Publicis Connected Media (PCM) today announced a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), the global investment company founded by sports icon and entrepreneur Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 

According to the companies, Johnson will serve as advisor and also provide “direct pathways” into the company’s numerous and “culturally relevant” platforms.

It has stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Spirit and eSports’ Team Liquid, as well as financial services firm EquiTrust, and food and facility service management company SodexoMAGIC. 

Johnson is also a co-founder of ad agency Walton Isaacson, co-founded with Aaron Walton and Cory Isaacson.

The arrangement will span all of PCM’s activities including Publicis Sports, which the holding company has bulked up in recent months, most notably with the hire of former Ford CMO Suzy Deering to lead the unit as CEO. 

“Magic Johnson and MJE pioneered how to successfully build brands and grow businesses around culture and community,” stated PCM CEO Dave Penski. “This approach is now foundational to modern marketing and creator-led growth and perfectly complements how we help clients grow and talent scale across our integrated media, sports, and influencer offerings.”  

Deering’s hire is just one recent example of the holding company’s effort to build out its sports capabilities. Last year it acquired two sports marketing agencies, Adopt and Bespoke. It also launched Women’s Sports Connect and partnered with Genius Sports. The latter collaboration integrates Genius Sports' FANHub platform and live sports data with Publicis Sports media offerings.