Max Goodbourn, senior PR manager at Fuse states: “Given the focus on darts players’ hands during matches, there is also ample opportunity for jewellery and watch brands to become sponsors of players in future tournaments. For example, Adrian Lewis was spotted wearing a Rolex.
“On a more strategic footing, darts is now attracting a younger crowd but the longevity of player careers, compared to footballers for instance, means darts makes way for different generations of fans, as well as the potential for long-term player partnerships that can be very effective at driving association (think Lineker and Walkers).
“With 2.62 million tuning in for the Cross vs Littler match, surpassing major sporting events like The Ashes and Ryder Cup, the sponsorship potential for the sport could be on a remarkable trajectory.”
Despite the sensational recent rise of women’s football, there are still a number of barriers holding back the growth of the game, with the scheduling of matches currently front and centre.
Understandably, there is a strong desire from those at the top of the game to avoid clashes with Premier League fixtures, given the obvious impact this would have on both attendances and TV viewership.
However, the side product of this is that Women’s Super League fixtures are often shunted to the fringes, impacting not just viewership numbers, but matchday attendances as well.
The 6.45pm Sunday slot is particularly unsociable, an issue exacerbated by the out-of-the-way stadiums in which many WSL games are still played. Borehamwood, Kingsmeadow and Leigh Sports Village are all far less accessible than their male equivalents, meaning fans may often not return home until after 10pm on a Sunday, a big ask for young families in particular.
With all this in mind, taking the hallowed Saturday 3pm slot can appear a no-brainer for the women’s game: it’s an available, lucrative window for broadcast, with no competition for TV viewership, and is much more sociable for the match-going crowd.
Yet dive a little deeper and a few concerns arise, particularly for smaller clubs. The 3pm slot is protected for a reason, with real concerns that match-going attendances across the rest of the pyramid would be impacted by a readily available alternative in your living room.
Despite its upwards trajectory, driving attendance is still a key challenge for the majority of women’s clubs, and the prospect of competing not just with the broadcasted WSL fixture, but the other men’s games taking place at the same time, is not one that many clubs would relish.
Arsenal may well be confident enough in its ability to continuously fill out Meadow Park, but what about Reading, Leicester and even Liverpool? These are clubs that still fall below capacity at most of their games.
At a time when the WSL is finally making great strides in growing matchday crowds, to immediately force clubs to compete with their Premier League equivalents would feel a massive own goal – particularly when a significant proportion of the smaller sides’ commercial revenue is driven by ticket sales.
Not only would this drop in attendance impact the fixtures themselves, it would also dilute the broadcast product that this switch is meant to champion. Any realistic women’s football fan is aware of the stereotypes that still exist around the game from less educated fans, and TV screens full of empty stadiums would only perpetuate that, and undo the great work the Euros did to change those perceptions.
A possibly significant increase in broadcast revenue and TV viewership is a natural counterpoint to these arguments of course, and that resulting investment could provide a huge boost to the development of the domestic game.
Yet it is hard not to think that this shift would benefit broadcasters most, the big clubs who can take the hit to attendances (and whose games will be televised the most) second, and the rest of the pyramid least of all.
At a time when women’s football is facing a significant crossroads in its development, with a new company set to take on the running of the top two divisions, any decision that seems to prioritise broadcast revenue and super clubs, over matchday attendances and the pyramid, should be interrogated closely before it takes place. Not quite the no brainer it might seem.
Sport and entertainment’s unique ability to deliver meaningful, scalable, brand-safe experiences is
reframing the role of sponsorships and partnerships in the modern marketing mix.
From a renewed emphasis on brand-building to a growing appetite for savvy media alternatives along with the exploding creator economy, the sport and entertainment opportunity has never been greater for brands.
As we look ahead to the macro trends shaping the 2024 marketing landscape, the importance of cultural strategies will be omnipresent. From a renewed emphasis on brand-building to a growing appetite for savvy media alternatives along with the exploding creator economy, the sport and entertainment opportunity has never been greater for brands.
