MIKEWORLDWIDE AND BERK COMMUNICATIONS RECOGNIZED IN SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL'S 2025 "BEST PLACES TO WORK" IN SPORTS AWARDS

Public Relations Agencies Cement Their Position as Powerhouse for Sports Communications in the U.S.

NEW YORK, Nov. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MikeWorldWide, a leading independent public relations agency and its subsidiary Berk Communications, have been named together as an agency winner of Sports Business Journal's 2025 Best Places to Work in Sports competition. This honor recognizes organizations that set the highest benchmark for employee culture, leadership, and workplace satisfaction across the sports industry.

This award recognizes organizations across SBJ's six categories of excellence: Professional Services, Professional Team/League or Governing Body, Agency, Technology, Sports Media/Production, and Facility Owner/Operator. More than 9,000 employees from 98 companies participated in an independent, confidential workplace survey administered by Quantum Workplace, evaluating over 40 drivers that make up an organization's culture, such as employees' trust in leadership, company perks and communication.

"Our sports practice has experienced remarkable momentum because we empower people to lead, to experiment and to build work they are truly proud of," said Michael Kempner, founder and CEO of MikeWorldWide. "This award reflects our commitment to creating a place where people have room to grow, support to take risks and a shared purpose that makes coming to work meaningful."

As an influential independent agency shaping today's sports landscape, the team supports brands, leagues, athletes, and teams with strategic communications services that shape cultural conversations plus build and protect reputations. The sports practice has rapidly expanded its national influence and client footprint following the official merging of agencies in early 2025, and its growth and breakthrough work are driven by the people behind them.

"Our team's passion, hustle, and deep love for sports is what makes our work special," said Ron Berkowitz, founder & CEO of Berk Communications. "Working with some of the biggest names and brands in the world demands a place where curiosity stays alive, ideas move quickly, and everyone feels part of the mission, so this recognition is a real testament to the tremendous talent here."

One of the agencies' most meaningful areas of impact has been advancing women's sports. The momentum in women's sports is reshaping the entire landscape, and both agencies have been early partners in that rise long before it became the space every brand wanted to enter. From Olympic athletes to emerging leagues and global brands, their work has helped build that development one milestone at a time.

The current roster reflects this leadership across the sports ecosystem including high profile clients such as Fanatics, Tepper Sports and Entertainment (Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium), Unrivaled Basketball, National Women's Soccer League, Professional Women's Hockey League, IBM, Comcast Xfinity, Churchill Downs, Diamond Baseball Holdings, RAJ Sports (Portland Fire), Australian Open, Box-to-Box Films, Tennis Channel, OCVIBE, and personalities such as Jordan Chiles, Midge Purce, Andrés Cantor, Colleen Quigley, Aleister Black, and Hally Leadbetter.

This accolade closes out a standout 2025 for the agencies – collectively earning 40+ awards for company excellence, leadership, and breakthrough client campaigns, including AdAge Small Agency of the Year Awards (Gold), Ragan PR Daily Top Agency, PR NET 100 Top PR Companies, Provoke Best Midsize Agency to Work For. Additionally, executive vice president of sports, lifestyle, and reputation Melanie Van Dusen was honored in both PRWeek's 40 Under 40 and PRNEWS' Top Women awards, and senior vice president of sports Marc Sausa was recognized as one of PRNEWS' People of the Year.

About MikeWorldWide (MWW):
MikeWorldWide (MWW) is a leading independent integrated public relations agency, known for its reputation-first, culturally relevant approach. With over 200 professionals across North America, EMEA, and LATAM, MWW helps brands earn trust, stay relevant, and deliver real business results. The agency delivers data-driven and AI-powered campaigns across corporate communications, brand marketing, crisis management, and digital strategy - serving clients in technology, healthcare, financial and professional services, consumer goods, and sports and entertainment. Employee-first and impact-driven, MWW turns insights into influence and reputation into measurable results. For more information, visit www.mww.com / Instagram / LinkedIn

About Berk Communications: 
Berk Communications is an award-winning, independent public relations agency specializing in building and protecting brand and talent reputations across the globe. An independent subsidiary of MikeWorldWide, Berk has long been driven by a talented team of storytellers who shape conversations and drive cultural relevance. The agency's vast roster of category leaders, challenger brands, and emerging startups spans sports and entertainment, consumer lifestyle, travel and tourism, food and beverage, and technology. Berk is also widely known for its reputation management practice, delivering strategic counsel and communications support to industry leading entrepreneurs, athletes, and talent. Since its founding in 1999, Berk has been guided by the defiant rallying cry "Watch Us Work" — a mindset that continues to define the agency's bold, culture-shaping approach. Berk continues to break boundaries at the intersection of sports and pop culture, consistently delivering results that spark conversation and make an impact. Berk is an independent subsidiary of MikeWorldWide www.mww.com. To learn more, visit www.berkcommunications.com or follow us @BerkComm on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE MikeWorldWide