An Investment That Adds Value: Why Sponsorships In Football Work
Published on
by Mara Kottke
3.5 billion – this is the estimated number of football fans worldwide, according to Statista. Football is by far the most popular sport in the world, and therefore attracts enormous media attention. So it's no surprise that companies are investing in sponsorship. We explain why sponsorship is an effective marketing tool and how companies can benefit from it.
In this Insight:
The Enormous Reach Of Football
Football reaches millions of people. In the 2023/2024 season of the Bundesliga, almost 12 million people visited the stadiums. TV and streaming reach is also huge - in the first half of the 2024/2025 season, an average of 1.3 million people watched the Bundesliga matches in the first division on Saturday afternoons. According to a study by McKinsey & Company, the Bundesliga is an important part of life for 41% of Germany.
During the week, the Champions League, Europe League and Conference League regularly attract millions of viewers. The matches and their highlights are being broadcasted around the world, with social media extending the reach even further.
This gives the clubs’ partners and sponsors an extraordinary level of visibility that would otherwise be almost impossible to achieve. Companies can find sponsorship opportunities at all levels of the game: Top international clubs such as Borussia Dormund and Bayer Leverkusen offer global brand exposure, while regional partnerships provide access to local and more specific markets.
Emotional Loyalty Of Fans - A Marketing Booster
Passion and loyalty – that's what football fans are renowned for. This applies not only to their favourite club, but also to its sponsors. A company that supports a club is perceived more favourably by the fans, regardless of whether it's a tech company, in the automotive or any other industry. At the same time, a strong emotional connection to the brand is created. A study conducted by SPORTFIVE shows that consumers are more likely to buy products from sponsors of their favourite club because they appreciate the support.
According to the McKinsey study, the Bundesliga offers people a refuge from everyday life and creates identification, provides distraction, generates emotions and promotes social connections.
Sponsorship also creates a very special bond in football. Fans feel comfortable in their club environment, they trust their club and are open to the ideas and suggestions of the club’s partners. The stronger the emotional tie between the fans and their club, the more effective the sponsorship.
Sponsorship in the stadium alone can significantly increase the level of emotionalisation. This effect can be further enhance by extending the message to social media and the like.
A Wide Range Of Sponsorship Opportunities
Shirt Sponsorship
The placement of the logo on the shirts ensures maximum visibility.
Perimeter Advertising
Presence in the stadium with high TV coverage.
Naming Rights
Stadiums, cups or tournaments bear the company's name and increase brand awareness.
Digital Formats
Social media campaigns, esports collaborations and influencer marketing.
Interactions
Contests, exclusive events and community activations build customer loyalty.
ROI & Economic Benefits For Businesses
Well-planned football sponsorship increases brand awareness, strengthens corporate image and energises brands. Among sport fans, advertising with sponsorship content performs 58% better than traditional advertising - both in terms of brand awareness and long- and short-term impact. But sponsorship does not just affect fans: a full 49% of all sponsorship campaigns perform better than the average of the classic advertising campaigns tested in the population as a whole.
Sponsorship has a positive impact on all key brand indicators:
Likability: The average proportion of people who are familiar with the sponsorship and find the sponsor likable is 40% higher than the proportion of people who are not familiar with the sponsorship.
Relevant Set: On average, 53% of people familiar with the sponsorship would consider buying from the company, compared to 44% of those not familiar with the sponsorship.
Use: The proportion of people who are aware of the sponsorship and have used the sponsor's products or services is on average 41% higher than the number of people who are unaware of the sponsorship.
Recommendation: People who know the sponsorship are on average 7% more likely to recommend the company to others than people who do not know the sponsorship.
Success Factors For Effective Sponsorship
For effective sponsorship, companies should consider a couple of points. First and foremost, it is important to choose a rights holder whose target audience matches your own. Authentic integration into the fan culture is also essential for sponsorship to bear fruit for a brand. Companies can best achieve this by aligning themselves with the values of the club and the fans, and by integrating themselves into the the environment in such a way that they do not 'disrupt' the football experience, but rather enhance it and add value for the fans. According to the study by McKinsey, a balance between tradition and modernity is necessary to strengthen the social roots of the Bundesliga and football itself.
