EMW Global is a sport and entertainment agency with offices in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The company specialises in sports sponsorship, partnership strategy, and commercial development for athletes, rights holders, and brands worldwide.
The firm has established a strong footprint in the Latin American region since opening its office in Sao Paulo and then in Rio from 2020.
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It has brokered and managed many partnerships with the region's top teams and soccer icons, including Lionel Messi and Neymar, and major properties such as the Brazilian and Argentinian national teams and the Conmebol Copa América and Copa Libertadores competitions.
In August, EMW Global was hired by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for commercial advisory on sponsorships and partnerships in the run-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The AFA and EMW (which stands for East Meets West) have had a partnership for nearly 10 years, with the agency helping the federation grow its commercial footprint across the crypto, mobile gaming, and trading sectors.
Michael Rocha-Keys, the chief executive and founder of EMW Global, spoke to Sportcal about the origins of the agency, its long-term vision, and how to compete with more established players in the sports marketing industry.
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By GlobalDataHow was EMW formed, and what was the vision behind the company?
“I remember sitting on the tram in Hong Kong post World Cup 2018 when the idea came to life. I had spent some time in mainland China helping to scale a presence for a UK company and another larger US agency, and I felt the time was right to bring together my brand network in China (the east) – with my large sports (football) network from the west.
“I saw it as a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the eastern and western markets within the sport and entertainment industry. There was a huge football boom in Asia, mainly China, around that time, which increased the demand for cross-cultural partnerships, and I realised that by leveraging my local expertise with my global network, I could deliver a solution that meets the unique needs of my clients in that region. That is how EMW Global – East Meets West – was born.”
Which sports do you work with, and what markets do you operate in?
“Initially, we had a strong focus on football because of our extensive network within the key football-loving regions of Latin America and the huge growth in football interest in Asia. We have since branched out to work with basketball through the Los Angeles Lakers, motorsport through our partnership with F1 legend Felipe Massa, UFC with Paulo Costa, and rugby with [South African] Springbok rising star, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“We are continually exploring new sporting opportunities, especially as more brands are looking to diversify the sports that they are willing to look at. We currently have offices and a footprint across the major global sporting hubs of Shanghai, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and London. We are also looking to expand into the Middle East as well as North America as we continue to scale across key regions in the world.”
Are there any specific sports you’re attempting to break into?
“We're strategically expanding into motorsport and premium sports, with a focus on tennis, golf, and rugby – the latter being an area where we've already made significant inroads with our partnership with Feinberg-Mngomezulu. We're also exploring opportunities in esports, a rapidly growing space that aligns with our brand interests.
“In fact, we're on the cusp of a major partnership with G2, one of Europe's fastest-growing and highest-performing esports teams, ranked top five globally. This multi-year deal marks our entry into esports, and we're excited to explore further opportunities. Brands are increasingly recognising the value of this space, and we believe it's an area with substantial growth potential.”
How will EMW differentiate itself from competitors in this crowded market? What is your USP?
“What sets us apart is our unique blend of local expertise and global reach. We always prioritise giving the brands we work with a localised and customised experience, whilst also maximising the opportunities of our global network. There are few other agencies in the world with boots on the ground in key sporting hubs across Asia, Europe, and Latin America who can provide expertise and understanding of the local markets.
“So, whether we’re in Southeast Asia, mainland China, or LATAM, we can draw on our regional experience to develop authentic campaigns for brands. Our goal is to connect brands and IPs who are strategically aligned and to provide a personalised end-to-end service from brokering the deal to activation.
“With our scale and global footprint, we can offer a tailored approach that bigger agencies with a large roster and high turnover might not match. Our mantra is that we are the ‘world’s local agency’ bringing a personal touch, and that’s what sets us apart.”
How will you support brands and organisations navigate the complex business of sport?
“The business of sport has evolved over the years, and what we prioritise as an agency is helping brands navigate the intricacies and cultural nuances when they enter a foreign country or market. We serve as a translator and facilitator to make sure both parties’ expectations are met. By understanding the brand’s objectives and desired outcomes, we can identify the right sports property that aligns with their goals.
“For example, a local Chinese brand wanting to partner with the Argentinian football team might not necessarily understand the dynamics of partnering with an international football federation, so we step in to help facilitate the process. Based on our expertise, we put together a rights matrix which considers an analysis of the market fit so that the brand can identify the types of rights they would potentially have when working with an IP – this allows them to make an informed decision when negotiating a package.
