Super League Triathlon hires Sport Collective GV6 agency to boost coffers

Super League Triathlon, the professional international triathlon series, has appointed Sport Collective GV6, the newly-merged UK-based sports marketing agency, to support the development and implementation of its commercial strategy.

SLT, which launched in 2017, claims to pitch the best athletes against each other in quick race formats in destinations worldwide.

In 2021, Sport Collective GV6 has been tasked with developing the series' commercial strategy and partner outreach.

Martin Cawte, chief commercial officer of SLT, said: “These are very exciting times for Super League Triathlon. Our rapid growth has outstripped all expectations and we have already built the most engaged audience in triathlon.

“We are ready to take another big step forward in 2021 and have recruited an excellent marketing and commercial team. We believe our partnership with Sport Collective GV6 will help add further value to the commercial team and bring new brand partners to the sport.”

Peter Daire, director of Sport Collective GV6, added: “We have been really impressed with how quickly and effectively Super League Triathlon has developed a global race series that has captured the imagination of a huge audience. For the first time there is a credible and exciting Triathlon-based event series for brands to engage with.”

Sport Collective and GV6 Sports teamed up in October with the aim of delivering 360 degree business growth for sports rights holders and brands.

The partnership represented a merger between Sport Collective, founded by Daire and Sean McAuliffe, former senior commercial executives at English soccer's Football Association, and GV6 Sports, founded by Steve Maddren, a one-time head of commercial development at the second-tier English Football League.

The business is focused on delivering growth strategies for brands and rights owners, offering digital platform growth, content creation, partnership sales and staff training services.

SLT is the brainchild of Chris McCormack, the former Australian triathlete and four-times world champion, backed by co-founder and chief executive Michael D’Hulst, an experienced event owner and organiser, and entrepreneur Leonid Boguslavsky.

The professional triathlon market is particularly competitive at the moment, with SLT up against the established World Triathlon Series, run by the sport's established governing body, and the Professional Triathletes Organisation, the body involving leading competitors in the sport, which stepped up its commercial activity this week with the hire of Tim Godfrey from SailGP as its first chief marketing officer.