However, companies do not have to plan and implement their sponsorship on their own. Sports marketing agencies such as SPORTFIVE provide support throughout the entire sponsorship process. From the analysis of the status quo and objectives to the development of an overarching sponsorship strategy and the acquisition of rights in football, an agency can also provide support in the development of creative concepts as part of the communication mix and the implementation of the developed campaigns. Monitoring success through market research and media monitoring should not be neglected either.
Conclusion
Football sponsorship offers companies a unique combination of high reach, strong emotional attachment and measurable commercial value. Through media exposure and passionate and loyal fans, brands can maximise their visibility and build long-term consumer loyalty.
Whether it’s a global brand presence with an international club or targeted regional partnerships, football sponsorship offers a wide range of opportunities to reach specific target audiences. Now is the time to invest in this powerful marketing strategy and enjoy the benefits of an emotional environment.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know about sponsorship
Sports athlete sponsorships are those where individual athletes are sponsored by a brand. They may wear branded apparel whilst competing or during commercial appearances and press conferences, or they might appear in advertisements or other promotional materials for the brand. The brand will either offer a set fee to them, or pay for their kit, equipment or travel in return.
Sports organisation sponsorships involve entities like a team or league being sponsored by a brand. Like with individual athletes, they will either receive a fee from the brand, or payment for things like kits, equipment or ground maintenance.
In return, a team may display the company’s logos around its stadium, for example, while a league might include the sponsor in its name.
Sports event sponsorships are where sports events — like an international or regional tournament — are sponsored by a brand. This type of partnership can involve things like the event either changing its title to incorporate the brand’s name, or using the brand’s logo on official products. The event organisers will either receive a set fee or have expenditures like venue hire, hospitality, catering, publicity, programmes and officials’ costs covered.
Sports partnerships can be defined as a new level of sports sponsorships: they represent a tighter-fitted collaboration between sports and businesses or brands.
Partnerships are less based on standard marketing benefits and more tailor-made on the company’s specific needs, and several company levels are involved in the sports project: from marketing to Research & Development, from production to management.
Partnerships tend to be focused on the improvement and development of specific products or services, and are usually long-term. They can be very effective on the customers and clients, who witness a true affinity with some of the world’s most winning properties. Partnerships are often multidimensional and multi-layered, with the development of new tech, as well as new products and the marketing that comes with them.
A brand partnership is a mutually beneficial agreement between two or more businesses. All parties agree to help one another by promoting and sponsoring each other or creating content together.
Brand partnerships aim to increase brand recognition and ultimately boost sales and customer loyalty.
In sports, co-branding exists, where two or more companies jointly promote their brands, services, and products through cross-marketing efforts.
This can include anything from social media posts, advertisements, and commercials to events and appearances by high-profile athletes and celebrities.
A rightsholder is a person or organisation that owns the legal rights to something.
In the sporting world, sport entities (sport federations, leagues, clubs, event organisers etc) who manage sport events are on the supply side and sell various types of rights to their events and products.
This could be the media rights, giving broadcasters the rights to air their events, or even sponsorship and naming rights, to have a company’s branding in stadiums or shown on certain moments on broadcast.
SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in various aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. The agency works with sports organisations, teams, and brands to optimise commercial opportunities.
One of SPORTFIVE's key areas of focus is the sale and management of sports media rights, including broadcasting and digital distribution deals. They negotiate and facilitate partnerships, sponsorships, and naming rights for sports entities, helping them enhance their brand value and revenue streams.
Additionally, SPORTFIVE provides expertise in marketing strategies, assisting clients in building strong connections with their target audiences. Their comprehensive approach spans across the sports business landscape, from media rights to sponsorship management, contributing to the overall growth and success of their clients in the dynamic world of sports marketing.
Sponsorship is a distinct and widely used form of marketing. It is a strategic business alliance where a brand provides financial or in-kind support to an event, team, athlete, or organisation in exchange for promotional benefits.
This collaboration aims to enhance brand visibility, build positive associations, and engage target audiences. Sponsorship is an integral part of a company's marketing strategy, contributing to the overall promotional mix alongside advertising, public relations, and personal selling.
It allows brands to connect with consumers in a meaningful way, leveraging the popularity and appeal of the sponsored entity to achieve specific marketing objectives. Whether in sports, entertainment, or other industries, sponsorship is a powerful tool for creating brand recognition, fostering customer loyalty, and aligning with the values and interests of the target market.
