SPORTFIVE Recognised in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026

The award - which recognises and celebrates leading employers who are creating exceptional workplace environments - sees SPORTFIVE named as a top employer in the ‘Medium Organisation’ category.

SPORTFIVE’s recognition in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work Awards 2026 marks a seminal moment in the business' history.

Having undergone a marked shift in brand identity and leadership structure in 2020, the business has since undertaken a journey of change which has encompassed a redefinement of the organisational vision, values and culture -  and has crucially involved centering the business around its biggest asset; its people.

Driven by employee feedback, this work has translated into a more holistic and integrated approach to our employee experience, shaping how the business attracts, develops and retains talent.

Within this, there has been a clear focus on creating an environment where individuals are trusted with meaningful ownership, supported to grow through structured development opportunities, and able to see a clear pathway for progression.

At the same time, SPORTFIVE has continued to invest in how we communicate and engage as a business - ensuring greater transparency, consistency and connection across teams, while actively listening to employee feedback to shape our priorities.

This is brought to life through initiatives such as our Employee Forum - a dedicated, representative space where colleagues from every business area and office come together to share ideas, challenge thinking and influence change - and our Women’s Network, which creates opportunities for connection, development and advocacy within the industry.

Our approach to wellbeing and reward has also evolved to better reflect the changing expectations of a multi-generational workforce, with a more flexible and inclusive offering designed to support colleagues both professionally and personally.

This combination of sustained focus areas and employee-led initiatives has helped to build a more engaged, inclusive and high-performing culture - one that continues to evolve with and be shaped by our people.

This investment has to date seen SPORTFIVE recognised as the best employer in 2023,2024 and 2025 in iWorkinSport’s Sports Marketing Agency category, as well as Agency of the Year in 2024 and 2025 at Leaders Sports Awards. Additionally, SPORTFIVE was voted as the best employer for women in the entire sports industry in iWorkinSport’s 2025 survey of professionals from the sports industry.

Speaking after the announcement of SPORTFIVE’s inclusion in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026, Tim Birt and Lee Goldwater, Managing Directors, SPORTFIVE UK, said: “To be recognised as one the best employers in the country is an incredibly special achievement and one that we, as an organisation, are very proud of.

“This award stands as a testament to our world-class team at SPORTFIVE, and reflects our commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive and industry-leading place to work. We look forward to continuing to evolve our workplace to support the wellbeing and development of our people.”

How The Survey Works

The Sunday Times Best Places to Work is an annual, nationwide workplace survey and awards programme in the UK, powered by the employee-experience platform WorkL. It celebrates top employers by ranking companies based entirely on employee feedback, wellbeing, and employee engagement.

The awards use 26 questions from WorkL’s employee engagement survey, developed to accurately monitor employee engagement, wellbeing and discretionary effort in the workplace. To achieve a high overall engagement score, an organisation must score highly across a six-step framework:

• Reward and Recognition

• Instilling Pride

• Information Sharing

• Empowerment

• Wellbeing

• Job Satisfaction

SPORTFIVE scored an average of 85% across these categories, including 88% in the Job Satisfaction category where employees were asked to score on statements such as “I work in a well run organisation”, “I enjoy my job”, and “I am developing in my role”.

The business was also rated ‘Excellent’ in questions relating to Diversity & Inclusion, Wellbeing and Confidence in Management.