Building on the success of years one and two
at Cannes Lions, SPORT BEACH will return as the official LIONS
Sport Partner of the Cannes Lions International Festival of
Creativity 2025
Announced last night at CES in Las Vegas, SPORT BEACH will launch
"Clubhouses" throughout 2025 that leverage sport as the door opener
to build quality relationships between athletes and
marketers
The SPORT BEACH 2025 roster reveals a
star-studded lineup of new and returning athletes
NEW
YORK and LAS VEGAS,
Jan. 8,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the
challenger network built to transform marketing, today announced
the return and expansion of SPORT BEACH, the premiere destination
for sport at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
(Cannes Lions). At its core, SPORT BEACH leverages sport as a door
opener into the conversations driving the business landscape –
community, culture, globalization, fandom and more.
As the pre-eminent home for sport at Cannes Lions, SPORT BEACH
will once again activate at Plage du Festival – this time as the
official LIONS Sport Partner for 2025.
From redefining brand-building with athletes as creators to
breaking barriers with bold strategies to captivate diverse
audiences, this year's programming will inspire meaningful
conversations surrounding every facet of sport. In returning for
its third year, SPORT BEACH will also welcome a new roster of the
world's best athletes.
"SPORT BEACH serves as the destination where athletes, brands,
and marketers come to make deals and engage in conversations that
matter," shared Beth Sidhu,
Stagwell's Chief Brand and Communications Officer. "In 2025 we'll
build on the momentum from our first two years to deliver an
unmatched experience for brands and athletes alike."
Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, added:
"Stagwell's SPORT BEACH has become a hub for bringing together
brands, platforms, and athletes to explore the evolving trends
shaping the business and culture of sports. We're excited to
welcome them as our official LIONS Sport Partner in 2025. This
partnership has redefined the sports community at the Festival,
providing insights, connections, and tools to harness creativity as
a driver of business growth in this rapidly expanding sector."
Stagwell invites brands, athletes, sports leagues, media
platforms and other interested parties to reach out to
SportBeach@stagwellglobal.com to get involved.
Introducing SPORT BEACH Clubhouses
Leading up to Cannes Lions 2025, SPORT BEACH will emerge across
major industry and sporting events throughout the year in the form
of SPORT BEACH Clubhouses. The Clubhouses will redefine how brands,
athletes, and fans engage while serving as a platform to foster
meaningful conversations around future partnerships and
collaborations.
Stagwell will host Clubhouses at the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Super Bowl LIX in
New Orleans, South by Southwest in
Austin, and more moments to be
announced. At each Clubhouse, a highly curated audience of senior
decision makers will join the world's best athletes, delivering a
differentiated experience for all.
SPORT BEACH 2025 Programming
- Athletes as Creators: Redefining brand building, media
platforms, and the rise of athlete-driven innovation. One feature
of this track is the expanded second annual Seventh Estate Wine and
Spirits Festival in partnership with 10-time NBA All-Star and
entrepreneur Carmelo Anthony and
long-time business partner Asani
Swann's global wine brand, VII(N) The Seventh Estate.
- Tech & Innovation Unleashed: Pushing boundaries with
cutting-edge tech, revolutionizing how fans experience the game and
beyond, including with Stagwell's ARound, a shared augmented
reality platform for teams and stadiums. On site, ARound will
showcase a new interactive experience that unites fans and brands
for an immersive and engaging event.
- Culture & Community Reimagined: Amplifying voices
and opening the door for meaningful conversations surrounding the
sports community, with the purpose of fostering lasting connections
— on and off the court.
- Global Reach in Overdrive: Breaking barriers with bold
strategies to captivate diverse audiences and inspire worldwide
participation, as well as reaching across the globe in partnership
with NBCUniversal.
- Resilience & Wellness Redefined: Mastering the art
of grit and growth—lessons from athletes on thriving, sustaining,
and excelling at the highest level.
