28 November 2024 

Seat Unique, the number one destination for premium live experiences, has struck a partnership with athlete-led media and investment group 4CAST, founded by leading British cricketers Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler.

 The collaboration with 4CAST’s world-class athletes will help Seat Unique grow the reach of its platform that offers fans exclusive access to the best live events across sports, music and theatre.

4CAST, which specialises in athlete-driven media productions and early-stage investments, boasts an influential roster of talent, including cricketers Ollie Pope, Liam Livingstone, KL Rahul and Matty Potts.

Ollie Pope and Matty Potts are playing alongside Ben Stokes as he captains England in their three-match Test series against New Zealand, which started on 27 November.

A game-changing partnership

4CAST’s extensive network of high-profile athletes has the power to accelerate Seat Unique’s growth across all stages of its value chain. The partnership will open new commercial doors for Seat Unique, connecting it with more venue owners and rights holders, and drawing more exclusive events to the platform.

With a combined social media following of over 60 million, 4CAST’s athletes can speak directly to and engage with passionate fan communities. Their influence will fuel demand for premium live experiences and create even better fan experiences, for example through exclusive athlete interactions and guest appearances at events. 

The experience economy has grown exponentially in recent years following the pandemic, and six in 10 consumers now say they would rather spend money on making memories than buying material possessions, according to Barclays. 

Seat Unique is well positioned to capitalise on this boom, and the backing of 4CAST will play a key role in cementing the company as a leader in the premium ticketing space. 

Robin Sherry, Seat Unique CEO and founder, said: “Here at Seat Unique we’re looking forward to working closely with 4CAST. It’s a dream partnership for us with a brilliant group of stars in its books. Together, we’ll be able to join forces to combine the reach and influence of the many talented sporting professionals associated with 4CAST with our future plans at Seat Unique.

“Their support will give us the unique opportunity to establish close collaborations with esteemed athletes, amplifying our brand visibility and showcasing the exceptional experiences offered on our platform to new audiences.”

James Duffy, Seat Unique co-founder and COO, said: “Off the back of our hugely successful Series A round this year, we’re thrilled to be extending our relationship with key backers like Ben Stokes and Stuart Broad.

“As consumer demand for live sporting events soars, we believe this collaboration has the potential to considerably raise the profiles of both 4CAST and Seat Unique.

“We’re also really excited that this partnership could open up more commercial opportunities, connecting Seat Unique with new partners as we continue our journey to become the number one destination for premium live experiences.”

Mike Turns, 4CAST managing director and founder, said: “When myself and Ben founded 4CAST in 2022, we wanted to partner with companies and founders to really help accelerate their growth. Our vision was to utilise our athlete group, their amazing networks and the skills they have developed whilst playing elite sport and converting that into the business world. Seat Unique is the perfect partner for us and we are hugely excited about our future together.”

Ben Stokes, founder of 4CAST, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Seat Unique. As one of our early investments, we believe Seat Unique has found a gap in the market that allows fans easy access to premium ticketing experiences. We are all excited to be part of its growth and development as we work with the Seat Unique team to continue to progress the business.”

Jofra Archer, founder of 4CAST, said: "Through our partnership with Seat Unique, we will use the collective influence of 4CAST’s group of athletes and public figures to help propel the business forward. By combining our extensive network with Seat Unique's innovative platform, we're confident that we can revolutionise the ticketing industry and bring sports fans closer to the amazing moments that live sport brings.”

Jos Buttler, co-founder of 4CAST, said: "It's great to announce this partnership between 4CAST and Seat Unique; we feel it is a great combination. We have followed Seat Unique closely as a business and we are hugely excited about working alongside their team to really help make these exclusive opportunities more accessible to fans worldwide, creating lasting memories of live sporting events.”

About 4CAST

The 4CAST Collective gives  the opportunity for internationally acclaimed athletes to explore business opportunities whilst maintaining high standards in competition. With 13 international athlete shareholders across cricket, football, rugby, endurance sports and public influencers, the aim is to provide an onramp for athletes to get involved in business but to do so in a safe, trusted environment alongside their peers.

The business focuses on media and content creation working with their athletes to showcase authentic, high-impact partnerships that align with their athletes' interests and early stage venture opportunities.

4CAST partly owns The Players Fund, the UK’s first athlete-led venture capital firm, which also invested in Seat Unique earlier this year. 

For more information, please visit www.4castmg.co.uk/. 

About Seat Unique 

Seat Unique is the global distribution platform for premium tickets and hospitality, connecting fans with the best hospitality packages for live events worldwide. Through strategic partnerships with rights holders and venues across sports, music and theatre, Seat Unique guarantees unforgettable moments for fans.

We are backed by a number of leading athletes including Matt Dawson, Ben Stokes and Dame Jessica Ennis, and count top cricketers Stuart Broad and Lauren Bell, along with rugby legend Sam Warburton among our ambassadors. 

In August 2023, Seat Unique closed a £14.5m funding round led by investment firm Nickleby Capital, along with investors including Sir Clive Woodward and Chris Kamara MBE. We ranked 4th in the Sifted 100: UK & Ireland and 5th in the 2024 Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50, having achieved 7,921% revenue growth over the past four years.

 For more information, please visit www.seatunique.com.