SAN FRANCISCO UNICORNS PARTNER WITH PIVOT AGENCY AS OFFICIAL COMMERCIAL AGENCY OF RECORD
Professional Cricket to Debut in the Bay Area Starting 2025
San Francisco, CA, [October 15, 2024] — The San Francisco Unicorns and PIVOT Agency are thrilled to announce their partnership, marking a significant step in bringing professional cricket to the Bay Area. As the Unicorns' official commercial agency of record, PIVOT will lead sponsorship discussions, offering brands a unique platform to connect with cricket’s rapidly growing fanbase as the sport makes its debut in this dynamic market.
"PIVOT is excited to partner with the Unicorns," said Patrick Cassidy, Executive Vice President, Property Sales at PIVOT Agency. "We are working with companies that see this new team and league as an incredible way to partner, including tech integration, jersey rights, VIP hosting, brand marketing, ownership engagement, on-site activations, and more. As professional cricket makes its mark in the U.S., the San Francisco Unicorns present an incredible opportunity for brands to engage with a diverse and passionate audience through innovative partnerships."
The Unicorns will call the Bay Area home for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, followed by the debut of a state-of-the-art, cricket-specific stadium in 2027. Owned by prominent Bay Area tech CEOs and executives, including Venky Harinarayan, Anand Rajaraman, Shantanu Narayen, and Divesh Makan, the team is poised to leverage cricket's global appeal, which boasts over 1 billion fans.
"We're excited to partner with PIVOT Agency as we bring professional cricket to the Bay Area," said David White, CEO of the San Francisco Unicorns. "PIVOT’s expertise in sponsorship sales and sports marketing will be invaluable as we build innovative partnerships with brands looking to connect with our growing fanbase."
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About San Francisco Unicorns
The San Francisco Unicorns launched in 2023 as one of six founding members of Major League Cricket (MLC), a ground-breaking T20 competition bringing some of world cricket’s biggest names to the USA. The roster includes Australian international stars Pat Cummins, Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, New Zealand’s Finn Allen and Matt Henry, and 2019 Cricket World Cup champion Liam Plunkett. Cricket Victoria, the governing body for the sport in the Australian state of Victoria, serves as the Unicorns’ high-performance partner.
In partnership with MLC, the Unicorns plan to build a world-class home for the team in the Bay Area in the future that will be capable of hosting major international cricket events. The team’s primary investors are Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, who are founding partners of data-driven venture firm rocketship.vc, and who previously founded US-focused database technology provider Junglee, which sold to Amazon in 1998 for $250m.
About PIVOT Agency
Founded in 2013, PIVOT Agency is a full-service sports marketing agency, built at the nexus of brands and culture, and forming alliances between consumer brands, athletes, sports, the arts, causes, business and media. PIVOT operates through three core divisions: Property Consulting, Travel & Hospitality and Brand Consulting.
The Property Consulting division represents teams, leagues, universities and emerging sports to help develop strategy and maximize corporate sponsorship revenue with top organizations in the sports and entertainment world.
Travel & Hospitality division handles all road game travel for professional teams, sourcing, negotiating, and contracting all hotel accommodations. Builds and creates “money can’t buy” experiences to some of the world’s premier events, including athlete meet & greets, tickets, VIP access, F&B, and all travel needs.
PIVOT’s Brand Consulting division uses data and insights to develop, negotiate, measure, and activate sports and entertainment partnerships for leading brands.
