Spectrum Equity.

Launched in 2018, SponsorUnited is used by 2,900 brands and properties (IP rights holders) to successfully identify, evaluate and execute marketing partnerships. The company tracks real-time sponsorship and media data across sports and entertainment through a unique blend of machine intelligence and a global scouting network. Brands and properties are then able to access the sophisticated SaaS platform that delivers a complete end-to-end solution for discovery, ideation, activation and measurement.

“With the rapid expansion, diversification and increasing complexity of marketing partnerships, the need for a centralized platform that organizes all of the world’s sponsorship and media partnerships is in high demand,” said Bob Lynch, Founder and CEO of SponsorUnited. “Moreover, as the industry is challenged with budget, talent and resource constraints, we’re uniquely positioned to fill a critical need to drive better decisions and more successful partnerships.”

Initially rooted in sports – working with every major league and all but five major professional teams in the U.S. – SponsorUnited has expanded its tracking capabilities to entertainment and music, specifically, a key sponsorship vertical for brands and marketers. The minority investment will be used to continue to accelerate innovation and build upon the company’s category-leading insights and technology, meeting surging demand for greater intelligence in marketing partnerships.

"SponsorUnited delivers what brands and marketers need today – a smarter way to partner and strike deals," said Chris Mitchell, Managing Director of Spectrum Equity. "They are capturing a comprehensive, real-time picture of the sponsorship ecosystem for brands and stakeholders – information that has been historically fragmented and inaccessible. We're impressed by their strategic approach to the market and are eager to leverage our past experience with data and information services companies to help them continue to scale."

Bob Lynch, SponsorUnited’s founder, is an expert on the sponsorship ecosystem, previously leading partnership efforts for BSE Global, parent company of the Brooklyn Nets, and the Miami Dolphins.

With the investment, SponsorUnited will welcome Chris Mitchell to the company’s Board as a Director and Emily Calkins as an Observer. They join existing members that include SponsorUnited’s Bob Lynch and Alain Benzaken, SponsorUnited’s CTO and COO. SponsorUnited’s current investors include Marc Lasry, owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Ron Fowler, vice-chairman and co-owner of the San Diego Padres.

About SponsorUnited

SponsorUnited is the leading global sports and entertainment intelligence platform, delivering real-time trends and on-demand research that provide invaluable insights. With over 10M assets, 1M deals, 200K brands, and 30K properties across sports, media, music, and events in one SaaS database, SponsorUnited enables brands, properties and agencies to partner more effectively. By connecting the entire sponsorship ecosystem through the most comprehensive data available anywhere, SponsorUnited is fueling smarter partnerships. To learn more about SponsorUnited and how the platform is powering stronger partnerships for brands, agencies, properties, and talent, visit: https://sponsorunited.com.

About Spectrum Equity

Spectrum Equity is a leading growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support to innovative companies in the information economy. For over 28 years, the firm has partnered with exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams to build long-term value in market-leading internet-enabled software and data services companies. Representative investments include AllTrails, Ancestry, Definitive Healthcare, GoodRx, Grubhub, Lucid Software, Origami Risk, SurveyMonkey and Verafin. For more information, including a complete list of portfolio investments, visit www.spectrumequity.com.