Panam Sports, the organizer of the quadrennial Pan American Games regional multi-sport event, has tapped global sports agency Sportfive to lead the international media rights sales effort for the next two editions of the flagship event.

This agreement covers the 2027 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and the 2031 games in Asuncion, Paraguay, with Sportfive to sell media rights associated with the events globally, with a focus on “maximizing visibility, engagement, and value across the Americas.”

The agency will target both traditional linear broadcast outlets as well as OTT streamers and alternative content platforms in order to ensure a wide range of distribution and to maximize reach.

Sportfive chief growth officer Robert Müller von Vultejus called the agreement “transformational” for the company, commenting: “By partnering exclusively with Panam Sports, we are not only deepening our footprint in the Americas but affirming our ability to deliver premium media solutions for multi-sport events on the global stage. We see immense potential in connecting the passion of Pan American sport with audiences worldwide.”

Pedro Cubillos, the executive director for global media at the agency, added: “We will leverage our deep distribution networks, data insights, and content capabilities to maximize reach, monetization, and engagement. The Americas will be a cornerstone of this strategy, but our ambition is truly global.”

2027 will be the second time the Peruvian capital has hosted the games, having staged the 2019 edition in the city also, while 2031 will see Paraguay take up hosting rights for the first time.

Lima has had to step in as host for 2027 on short notice after Baranquilla, Colombia, the originally announced host back in 2021, was stripped of hosting rights in early 2024 for a range of reasons, including financial mismanagement and broken contractual obligations.

The most recent 2023 edition was held in Santiago, Chile, and was the first to include a record of 39 sports on its program, hosting 6,909 competitors in total and staging 425 events(both also records).

A similar scale will thus be expected in 2027 and 2031, outlining the commitment Sportfive has made in terms of securing widespread broadcast coverage.