Exclusive: LIV Golf creator 54 acquires Polo In The Park operator Sportgate
54, the global agency behind the creation of LIV Golf, has set its sights on elevating another sport steeped in tradition after acquiring Chesterton Polo In The Park organiser Sportgate International.
The deal, set to be announced today at the Hurlingham Club in London, will see 54 add its advisory, planning and operations expertise to Sportgate’s track record in establishing the world’s foremost annual polo event with a view to creating similar events worldwide.
“It’s a sport that has a lot of cultural roots and growing global interest but, at the same time, it’s probably ready for some modernisation,” 54 co-founder Matt Selby told City PM.
“Our broader strategy is to grow into specialist niche sectors in sports, and make sure they are strengthening our position as an agency across different verticals, but also looking at how these niche sports can commercialise themselves and create the right level of sustainability.
“Sportgate have done such a phenomenal job at creating the world’s largest polo event in the heart of London at a historic venue like Hurlingham. To partner on that and then look into the future as to how polo stands up and what opportunities would be similar to London in other markets was really exciting for us.”
It continues the rapid rise of 54, which was only founded 10 years ago but has grown into one of sport’s most influential agencies, most notably through its creation of LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed challenger circuit featuring stars including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
54 eyes polo events in Middle East and Far East
The Middle East is one market that 54 has identified as being ripe for polo’s expansion, but the Far East and South America also have heritage in the sport that may lend themselves to staging new events, with additions expected from next year.
Sportgate already operates a polo event in Dubai but founder Rory Heron, who will help to run 54’s polo vertical, believes that joining forces will allow them to improve their offering.
“There’s only so much a really small agency can actually do,” Heron told City PM.
“We have built the world’s largest polo tournament. But no one’s ever just talking about the sporting event. It’s the lifestyle, it’s the format. Just as 54 has done with LIV in many ways.
“So whilst we’ve got that right in London – and I would say that we are one of London’s leading summer season events, not just a polo tournament – our aim has always been: how do we do it globally?
“We’ve had a stab at it, and we’ve done it quite well in Dubai, but quite well is not really good enough. The only way to do it really well was to team up with someone who’s got prior experience, offices in some of the world’s most interesting locations for us, and people who can pick up what we’re doing and transport it to some of the world’s best cities to create another luxury lifestyle event.
“The timing is so good in so many different ways, the luxury lifestyle market is booming. We’re a luxury networking event, a luxury platform for these brands, but we couldn’t do it without a 54 to help us in the rest of the world, and that’s why we’ve done it.”