A category position no competitor can buy into.
Serdar Gözübüyük is a UEFA Elite referee with 100+ international matches and EURO 2024 credentials. His commercial slate is currently empty by design. Held open for one brand per category, contracted exclusively, twelve months minimum. This briefing explains what the partnership looks like, what it is worth to a brand, and how to begin.
UEFA Elite Referee
A category-exclusive, multi-year partnership with Serdar Gözübüyük gives a premium brand a defensible association with judgment and composure at the top of European football, work he has done since 2012. The terms are clean: one annual fee, one named category, no competing brand admitted for the length of the contract. Because he still referees at the elite level every week, the partnership stays tied to live, current work. The brand pays one annual fee for a position no competitor can occupy for the term of the contract.
A profile a brand strategist can read in thirty seconds.
Every Eredivisie weekend is broadcast live nationally; Serdar referees in stadiums across the country, with Champions League nights around Europe and an appointment at EURO 2024. The full media kit, with broadcast reach, audience and channel figures, is available on request and walked through on the first call.
Six structural advantages. Each contractually secured.
Exclusivity a rival cannot outbid.
Contractual exclusivity within the named category. For the length of the term, no competing brand can associate with Serdar, whatever it offers to pay. The exclusivity sits in the signed contract, so a rival cannot buy its way around it.
An authority profile that cannot be manufactured.
More than a decade refereeing at the top of European football, with EURO 2024 and Champions League appointments on the record. The brand does not have to spend a campaign persuading anyone the standing is real. It already is.
Editorial & activation rights across all formats.
Photography, film, long-form editorial, podcast appearances, brand events, and custom content. The scope is agreed once, at the start, and shaped with the brand, so nothing has to be relicensed asset by asset later.
A multi-year arc that compounds.
Each year of the partnership reinforces the next. By year two the association is defensible in the market. By year three a competitor would find it hard to displace. Renewal terms are negotiated at month nine, never sooner.
A talent who protects the partnership.
Serdar turns down adjacent deals that would blur the brand's category, and that commitment is written into the contract. He rules them out himself, before they ever reach a negotiation.
Direct working relationship with the founder.
Apex represents Serdar exclusively and the founder is in every conversation. No account team, no junior layer. Quarterly partnership reviews handled directly with the brand's commercial leadership.
One conflict, ruled out up front.
Serdar's officiating obligations include UEFA matches involving RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg. Any partnership with brands inside the Red Bull football division would create an unmanageable conflict and is therefore not available. We put it on the table now, so it never surfaces halfway through a contract review. The firm filters at intake to save both sides' time. All other Red Bull divisions and adjacent categories remain fully available.
Five contractual components. One clean document.
Category definition & exclusivity
The category is defined precisely in the contract: the boundary of what is covered, and the sub-categories named as excluded. Exclusivity is enforceable and reviewed at each renewal to reflect changes in the brand's market positioning.
Activation framework
Agreed scope of editorial, photography, film, event, and content commitments per partnership year. Tiered to the brand's strategic objectives. Incremental work outside the agreed scope is handled by separate scope agreement, walked through on the call.
Commercial terms
Annual partnership fee tied to the agreed activation scope. Apex's commission is built into the fee structure. There are no separate retainer charges, finder's fees, or activation surcharges. Brand pays one number, billed quarterly.
Approvals & usage rights
Defined creative approval workflow with named stakeholders on both sides. Named usage rights for produced content, including geographic and temporal scope. Press and media moderation rights for public-facing partnership activity.
Mutual exit & renewal provisions
Mutual exit clauses for material breach, force majeure affecting officiating obligations, and brand reputation events. Renewal conversations begin at month nine of any twelve-month term. No automatic renewal. Every continuation is a deliberate decision on both sides.
Investment scoped to category & tier.
The annual partnership investment is shaped by three variables: category exclusivity scope, activation depth, and term length. Specific commercial terms are confirmed in the first conversation, after the brand's strategic objectives and category definition are clear on both sides.
The structure is transparent: one annual fee, billed quarterly. No hidden retainers, no introduction fees, no surprise activation surcharges. The actual number is walked through on the call, once category, market, and activation depth are agreed.
Four steps from this document to signed partnership.
First conversation
One hour, confidential, with Danny directly. No deck. The brand's strategic objectives, the category definition, and honest fit assessment on both sides.
Within 2 weeks of contactTailored proposal
If the first conversation confirms fit, Apex returns a proposal shaped to the brand's specific category, activation goals, and term preference. Includes commercial terms, activation framework, and contract structure.
Within 2 weeks of first callNegotiation & contract
Commercial and contractual negotiation handled directly between Apex and the brand's commercial leadership. Talent is consulted but not in the room until terms are agreed. Contract in plain language, reviewed by both legal teams.
4-8 weeks typicalActivation kick-off
Once signed, Apex coordinates the activation kick-off with the brand's marketing leadership and the talent. First quarterly review scheduled at month three to confirm alignment and adjust where useful.
2-4 weeks from signatureIf it fits, the next step is one hour.
Schedule the first conversation directly through the calendar link below, or write to Danny with a short note about your brand and the category you would be evaluating. All conversations are confidential, and every note is read by the founder personally.
info@apexpartnerships.nl