Barney Francis, the former MD of Sky Sports, has been appointed to the Advisory Board of WePlay, the performance marketing agency for the sports industry.

Francis spent 10 years at the helm of Sky Sports before becoming CEO of Comcast’s Future Sport division in 2019, tasked with identifying global growth opportunities within sport’s changing landscape.

He will advise WePlay on business growth strategy, joining as an advisor to the WePlay Board that was formed in late 2019 following an initial round of investment. Chaired by Simon Cummins, Global Head of Odgers Berndtson’s sports, media & gaming practice, it also features Olivier Gers, Digital Media Advisor, former IMG, Publicis, Endemol & IAAF (World Athletics) CEO, Adam Bellamy, former PureGym CFO and Nick Basing, Chairman of Ten Entertainment.

Francis commented: “WePlay is a really exciting agency, purpose built for this new era in sports. I’m a fan of the ‘outcomes over outputs’ approach that sets WePlay apart from the old agency guard. This is becoming increasingly important at a time when marketers need to justify every cent of brand spend.”

Cummins added:”Barney is a terrific addition to the team, which speaks to the direction of travel – not only for WePlay but the sports industry at large. We are very fortunate to have someone of Barney’s standing to join our existing Board.”