However, while the conditions are ripe, the dynamics of this increasingly nuanced space are evolving at
breakneck speed. Understanding and adapting to the ever-changing relationship between fans, rights holders and influencers (in their many forms) will only become more paramount into 2024 and beyond.
Following a decade or so of increasingly short-term marketing, the industry finally appears to be experiencing a renewed commitment to brand as a growth driver. Creative effectiveness is once again positively trending, with brands striking a more optimal balance of the long and the short.
For example, Marks & Spencer attributes much of its recent commercial success to finding the right ratio of brand and performance. And while the importance of a ‘two-speed’ approach shouldn’t be new news, the integration of M&S’s partnership with The FA and England national teams highlights a unique role for sponsorships in connecting brand-building and sales activation through one unified platform. Through their Eat Well, Play Well initiative, M&S have been able to elevate the brand’s cultural standing and ‘purpose’ while seamlessly linking to product and retail, all connected through England Football.
There is also increasing evidence of sponsorship’s disproportionate role in driving cultural relevance and subsequent brand and commercial growth. According to Kantar’s Cultural Vibrancy report, brands that manage to embed themselves in culture are reported to grow six times faster than their counterparts. And as the AI revolution draws ever closer, ‘brand’, creativity and culture can only become more important as the rest is taken care of for us.
We will see innovative new avenues emerge which will redefine the way businesses establish and grow their brand equity. While the power of sponsorships is evident, brands are also exploring more cost-effective ways into culture through smarter exchanges of audiences and assets. Savvy alternatives to traditional investment driven strategies are evident in partnerships such as Pepsi’s collaboration with EA Sports. The partnership has seen Pepsi support the launch of EA’s hotly anticipated EA FC through its advertising and on-pack promotions allowing players to unlock in-game rewards. In return, Pepsi are positioned at the heart of one of the biggest gaming re-brands in history.
The rapid ascension of women’s sports is also providing more economical openings for brands, perhaps best exemplified by Ally in the United States. Unable to compete with the price-tags paid by other financial services brands in mainstream sport, Ally have instead doubled-down on women’s properties, athletes and media, with a clear mission in the form of their 50/50 Pledge to close the visibility gap with men’s sport.
What’s more, in the face of economic uncertainty, sponsorships can also provide equally efficient and effective ways to remain present and relevant amidst the inevitable cost-cutting by many into 2024. Learning from the
gains made by those who kept the marketing taps running during COVID-19, the unique reach, resonance, and frequency afforded through sponsorships – namely season-long sports campaigns – could prove to be a stand-out source of excess share of voice (ESOV) as the noise dials down.
3 | Partnerships as an enabler of brand-building fundamentals
Sport and entertainment are increasingly breathing new life into the unwavering foundations of any successful brand. Complementary to traditional advertising, sponsorships and partnerships allow brands to showcase themselves in new, more immersive contexts helping to keep their identity fresh over the long term.
Since 2009, Aleksander the Meerkat has graced our screens as Compare the Market’s brand mascot, with his role extending throughout the brand and product eco-system over time, from the Meerkat app to Meerkat Movies. However, in 2023, as a play to again refresh Aleksander’s role and relevance – CTM placed their long-standing talisman at the heart of their recently announced partnership with The Hundred. Positioned alongside the brand’s new character, Carl the Wombat, the new brand narrative of ‘don’t wombat it, meerkat it’ was seamlessly extended to a sports context, bringing a whole new dimension to the 14-year-old (and counting) brand platform.
Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot also starred in the brand’s unofficial 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup ad as a savvy
substitute for the brand’s string of hit Christmas campaigns since 2016. With the Paris Olympics set to take centre stage in 2024, marketers have an ideal platform to reinvigorate long-standing brand cues in more modern, emotive environments.
