Fight nights are no longer just sport – they’re culture.
What we saw last Saturday wasn’t just a boxing match. It was storytelling, music and high-end fashion combining to create an experience that reached far beyond boxing’s usual audience.
Saturday’s Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn fight highlighted how story now sits at the heart of modern sport, especially on a night where there wasn’t even a world title at stake. A huge part of the excitement came from everything leading up to the fight, not only the moment the bell rang.
Eubank Jr didn’t just walk out. He made an entrance. 50 Cent performed three tracks live, turning the ring walk into a full cinematic moment that dominated social feeds within minutes. The nostalgia ran deep too. Both Eubank Jr and Conor Benn walked out to songs linked to their fathers, whose rivalry defined a previous era. It added a layer of history that made the moment feel even bigger.
Music wasn’t the only cultural layer. Fashion played its part as well. Conor Benn’s Palm Angels kit is part of a wider shift in how fashion is showing up in boxing. We are now seeing runway-level integration, with fighters using the ring as a cultural stage. Canelo Álvarez walked out in Amiri, while Terence Crawford entered wearing an Everlast x Off-White robe featuring details from the brand’s Spring Summer 2026 collection during their fight earlier this year. It is a clear sign that fashion now sees fight nights as moments with cultural weight.
Some brands still hesitate around boxing, yet the crossover between sport, music and fashion continues to attract audiences far beyond traditional fight fans. This crossover also broadens how partners can show up, helping them connect through the music, fashion and moments fans are already engaging with beyond the fight itself.
The numbers also back it up. Millions tuned in across broadcast, social channels and streaming platforms. Highlights reached 1.3 million views in a single day, and pay-per-view buys are expected to surpass the 620,000 from their first matchup. With reach at this scale, fight nights become shared cultural events, which naturally creates opportunities for partners.
This is where boxing becomes interesting from a partnership perspective. The sport offers multiple touchpoints throughout fight week, from press conferences and weigh-ins to walkouts and fight kits, giving partners several natural moments to build visibility and tell a consistent story.
The upcoming Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight underlines this shift even more clearly. It will stream globally on Netflix and is expected to be one of the most-watched boxing events in years. Jake Paul’s previous fight on the platform reached 108 million viewers worldwide, showing how far the sport can scale when positioned in a global entertainment environment. All of this shows how big fight nights are evolving into broader cultural moments where partners can play a more meaningful role.
The NFL, Apple Music, and Roc Nation are curating halftime shows that speak to culture, identity, and influence. Earlier this year Kendrick Lamar’s performance drew a record breaking 133.5 million viewers, more than the game itself, and delivered a performance packed with symbolism. It proved the Super Bowl stage could carry real cultural weight, secure mass viewership and spark global conversation.
Bad Bunny’s announcement as the 2026 headliner feels like a continuation of that shift. He’s not just Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world three years running – he’s a cultural force, known for advocating for social equity and representation across underrepresented communities. His selection signals a broader ambition moving forward to ensure the halftime show is more than a music performance, but a global cultural movement.
K-Pop and Afrobeats – the summer of 2025 saw a surge of subgenres dominating the global mainstream charts louder than ever. Sony’s KPop Demon Hunters (distributed by Netflix) soundtrack created worldwide frenzy, topping charts worldwide and amassing over 3 billion streams in just two months, while Moliy & Silent Addy’s Shake It To The Max (FLY) – Remix broke out in Afrobeats, hitting Spotify’s Top 50 in 45+ countries and surpassing 500M streams by August.
For brands looking to connect with mega-engaged fans and cut through the noise, these subcultures – now global movements in their own right – hold the key. They’re full of active, passionate, and loyal fans who, when approached authentically, become the ultimate brand advocates.
The first edition of the newly revamped FIFA Club World Cup currently being played in the USA has been no stranger to controversy. Those in the world of football have taken aim at the increased workload for already stretched players;[1], reports have attendance sitting at just 57%,[2] and the political climate in which it is all taking part is another matter completely.
Despite this, the allure of more football for fans across the world has meant online engagement has remained high. As I write this, the @DAZNFootball channel has amassed over 170 million views in the past 30 days[3]. Unofficial channels, housing analysis, reaction, and highlights likely take online engagement well into the billions of views.
While the majority of these uploads are from legitimate football lovers, highlights of Juventus’ 3-2 win over Manchester City raised some questions from fans. The reason? The highlights were posted hours before the match was played.