2025 Athlete Partners
- Carmelo Anthony
(basketball) – 10-time NBA All–Star, entrepreneur and
philanthropist Carmelo Anthony has
led a storied career as a three-time Olympic gold medalist and
number nine on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Anthony's
incredible career has continued to pave the way for his many other
business ventures and philanthropic efforts including his wine
brand VII(N) The Seventh Estate, production company Creative 7,
lifestyle brand STAYME7O, as well as his work as the co–founder of
The Social Change Fund, which aims to support and invest in
critical and timely issues that impact the Black community. Most
recently, Anthony was announced as a first-time nominee for the
Class of 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
- Sue Bird (basketball) – A
WNBA legend and decorated athlete, Bird has captured five Olympic
Gold Medals, four World Championship Gold Medals, two NCAA
Championships, four WNBA Championships, and is a 13x WNBA All–Star.
Since her retirement in 2022, Sue has quickly established herself
as a true trailblazer as a former athlete segueing into the
mainstream media business with an unparalleled perspective. She is
a co-founder of the women's sports media commerce company Togethxr;
co-founder of the production company, A Touch More, with fiancé and
soccer legend Megan Rapinoe;
co-owner of the Seattle Storm and earlier this year, Megan and Sue
re-launched their podcast A Touch More: The Podcast. Bird is an
outspoken and visible activist advocating for Black Lives, LGBTQ+
rights, equality, health, and wellness and expanding opportunities
for girls and all marginalized people.
- Tara Davis-Woodhall (track
and field) – Tara Davis-Woodhall
is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist in the long jump and has
remained undefeated for the past two years. She is a two-time
Olympian, ranked #1 in the world, and has claimed the titles of
2024 World Champion, 2023 and 2024 US National Champion. Known as
"America's Cowgirl," Tara's iconic cowboy hats, boots, and
infectious personality have made her a fan favorite both on and off
the field. She is also the assistant track coach at Kansas State. As a former NCAA Division 1 athlete
at the University of Texas, Tara became
a four-time All-American, shattered two NCAA records, and earned
the title of double-record breaker in the same week.
- DeAndre Hopkins
(football) – DeAndre Hopkins is
an NFL All-Pro wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs. Drafted
27th overall in 2013, Hopkins' remarkable play has earned him five
Pro Bowl selections and five All-Pro honors, three of which were
consecutive First Team All-Pro awards. Off the field, DeAndre is
renowned for his impeccable sense of fashion, entrepreneurial
ventures, and philanthropic initiatives. He's been featured on
Sports Illustrated's Fashionable 50 list for two consecutive years
and nominated for Forbes 30 under 30. Additionally, he's a vocal
advocate for domestic violence victims, serving on the board of his
mother's foundation, S.M.O.O.O.T.H., which empowers women affected
by domestic violence, offering them a second chance at life.
- Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson (football) – Famously known for
changing his last name to Ochocinco in 2006, Chad Johnson was drafted 36th overall in the
2001 NFL draft. Fans worldwide quickly embraced his vibrant
personality and playmaking ability, making him one of the most
prominent figures in sports. Throughout his 11 year NFL career, he
earned six Pro-Bowl selections, three All-Pro honors and was
inducted into the Cincinnati Bengals' Ring of Honor in 2023. On the
heels of his playing career, Johnson transitioned into
entertainment. He served as a lead analyst for Fox Sports during
the 2022 World Cup, and is currently in his second season as a
co-host for 'Inside the NFL' on the CW. He has also partnered with
Shannon Sharpe to create Nightcap, a
podcast that has taken over the sports media landscape. Nightcap
won a Webby Award for the Best Sports Podcast.
