“In 10 to 15 years, Israel will be a world leader in sport —just like it is in technology, innovation and cybersecurity.” This is the bold prediction from Tal Moriah, a former elite athlete turned leader in the global sports sponsorship industry.
Tal Moriah, Moriah Ventures
Moriah, who has secured deals with the world’s biggest sports names, says: “The change is already happening. Israeli athletes are the most intelligent I’ve ever met. Their mindset, their ruach (spirit), is on a different level than most athletes in the world. The only thing that was missing was elite infrastructure and training – but that’s catching up fast. The athletes are there, the talent is there and now that top-tier coaching, training and infrastructure are improving, Israel will be a powerhouse and dominate world sports. We’re going to see Israeli athletes become the best in the world.”
US-based Moriah has spent 15 years leading multi-million-dollar sponsorship deals for the likes of Inter Milan, the NBA, Aston Martin F1 team and Premier League footballers. But he is now bringing his expertise back to Israel – where he grew up – to help elevate Israeli sports onto the global stage. His company, Moriah Ventures, has recently partnered with the Maccabiah Games and Maccabi World Union to unlock lucrative sponsorship opportunities.
The Maccabiah Games brings together over 10,000 Jewish athletes from 70+ countries and is the world’s second-largest sporting event after the Olympics. However, Moriah believes the event has a huge untapped potential as a marketing platform as it has so far struggled to attract the major sponsorship brands Moriah believes it merits.
So, with just four months until the 2025 Maccabiah Games, scheduled to take place in Israel from July 8-22, Moriah has come on board to help capitalise on the “incredible opportunity for brands to engage with a passionate and influential audience”.
He explains: “The Maccabiah Games may not have the global reach of the World Cup or the Olympics, but they offer something just as powerful – a high-calibre audience of Jewish business leaders, entrepreneurs and influencers from all over the world.
“It’s a golden demographic for luxury major brands like Tiffany, Cartier, Rolex and Nike.”
Another key focus for Moriah is attracting the Israeli tech giants. “Your Wiz, your Wix, your Monday.com – there are at least 50 Israeli tech companies like these. They need to get behind this event and we need to build the platform to show them how amazing it is.”
He adds: “Everyone contributes to Israel in a different way, particularly since October 7. Some fight, some try to help with diplomacy… but this is something I can do to help. It’s what I know.”
Quite. Moriah, 42, has worked with some of the world’s most prestigious sports organisations. At the NBA, he led the league’s sponsorship deals throughout Asia and Greater China; at Inter Milan, he directed the global sponsorship team; and at Aston Martin F1 Team, he brokered ground-breaking partnerships with Crypto.com and Israeli cybersecurity company SentinelOne. He has secured marketing partnerships that resulted in over $100M in sponsorship deals.
Fast-paced Tal Moriah secured the sponsorship deal for Crypto.com and the Aston Martin F1 car
After more than a decade executing marketing strategies and corporate partnerships for global brands across Asia, Greater China, the US, Europe and the UAE, last year Moriah set up his eponymous company, Moriah Ventures, a sports marketing and sponsorship agency. He is already working with Ferrari, Israeli racing car driver Ariel Levi, top tennis players, Serie A football team Como 1907 and some of the NBA teams.
A former US national Taekwondo champion and member of both the US and Israeli national teams, Moriah has competed in two Maccabiah Games, winning bronze for both the US and Hong Kong teams. He was also selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a reserve. “It was an amazing experience to be alongside top athletes like Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James,” he says. Moriah narrowly missed out on qualifying for London 2012.
This year’s Maccabiah Games, themed “more than ever”, are predicted to be the biggest yet. “This is increasingly significant following October 7, strengthening the connection between Israel and diaspora Jewry.”
While Moriah acknowledges the challenges, he is optimistic about the opportunities. “Every sponsorship is a challenge but this event has something unique to offer. A lot of people don’t know how big the Games are. Our job is to show them. We have four months to build a sports and marketing platform that’s interesting for the major brands to be associated with and we will try to get as much done as we can.
“This isn’t just about 2025. It’s about creating a sustainable high-value sponsorship platform that will benefit the Games for years to come.”