“When working with brands from east to west or even west to east, our understanding of the local culture and market allows us to create a tailored playbook for partnerships and campaigns to be successful in that market based off the brand’s needs and objectives. We’re able to help brands get a local understanding of their target markets so they can maximise the partnership as effectively as possible.”
What challenges have you faced in the industry as a relatively new agency?
“The sports marketing industry is highly competitive and is dominated by large agencies with substantial resources and private equity funding. As a self-funded business that was built from scratch, it is naturally a challenge to compete with the bigger players in the field.
“Throughout the years, our focus on attention to detail and a personalised service has set us apart, which is why we have been able to maintain long-term relationships with IPs and brands. While larger agencies need to prioritise profit margins, we can deliver high-quality, customised projects efficiently. I also find that this competitive landscape presents opportunities. Our agility and flexibility allow us to provide tailored solutions, where larger agencies may be constrained by their size and structure.
“The industry is evolving, with brands now expecting more than just sponsorship deals – they want strategy, activation, content creation, and ways to get closer to fans and their customer base. To stay ahead, we need to be innovative and creative in our approach; we can’t compare or compete with the bigger agencies when it comes to resources and financial muscle, but what we can compete with is the quality of the services and our delivery in everything that we do.”
How has the sports marketing industry evolved over the last 5-10 years?
“The sports industry has undergone significant changes in that period, especially in how fans interact with rights holders, athletes, and brands. The relationship between the fans and the rights holders or athletes has evolved, with sport becoming more fan-centric and the fans holding most of the power.
“The rise of technology and over-the-top/streaming platforms has made it possible for fans to access sports content anywhere, anytime. OTT sports viewership figures have risen by as much as 45% in recent years, and the industry has moved away from the more traditional platforms to enable fans to follow their favourite teams and players globally with the touch of a button.
“The growth of the digital ecosystem has had its pros and cons; fans have access to an almost unlimited amount of content and are able to have exclusive access to their favourite players and teams. The one major challenge facing rights holders is how they monetise this large, untapped fan base in the digital ecosystem. For instance, Manchester United have hundreds of millions of fans globally, but only a small percentage of those fans around the world can be effectively engaged or commercialised.
“The industry is catching up, though; there are many new technologies in the market driving change and enabling rights holders to track fan behaviour and preferences. Innovations like blockchain-based fan tracking and universal fan IDs can help rights holders better understand their fans. PEDL Labs is one of the most innovative.”
How significant is your relationship with the AFA going into a World Cup year?
“Partnering with the FIFA world champions is an incredible opportunity for our agency and our operations in the Latin America region. We have been working with the AFA for nearly a decade, and to be able to tailor a commercial strategy for a renowned global IP is a significant achievement for EMW. Most people wouldn’t know this, but AFA is the most sponsored national team in the world, and ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we will be working closely with their team to strategically maximise their global footprint.
“We've had a strong track record with AFA, securing seven deals in the previous World Cup cycles and six deals in the current cycle, making us their leading agency for global and regional commercial endorsements. The World Cup is going to be the biggest one yet, and outside of official partnerships, our recently launched 2026 FIFA World Cup marketing and partnerships report outlines how brands can leverage opportunities alongside the global event.”
What are your long-term goals for EMW?
“Firstly, we want to further develop our full-service offering. We are seeing an ever-increasing expectation for brands to leverage their partnerships, and with our fantastic in-house content and production capabilities, global social media management services, and PR and communication specialists, we have created the foundations to continue to grow alongside our clients in partnership activations.
“From a growth strategy perspective, as we continue to scale in our current markets, we also aim to grow EMW in other regions. We are looking to establish two new strategic hubs, one in the Middle East and the other in the US, to capitalise on their robust sporting markets and maximise the existing opportunities that we are encountering.
“Finally, we want to continue to diversify our roster of sports. We have managed to attract top-level elite IPs across football, motorsport, and rugby, and we want to continue diversifying and grow our portfolio with entry in tennis and esports as priorities. If we concentrate on these buckets, we feel that can strengthen our position in the market, increase our geographic footprint, and grow the brand’s profile and visibility.”