As brand’s look to establish a more consistent and meaningful role in culture, we can expect to see more
creation of new and ownable cultural assets in 2024. From Budweiser’s BudX platform weaving a red thread throughout its extensive sport and music portfolio, to the continued roll-out of Coke Studio, proprietary platforms will be a key strategy for distinction in an increasingly saturated landscape.
In response to shortening campaign lead times, 2023 has produced a flurry of data to support the case for multi-year strategies, suggesting creative ‘wear out’ could be less of a factor than the industry has been led to believe. Through multiyear commitments, sponsorships can provide brands with clear guardrails to stay on course over the long-term while maximising impact and ROI, spanning brand, business and fan communities.
As the industry increasingly prioritises attention over impressions, the prominence of creators will continue into 2024, with influencer spend now outpacing traditional social ad spend. eMarketer research shows that influencer marketing spending growth was 14% throughout 2023, compared with only 4.1% growth for social ad spending. This key area of marketing has remained resilient despite economic instability and spending on social media brand sponsorships is predicted to remain ahead throughout 2024, as marketers continue to shift budget in favour of quality audience connections.
What’s more, some creators have single-handedly sparked shifts in audience passions, like the remarkable influence of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce on NFL audiences, as explored in NPR’s report on the “Taylor
Swift effect”. Celebrities have also expanded their reach, becoming influential investors. For example, notable figures such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Rory Mcllroy are part of a group that has invested $200m in the Alpine Formula One team.
Fuse’s own research – ‘The Sport Dividend’ in partnership with the creative effectiveness agency System1 also found that campaigns featuring a celebrity (that felt a natural fit for the brand) scored higher with regard to emotional intensity and brand-building potential.
As influencers become household names, investor/owners, and media companies in their own right, the lines between platforms, properties and personalities will only continue to blur while evolving brands’ decision-making criteria for future cultural partnerships and strategies more broadly.
Culture’s influential force remains a steadfast presence among these trends. Whether it involves the
establishment of cultural platforms, active and authentic engagement with celebrity culture or a strategic
immersion into cultural nuances, it becomes clear that brands must wholeheartedly embrace culture as a pivotal element in the landscape of trends, both in 2024 and beyond.
As anticipation builds for the BRIT Awards 2024 on Saturday, all eyes are on the nominees. For me, it’s newcomers like Olivia Dean, Kenya Grace, and Venbee who are nominated for their first BRIT Award that I find myself fascinated by. Beyond their exceptional musical talents, the allure of their rapidly growing audience is not to be over-looked.
In today’s fast-paced music landscape, I have seen the journey from emerging artist to global sensation significantly accelerating, now taking months compared to the years it once required (pre-social media and streaming). An MRC Data study shows that 5% of TikTok users say they use the platform to discover new artists and 63% claim they find exciting new music on the platform. And this rapidly growing connection between an emerging artist and their audience extends beyond music – it’s a fanbase deeply invested in following their journey. Through strategic partnerships, aligning with these artists and their audience has the potential to infuse a brand’s culture with something invaluable: cultural relevance and authenticity.
I am intrigued by the brands that are already making strides working with these emerging artists. Take Olivia Dean, whose recent collaborations with Clarks positively shifted my own perspective of the brand, which I personally now perceive as contemporary and relevant. As of 2023, Olivia Dean also has a Chanel ambassadorship which I believe has elevated her global presence and association. Similarly, we’ve seen Shygirl partner with Dr. Martens and Cat Burns’ with New Balance – both offering a resounding commitment to authenticity.
At its core, this is an opportunity to participate in something new, and undeniably authentic. These artists offer a gateway into the heart of youth culture, a group known by their unwavering devotion to individuality. In today’s social media landscape, which is overflowing with influencer partnerships, this is the chance to tell a different story, to resonate with consumers on a deeper level. Partnering with grassroots artists presents a unique opportunity for brands to cultivate deeper connections, to engage, and ultimately inspire their consumers. Take American Express’ truly groundbreaking Gold Unsigned initiative. It offers undiscovered artists a life-changing opportunity of a record deal and their first big break in the industry.
