# ADWEEK's Sports Marketing MVPs 2026

> Sports marketers transform fan engagement with data-driven strategies and cultural relevance.
- Title: ADWEEK's Sports Marketing MVPs 2026 · Adweek | Shortify
- Summary: Sports marketers transform fan engagement with data-driven strategies and cultural relevance. ADWEEK's 2026 Sports Marketing MVPs showcase executives driving…
- Keywords: adweek, sports marketing, mvp, 2026, fan engagement, brand strategy, sports marketing executives, sports marketing strategies, sports marketing results, sports marketing innovation, ADWEEK's, Sports
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/brand-marketing/adweek-sports-marketing-mvps-2026-bringing-the-heat-on-and-off-the-court
- Author: Brandon Hardin
- Published: 2026-10-06T10:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: adweek, sports marketing, mvp, 2026, fan engagement, brand strategy, sports marketing executives, sports marketing strategies, sports marketing results, sports marketing innovation
## Live sports marketing trend
Live sports is the hottest trend in marketing but brands can’t just show up wearing the team jersey.
## ADWEEK Sports Marketing MVP list
ADWEEK’s annual Sports Marketing MVP list recognizes executives crafting savvy strategies to connect with fans while delivering results for companies.
## Mazen Alawar
Mazen Alawar, SVP & Head of Marketing at COSM, built Shared Reality with 1.27 million social followers without paid media.
## Stacey Rosenson
Stacey Rosenson, Head of U.S. Sports Marketing at Prime Video, led NBA on Prime and Masters Tournament campaigns.
## Ryan Lehr
Ryan Lehr, Co-CCO at Deutsch, created Dr Pepper’s Fansville series with 117% incremental lift in restaurant visits.
## Julia Kang
Julia Kang, SVP of Partnerships at USOPP, guides LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games brand partnerships.
## Martin Blich
Martin Blich, Head of Sports Partnerships at WPP Media, built a marketing engine for outcome-driven sports decisions.
## Kimberly Veale
Kimberly Veale, SVP of Marketing at Portland Fire and Thorns, built fan strategy for WNBA expansion team.
## Zach Hilder
Zach Hilder, CCO at 72andSunny Los Angeles, created NFL campaigns with Emmy-winning ads and World Cup activations.
## Chris Murphy
Chris Murphy, SVP of Brand Marketing at Adidas NA, poured $242 million into 2026 FIFA World Cup marketing.
## Orlando Baeza
Orlando Baeza, VP of Brand & Creative at Chime, expanded sports footprint with 123.6 million views on Ball on a Budget.
## Angela Jung
Angela Jung, Group Manager at Coinbase, built partnerships across NBA, WNBA, and F1 with 18.5 million organic impressions.
## Carlos Padilla II
Carlos Padilla II, VP of Global Sports Marketing at Dow, connected sponsorships to CRM pipelines with 377% YoY output growth.
## Scott Mager
Scott Mager, U.S. CMO at Deloitte, launched 'Together makes progress' platform with 5-point year-over-year brand differentiation growth.
## Jimmy Spano
Jimmy Spano, EVP & Head of Dentsu Media Sports, oversees $1 billion in annual sports investments across channels.
## Jo Fox
Jo Fox, SVP of Marketing at ESPN, drove 3 million sign-ups with 'Sports Forever' campaign.
## Key takeaway

ADWEEK's 2026 Sports Marketing MVPs showcase executives driving record fan engagement and revenue through immersive sports marketing strategies.