- Flau'jae Johnson (basketball) – Flau'jae Johnson is
breaking boundaries as both a standout athlete and a talented
artist. A key player in LSU's 2023
national championship-winning women's basketball team, she's
equally commanding in the music world as a rapper with a
distribution deal under Jay Z's Roc Nation. Talent and drive are in
her DNA; her music career gained momentum with unforgettable
appearances on Jermaine Dupri's "The
Rap Game" and season 13 of "America's Got Talent," where she became
the first rapper to earn the coveted Golden Buzzer. In 2024,
Flau'jae was recognized as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 and named a
Top Creator for 2024-2025, solidifying her impact both on and off
the court. With over 4 million followers across platforms, her
dedicated online community, The Flauk, has amassed over 7 million
YouTube views and continues to grow. Flau'jae is a powerhouse of
talent and ambition, redefining what it means to excel in multiple
arenas with style, passion, and authenticity.
- Kyle Kuzma (basketball) –
NBA Champion Kyle Kuzma has
established himself not only as one of the most talented basketball
players in the world, but also as a strategic entrepreneur,
visionary philanthropist, and cultural icon. From his standout
performances on the court to his innovative ventures across
business, fashion and art, Kuzma exemplifies a bold commitment to
authentic self-expression and a passion for shaping new approaches
and perspectives. Through the Kyle Kuzma Family Foundation, he
helps drive initiatives that empower families and uplift his
communities, reflecting his dedication to creating a meaningful and
lasting impact beyond the game.
- Noah Lyles (track and field) – Noah Lyles earned the
title of 'fastest man in the world' with his victory in the Men's
100 meters at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Lyles is also a six-time world champion
and is the American record-holder at 200 meters. Off the track,
Lyles is a mental health advocate and was the star of his own
docu-series on Peacock TV in 2023, "Untitled: The Noah Lyles
Project." He is also the star of the Netflix series Sprint, now in
its second season. Noah is currently working with several new
projects to take his sport to a wider audience and introduce
fashion and his other lifestyle interests.
- Candace Parker
(basketball) – Candace Parker is
the most accredited women's basketball player of all time. Parker
has been known for her ability to win at all levels. This knack for
shattering glass ceilings became prevalent in the early 2000s in
her hometown of Naperville,
Chicago. Since then, Parker's
notoriety has only grown, from bringing legendary Coach
Pat Summitt her final two national
championships at Tennessee to
being the first WNBA player to appear on the cover of NBA
2K as the central athlete of the 25th
Anniversary Special Edition. Both on and off the court, Parker has
built a legacy that she hopes will inspire others to break through
glass ceilings. Parker is the founder of Baby Hair Productions, an
athlete advisor of Avenue Capital, and the first-ever President of
Adidas Women's Basketball. As a mother and an empowered Black
woman, Parker has developed into a bold, insightful, and inspiring
thought leader who is passionate about the importance of women's
rights, voters' rights, and Black Lives Matter.
- Megan Rapinoe (soccer) –
2X World Cup Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Megan Rapinoe is a fan favorite and soccer
legend. A vocal leader in every aspect of her life, Rapinoe helped
lead the USWNT to the 2019 Women's World Cup Championship scoring
some of the biggest goals of the tournament. Rapinoe is a
New York Times' Best-Selling author,
Time100's Most Influential People and Presidential Medal of Freedom
award recipient. At the end of 2022, Megan and her fiancé and
basketball icon, Sue Bird, launched
A Touch More, a production company focused on promoting narratives
around revolutionaries who move culture forward; and earlier this
year Megan and Sue re-launched their podcast A Touch More: The
Podcast, which quickly garnered a large following for its honest
and wide-ranging conversations. Megan is renowned for her advocacy
in LGBTQ+ rights, racial equality and gender equity.
- Hunter Woodhall (track and
field) – Hunter Woodhall is a
three-time Paralympian and 2024 Gold Medalist, redefining what it
means to be an athlete and entrepreneur. Hunter has won 5x
Paralympic Medals and holds the American record for the
100m and 400m (T62). Born with fibular hemimelia, Hunter
had both legs amputated below the knees at 11 months old. Defying
all odds, he became the first double amputee to earn an NCAA
Division 1 scholarship, competing for the University of Arkansas and becoming a four-time
All-American.