Within this diverse pool of talent lie the future stars of tomorrow, offering brands the chance to grow alongside the artists they support. However, this isn’t about chasing the next global icon, the real value for a brand comes from engaging with niche hyper-engaged audiences.
As we look ahead to the BRIT Awards 2024 and beyond, the synergy between brands and emerging artists continues to hold immense potential. But investing in emerging artists isn’t just about chasing the next big thing. It’s about fostering a connection that rises above our current fast-paced trend cycle, resonating with audiences on a deeper, more engaged level.
Olympic Worldwide Partners are highly coveted sponsorship deals – the very top tier. Only the world’s leading global brands would be considered – or can afford – this level of sports sponsorship. They are rarely available – and even more rarely re-defined – which is why the news that AB InBev has signed as the Olympics’ worldwide partner has garnered such attention.
First up, there are two things to note: the category name itself encompasses no alcohol for the first time and – possibly more pertinent – it leads with no alcohol, with Corona Cero named as the global beer sponsor of the Olympic Games.
This may be tactical because the first games where this sponsorship will kick in is Paris 2024 – and France is a ‘dark market.’ Alcohol advertising around sports is highly regulated in France through ‘Loi Evin,’ their French alcohol policy law. Among other things, this law restricts the association and advertising of alcohol brands directly with sporting events. This will, therefore impact AB InBev’s marketing strategy around the event in France itself.
While the Olympics is a clean event – there is no perimeter or brand advertising in the stadia – it will impact the ability of AB InBev to capitalize on its sponsorship in the host market. But with the company already navigating a dry Qatar World Cup, it will manage.
But leading with its no-alcohol Corona Cero brand will certainly reduce some of these challenges and limitations. And the Loi Evin law doesn’t prohibit straight product-led alcohol advertising, just when the brand or product is displayed or associated with the sporting event specifically.
Having worked recently with Asahi Super Dry on its Rugby World Cup 2023 sponsorship across France, there are smart ways to navigate this to ensure the sponsorship provides the required ROI. For Asahi, this involved a combination of clever use of Masterbrand typography and alibi branding on perimeter boards in France, use of their 0.0% product, as well as significant investment in point of sale within retailers and distributors for those watching and attending the events.
However, we must remember this is a worldwide deal, so while needing to flex their strategy in the host market for 2024, the truly global scale of the Olympics will provide AB InBev huge opportunities to leverage the Olympic IP and sponsorship rights across global markets to promote their brand and both alcohol and no-alcohol products. It also supports AB InBev’s ‘smart drinking’ strategy, which has seen it increasingly invest in no and low alcohol brands and launch Corona Cero across Europe in 2022. And, as we know, all good sports sponsorship complements and builds on the broader brand strategy.
From AB InBev’s point of view, ensuring the category is defined across both alcohol and non-alcoholic beers means competitors likely can’t enter the fray, and all its brand territory is protected within this deal. Otherwise, there would be a potential risk of another subcategory being created and a rival also gaining access to the sought-after Olympics fold, even if via an LOC (Local organising committee) deal in the host country, for example.
This announcement marks a significant moment for the role of no and low-alcohol brands in sports sponsorship. The nature of deals on the scale of the Olympic partnerships is that they are not always very responsive, and rights holders can be cautious – but they are influential. This will make other no and low-alcohol players think about this space in a way that they may not have previously. In sports sponsorship, when one brand starts to get involved, others in the category invariably follow – and that can result in new revenue streams and investment for rightsholders.
The incongruity of alcohol-sponsoring sports also makes this an interesting adaption for brewing businesses wanting to associate with sports. As rights holders move to be more inclusive, it makes sense for the non-alcoholic brands in these businesses’ portfolios to start leading the way. The market for no/low products now is growing significantly, so it’s a great opportunity to launch these products using sports sponsorship as a vehicle.
