About Boardroom

Boardroom is a sports, media and entertainment brand co-founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman and focused on the intersection of sports and entertainment. Boardroom’s flagship media arm features premium video/audio, editorial, daily and weekly newsletters, showcasing how athletes, executives, musicians and creators are moving the business world forward. Boardroom’s ecosystem encompasses B2B events and experiences (such as its renowned NBA and WNBA All-Star events) as well as ticketed conferences such as Game Plan in partnership with CNBC. Our advisory arm serves to consult and connect athletes, brands and executives with our broader network and initiatives.

Recent film and TV projects also under the Boardroom umbrella include the Academy Award-winning Two Distant Strangers (Netflix), the critically acclaimed scripted series SWAGGER (Apple TV+) and Emmy-nominated documentary NYC Point Gods (Showtime).

Boardroom’s sister company, Boardroom Sports Holdings, features investments in emerging sports teams and leagues, including the Major League Pickleball team, the Brooklyn Aces, NWSL champions Gotham FC, and MLS’ Philadelphia Union.

All Rights Reserved. 2022.

Excel Sports Management Acquires Creative Agency Game Seven

The Brooklyn-based creative and experiential marketing agency enhances Excel’s reach and impact across sports, culture, and lifestyle.

Excel Sports Management, the sports agency that represents and works with the likes of Tiger Woods, Kevin Love, Clayton Kershaw, Red Bull, Under Armour, Outback Steakhouse, and 2K Games, has acquired creative and experiential marketing agency Game Seven.

Game Seven is known for the campaigns it’s created for brands including Nike, Foot Locker, Oakley, Bleacher Report, Instagram, Spotify, and Meta. “We started Game Seven with the ambition to build an agency capable of harnessing and converting our love of sports culture into breakthrough marketing campaigns,” said Justin Leonard, co-founder of Game Seven Marketing, in an official release.

“Over the last 12 years, we have evolved from a niche experiential agency into a full-service creative shop, and our team has had the privilege of creating a wide range of impactful work, both physical and digital, alongside some of the most innovative brands in the world. As we look towards the future, the ability to grow, scale, and diversify our work is paramount. Jeff and the Excel team have built one of the best agencies in the world, and our combined expertise will bring a new and differentiated offering to the marketplace.”

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Justin Leonard and his brother, Matt Leonard, founded Game Seven in 2010 with the goal of delivering creative and experiential wins for brands across sports, culture, and lifestyle without sacrificing authenticity.  Game Seven will keep its name and branding, while the Leonards’ roles as Co-heads of the agency will be preserved under the terms of the acquisition. They’ll both additionally hold equity stakes in the organization going forward.

As Excel Sports Management founder and President Jeff Schwartz added on the occasion:

“Excel and Game Seven share foundational elements, as both agencies started in basketball and have since expanded well beyond into various other sports and entertainment verticals. Game Seven’s evolution from experiential marketing into a leading creative shop in sports make them a great fit for Excel. This strategic investment ensures we can satisfy any brand’s marketing ambitions within sports.”

Sign up for our newsletter

Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.

Randall Williams

Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.

About The Author
Randall Williams
Randall Williams
Randall Williams is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom specializing in sports business and music. He previously worked for Sportico, Andscape and Bloomberg. His byline has also been syndicated in the Boston Globe and Time Magazine. Williams' notable profile features include NFL Executive VP Troy Vincent, Dreamville co-founder Ibrahim Hamad, BMX biker Nigel Sylvester, and both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Randall, a graduate of "The Real HU" -- Hampton University — is most proud of scooping Howard University joining Jordan Brand nearly three months before the official announcement.