Music Management Agency Tap Launches Sport Venture

Talent management agency TaP, which counts the likes of Dua Lipa, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding among its roster, has launched a new sport consultancy, TaP Sports, with initial clients Leeds United and England’s Kalvin Phillips.

The new venture builds on TaP Music, founded by Ben Mawson, and will be headed up by Managing Director Zoe Prothero, whose previous experience at Coca-Cola and Fuse has seen her work with the UEFA European Championships and FIFA World Cup as well as UEFA Champions League and Premier League when at Fuse. 

She most recently held a senior commercial role at ABB FIA Formula E, collaborating with TaP music when Dua Lipa performed at the 2018 Champions League Final Opening Ceremony.

TaP Sports will offer services parallel to their successful music management entity, bringing expertise in profile building and positioning, as well as experience in crossing the fields of sport, music and entertainment. According to the agency, the business will focus on two main activities: offering consultancy and creative marketing services. It will also offer strategic athlete brand and commercial management.

TaP Sports’ remit for Leeds spans across marketing, social media and media engagement, as well as commercial partnerships, while homegrown midfielder Kalvin Phillips (pictured above) will also join as the first athlete client at the agency, which will support football agents and players to secure brand partnerships as well as run social media and PR management for the talent.

“I am excited to launch TaP Sports with an incredible team alongside me, who all lead their respective industries,” said TaP Sports founder Ben Mawson.

“We hold the belief that there is much synergy between entertainment and sports and an often missed opportunity to grow audiences worldwide. We want to work closely with the best agents and best players and help them build their profile and commercial value. We will work strategically on the brand endorsement side, rather than just transactionally and help players become cultural icons, building brands with a reach far beyond the pitch. I’m especially excited to be working with Kalvin Phillips, such an incredible player at such an exciting time in his career”.

Angus Kinnear, CEO, Leeds United added: “Following our promotion to the Premier League we have many new and exciting opportunities to engage and grow our fanbase across the UK and internationally. We look forward to working with the team at TaP to help us deliver against these off-field ambitions.”

Another initial project for TaP will be the release of the soundtrack for an upcoming documentary about Liverpool’s title-winning season which includes a Lana Del Rey recording of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. The project will go to support the club’s LFC Foundation.

Billy Hogan, CEO, Liverpool said: “Lana Del Rey’s beautiful rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone in support of the LFC Foundation is a huge moment for the club’s official charity and it was great working so closely with TaP Sports on that project. It feels incredibly poignant that in such a challenging year for so many that a globally renowned artist such as Lana can help to support the work the club is doing in our communities.”