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About Marcus John
The journey to becoming a leading sports investment advisor and investor.
Marcus is a highly accomplished executive with extensive expertise across the sports, media, and technology sectors. With an impressive 30-year career, he has consistently delivered exceptional results and success while working for the most prominent organizations in the global sports & entertainment industry, including IMG/Endeavor, Octagon, ESPN/Fox, and the WPP group.
Sports Capital Advisors
As CEO of Sports Capital Advisors (SCA), he capitalizes on his extensive global experience to provide valuable insights and guidance to investors, federations, rights holders and governments. His expertise is particularly valuable in the dynamic landscape where these three sectors intersect, playing a central role in shaping the future of the sports and entertainment industry.
The Full Story
The Journey from Operator to Investor to Advisor
Marcus is a 30+ year veteran of international sports, media and technology leadership roles. He started his career at Octagon, representing professional tennis players on the ATP and WTA Tour before joining ESPN/STAR TV managing the broadcasters pan regional sports properties. He then spent the next decade at global sports powerhouse IMG/Endeavor, leading their Asia/Pacific Consulting division as well as heading it’s China Business as Group Managing Director from Shanghai.
He became Global Head of Sports for media buying giant MediaCom Worldwide (WPP), where he advised the firm’s global clients on all commercial issues around the world’s largest sports properties such as the Olympic Games, FIFA WC, UEFA CL, ATP Tour, Formula-1, Formula-E and major golf events.
He represented football legend Pele and other high-profile stars in their respective commercial endeavors and has been a long-term advisor to Formula-E and Extreme-E, now the highest valued new racing series in the world.
He has strong know-how of the E-mobility space and advises various electric racing series such as Extreme-E with Lewis Hamilton, E-1 power boating,
Formula-E and a range of governments on their respective international hosting rights.
A sports rights negotiator and advisor with a global perspective
Marcus has a strong background in negotiating and implementing major commercial sports rights for high-profile global brands such as General Electric, Volkswagen Group, VISA, Bridgestone, Adidas, and Johnson & Johnson during various Olympic Games and World Cup tournaments.
He negotiated sports right deals in excess of USD 600 million and extensively advised governments and national sports bodies in Singapore, the Middle East, Switzerland, the UK and the US on major hosting opportunities.
Sharp insights, strategic thinking
Marcus not only worked with a broad selection of Fortune 100 companies but also with many high-profile sports stars over his 30 year career including Roger Federer, Neymar Jr and Brazilian soccer legend, Pele, concluding ground-breaking deals for several multinational companies brining some of the greatest athletes of our times together for the first time.
He built the MediaCom/WPP Sports division on the pillars of strategic planning, rights negotiation, rights activation and measurement. In doing so, Marcus pioneered an industry-changing shift in how deals, sponsorship and rights are valued and sold across the sports & entertainment sector.
Working with Marcus… in his own words
"I am extremely passionate about my industry and clients. I don’t waste time and I'm laser focused on results. As clients and partners have known I don’t sugarcoat my analysis, both on the air and off the record. I go straight to the point, cut through the noise and get to the bottom line. Building the right partnership is about a joint journey, as one team, based on trust, ethics and success.”
Advisory Cases
Leading the charge
on electric mobility sports
Marcus is a global expert in the next generation of sustainable motorsports. He has been an early-stage investor and advisor in Formula-E and Extreme-E, back by some of the greatest racers, likes Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, as well as the world’s first all-electric motorboat series, E-1 with legends such as Tom Brady, Rafael Nadal or Sergio Perez now proudly owning teams and franchises.
Riding the wave of esports
With the growth of esports and the rapidly expanding ecosystem of gaming communities and IP, Marcus has been involved with various projects over the past 5 years advising on monetization and getting to profitable growth quicker as VC funding has slowed down and the sector is becoming more aligned with the operating model of traditional sports.
Why work with Marcus as your advisor
Proven to deliver a strong deal flow many institutions don’t have access to
Direct access to the expert, no tedious layers of communication or lengthy decision-making processes
Fully independent and transparent
Brings significant value to any working relationship through his 30+ years operating experience specific to this sector
Globally focused with deep insights to identify and open up opportunities
Highly results-oriented with an eye on value creation, growth and exit timing
Unparalleled global network across rights holders, franchise owners, sponsors and investors
Here’s how we can help you
Investment advisory
with so many investment opportunities available across the sports sector today, across many international markets, where best to place your capital? Together, we can identify the right opportunities to achieve the outcomes you or your client wants
Government sports advisor
with sporting events continually increasing in cost, a proper inbound sports and tourism strategy has never been more important. Having advised many governmental sports bodies, we can develop a sustainable model specific to your needs.
Sponsorship
sponsorship is a key driver withing a diversified revenue model for any IP owner or host city. We can package your opportunity in the right way to appeal to corporate sponsors and meet their objectives
Corporate development and growth
it’s key to develop the right growth model or restructure to accelerate growth and utilize investor capital in the most efficient way. With 30+ years of hands on operating experience and corporate development, we can right size your operation and future proof it.