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Perform Media, a division of U.K.-based sports media company Perform Group, is entering the sports agency sector with the launch of Goal Studios. The new digital football agency was born out of Perform brand Goal.com and driven by the emergence of a new breed of football fans. This new type of fan -- described as young, less tribal, connected, active, smart and competitive -- lives football 24/7 and expects a different type of content, activation and communication from sponsors and rights holders, Goal Studios Dir of Soccer Strategy Hugh Sleight said. Perform has been working on the launch of Goal Studios for the past 12 months, he added. Sleight also said that the agency will focus solely on football, and there are no plans to expand to other sports in the future. "Perform is a leading digital sports content and media group and, as a result, we have digital soccer expertise and, in particular, fan insight, which can be valuable to brands, rights-holders and agencies," Sleight told SBD Global. "This is a natural progression based on our expertise. We're rooted in our expertise." Goal Studios will take advantage of Perform's global portfolio of sports media brands, including Goal.com and on-demand video platform ePlayer. The agency currently has a staff of 25 at Perform's London HQ, with offices in N.Y., Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris and Milan. Perform co-Founder Stefano D'Anna will lead Goal Studios as its managing director. The agency also hired Damian Smyth as its global head of planning and activation. Smyth previously worked for TBWA/G1, where he was global brand leader responsible for Nissan's sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League. Goal Studios has already partnered with UEFA to develop promotional campaigns for Europe's second-tier club competition Europa League and Euro 2016, which kicks off on Friday. Sleight said that the agency also works with Puma and Nissan. Goal Studios will also take advantage of Perform's in-house sports data specialists from Opta.
