Experience agency group Identity has launched Identity Sport, a new global sports proposition aimed at delivering large-scale, fan-first experiences for major sporting events worldwide.
Built around a “fan first by design” philosophy, Identity Sport brings together creative, ceremonial, broadcast and operational expertise from across the Identity group to deliver integrated sports experiences at scale. The proposition spans brand activations, live experiences and presentation, underpinned by delivery rigour designed to maximise impact, reduce risk and improve value for organisers and partners.
The launch builds on Identity’s extensive track record in elite sporting environments, including the Olympic and Winter Olympic Games, Formula E, Wimbledon and the World Sailing Championships. In 2025 alone, the group has delivered fan experiences for the Women’s Rugby World Cup and World Table Tennis US Smash Las Vegas, alongside brand-led live experiences for partners such as Red Bull and Vodafone.
Identity Sport will work with federations, leagues, rights holders, host cities, organisers and sponsors on major sporting events globally, focusing on projects such as opening and closing ceremonies, fan zones, live sites, broadcast-facing presentation and integrated event overlay.
Michael Gietzen, group CEO of Identity, said the launch responds to a shift in the global sports events landscape, as rising fan expectations collide with tighter budgets and increased scrutiny on delivery.
“Sport is at an inflection point; an experience reset,” said Gietzen. “Audiences expect more meaningful, immersive experiences, and brands want to connect in ways that feel authentic to the sporting moment. At the same time, organisers need certainty, control and value. That requires creativity to be embedded into the system, not layered on at the end.”
Gietzen added that fan experience has become a board-level issue for many organisers.
“Get it right and you build loyalty, value and long-term relevance. Get it wrong and the impact is immediate: commercially, reputationally and politically. Fan experience is now a strategic risk, not a creative nice-to-have.”
According to Simon Dunnell, director of major projects at Identity, integration is central to the proposition’s appeal. “Too often, fan experience is treated as an add-on rather than a system,” said Dunnell. “Fragmented delivery models cost more, create inefficiencies and increase risk. By designing experiences holistically - with fans, partners and operations aligned from the outset - we can deliver stronger outcomes without unnecessary complexity or cost.”
As competition for audiences intensifies across traditional sport, women’s sport, esports and emerging formats, Identity believes smarter, more integrated delivery models will increasingly define success.
“The next generation of major sporting events will be defined by smarter integration,” Dunnell said. “That means creative ambition grounded in operational reality; and experiences that deliver impact without excess. Integration isn’t just better creatively; it’s more efficient.
“What sets Identity Sport apart is the breadth of experience we bring from other major projects. We’re not constrained by precedent, we can apply fresh thinking, new approaches and innovations that help each event resonate more deeply and deliver real impact.”
Looking ahead, Gietzen said the growth of the global sports calendar will further sharpen the focus on value-led experience design. “Sport will often command a dramatic scale - big and loud - and that’s fine,” Gietzen concluded. “What matters is that we approach it smarter: designing experiences that put fans first, deliver certainty, and create real value and impact at every level.”
