From agency life to launching his own specialist sports PR business, Matt Williams has built a career around understanding how stories travel in sport – and why they matter.
As the founder of Keep Comms, Matt operates at the intersection of media, brand and culture, working across major properties like The Hundred and The Emirates FA Cup, as well as global brands including Red Bull and PUMA. In an industry where attention is fragmented and narratives shift quickly, his approach is rooted in agility, authenticity and long-term brand building.
In this Industry Insider Q&A, Matt reflects on taking the leap to start his own agency, the realities of working in sports PR, and why the role of PR is evolving from hype generator to credibility anchor in a crowded content landscape.
Where did your story in sport begin?
My first job in sports PR was at Speed Communications, which later became Mongoose Sport & Entertainment. I joined the team in 2016 after a couple of years in consumer PR knowing that I wanted to get into sport. A typical fast and fun agency where we all threw ourselves into learning quickly and getting stuck in. I worked across clients like Lucozade Sport, The North Face and Optimum Nutrition.
In 2019, I took the leap to set up Keep Comms, a specialist sports PR agency that moves fast and punches above its weight.
Since then, we have been lucky enough to work across major events such as The Hundred, The Emirates FA Cup, The Icons Series, ASO Events and Tough Mudder while supporting multiple brands like Red Bull, Hytro, Reflo, Optimum Nutrition and PUMA.
What does your role involve that people don’t see?
PR is more valuable than people realise internally and for impacting other channels. A lot of what is measured is the coverage – the output and the eyeballs. But a good PR does more than achieve column inches and broadcast slots. It’s as much about building brand narratives that flow into wider marketing efforts and making sure the brand is protected and grown for the right reasons.
What has been the biggest turning point in your journey so far?
Setting up Keep Comms. Going out on your own is never easy but it felt right and I’ve never looked back. The wins are bigger and the losses hurt more but I wouldn’t change it. I’ve managed to build a career in an industry I love and am lucky to work with so many inspirational clients and teams.
What’s something you’ve learned about working in sport that surprised you?
How small the industry is. People see sport and think it’s a behemoth that has millions of people constantly in and out. While that’s somewhat true, you’d be amazed at how everyone knows everyone. People flow from one role to another and the same faces pop up time and time again. It makes your reputation incredibly important.
What skill has helped you most in building your career?
Good question. If I knew that I would double down and do more of it.
I don’t underestimate my passion for sport and the power of the people around me. This industry is full of amazingly talented and passionate folk, many of whom I’ve been lucky to work with – learning from them is something I always want to do.
What’s a challenge people don’t talk enough about in the sport Industry?
For me it comes down to control.
In sports, we often operate under this illusion of control, but the reality is we don’t own the athlete, the scoreboard, or the news agenda. If you spend your career fighting those three things, you’ll always be on the defensive. It’s about building a scoreboard-proof brand, where your value doesn’t evaporate just because of a bad result.
We also have to remember that for an athlete, being a brand ambassador isn’t their day job, so we need to stop forcing them into boxes that don’t feel natural.
Finally, we’ve got to be honest that we don’t dictate the news cycle; we just work within it. Instead of shouting into an echo chamber, success is about having the narrative agility to pivot when the headlines change and staying anchored in something real that fans actually trust.
What excites you most about the future of sport?
What really excites me is that we’re at this crossroads where the old-school media funnel is being dismantled. We’ve moved past just watching a single broadcast to getting our news from a million different people and platforms. It’s a bit of a Wild West for brands, but it means we have to be way more surgical about who we partner with and where we show up to actually cut through.
And because the landscape is so crowded and full of clout-chasing content, I think PR is becoming more vital than ever. It’s moving away from just generating hype and becoming an anchor for credibility. At the end of the day, the winners won’t be the ones shouting the loudest; they’ll be the brands that use PR to protect the truth and build actual, authentic trust with their fans.
What advice would you give to your younger self – and to someone starting a career in sport today?
Your passion is your skill. You can learn all the day-to-day bits as you go but having someone in the room with great knowledge and passion for a sport or particular discipline can never be underestimated. I’ve seen junior members of teams deliver some of the best ideas because they know their stuff about the industry. Even if they don’t yet know how to execute it. Be a fan – it’s more useful than you realise.
Quickfire
Three words that describe the sport industry?
Sport is culture.
One word that describes your role?
Flexible.
A book, podcast, or person that influenced you?
A book: Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein about the importance of choice architecture.
Podcast: Business of Sport.
Person: Too many to mention.
Matt’s perspective highlights just how much the role of PR in sport is shifting – from simply generating coverage to shaping narratives that can withstand the unpredictability of results, headlines and public opinion.
In a landscape where attention is fragmented and authenticity is increasingly valued, the ability to stay flexible, think strategically and build genuine trust has never been more important.
For more insights from the people working across sport — from media and marketing to performance and leadership – explore more from our Industry Insider series and discover the stories shaping the industry behind the scenes.
