A Model Built on Collaboration

Founded on the principles of UN Sustainable Development Goal 17—Partnerships for the Goals—17 Sport was established to challenge the “damage limitation” approach to social responsibility. Instead of treating environmental and social issues as negatives to be offset, the firm integrates them into the very architecture of sports partnerships.

“We believed there was a fundamentally better model, one that uses sport’s unique cultural power to drive meaningful outcomes for people and the planet, while still delivering the commercial returns that any investment in sport demands,” says Neill Duffy, Founder & CEO.

Moving Beyond “Logo Placement”

Traditional sponsorship has long relied on “renting” eyeballs through broadcast inventory and hospitality. 17 Sport’s innovation lies in shifting the focus from outputs, such as reach and impressions, to measurable outcomes. By partnering with social capital measurement experts, the firm quantifies how purpose-driven initiatives build long-term brand relevance and trust.

Fabien Paget, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, explains: “You can’t claim commercial innovation while only tracking half the equation… When purpose is embedded in the DNA of a partnership, rather than bolted on as an afterthought, it drives long-term value creation”.

Impact in Action

The efficacy of this model is evidenced by high-profile collaborations with global entities like adidas, Nike, and the International Olympic Committee. Tangible results include:

• The Breaking Barriers programme: Reaching 87,000 women and girls across 12 countries via grassroots participation.
• Ocean Conservancy: Mobilising 60,000 “Team Ocean” members in just six months.
• Sanofi: Engaging 10,000 employees across 50 countries through a massive DEI activation for Paris 2024.

These results demonstrate that when social good sits at the centre of a brief, commercial performance naturally follows.

The Future of Purposeful Sport

As 17 Sport enters a new phase of growth, including expansion into the U.S. market, the demand for purpose-aligned partnerships continues to accelerate. The industry is increasingly viewing sport as a powerful cultural force rather than a mere media buy.

Andrew Wisniewski, Partner & Head of Activation, notes: “What we’re seeing is clients moving from ‘should we do this?’ to ‘how do we do this well?’ There’s… more belief that impact and commercial outcomes aren’t in conflict”.

By aligning with fellow disruptors at the upcoming Fast Company Summit in New York, 17 Sport is setting a new blueprint for the industry—one where the “gold standard” is the actual creation of shared value for both business and society.