The Federation of Irish Sport Industry Awards will be presented on Tuesday, May 19th, in Dublin city centre. You can see all the shortlisted finalists here, and in the run-up to the Awards night, Sport for Business will feature a selection of the awards to highlight the businesses and projects that have been shortlisted.
Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business was one of the judges who gathered last week to determine the shortlists and the winners, but nothing should be read into these reviews of the shortlisted companies, all of which are leading examples of how sport’s impact is continually expanding in areas of business, social impact and participation.
Wednesday: Best New Sports Business
Thursday: Best Sports Business
Friday: Best Initiatives to Promote Inclusivity and Sustainability in Sport and Physical Activity
Monday: Best Initiatives to Promote Disability and Women in Sport and Physical Activity
Tuesday: Best Use of Communications Platform in Sport and Best Commercial Partnership in Sport
Wednesday: The Winners Revealed
Best Sports Business
The shortlist for Best Sports Business at the 2026 Irish Sport Industry Awards reflects the diversity and commercial growth of Ireland’s evolving sports sector, with four companies recognised for their contribution across media, events, infrastructure and commercial services.
This year’s finalists — DB Sports, FAI LOITV, ForeFront Group and Torpey — each operate in different areas of the sports economy, but all have established strong reputations through innovation, delivery and sustained impact.
DB Sports
Founded by David Berber in 2010 after leaving a career as a chartered accountant, DB Sports has grown into one of Ireland’s leading football development and touring businesses, built around a mission to help young players maximise their potential through elite coaching and international experiences.
The company recorded a turnover of €3.4 million in the financial year to September 2025, employs 11 full-time staff alongside 8 contracted personnel, coaches more than 1,000 players annually, and generates more than 1 million monthly views across its social media platforms.
Best known initially for football tours, DB Sports first brought Irish teams to Manchester United in 2011 and has since developed a strong reputation for delivering soccer experiences across Europe that combine competition, professional coaching and cultural immersion. Tours now include access to elite clubs, stadium visits and matchday experiences in Spain, Portugal, Italy and the UK.
The business has also become a market leader in football coaching programmes for both male and female players. Its DBS International Soccer Academy, founded in 2013, became the first football academy in Ireland to offer a full-time Transition Year programme for young players, based at the Sport Ireland Campus.
The academy continues to expand, with a second Transition Year programme launching at Cherry Orchard FC this September, increasing participation across the programmes to 110 students for the coming academic year. The company is also preparing to launch a new academy in Ghana as part of its international growth strategy.
Under the guidance of Sporting Director Jason Donohue and a team of UEFA-qualified coaches, DB Sports plans further investment in coach education and club development programmes during 2026.
FAI LOITV
FAI LOITV has become one of the defining success stories behind the recent growth of domestic football in Ireland since being established by the League of Ireland in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originally created as a breakeven start-up streaming platform to ensure supporters could continue following clubs during lockdown restrictions, LOITV has evolved into a central part of the League of Ireland ecosystem and a key driver of fan engagement, visibility and commercial growth.
The platform now broadcasts more than 550 live streams annually across League of Ireland competitions, domestic cups and European fixtures, with more than 2,750 streams delivered since launch, including a record 593 live broadcasts during the 2025 season.
A core element of LOITV’s strategy has been ensuring equal visibility across both men’s and women’s football, helping broaden access and exposure for clubs and competitions throughout Irish football.
Ahead of the 2025 season, the platform launched a new partnership with Premier Sports, delivering major improvements in production quality and customer experience through dedicated apps across Apple iOS, Android, LG, Samsung, and Fire TV.
The service also plays an important developmental role within the wider sports media industry, creating opportunities for aspiring camera operators, commentators, presenters and digital media professionals. Productions are supported by Irish-based crews and club media teams, helping generate employment opportunities and industry experience across the sector.
Commercially, 2025 marked a breakthrough year as LOITV surpassed €1 million in annual revenue for the first time alongside record subscription figures, underlining its growing importance to clubs as both a revenue stream and promotional platform.
ForeFront Group
Established in 2020, ForeFront Group has rapidly developed into a leading sports agency operating across Ireland, the UK and international markets, combining event delivery, sponsorship, commercial partnerships and fan engagement.
Innovation sits at the centre of the company’s growth strategy, with ForeFront continually investing in new sporting formats, experiential concepts and audience engagement opportunities.
Among its pioneering initiatives has been the delivery of Ireland’s first international professional padel event, alongside the introduction of experiential concepts such as night golf and expanded digital and content-led engagement strategies.
The company has also played a major role in delivering and promoting high-profile sporting events, including the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, the OFX Irish Legends and the Padel Irish Open.
Through these events, ForeFront has contributed to increased participation, stronger fan engagement and the continued growth of Ireland’s international sporting profile.
Beyond events, the agency works closely with athletes, governing bodies, brands and rights holders, helping organisations modernise commercial strategies and build stronger connections with audiences.
Its nomination reflects both rapid commercial growth and its wider contribution to innovation and expansion across the Irish sports industry.
Torpey
Family-owned sports engineering company Torpey has been manufacturing and retailing premium hurleys since 1981 and has become one of the most innovative businesses operating within Irish sport.
The company has positioned itself at the forefront of performance-focused hurley design, sustainable manufacturing, and athlete-centred product development, with a long-term ambition to become Ireland’s leading sports innovation brand.
Central to that strategy has been the development of the Torpey Bambú® hurley, an engineered, laminated bamboo product designed as a sustainable alternative to traditional ash hurleys in response to the growing threat of ash dieback.
The Bambú® hurley has transformed the company’s business model since its launch in 2020. Whereas more than 90 per cent of sales previously came from ash hurleys, Bambú® products now account for more than 85 per cent of total sales.
Torpey has reinvested approximately €800,000 into advanced manufacturing processes, automation and product engineering, helping create greater consistency and scalability in production.
Innovation has extended beyond hurleys with the launch of the Kláw® performance hurling glove, which has already received international recognition through an ISPO award for design innovation.
Export growth has also become an increasingly important part of the business, with approximately 28 per cent of sales now generated internationally. Key export markets include the UK, the United States and Australia.
The company is now preparing to enter the rapidly expanding global padel market with the launch of two new racket designs planned for Q3 2026, targeting a 10 per cent share of the UK and Ireland padel racket market over the next five years.
A major milestone came with the formal launch of the Torpey StikLab® R&D facility in December 2025, marking a significant evolution from traditional craftsmanship to a more structured, evidence-based approach to sports engineering and product innovation.
Together, the four shortlisted companies reflect the breadth of businesses now shaping Irish sport beyond the field of play.
From infrastructure development and venue branding to digital broadcasting and live event experiences, the category demonstrates how sport has become increasingly interconnected with media, technology, construction and commercial services.
The Federation of Irish Sport has consistently highlighted the wider economic significance of the sports sector, which supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes substantially to the Irish economy.
Previous winners of this award include ClubSpot, Teneo Sport & Sponsorship, Kitman Labs, Output Sports, Future Ticketing, and Fota Island Adventure.
The Federation of Irish Sport, FAI LOITV, and ForeFront Group are full members of Sport for Business.
If you would like to be part of the Sport for Business community and see your organisation in our content, on our stages, and in the conversation happening every day around the commercial world of Irish Sport, email us today and let’s see what is possible.
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