We’ve already seen this with F1 where it has the added factor of driving being part of the messaging mix. Heineken moved to lead with its responsible consumption and promote the Heineken 0.0% product with their global F1 and Uefa Champions League sponsorships. Peroni Libera 0.0% has also used its sponsorship of Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team to launch the premium 0.0% product in a number of markets.
However, what could be most interesting, and perhaps we’re on the cusp of a significant commercial trend in sponsorship, is exclusive no/low brands entering into the industry in their own right given the significant growth of the category, as we’ve seen with the likes of Seedlip sponsoring Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport and Formula E team, Mercedes-EQ.
The Super Bowl may be a sporting fixture based in America, but it is an advertising moment heard across the world. For brands, taking centre stage on this night requires a heavy investment and creative prowess to drive results. And with CBS having sold out its Super Bowl commercials earlier than expected, competition for audience attention will be fierce.
Priority for brands is know your audience so you invest in creative and placement that is sure to score a touchdown – a 2024 survey shows that a majority (69%) of respondents favour funny ads while 40% of Gen Z say a firm ‘yes’ to casting influencers; however, brands must leverage the data and insights they have about their audience to maximise the opportunity and ultimately drive business back.
They must create a 360 plan and supplement the main ad with social touch points as the Super Bowl appeals to a broad church and additional digital activation adds momentum and keeps the conversation going. Take PepsiCo, for instance. With its newest brand Starry, they have solidified brand awareness through digital creative on their TikTok channel. Or DoorDash, which has developed a genius way to hack the event and remain relevant across every commercial.
If you have Instagram, it is highly likely that you follow one of the top 50 accounts on the platform, given that they collectively account for over 107.34 billion followers.
Of course, the usual suspects Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian have a strong showing but, after the official Instagram account, the two most followed accounts on the platform are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with 617 million and 496 million followers respectively.
These two aren’t only showing up with the most followers either. The two footballers each have seven of the top twenty most liked Instagram posts of all time, topped by Messi lifting the World Cup in December 2022 with 75.6 million likes.
When we turn our attention to similar metrics on TikTok, however, we see a very different story for sports accounts. While eight of the top 50 most followed accounts on Instagram are athletes or former athletes, Dwayne Johnson is the only athlete or former athlete in the equivalent list for TikTok.
On top of these athletes, another five sports related accounts, including Nike, Real Madrid, and the NBA, are featured in Instagram’s 50 most followed. However, the only sporting brands to keep The Rock company on TikTok’s most followed are the official accounts of Paris Saint Germain (45th) and ESPN (34th).
With the average user estimated to be spending an hour on TikTok every day in 20241, there is massive potential on the platform for brands to make the most of their existing partnerships and sponsorships to simultaneously engage with their current fanbase and reach new audiences.
With rights holders struggling to amass TikTok followers in the same way they do on Instagram, how do brands make better use of their rights as sponsors on one of the fastest growing social media platforms?
While followers may be a vital piece of the puzzle when choosing an athlete or brand to partner with on Instagram, number of followers becomes less important in TikTok’s out-of-network algorithmic feeds. Despite not having a place in the top 50 most followed accounts, Barstool Sports has amassed the fourth most likes of any account on the platform. Similarly, ESPN jumps to the seventh most liked account despite its ranking as 34th most followed.
Moreso than other platforms before it, the rise of TikTok has marked the distinction between in-network feeds (like Facebook and Instagram), where users nominate who they want to see in their feeds, and out-of-network feeds, where users are algorithmically served content based on their behavior.
As such, while the rise of out-of-network feeds appear to have left rights holders with fewer followers and more problems on digital platforms, the reality is that perhaps there is too much focus on the wrong metrics. By looking at likes, comments, and quality engagements instead of followers, new strategies can be developed in a way that leads to exciting and unique ways to activate exclusive rights.
