Jeff Marks is a true Sports Entrepreneur, having started several agencies from an early age and now leading a “best in class” COI (Contractual Obligated Income) Agency which is breaking grounds around the world, including a recent huge deal with FC Barcelona to manage the branding of the Nou Camp Stadium and new facilities. Tons of learning and insights into the world of COI.
Listen Here: Episode 25 with Jeff Marks
On Early start during MBA days:
Managing Director of a 2 Man Consulting business with his Professor. Stubhub story, the one that got away.
On Starting Sports Business Ventures:
Venture Capital Pledged Fund dedicated to Sports, partnered with Alan Rosenberg and other big hitters
On Premier Partnerships:
Premier Naming rights agency. Generating massive COI, for large US teams and franchises.
On Premier Ventures:
Advisory agency, another run at Venture Capital
On Innovate Partnership Group (IPG360):
Starting of a new business development group to help sports IP owners generate long term commercial revenue
On the Two words you are not allowed to say at IPG360:
“Sales” and “Sponsorship”
On the Four Main Areas of Focus:
On Proprietary Software:
Partnership intelligence platform (a brand new Valuation System)
Direct and Indirect Revenue measurements
R&D, Technology, other non-traditional areas to measure returns
On Current Projects:
US Triathlon, Circuit of Americas (US F1 Track), MLS teams, Canadian Premier League
On FC Barcelona story:
Goldman & Sachs intro leads to working on re-development of Camp Nou
On Not just Naming rights:
Beyond naming a Venue…. Naming a part of the city
Other Highlights
Jeff Marks is a sports business executive with over twenty years of experience working with C-level executives at Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, leagues, venues, governments, universities, franchise owners and investors. Marks currently serves as Founder and Chief Executive of IPG360 (Innovative Partnerships Group) which is a leading business development company that drives long-term revenue for prestige properties with a focus on sports and entertainment.
Marks has been credited with negotiating the largest naming rights agreement of 2016, the Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village, which turned out to be one of the most recognized sports deals of the year and a catalyst for changing how naming rights and commercial partnership deals are executed in the sports industry and beyond.
Marks has worked on over a hundred plus business partnerships over his career and a few notable partnerships include: Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Globe Life Park in Arlington, TD Place in Ottawa, Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium and O.co Coliseum and Tim Horton’s Field. Marks also executed one of the largest jersey naming rights deal in MLS history with the Atlanta United and American Family Insurance.
Jeff Marks is also credited for developing the sports industry’s leading valuation tool which is an analytical sales model for identifying, creating and valuing sponsorships and naming rights.
Marks is a frequent industry speaker on revenue related topics in the Sports Industry including NFL league meetings, Sports Business Journal and other industry organizations. Marks is an adjunct faculty member at University of San Francisco’s Sports Management Program and teaches “New Business Models in the Sports Industry.” He frequently provides sports business insight to leading national media outlets, and has also published industry studies on sports business trends and best practices.
Prior to IPG360, Jeff served as president of Premier Ventures which specializes in sports investment and advisory for owners seeking to build shareholder value around sports franchises, emerging properties and related businesses. Jeff was concurrently Managing Director of Premier Partnerships where he executed some of the top sports commercial business transactions in the country over the last decade. Marks was also Founding Partner and Managing Director of Sports Business Ventures (SBV), a sports investment and advisory firm.
Marks currently serves on the LA Sports Council Board as well as the Cedars Sinai Medical Center Sports Spectacular Committee. Jeff is also involved with his alma mater, the University of California Berkeley on the Revenue Generating Board and the Berkeley Athletics Southern California Committee. Jeff is a member of YPO and former chairman of the Golden West Chapter. Marks is also a past chair of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Marks earned a bachelor’s degree in International Economics with a minor in Rhetoric from the University of California, Berkeley, and his MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is married with two children and considers Los Angeles, California his home.
