Collective Media expands with division dedicated to sports IP consultancy

Collective Media creates highlights shows for The Legends Tour

Collective Media Group, launched last year by former ViacomCBS International senior execs Claire McArdle and Rebecca Knight, is setting up a sports-focused division.

Collective Media Sport is expanding to offer creative consultancy and production expertise to sports rights holders, governing bodies, clubs and brands to help develop and distribute content around their IP.

Claire McArdle

The company is already delivering the highlights shows for golf’s The Legends Tour which are distributed in around 40 international markets and has several others in development with international sporting talent attached.

Creative director Matt Wilkinson will head the division. Wilkinson is a Bafta-winning exec producer and showrunner who has worked with a range of sports IP holders and brands including The Ryder Cup, Fifa, Chelsea FC, Paddy Power and The Legends Tour, on their content, delivery and distribution strategies.

He has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry producing entertainment formats such as I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, A League of Their Own and Soccer Aid.

Matt Wilkinson

Wilkinson said: “With our experience and proven track record at the highest level, we are uniquely placed to offer consultancy to both established and embryonic sports rights holders, and then take their IP and create programming that brings their sport to new audiences – as demonstrated by our work with the Legends Tour. Collective Media Sport is also keen to work as a production partner offering world-class production teams and experience.”

McArdle, co-CEO of Collective Media Group, added: “The world of sport is the home of some of the world’s most fascinating, powerful and inspiring stories. We have recently been securing some very exciting access, which we hope to be able to announce very soon. Collective Media Sport will work closely with our unscripted activity to bring the best of what we do to our sports partners. With Matt at the helm, and all the experience that he brings, we hope to build on the exciting start the company has made in its first year.”

Late last year Collective Media Group also announced a partnership deal with Entourage Sports & Entertainment, one of the UK’s leading partnerships agencies specialising in commercial sponsorship, talent representation and partnership management.