The Romans has launched a dedicated Sports & Entertainment division in MENA, appointing Sam Buckett as its managing director. The move brings the agency’s specialist offering to its second market, following its launch in the UK.
The division will combine public relations and influencer work with partnership and sponsorship strategy, activations, content, creative experiences and reputation management. Buckett will lead its regional client portfolio, develop partnerships and expand the agency’s work across sports, entertainment and talent. Buckett joins from Burson in Saudi Arabia, where he led its Sports & Entertainment offering. His regional experience includes two years in the Kingdom and work in Qatar on the FIFA World Cup.
“There are few things in life people care more about than their sports and entertainment passions. But too often fans are taken for granted. Treated as a captive audience, resulting in boring, lazy PR. We are going to change that,” said Buckett. “Our aim is to represent the vibrancy and passion of each part of this region for sport and entertainment and have some fun doing it. It won’t be boring,” he added.
The new division will build on The Romans’ existing regional work, including its relationship with Ethara, the business behind the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It will also contribute to the agency’s global sports and entertainment portfolio, which includes WWE, UFC, Formula E, Formula 1, Oakley and Puma.
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“Sports & Entertainment is in our DNA and we’ve been waiting for the right moment to bring our unique offering here to the region. This is one of the most passionate fan cultures in the world, but they’re bored of logo wallpaper, kit collaborations, and the same three footballers being recruited for every campaign. They deserve better. That’s our goal,” said Joe Lipscombe, Partner at The Romans MENA.
Buckett will work with Chris Allen, The Romans’ Executive Director of Sports & Entertainment, who leads the global offering, and the agency’s UK team. The launch follows The Romans’ entry into MENA with the opening of its Dubai office in 2024. The agency’s regional and international client portfolio includes Porsche, Binance, Ethara, WaterWipes, Costa Coffee and SharkNinja.