By combining archive footage and video titles which, to someone who isn’t following the tournament closely, paint a picture of legitimate highlights, the channels recorded millions of views. This engagement, free from the competition of legitimate highlights – which would not be posted until after the match -leaned perfectly into the YouTube algorithm, with these fake videos often finding themselves in the top recommended clips for football fans across YouTube and Google search.
While the rise of ‘fake’ reactive content and deep fakes will likely have an impact across many industries, the world of sports and entertainment is particularly susceptible to falling victim. Over 35 billion hours of sport were consumed on YouTube in 2024[4] and, with more sport being played at any given time around the world, there will be no shortage of fans wanting to catch up on matches, only to realise after a few minutes they have been watching a match that was never played.
Similarly, over 50%[5] of YouTube’s 2.5 billion[6] users use the platform for music or podcasts. Deep fake audio from previous years has seen Bill Clinton cover Sir Mix-A-Lot but fake leaks and releases will almost certainly capture the attention of music fans in the coming years.
Ultimately, while fake highlight videos may be frustrating for football fans who have been swindled out of a few minutes of their lunch break, these videos also have a real impact for brands who are advertising on YouTube. A high-ranking video which passes YouTube’s checks will warrant higher CPMs for advertisers who, despite their best efforts, are essentially spending their advertising dollars on a ‘made for advertising’ scam.
This may not be a new notion in the world of programmatic advertising; however, with AI models able to scrape through hours of archive footage and produce believable video content that has the ability to bypass Google’s moderation, the need for attention when it comes to brand safety and suitability is as relevant as ever.
For official partners of football competitions, teams and players looking to build a credible reputation, ignoring these risks is counterproductive. While it may add a couple of cents on CPMs in the short term, the role of sponsorship as a long-term trust building project means the investment will pay dividends when building affinity with fans.
In an evolving digital media landscape where there is more fan-produced content than ever before, and it is increasingly easy to be fooled by misinformation, sponsors, agencies, and publishers must be proactive to ensure brand safety. While it may take time, accessing premium inventory across social media and the open web for sponsorship assets will ultimately lead to the development of an authentic voice and trust in the space.
[1] https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/45604072/jurgen-klopp-expanded-club-world-cup-football-worst-idea
[2] https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c74z8v15g8eo
[3] https://www.youtube.com/@DAZNFootball / Social Blade
[4] https://www.sportspro.com/news/youtube-big-screen-tv-sport-consumption/
[5] https://civicscience.com/interest-in-youtube-premium-stalls-into-2025-but-emphasizing-music-could-change-the-tune/
For much of the last decade, sports marketing followed a familiar script: globalisation, digital scale and steadily inflating rights fees. In 2025, that script broke. This year forced brands, rights-holders and investors to confront harder truths about attention, technology and value, and in doing so, it reset how sport is bought, sold and measured.
From AI finally becoming operational, to women’s sport crossing from promise to proof, 2025 redefined what counts as premium, measurable, and essential.
2025 will be remembered as the year AI stopped being a talking point and became infrastructure.
Across sport, AI moved out of pilots and into fan-facing reality: automated highlights, personalised feeds, conversational search and predictive performance tools became part of the everyday experience. Best-in-class broadcasters showed what that looks like in practice.
In the US, MLB delivered personalised daily video recaps tailored to individual fan behaviour, while ESPN integrated AI-driven predictive analytics into live NFL coverage. Closer to home, Wimbledon leveraged generative AI to automate highlights and enrich digital storytelling, extending the value of the live moment well beyond Centre Court.
Broadcasters leaned heavily into automated clips and data-led production to keep pace with social platforms, while clubs and leagues expanded personalised apps and direct-to-fan services.
As cookies continued to disappear and privacy regulation tightened, AI intermediaries filled the. gap. Fans increasingly consumed sport through personalised summaries, agent-driven recommendations and platform-level curation. That shifted the centre of gravity.
First-party data became the most valuable strategic asset in sport, not just for ticketing or CRM, but for sponsorship valuation and attribution. Rights-holders were no longer simply selling exposure; they were selling access to logged-in, addressable fan relationships.
Hot take: the most valuable sponsorships of the next cycle won’t be the loudest or most visible. They’ll be the most intelligently embedded into AI-mediated fan journeys.
If AI was the technological shift of 2025, women’s sport was the commercial one.
This was the year women’s sport stopped being “emerging” and started being essential inventory. In the UK, that shift was underpinned by success on the biggest stages: England lifted both the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Women’s European Championship, proof that women’s sport delivers national moments, not just incremental growth.
