Sergio Friede is the Co-Founder and CEO of Group 1, the first sports marketing agency in the world built exclusively around international expansion. When he launched the agency in February 2024, it was on a conviction formed over more than a decade at the heart of global sport: that international growth would become the industry’s defining opportunity, and that nobody was building the right agency to deliver it.

Two years on, the industry has caught up with that vision. Group 1 has worked with 85 clients across 17 cities on five continents, with offices in Madrid, Miami and Abu Dhabi and a portfolio spanning the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Manchester City, IndyCar, Bupa and Experience Abu Dhabi.

Sergio’s path to founding Group 1 was built at the frontier of international sport. In 2013, he led Manchester City’s Spanish-language digital channels from the ground up, one of the earliest examples of a major European club localising content for international audiences. He then built LaLiga’s internal content operation, before spending over seven years at the NBA as Head of Marketing & Growth for Europe and the Middle East, working across marquee events including the NBA Paris and Abu Dhabi Games.

Under his leadership, Group 1 has delivered landmark firsts, including the first NFL Madrid game, the first ever Borg-Warner Trophy tour in Spain for IndyCar, and the first two editions of the EuroLeague Players Association’s annual party.

Sergio lectures at IE University and LALIGA Business School, sits on Spain’s Sports Marketing Experts Committee, and has been featured in Sports Business Journal, Sportico and 2PLAYBOOK. He lives in Madrid with his wife Irene, daughters Daniela and Lucía, and his puppy Roma.