M+C Saatchi Group has acquired The Women’s Sports Group Limited (WSG), an advisory and media rights consultancy that has done work with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC, the Billie Jean King Cup, and the campaign to include flag football in the 2028 Olympics in LA.   

WSG will maintain its brand and operate as WSG, part of M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. Rachel Knight and Steph Harries will become co-MDs of the division, reporting to Robin Clarke, Global CEO, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment.   

Together WSG and M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment create a global sports consultancy that combines expertise in rights acquisition, brand storytelling, partnerships and fan growth, per the agency.   

The acquisition is the latest in a series of expansion moves by the agency’s sports unit. Earlier this month, M+C Saatchi and former England and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp launched M+C Saatchi Football, a management agency for footballers.   

In May, the operation acquired DUNE | 23, an award-winning sport and entertainment marketing and commercial agency, adding a 40+ specialist team and a regional hub in the Middle East delivering communications, commercial strategy and activation for properties including Emirates Dubai 7s, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, SailGP and more.   

Robin Clarke, Global CEO, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment said: “WSG brings rare rights market intelligence, senior negotiating muscle, and trusted relationships across the sports ecosystem. Coupled with our creativity, data, our global footprint and Cultural Power tools, we can now help brands, rights holders and broadcasters grow value end-to-end - particularly in the rapidly growing women’s sport economy.”   

Other agencies and holding companies are also expanding their sports operations given the sector’s impact on culture and brands’ increasing desire to tap into the “unifying power of sport and the ability of fandom to drive loyalty, affinity, and advocacy around the world," as Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn put it when the firm unveiled Sport Beach at the Cannes Lions Festival.

Earlier this week, Publicis tapped former Ford CMO Suzy Deering to run its sports operation as global CEO.  

In the spring London-based MSQ Sport + Entertainment announced that it was expanding to North America with a practice led by managing partners Andrea Nirsimloo and Paul Anastasiadis, who left Saatchi to take on the new assignments.   

Pictured above from left: Knight, M+C Saatchi CEO Zaid Al-Qassab, Harries and Clarke.