On out-of-network platforms, a creative-first strategy is the best way forward. If a fan can watch the game on TV and a press conference on YouTube, the challenge for a brand is to give users content that they wouldn’t have access to anywhere else.
With more content and more creators than ever before, brands need to use their access to sponsorships and make better use of highlighting the exclusive elements that are written into their rights. Exactly what this means will vary between brands and partnerships.
A recent example of a brand using these exclusive rights to incredible effect was when Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk took fans into team celebrations following Darwin Nunez’s winner against Nottingham Forest, courtesy of Google Pixel.
As the official mobile phone partner of Liverpool, Google Pixel brings fans closer to the team they love, putting players at the forefront of the content while natively integrating their product. While millions of fans were likely watching the game on TV, the right of Google Pixel to share pitch side footage meant that fans could only gain exclusive access by engaging with the brand. While Liverpool fans are most likely to engage with the content, the unbelievable access to a pivotal moment, posted on out-of-network feeds will also put the Google Pixel brand in front of audiences outside of those immediately connected to the Liverpool sponsorship.
This content doesn’t always have to be focused on access to players, however. Using their Wimbledon sponsorship rights, Vodafone’s partnership with Give Vision gave visually impaired tennis fans enhanced Wimbledon footage suited to their individual vision profile. Sharing this experience on algorithmic feeds opens exposure of Vodafone’s Wimbledon partnership up to people outside of tennis fans and those who are already engaged with Vodafone brand.
While the above activations are very different, they are perfect examples of brands using their rights to integrate their brand into their sponsorships, creating opportunities to connect with new audiences.
In summary, with the rise of out of-network feeds, brands who have access to sponsorships and exclusive IP rights have the potential to make a greater impact than ever. Creative-first strategies that offer exclusive content put brands in a position to appeal to the current follower base and simultaneously build familiarity and affinity by engaging with new audiences.
The Super Bowl stands as an unparalleled spectacle, seamlessly merging the worlds of sport and music to create a cultural phenomenon that transcends traditional boundaries. It is an event where the love for the game and the anticipation of the Halftime Show coalesce, attracting a diverse audience that extends beyond avid sports fans. This unique fusion has positioned the Super Bowl as the pinnacle moment in popular culture, creating a powerful magnet for global viewership and engagement.
I would go as far to say that this year’s Usher masterclass was my personal favourite Super Bowl Halftime Show ever! A nostalgic 13-minute journey through Usher’s epic catalogue of hits, with intricate choreography, flawless vocals and seamless costume changes. The impressive guest line-up of Alicia Keys, Ludacris, will.i.am, H.E.R and Lil Jon kept the energy high throughout, but perhaps the most memorable was the seamless skating sequence with clips filling my social feed this morning.
I was interested to read Adele’s recent comments where she told fans at her Caesars Palace residency show that she won’t be attending the Super Bowl in person this year as she claims the Halftime Show is a better viewing experience on TV. This just goes to show how the Halftime Show is curated with the global TV and VOD audience front of mind, vs just those lucky enough to be in stadia.
It prompted me to reflect on how the NFL serves as a compelling inspiration for other sports properties and brands on how best to leverage the marriage of sport x music at notable sporting events. Beyond enhancing the fan experience through entertainment, in my view there’s a lot of untapped potential, particularly in the UK/Europe where there are several other brand and business benefits for rightsholders, including:
There are some notable examples of UK/European rightsholders that are successful in this space. The Hundred, cricket’s newest innovation, have partnered with BBC Music Introducing since 2021, offering an exciting line-up of live music and DJs from emerging artists at each of the 64 games, which they describe as the biggest sport and music collaboration in UK history. Off the field and on the track, British icons Ella Eyre and Tinie Tempah performed at the season finale of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship last year to celebrate the culmination of the motorsport championship series. I admire the fact that these emerging sports events see the value in incorporating entertainment to promote and spark interest in these relatively new events.
