Havas is pleased to announce the acquisition of leading Dutch sports marketing agency SportVibes. Recognized for its expertise in sports marketing and live events, SportVibes will join Havas Play in the Netherlands, expanding the network’s capabilities across Benelux and strengthening Havas Play’s position as a leader in connecting brands and audiences through passion points, including sport, music, art & culture, entertainment, fashion and gaming. SportVibes will operate under the name SportVibes by Havas Play and will continue to be led by Managing Partners Frans Vleggeert and Imre van Leeuwen.

Founded in 2003, SportVibes has extensive experience creating connections between fans, brands, event organizers and communities through content, live experiences and influencer campaigns across sport and entertainment, often powered by its proprietary IP. SportVibes works with leading brands including Gillette, Dash, DHL, Action and Lexus, among others. The agency is also co-organizer of the Formula 1 Heineken Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort and has been named Formula 1 Promoter of the Year.

The acquisition also includes Track Record, SportVibes’ digital commerce agency specializing in “return on fan engagement.” By combining data-driven insights, digital marketing and creative storytelling, Track Record, which is led by Managing Partners Teun Verheij and Tim Nome, helps sports organizations, event organizers and brands convert fan engagement into measurable commercial growth. Together, SportVibes and Track Record further enhance Havas Play’s ability to connect brands with audiences and deliver tangible business results.

About Havas

Founded in 1835 in Paris, Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups, with nearly 23,000 people in over 100 countries. With the ambition to help brands unlock Growth, Powered by Desire, Havas brings together creativity, media, technology and production capabilities to build strong, desirable brands that people genuinely want to engage with. Its integrated model is supported by Converged.AI, the Group’s operating system that unifies data, technology and AI to deliver optimized, scalable marketing solutions across the full customer journey. AI-driven, fueled by human ingenuity, and grounded in the belief that desire drives both brand performance and business outcomes, Havas teams collaborate within Havas Villages worldwide to cultivate reputation, relevance and long‑term preference for clients. Havas is equally committed to its people, fostering inclusive, responsible and inspiring workplaces where talent can thrive, because desire also starts from within. Further information is available at www.havas.com.

About Havas Play Amsterdam

Havas Play Amsterdam is on a mission to meet people in the cultural spaces where their desires come to life and create a natural fit for brands to become part of these passions, including music, sports, gaming, fashion, art & culture, entertainment and lifestyle. As part of Havas Village NL, Havas Play Amsterdam creates strategies, content, partnerships, sponsorships, creator-based programming, live experiences and brand activations that turn cultural relevance into growth for clients.

About SportVibes

SportVibes is a Dutch sports marketing agency specialized in brand activation, sponsorship rights and IP, communication, events, ticketing & hospitality. It works for a number of leading clients in the Benelux and also exploits exclusive rights as an organizer or promoter of live events. After the acquisition the agency will operate under the name SportVibes by Havas Play. For more information, please visit www.sportvibes.nl.

About Track Record

Track Record is a digital commerce agency specialized in return-on-fan-engagement.

The agency converts fan-based relationships into direct marketing action and commercial growth for brands, event organizers and rights holders. For more information, please visit www.trackrecord.nl.