UK-based social media agency Coolr has launched a new sports division, and appointed a former DAZN exec to run it.

Coolr Sport will be led by Ben Goldhagen (pictured above, left) in the newly created role of director of sport. His experience includes four years as VP of international marketing & partnerships at DAZN.

The new division will be dedicated to helping brands, teams, leagues, federations and athletes engage fans on social media. Services will include content creation, ideation, creator and influencer partnerships, channel and community management, and commercial strategy.

Goldhagen said: “Coolr has an award-winning, industry-renowned foundation in creative social storytelling and audience engagement. With Coolr Sport, my focus is to bring a dedicated sports lens to an already exciting and credible agency proposition. This will allow us to expand existing client relationships, unlock new opportunities, and help brands, teams, leagues and athletes show up in ways that are authentic, culturally relevant and truly connected to their fans.”

In his role at Coolr, Goldhagen will report directly to CEO Adam Clyne (pictured above, right).

Clyne added, “Appointing Ben to lead Coolr Sport is a major step in our expansion. He brings deep experience across sports marketing, social storytelling and creator partnerships, and is the ideal person to build this division. Sport is a huge part of popular culture, and Coolr Sport enables us to help clients turn sporting moments into content that resonates with audiences, across the UK, US and beyond.”

Goldhagen joins Coolr with over 20 years of experience in sports marketing and social storytelling and will be responsible for building and leading Coolr Sport across the UK and the US.

According to Coolr, the division brings a “social-first, fan-focused approach to sport, combining audience insight, creator partnerships and platform expertise to deliver culturally relevant content that drives engagement and commercial impact.”

Coolr Sport will consolidate existing client opportunities across the agency where sport already plays, or could play, a role, while also building out a dedicated sport-focused portfolio. It will operate as an integrated arm of Coolr rather than a standalone service.

Coolr’s clients include Deliveroo, Burger King and Lidl GB.

Goldhagen began his career at agencies within WPP before moving in-house at adidas as senior director of sports marketing. He then managed the global football YouTube channel The F2, before joining DAZN, overseeing campaigns for clients including the NFL, FIFA and 888poker.

Most recently, he has consulted across brands including Monster Energy, Cupra, Marks & Spencer, Celsius, Sports Direct and adidas.