With the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations kicking off last weekend at the Stade Marie-Marvingt, where France played host to Ireland, the buzz around this year’s tournament was more apparent than ever. Following the first round of fixtures, there are several storylines that make this year’s Women’s Six Nations incredibly intriguing.
Will anyone close the gap to the dominant Red Roses, looking to make it six titles in a row?
After an opening round win against Ireland, can France finally bring an end to the Red Roses’ authority after coming so close at Twickenham last year?
Which teams will take the top 3 slots, and secure automatic qualification to the 2025 World Cup in England and a spot in WX1?
One of the biggest headlines came during the build-up to this year’s tournament when Guinness signed an unprecedented £15 million per year deal to become the title partner of the Women’s Six Nations, replacing TikTok. With Guinness now the title partner for both the men’s and women’s Six Nations tournaments, it demonstrates the changing landscape of sponsorships in rugby and how major brands are becoming more committed to levelling the playing field between the men’s and women’s game.
‘The women’s game is the biggest growth engine for rugby’. This was a quote from Six Nations CEO, Tom Harrison, following the announcement of the partnership with Guinness, and when you look at all that has happened just in the past year, he isn’t wrong. Whether it be increased investment, record crowds, a higher quality product on the field, or vastly improved participation numbers at all levels, women’s rugby has seen significant progress across all areas in recent times.
A major step forward was World Rugby’s announcement of their ‘Accelerate Programme’ which has the sole aim to fast-track the development of women’s rugby through a new targeted investment approach. As part of the programme, World Rugby will look to form new partnerships with like-minded brands to help sustainably develop the women’s game on and off the pitch, following in the footsteps of the partnerships that they have already formed with Mastercard and Capgemini. With a US World Cup coming in 2033, the race is on for brands to be a part of the journey.
A major selling point for brands is the fact that women’s rugby and tournaments such as the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, offer a more diverse and engaged audience in comparison to the men’s game. During the 2023 edition 9% of those who watched were Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic, compared to 6% who watched both the men’s and women’s competition. Also, 21% of the audience were aged 35 and under in comparison to 9% who watched the men’s and women’s competition1. This diversity and engagement are crucial for brands / sponsors. Conrad Wiacek, Head of Sport Analysis at GlobalData says, ‘sponsorship is buying access to an engaged audience’ and with women’s sport this is exactly what you get. 65% of women’s sports fans are more likely to recall brands they have seen, a staggering number compared to 35% of men’s sports fans. This is a drastic difference, and in my opinion, comes from women’s sport fans advocating for new brands to enter women’s sport and become a driver for change.
This point is supported by a 2023 report conducted by the Women’s Sport Trust, that found that 29% of fans think more favourably of brands that support women’s sport through their sponsorship, compared to 17% that support men’s sport.2 While specific to the UK, 16% of the population are more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors women’s sport, compared to 13% that sponsor a men’s sport.3 This data clearly shows that by investing in women’s rugby, and sport in general, brands are speaking to a far more valuable audience in comparison to the men’s game, hence why we have seen a far greater number of brands, such as Guinness, commit to major, long-term partnerships in the women’s game.
Women’s rugby has also become more visible than ever. Following a successful World Cup in New Zealand in 2022, World Rugby announced the launch of a new, three-tiered international competition, known as WXV. The first edition took place in 2023 and saw 18 teams compete across three different tournaments in three different countries. This significantly increased the visibility of international women’s rugby to a level not seen outside of a World Cup year.
2023 also saw viewership and attendance records broken across the Women’s Six Nations. A new TV viewership record was set in the UK, with 10.4 million viewing hours clocked up for the 2023 tournament, breaking the previous record of 7.7 million. While the Red Roses set a world record for the highest attendance at a women’s international rugby match, with a staggering 58,498 making the trip to Twickenham, Wales also set a record at Cardiff Arms Park with nearly 9,000 people watching them face England. This surge in interest and support for the Wales team has led to the WRU announcing that the team would be playing their first standalone fixture at the Principality Stadium when they face Italy in their final fixture of this year Championship.