2025 Program Hosts
Program hosts support the growth and evolution of SPORT BEACH,
serving as collaborators and moderators who connect brands and
athletes while shaping pivotal conversations in sports and
marketing.
- Paul Rabil – Paul Rabil, author of The Way of the Champion
and widely regarded as one of the greatest lacrosse players of all
time, transitioned from his legendary playing career to co-found
the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and Women's Lacrosse League (WLL)
alongside his brother Mike. Together, they built a groundbreaking
league, secured a broadcast partnership with Disney and ESPN,
helped lead lacrosse back into the Olympics, and forged key
sponsorships with brands like Ticketmaster, Lexus, Loreal, Cash
App, Adidas, BOSE, Progressive, Champion, Gatorade, and
Jagermeister, among others. Available on Disney+ and Hulu, Rabil
executive produced Fate of a Sport, an ESPN documentary chronicling
the creation and rise of the PLL. A proud graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Paul Rabil is an award-winning host of the
Suiting Up Podcast and founder of the Paul Rabil Foundation, which
empowers children with learning differences through the
transformative power of sports.
- Taylor Rooks – Emmy
nominated sports broadcaster, journalist, and cultural icon,
Taylor Rooks is an acclaimed
interviewer whose probing questions give rise to some of today's
most pressing discussions beyond the game. Rooks is known most
prominently for her work as a Feature Reporter for TNT Sports,
sideline reporter for NBA on TNT and the resident Feature Reporter
for Amazon's Thursday Night Football. Praised in a profile by the
New York Times, "Taylor Rooks gets the interviews that go viral,"
Rooks shares meaningful insights about succeeding in her industry
by focusing on making connections and honoring the humanity of the
players, as well as understanding the larger context behind the
game. For the success of her work, Rooks has been featured in
Sports Illustrated: "100 Influential Black Women in Sports,"
Esquire has named her "the most in-demand sideline reporter across
the NBA and NFL," and she is considered one of the most influential
figures in sports media today.
2025 Brand Partners
- Ad Results Media (ARM) is the leading agency empowering
brands to engage audiences through the power of audio creators.
With 20+ years of experience across radio, podcasts, streaming
audio and YouTube, including placing the very first podcast ad in
2010, ARM now stands among the world's largest buyers of podcast
media. ARM leverages its expertise and trusted, actionable
intelligence across platforms to connect brands—such as
MolsonCoors, BetterHelp, FanDuel, Wayfair and ZipRecruiter—with
consumers. ARM delivers value and impact through unparalleled
industry knowledge and relationships to drive results for brands
and agencies. To learn more about ARM, visit
adresultsmedia.com.
- The Athletic, a returning partner, founded in 2016 and
acquired by The New York Times in 2022,
is the world's leading direct-to-consumer digital sports media
company committed to elevated sports storytelling. The Athletic has
the world's largest sports newsroom, with 500 full-time employees
covering more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams in
the US and globally. Through a personalized subscriber experience
built around the teams and leagues that fans follow, The Athletic
delivers content and insight across a range of formats from written
to audio, video and social - delivering powerful stories and smart
analysis that bring sports fans closer to the heart of the game.
From breaking news and live commentary to deeply reported long
reads and exclusive interviews, subscribers rely on The Athletic
for every sports story that matters.
- Channel Factory, a returning partner, is a global
technology and data platform that optimizes business performance
and enhances brand reputation ethical and effective contextual
targeting. Utilizing proprietary AI and brand suitability
technologies, Channel Factory ensures ads are placed on brand-safe,
contextually relevant content across YouTube, CTV platforms, and
social media, including Meta and TikTok. Through its conscious
media planning, Channel Factory is committed to promoting
sustainability, diversity, and positive content, helping brands
achieve their goals while fostering a healthier digital ecosystem.
Channel Factory has a presence in 31 countries across the Americas,
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia,
and ANZ, providing advertisers with IAB standard category lists and
customized content options in 49+ languages.
