T1 Sponsorships Routed Through CAA Singapore amid CEO Row

T1 routed the majority of its sponsorship revenue through an outside agency, CAA Singapore, according to South Korean reports. The agency operates in the United States and Singapore. Sponsorships are the esports club’s largest revenue source.

Reports say CAA Singapore received commissions on many deals, including some that T1 staff had sourced and negotiated internally. Industry practice for agency fees is about 10% to 15% of a deal’s value. Several South Korean teams use in-house staff to secure partnerships and avoid outside commissions.

T1 CEO Joe Marsh issued a statement saying the contract with CAA Singapore received written approval from the board of directors, including the representative of majority shareholder SK Square, on October 3, 2025, and that the details were communicated to all board members. SK Square described the agency selection as “a matter of CEO decision-making,” creating a contradiction over how the deal was authorised. Neither Marsh nor SK Square has clarified whether the agency took a commission on deals that T1 staff originated.

The sponsorship arrangement has coincided with T1’s financial turnaround. In 2025 the company reported total revenue of ₩88.64 billion, roughly $58–60 million, an increase of more than 80% from 2024. The club also recorded an operating profit of ₩2.51 billion, about $1.66 million, for the first time.

Leadership at T1 remains unsettled. Marsh’s original CEO term was due to end on October 7, 2025, and was extended multiple times amid disagreement between the two main shareholders, majority owner SK Square and Comcast. In late May the company filed a regulatory notice showing Marsh reappointed and his term extended through March 30, 2029, but reports indicate the owners’ final decision is still unresolved.

Observers note that some South Korean teams, including Gen.G and Hanwha Life Esports, typically handle sponsorships internally to avoid external agency fees. Requests for further detail from T1’s leadership have not produced clarification on whether CAA Singapore took a cut of internally sourced sponsorships or on the agency’s precise role in negotiating contracts.

The outstanding questions relate to who benefited from the sponsorship arrangements and how the deals were authorised. The unresolved issues have left governance and long-term leadership at one of the region’s highest-profile esports organisations unclear.