LIONS Sport
Where the future of creative excellence in sport takes shape.
Sport has always been about more than just winning. It's about storytelling, human connection and creating moments that live forever in our collective memory.
And with a US$100bn global ad spend market size and 8-10% of growth year on year*, sport is big - and growing - business too.
That's why we're excited to announce Stagwell as the Official LIONS Sport Partner for Cannes Lions 2025. Together with Stagwell we’re bringing more sport to the Festival than ever before and giving it a dedicated home at the Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH.
Work that makes us leap from our seats. Campaigns that transcend the game. Ideas that capture fans’ imaginations worldwide. Explore all things sport at Cannes Lions.
Stagwell at Cannes Lions
As the Official LIONS Sport Partner, Stagwell will continue to bring sports marketing’s brightest minds, bravest creative pioneers and boldest brands together at Cannes Lions to celebrate the power of sport. So whether you're crafting the next breakthrough sports campaign, reshaping fan engagement, working with athletes as creators, or pushing the boundaries of sports entertainment – this is your moment to change the game.
Together with Stagwell, we’re bringing you a programme that celebrates creativity at the heart of sports. You’ll see talks from industry stars, intimate sessions with creative heavyweights, and the kind of unexpected matchups that only happen in Cannes. This is where rights holders can connect with creative visionaries, where brands can explore what's next in sports marketing, and where the industry's most exciting work takes centre stage. Game on.
Cannes Lions Awards
Entertainment Lions for Sport
Sport has the power to unite, inspire and move people in ways nothing else can. It's why the most memorable sporting moments become part of our cultural fabric – transcending the game through creative storytelling that resonates across generations.
When we introduced the Entertainment Lions for Sport in 2019, that’s what we aimed to spotlight. Sporting stories that showed the power of creativity in the industry, and drove big wins not just at the Festival, but in business as well
Meet the Entertainment Lions for Sport Jury President
Jimmy Smith, Chairman, CEO, and Chief Creative Officer, Amusement Park Entertainment will be leading the jury and seeing your work.
Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH
Stagwell’s SPORT BEACH is the premiere home for all sport within Cannes Lions, leveraging sport as a door opener into conversations driving the business, cultural and innovation landscape. Now in its 3rd season, SPORT BEACH hosts news-making conversations, workshops, open play, and more across four days, featuring the world’s leading athletes such as Travis Kelce, Megan Rapinoe, Carmelo Anthony and Eric Cantona.
Sports speakers at Cannes Lions
At Cannes Lions the boundaries between sports marketing, entertainment and culture blur, creating new possibilities for brands, atheletes and rights holders to tell powerful stories that capture hearts and minds. Explore the sports speakers we’ve had on our stages before for a taste of what’s to come.
Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow
Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals
Ezra Frech
Ezra Frech
US Paralympian and Co-Founder
Angel City Sports
Midge Purce
Midge Purce
Forward
U.S. Women's National Team and NY/NJ Gotham FC
Flau’jae Johnson
Flau’jae Johnson
Rapper and LSU Women’s Basketball National Champion
Flauge Entertainment
Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley
Head Coach
University of South Carolina
Rebecca Sowden
Rebecca Sowden
Team Heroine & Correct the Internet Founder
Team Heroine
Dylan Alcott
Dylan Alcott
Founder of Dylan Alcott Foundation for Shift 20 Initiative
Former Olympian
Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson
Four-time Olympic Gold Medallist
*Sources: WARC, Dentsu, PwC, PQ Media, Statista, Marketing Week
Attending Cannes Lions
The Festival is more than a meeting ground – it's a global centre of creative excellence where the sports industry's most innovative work takes centre stage. Whether you're reimagining fan engagement, pushing the boundaries of sports entertainment or seeking to make your mark on popular culture, it’s where game-changing ideas come to life.
