YouGov partners with SMG Insight for sports marketing consulting

The deal sees Saez (pictured) and SMG move in to the online research agency’s London office, with SMG tapping YouGov’s research resources for certain research and consulting projects.

Saez said: “This exclusive partnership provides SMG Insight with an opportunity to provide the sports and sponsorship industry with higher added-value services, delivering much more than traditional media evaluations.”

YouGov has taken a minority stake in SMG as part of the alliance. Their joint offering will be targeted at rights-holders, sponsors, brands, agencies and other investors in sport, and services will include measuring sponsorship opportunities and optimising sponsorship objectives.

Saez launched SMG in April, soon after leaving IFM Sports Marketing Surveys. Prior to that he spent eight years as vice president and managing director of Comperio Research, a division of IMG.