Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Impact of COVID-19 on sponsorships and sports marketing
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- Figure 1: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on sponsorships and sports marketing, September 2020
- Opportunities and Challenges
- New approaches to recoup lost revenue and ROI for leagues, teams and brands
- Brands look to opt-out of sponsorship deals
- Evolve the fan experience
- Bet on sports betting
- Show support for ethical and social causes
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Enthusiasm for sports runs deep for both fans and advertisers
- Future of sponsorships is greater integrations
- Fanless stadiums present new advertising opportunities
- Brands will be more cost-conscious with sponsorship deals
Impact of COVID-19 on Sponsorships and Sports Marketing
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- Figure 2: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on sponsorships and sports marketing, September 2020
- Lockdown
- Re-emergence
- Recovery
- COVID-19: Market context
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Market Factors
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- Learnings from the last recession
- COVID-19 causes consumers to cut back on sports spending
- The “stick to sports” era is over
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- Figure 3: Osaka on social justice in sports
- Sports turn to technology to connect with fans during the pandemic
- Increased sports betting legalization opens the door for new sponsorship opportunities
- Amazon pioneers environmentally focused arena and sponsorship
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- Figure 4: Climate Pledge Arena
Market Opportunities
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- Enthusiasm for sports runs deep for both fans and advertisers
- Fanless stadiums present new advertising opportunities
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- Figure 5: New tarp and virtual advertising
- Future of sponsorships is greater integrations
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- Figure 6: Bud Light digital MSG integration
- Embrace the global approach of jersey sponsorships
Competitive Strategies
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- Bodyarmor goes all-in on athlete endorsements
- AB takes a scaled-back, more selective approach
- Hyperice spreads recovery across sports
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Sports fandom is widespread and passionate
- Social media is more important than ever for fans, teams and brands
- Fans still notice commercials, but creativity is a necessity
- Connecting with fans in the next normal
- Social justice measures have risen across sports
Consumer Trends Impacting Sponsorships and Sports Marketing
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- Surroundings
- Rights
- Identity
- Technology
- Experiences
Exploring Sports Fans
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- Sports fandom is pervasive and passionate
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- Figure 7: Sports fandom and passion, July 2020
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- Figure 8: Sports fandom, by number of sports regularly followed, July 2020
- Marketing to the female sports fan
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- Figure 9: Sports fandom, by gender, July 2020
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- Figure 10: Sports fandom, by gender, by number of sports regularly followed, July 2020
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- Figure 11: Showcasing women in sports marketing
- Sports are for all ages and income levels, but some sports have more appeal than others
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- Figure 12: Sports fandom, by generation, July 2020
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- Figure 13: Sports fandom, by household income, July 2020
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- Figure 14: Goldman Sachs golf endorsement
- Sports foster connections with personal heritage and identity
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- Figure 15: Sports fandom, by race and Hispanic origin, July 2020
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- Figure 16: Japanese-specific Washington Wizards Twitter account
- The secret to growing sports fandom begins at the youth level
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- Figure 17: Reasons for not following sports, July 2020
- Figure 18: Youth-focused sports initiatives
Following the Action on the Field
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- Life stage impacts the technology of choice for sports fandom
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- Figure 19: Methods of following sports, by generation, July 2020
- Sports remains the stalwart of TV viewership
- Social media is more important than ever for fans, teams and brands
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- Figure 20: Sponsored posts on social media
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- Figure 21: Reasons for following sports on social media, July 2020
Marketing to Create a Lasting Impact
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- Breaking through to sports fans
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- Figure 22: Sports marketing, July 2020
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- Figure 23: State Farm natural commercial integration in The Last Dance
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- Figure 24: Rocket Mortgage Super Bowl Squares
- Jersey sponsorship is memorable and on the rise
Fostering the Fan Connection in the Next Normal
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- Bringing the game experience home
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- Figure 25: New York Yankees, T-Mobile “Reppin’ from Home” partnership
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- Figure 26: Michelob Ultra courtside virtual fans
- Showcasing passion for team and city through merchandise
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- Figure 27: Chicago-inspired NBA All-Star uniforms
- Supporting the greater good through sports
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- Figure 28: Nimble charitable initiatives from brands
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- Figure 29: Chicago Blackhawks assist the difficult 2020 school year
- Taking a stance on social justice; the summer of 2020 inspired a new wave of social justice protests in sports
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- Figure 30: Baltimore Ravens actionable calls for social justice change
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – Consumer Data
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- Figure 31: TV and entertainment subscriptions, by household income, July 2020
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- Figure 32: TV and entertainment subscriptions, by generation, July 2020
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- Figure 33: Sports social media platform usage, July 2020
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