PHILADELPHIA: Full-service sports marketing company Playfly Sports has announced the acquisition of sponsorship sales agency Premier Partnerships.
As part of the acquisition, Playfly will broaden its current naming rights and sponsorship division, forming Playfly Premier Partnerships, which will include the current Impression Sports & Entertainment staff, which Playfly acquired from Fox Sports in March 2021.
The addition of Premier Partnerships into the Playfly portfolio will create an expanded authority solely dedicated to naming rights, sponsorship sales, and consulting (including FIFA World Cup 2026). Premier CEO Randy Bernstein will assume responsibility for Playfly Premier Partnerships. Premier chairman Alan Rothenberg, and Premier president John Kristick will remain in a leadership capacity. Bernstein will report directly to Playfly’s chief operating officer Craig Sloan.
The union of Premier and Impression within Playfly’s suite of offerings comes on the heels of increased interest and opportunity in the space. According to SponsorUnited, over the past five years, the number of brand entitlements across venues and properties has grown by 39%, with brand hat, helmet, headset, or jersey patch deals increasing in inventory by 143%1. Impression’s team, which most recently announced a new partnership with University of Virginia, a Playfly Sports property, to secure a naming rights partner for its basketball court at John Paul Jones Arena, will welcome the merger with Premier’s team.
Premier’s notable facility entitlement projects have exceeded 25 successes, include venue naming rights deals for the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Moda Center in Portland, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Orlando City SC’s Exploria Stadium, HyperX Esports Arena, and Viejas Arena on the campus of San Diego State University. Additionally, Premier’s work across MLS has resulted in recent groundbreaking kit sponsorships for Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati.
Bernstein, alongside Rothenberg, founded Premier Partnerships in 2003 after careers in the sports marketing space. Rothenberg led efforts for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, electing Bernstein as senior vice president of Corporate Marketing. The ’94 World Cup recorded $60 million in profits. Rothenberg later (1996) founded Major League Soccer and appointed Bernstein to lead the sales and marketing efforts for the league.
