As Ballard Partners has expanded nationally and internationally, its client list has grown to encompass a wide array of globally known organizations, among them Amazon, Boeing, and GM. Founded by Brian Ballard, the public affairs firm has its roots in Florida. Through its eight Sunshine State offices, it regularly delivers exceptional results for clients.
Ballard Partners’ deeply entrenched presence in Florida is reflected in the large number of high-profile clients in Florida who have worked with the firm. These organizations include sports franchises, each of which has come to Ballard Partners to team up with the firm’s talented team of government relations professionals. Let’s learn more about the four Florida sports franchises that have conducted business with Ballard Partners.
- Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL in 1995 as one of the league’s two newest expansion franchises. Like the other franchise, the Carolina Panthers, the Jaguars got off to a quick start by making it all the way to the AFC championship game in only the team’s second season in the NFL.
Led by head coach Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars returned to the AFC championship game three years later and reached the playoffs in the two intervening seasons. The four consecutive postseason trips mark the team’s greatest sustained period of success in franchise history.
The Jaguars have made four additional playoff appearances, the most recent of which came in 2022. With new coach Liam Coen taking over leadership of the team in 2025, the franchise is hoping to return to the postseason and win its first Super Bowl.
- Miami Heat
The Miami Heat began competing in the NBA in 1988, joining the league as an expansion team along with the Charlotte Hornets. The Heat posted losing records in six of its first seven seasons, but its fortunes began to change in 1995 with the arrival of former Los Angeles head coach Pat Riley.
Riley has remained with the franchise for the three decades since, spending more than 10 years as a head coach and the remainder in the Heat front office. During that time, the franchise has won three NBA titles, each of which has been made possible in part thanks to franchise great Dwyane Wade.
In 2005-06, Wade teamed up with fellow superstar Shaquille O’Neal to win Miami’s first championship. He then partnered with free agent signings LeBron James and Chris Bosh to form the vaunted “Big Three.” Together, the trio guided the Heat to four consecutive NBA Finals, winning two. Led by head coach Erik Spoelstra since 2008, Miami has made the NBA Finals twice in the last six seasons.
- Miami Marlins
The relatively short history of the Miami Marlins has seen the franchise reach the heights of professional baseball. Originally known as the Florida Marlins, the team has won two World Series championships since entering the MLB as an expansion team in 1993.
Miami’s 1997 World Series victory was the first by a wild card team (i.e., a non-division-winning team that qualifies for the postseason based on record). Six years later, the Marlins claimed their second World Series title when they beat the favored New York Yankees in six games.
The franchise changed its name to the Miami Marlins in 2011 and opened a new $500 million ballpark the following year. The Marlins made the postseason most recently in 2023 and recorded a 66-79 record in 2025.
- Tampa Bay Lightning
Like the other franchises on this list, the Tampa Bay Lightning began as an expansion team. It joined the NHL in 1992 and, like the Heat, won three titles, two of which were consecutive.
The Lightning struggled in the franchise’s earliest days, posting losing records in all but one of its first 10 seasons. After hiring head coach John Tortorella, the team experienced a run of success that saw it make four consecutive postseason appearances, one of which culminated in a Stanley Cup victory.
The playoff streak ended after the 2006-07 season, and the Lightning only recorded one winning record over the next six seasons. Since hiring head coach Jon Cooper in 2013, however, Tampa Bay has enjoyed a sustained run of success that has seen it consistently reach the playoffs and win two Stanley Cups.