Women’s sport also offers brands plenty of opportunity for rich storytelling, and this is no different with rugby. After significantly less media attention over the past decades, women’s rugby can provide audiences with a genuine sense of discovery. There are countless untold stories from female rugby leagues and teams across the world which are finally being shared with audiences and brands can play a role in providing access to this content in partnership with media outlets or via their owned channels.
A recent example of this can be seen through Vodafone’s partnership with The Good, The Scaz and The Rugby podcast which offers a unique insight into women’s rugby and shines a light on all the untold stories from across the professional landscape, whilst also taking every opportunity to promote the grassroots game. Through partnerships like this, brands have the platform to directly impact the relationship between players and fans, showcasing the incredible individuals who have helped make the sport what it is today and providing them with the media attention that they deserve. We are only going to see a rise in partnerships like this as the familiarity of the stories in women’s rugby continue to become more apparent.
In summary, the trajectory for women’s rugby has never looked more positive. During the rest of the 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations expect the product to be better than ever and more records to be broken. And keep an eye on the growing number of brands that you see associated with the game. If other brands want to seize the opportunities that the sport has to offer then they are going to have to act quickly as the market is only going to become more competitive with a World Cup approaching in 2025, and a US based World Cup confirmed for 2033.
[1] O2, RFU and Women’s Sport Trust join forces (englandrugby.com)
Vodafone and Global Sport and Entertainment agency Fuse have turned the Welsh Women’s Rugby team into Women’s Health cover stars as part of a unique paid media partnership. This is the first-time women’s rugby players have featured on the cover and comes ahead of the team’s historic game at the Principality Stadium on the 27th April – the first standalone women’s game at the stadium.
The special edition magazine covers, which feature current captain, Hannah Jones, and players Alex Callender, Lisa Neumann, Donna Rose, Sisilia Tuipulotu and Abbie Fleming, are part of a multi-channel campaign managed by Fuse. Fuse liaised with the Welsh Rugby Union to identify the six players featured, shoot the cover and build out the six-page spread within the magazine.
As part of Vodafone’s ongoing work as Founding Principal Partner of Welsh Women’s and Girls Rugby, the campaign runs across print, social media and digital (including video assets). Copies of magazine featuring the special edition covers will be distributed this weekend at the Wales and Scotland Women’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations match. The campaign is part of Vodafone’s ongoing drive to help grow the women’s game and helps to raise awareness of the matches, where tickets can be purchased for 2024 Guinness Women’s Six Nations and the location of Welsh Rugby Union home games going forward.
The landmark covers build on Fuse’s continued work with Vodafone and its commitment to helping accelerate women’s rugby with technology and connectivity. Previous work together on the proprietary menstrual tracking tool Vodafone PLAYER.Connect is helping improve female players’ performance, wellbeing and recovery and has placed Vodafone at the heart of the conversation on the impact of the menstrual cycle on sporting participation and performance.
Mark Huckerby, Head of Sponsorship Vodafone: “As Founding Principal Partner of Wales Womens’ & Girls’ Rugby, we are committed to growing the game to new audiences in the lead-up to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 and beyond. We are really proud to have worked with Fuse, Women’s Health and the Welsh Rugby Union on this milestone ‘first’ for women’s rugby in the UK. These six featured players, and their hundreds of peers playing international and club rugby across the UK are incredible role models for future generations.”
Charlie Baddeley, Account Director Fuse: “One of women’s sport’s greatest assets is its individuals, and the amazing untapped stories they possess – whether that be players, fans or volunteers. It was brilliant to work with Vodafone to highlight these inspiring women and deliver a first for the sport.
Our Rights Consultancy team worked closely with our Digital Planning team to develop the rights package to provide an even stronger ROI with their power and expertise.”