- The Chicago Bulls, a returning partner, is a global
sports and entertainment organization that is part of the National
Basketball Association. Founded in 1966, the Bulls have won six NBA
championships and become an iconic brand with a worldwide fan base,
including more than 45 million followers across multiple social
media platforms. The Bulls take pride in championing inclusivity
within the workplace and have a longstanding history of giving back
to underserved communities across Chicago.
- Clio Sports, which
celebrates creativity in sports advertising and marketing around
the world, returns as a partner this year. Clio Sports will host an exclusive Awards Dinner
to recognize a select group of athletes with Clio Sports Honorary
Awards, a special recognition given to athletes who are shaping
sports culture through ingenuity and innovation. Clio Sports
Honorary Awards were awarded to Carmelo
Anthony at SPORT BEACH 2023 and to Sue Bird, Megan
Rapinoe, Mikaela Shiffrin and
Shawn White at SPORT BEACH
2024.
- Microsoft Advertising wants to make delivering
hyper-personalized advertising powered by generative AI simple.
Their end-to-end advertising solutions include AI-powered tools for
buying and selling advertising against any objective and format.
Across Copilot, Bing, MSN, Outlook.com, Xbox, Edge, and more,
they're reimagining advertising for the future with a goal is to
create hyper-personalized connections between brands and consumers
throughout their decision journey—whether they're watching,
browsing, playing, or shopping. With generative AI, Microsoft
Advertising empowers publishers and advertisers to increase
engagement, simplify their work, and achieve better results.
- NBCUniversal returns as the exclusive Platinum Media
Partner of SPORT BEACH. As one of the world's leading media and
entertainment companies, NBCUniversal creates worldclass content
that is distributed across its portfolio of film, television and
streaming, and brought to life in its theme parks. A subsidiary of
Comcast Corporation, NBCUniversal owns and operates an expansive
portfolio of news, entertainment, film, streaming, and television
brands, and will be home to the biggest sporting events over the
next two years, including the Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games,
Super Bowl LX, the return of the NBA and WNBA and the 2026 FIFA
World Cup on Telemundo.
- Scripps Sports, a returning partner, serves professional
and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market
depth and national broadcast reach so they have the ability to
reach up to 100% of their fan bases. Scripps Sports currently has
partnerships with the Women's National Basketball Association
(WNBA), the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the National
Hockey League's (NHL) 2024 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers,
the 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, NHL's new Utah
Hockey Club, and the NCAA's Big Sky Conference. Scripps Sports is a
division of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), a Fortune 1000
American media company.
- VII(N) The Seventh Estate, the global wine estate brand
founded by 10X NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, Carmelo Anthony, and his longtime business
partner, Asani Swann, returns via an
expanded partnership. Carmelo and Asani approached the launch of
VII(N) The Seventh Estate with the utmost sincerity and respect for
wine both as an art form and as an industry. The wines within
VII(N) invoke the heritage of the old world while committing to
modern philosophies of winemaking for the next generation of wine
lovers. Anthony and Swann are constantly breaking barriers in an
effort to achieve equal representation across all sectors of the
Black community, and with this venture, they aim to expand the
presence of people of color within the wine space. Swann is a
seasoned sports business executive, vintner, and producer with over
20 years of experience partnering with global brands in
entertainment, sports, and wine.
Learn about Cannes Lions:
LIONS, the Home of
Creativity, is the destination for those in the business of
creativity. As the definitive benchmark of creative excellence and
with unparalleled access to insight on how it works, LIONS provides
those on the journey to creative excellence all they need, at
whatever stage they are at and wherever they are. The annual
five-day Festival, Cannes Lions, is the meeting place for the
global creative marketing community and a celebration of the
world's most excellent and effective work. For more information
about how to get involved at Cannes Lions, please reach out to
partnerships@canneslions.com.
Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger holding company
built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative
performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting
culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize
the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our
specialists in 35+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to
drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients.
Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact:
Kara
Gelber
PR@stagwellglobal.com
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