M+C Saatchi Group acquires Women’s Sports Group (WSG), accelerating our vision to harness Cultural Power in sport and be at the forefront of the women’s game

M+C Saatchi Group today announced the acquisition of The Women’s Sports Group Limited (WSG), the specialist advisory and media rights consultancy. 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 one of the world’s most intelligent global sports consultancies, combining rights, brand storytelling, partnerships and fan growth with the proprietary Cultural Power tools to drive measurable ROI and long-term cultural impact.

Founded in 2020, WSG provides bespoke advisory services across all sports, with a portfolio which includes federations, clubs, broadcasters, brands, and government bodies. Clients have included the Barclays Women’s Super League, Premiership Women’s Rugby, the Billie Jean King Cup, Arsenal FC, DAZN, Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and Angel City FC. The team also has experience of working closely with the Premier League, UEFA, FIFA, the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board and Six Nations Rugby.

The acquisition follows a series of moves that further deepen M+C Saatchi Group’s global sports credentials. Earlier this month, M+C Saatchi and former England and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp launched M+C Saatchi Football, a dedicated, end-to-end management agency for footballers that fuses on-and-off field representation with strategic career-building, legal guidance and personal mentorship. Additionally, in May, in the Middle East, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment acquired DUNE | 23, an award-winning sport and entertainment marketing and commercial agency, adding a 40+ specialist team and a strengthened regional hub delivering communications, commercial strategy and activation for properties including Emirates Dubai 7s, Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, SailGP and more.

A new force at the intersection of commerce and culture for an ever-changing sports economy

The WSG acquisition brings together WSG’s top-of-funnel rights and production dealmaking expertise with M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment’s brand, creative and audience growth capabilities - creating an end-to-end advisory for companies seeking to grow ROI and asset value across sport, with a distinctive specialism in women’s sport. Crucially it also strengthens M+C Saatchi’s ability to help brands harness their Cultural Power to drive meaningful growth for their businesses and for the game itself.

As women’s sport revenue accelerates towards $23bn by 2033 (Sport Industry Report 2025) the ability to translate growth into Return on Cultural Power will provide brands with the decisive advantage. The new combined consultancy will help clients capture this value through strategy, commercial models and measurable fan growth, while also building cultural resonance and advocacy through M+C Saatchi’s proprietary Cultural Power Index.

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. With our Cultural Power Index and Return on Cultural Power solutions, we’re uniquely placed to show brands not just the commercial upside, but how to become part of the cultural shifts redefining the future of sport.”

Rachel Knight Co-Managing Director, WSG - part of M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, added: “Our ambition has always been to elevate women’s sport by unlocking its full commercial and cultural potential. We’ve delivered deals that helped shape the market to date. Partnering with M+C Saatchi enables us to combine our rights and dealmaking expertise with their creativity and Cultural Power tools, helping organisations not only grow value, but become part of the cultural change driving the women’s game forward.”

Steph Harries, Co-Managing Director, WSG - part of M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, concluded: “Since WSG’s inception, we have been proud of the role we have played in shaping the sustainable commercial future of women’s sport - creating strategic partnerships and driving record-breaking audiences and visibility. Joining forces with M+C Saatchi will ensure even greater impact, with powerful storytelling and cultural intelligence to deepen connections with fans, brands and rights holders, unlocking long-term cultural and commercial growth.”