Bill Gates' Company Corbis Acquires UK Sports Marketing Agency

Bill Gates

Corbis Entertainment, a division of Bill Gates' media company Corbis, has acquired UK-based sports marketing and sponsorship agency WSM Communications.

Over its 15-year history, WSM has helped companies like Unilever, British Airways and Aberdeen Asset Management enhance their brands with integrated strategies in the world of sports – with a focus on golf, soccer, sailing and tennis. To complement its London home base, WSM has international offices in the U.S., and is working on existing projects in both regions, along with Singapore, Tokyo, Australia, South Africa, Brunei and Thailand.

"Sports are a natural extension of the comprehensive entertainment marketing solutions Corbis has pioneered for leading brands across the world, from product integration to celebrities to rights and music clearances," said Shenk.

"Bringing WSM, its clients and buzz-worthy sports events and stars into our family is an exciting development," begins Mark Owens, Executive Vice President, Corbis Entertainment. "Sports are another high-profile form of entertainment populated with its own celebrities and A-list events. WSM's long track record, and unique depth in fast-growing worldwide sports like golf, tennis and soccer makes them a natural fit, with assets that we can leverage across all Corbis Entertainment global clients."

WSM is one of the world’s most successful independent sports and sponsorship marketing agencies. Established 15 years ago, it has established integrated sponsorship campaigns for brands including Unilever, MasterCard, British Airways and Aberdeen Asset Management across golf, cricket, rugby union, football, sailing and tennis. Headquartered in London, it also has international offices in Qatar, Brazil and the United States.