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BENELUX REGION – HAVAS ACQUIRES SPORTS MARKETING AGENCY SPORTVIBES
Communications network Havas has acquired the Dutch sports marketing agency SportVibes and integrated it into Havas Play, the group’s experiential marketing division. The Delft-based agency will operate under the name SportVibes by Havas Play and will continue to be led by managing partners Frans Vleggeert and Imre van Leeuwen. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
With this acquisition, Havas expands its capabilities across the Benelux region. Havas Play focuses on connecting brands and audiences through passion points: sports, music, art and culture, entertainment, fashion, and gaming. The acquisition fits into a broader expansion strategy for this business unit. In June of this year, Havas acquired a majority stake in US-based Archrival, an agency specializing in youth culture and experiential activation, following the earlier launch of Havas Play in Belgium through the acquisition of entertainment agency Digizik.
Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix
Founded in 2003, SportVibes develops concepts, content, live events, and influencer campaigns within sports and entertainment, often centered around its own intellectual property. The agency delivers campaigns and activations during major events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, working with clients including Gillette, Dash, DHL, Action, and Lexus. Additionally, SportVibes is the co-organizer of the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, an achievement that earned the company the title of Formula 1 Promoter of the Year.
The transaction also includes Track Record, SportVibes’ digital commerce agency focused on ‘return on fan engagement’. Track Record combines data-driven insights, digital marketing, and creative storytelling to help sports organizations, event organizers, and brands convert fan engagement into measurable commercial growth. The company is led by managing partners Teun Verheij and Tim Nome.
A Natural Match for Havas Play
Havas Chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré calls SportVibes “a natural match for Havas Play,” highlighting the agency’s expertise in sports marketing, live events, and fan engagement. According to Elias Reinheimer, Chief Creative Officer of Havas Play Amsterdam, and Thijs Muller, CEO of Havas Media Netherlands, the combination is particularly relevant as “more and more crossovers are emerging between these domains.”
Vleggeert and Van Leeuwen stated that SportVibes will retain its entrepreneurial spirit while gaining access to the knowledge, technology, and scale of a global network. As a result, the agency states it can innovate faster and tackle larger challenges in a market where sports, entertainment, and communications are increasingly converging.
Founded in Paris in 1835, Havas employs nearly 23,000 people across more than one hundred countries.