Top 10 Companies Leading the Global Sports Sponsorship Market

The global sports sponsorship market size attained a value of USD 76.33 billion in 2023. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.70% between 2024 and 2032, reaching a value of USD 161.12 billion by 2032. As per the analysis by Expert Market Research, the market is expected to be driven by the increasing popularity of online fundraising programmes.

Sports partnerships refer to the partnerships between brands and sports teams, where the brands support a team, athlete, or event for marketing benefits. Sports partnerships are carried out to develop a symbiotic relationship where the sponsor gains visibility, while the sponsored party gains the required resources to advance their sporting activities.

Media collaborations are also carried out by sponsors to create engaging content, including exclusive interviews, live broadcasts, and behind-the-scenes footage. Such partnerships increase the visibility and exposure of both parties, while also supporting the sports sponsorship market growth. In 2020, ESPN+ reached over 12 million subscribers, a small share by UFC content.

Sports partnerships are a key component in a team's strategy, both during game day and on off day. For sponsors, partnerships in sports provide significant exposure to a wide fan base. Stadium signage, jersey logos, and digital advertising make the sponsor's brand visible and on centre stage during games. The higher the number of the viewers in a sports game, the higher the exposure for the brands. In 2021 National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl LV, brands paid USD 5.5 million for a 30-second commercial slot, reflecting the importance of brand exposure.

Table: Most watched sporting events in the world: 2024

As per the sports sponsorships market analysis, the expansion of the social media and other viewing platforms has allowed brands to reach more people, further supporting market growth. YouTube is being used to access official sports and creator content for the analysis and commentary after the games. According to Ad Age, the 2024 Super Bowl teasers and advertisements received millions of shares on YouTube and over 1 billion views.

In June 2024, USA football and Under Armour announced the forming of multi-year partnership. The collaboration was aimed to support U.S. national teams and grow the game of football.

In August 2024, OLIVER Sports expanded into the United States through partnerships with two institutions: New York University (NYU) and GFI Academy.

Top 10 Sports Sponsorship Companies in the World:

Nike Inc

Nike is a globally renowned company engaged in the design, development, marketing, and selling of equipment, athletic footwear, apparel, accessories, and services. The company's wholly-owned subsidiary Converse provides its products under the brands Converse, Star Chevron, Chuck Taylor, All-Star, One Star, and Jack Purcell trademarks. Nike carries out partnerships with organizations, colleges and universities across the globe.

Adidas AG

Adidas is a popular sports goods company based in Germany with a workforce of 59,030 employees. Adidas has a production rate of 755 million units on a global scale as of 2023. Of this, 311 million are footwear, 328 million pieces of apparel, and 116 million pieces of hardware.

The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage company, present in over 200 countries and territories. The company provides its products under categories such as Trademark Coca-Cola, hydration, sports, coffee and tea, sparkling flavours; nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages, and emerging beverages. The brands of the company include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Fairlife, Costa Coffee, Smart water, and Powerade, among others.

Socios.com

Socios is a fan voting and rewards app with more than 70 partners. The company has its operations in 25 countries across 4 continents. The sports teams managed by the company include football, gaming, fighting, motorsport, tennis and rugby. The company provides access to the teams, engage with them, earn points with fan rewards.

Puma SE

Puma is a global company, engaged in providing sports goods across more than 120 countries. The PUMA Group owns the brand PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company has a workforce of over 20,000 employees. PUMA SE offers shoes, clothing, and accessories under its portfolio to meet the market requirements. The product provided by the company includes polos, jackets, pants, shorts, tracksuits, team jerseys, home wear, innerwear, motorsport, and tights and leggings, amongst others, for men, women, and kids.

PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo is a global leader in convenient foods and beverages. The company provides its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world. The company's portfolio includes Mountain Dew, Lay's, Gatorade, Doritos, Cheetos, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and SodaStream. Pepsico markets its product through DSD, customer warehouse and distributor networks and are also sold directly to consumers through e-commerce platforms and retailers.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA

ABInbev is a global brewing company having the presence of more than 200 breweries across the world. The company conducts its operations in about 50 countries and boasts 21-billion-dollar brands under its name. With about 1,67,000 employees, the company has more than 2 billion consumers on a global scale. The company has the presence of more than 500 global and local beer brands under its name.

Macron S.p.A

Macron is a renowned company engaged in the production and sale of sportswear, dressing more than 90 professional and national clubs with 80% of its turnover abroad and a sales network of more than 170 Macron Sports Hub in over 30 countries. The business operations of the company include Teamwear, Activewear, for leisure time, merchandising, and individual.

Electronic Arts Inc

EA is a renowned digital interactive entertainment company, engaged in developing marketing publishing and delivering games, content and services that can be experienced on mobile phones, game consoles, PCs, and tablets. The company’s portfolio has brands wholly owned such as Battlefield, Apex Legends, and The Sims or licenses from others including Madden NFL, Star Wars, etc. EA is a public company, developing games and services across a wide range of genres, including sports, racing, first-person shooter, action, role-playing and simulation.

Betway

Betway Group is a part of Super Group, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker: SGHC.  Betway is a leading company providing entertainment across sports betting, casino, and esports betting. The company offers tools to make cutting-edge interactive gaming experiences.