Those wins translated commercially. UK football and cricket saw record audiences, while sponsorship interest broadened beyond traditional categories into technology and automotive brands.
The bigger shift? How brands framed the opportunity. The question shifted from ‘does it scale?’ to ‘what audience does it deliver?” In a fragmented attention economy, younger, more diverse and culturally engaged fans aren’t niche; they are strategically scarce.
2025 didn’t slow the growth of women’s sport. It normalised it. And in business terms, normalisation matters more than hype.
Hot take: within five years, brands will struggle to justify sports portfolios that don’t include women’s sport, not on values grounds, but on performance ones.
Digital still dominates headline spend, but 2025 exposed its limits. Brand safety concerns, diminishing returns and platform fragmentation pushed advertisers back towards environments that guarantee attention and trust.
In the UK, live sport benefited more than any other category. Premium football, cricket and Formula 1 regained board-level interest, particularly around marquee fixtures and tentpole moments. Broadcasters leaned on sport to hedge against audience fragmentation, while sponsors treated top-tier live events as fewer, bigger bets rather than spread commitments.
Scarcity accelerated a shift from badge-on-shirt sponsorships to performance-linked partnerships. Advertisers demanded clearer accountability, better data access and measurable outcomes. Rights-holders that could package broadcast, content and first-party fan data alongside visibility pulled ahead; others felt the squeeze.
The result was a familiar but sharpening dynamic: value concentrating at the top. Mega-properties commanded premiums, while mid-tier assets faced tougher questions on differentiation, diversification and survival.
Taken together, these shifts explain why 2025 feels different.
AI made personalisation unavoidable. Women’s sport proved commercially credible. Live sport reasserted its value as one of the few environments capable of delivering trusted, high-attention reach. And fragmentation killed the illusion that reach alone equals impact.
The winners of 2025 weren’t those chasing novelty, but those building systems: data-ready rights, culturally fluent creative and partnerships designed for accountability rather than optics. In a cautious UK economy, certainty became the premium product.
Final hot take: the next era of sports marketing won’t be defined by who spends the most, but by who understands their fans best.
If recent years were about momentum, 2025 was about recalibration. For an industry built on moments, this may prove to be the year that quietly changed everything.
In a world where attention is fractured and loyalty is fluid, one of the most powerful tools available to help marketers cut through isn’t new at all – it’s culture. More specifically, it’s the strategic blending of cultural passion points to create something richer than the sum of its parts.
The rise of crossover events shows how fandom itself has transformed. Fans today don’t live in silos. They don’t just follow boxing or football or streetwear – they follow individuals whose identities stretch across cultural lanes. Athletes are no longer defined solely by what happens in competition. Instead, their cultural value is shaped by how they live beyond it – what they wear, who they collaborate with, the music they share, the causes they champion and the content they create. A tennis star who cares about streetwear, a footballer who releases music, or a sprinter who collaborates with contemporary artists isn’t diluting their brand – they’re expanding it and creating a bigger, more diverse, more engaged following. This shift makes cultural crossovers not only possible, but essential.
As Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul step into the ring this weekend, the fight will be billed as a clash of two very different worlds: an elite heavyweight champion versus a creator-turned-contender, who built his career in the algorithmic arenas of social media. But the truth is far more interesting. This fight is not an anomaly or a sideshow. It is a defining moment in the evolution of sports entertainment – one where elite athletes and influencers now collide on equal footing.
Joshua vs Paul is the clearest signal yet that influencer culture has moved from the fringes of sport to the centre of its economics, audience reach and cultural meaning. What we’re witnessing is the rise of cultural crossover as a dominant force – where sport blends with entertainment, personality, fashion and digital fandom to create something bigger than any one discipline. This isn’t sport versus culture. It’s sport as culture.
Elite athletes are becoming influencers, and influencers are becoming athletes – and nowhere is this cultural realignment more visible than in golf. A sport defined by tradition and performance, it is now being reshaped by creators who command audiences on a scale that rivals, and often surpasses, the official tours. Content collectives like Bob Does Sports, GoodGood Golf and Grant Horvat each attract between 1.25 and 2 million YouTube subscribers – numbers comparable to the PGA Tour’s own following and significantly larger than those of most major golf rights-holders. But it’s not just reach that’s shifting the balance – it’s engagement. While the PGA and DP World Tour see tens of thousands of views on ten-minute highlight videos, the leading golf creators routinely pull in millions for content that stretches well beyond half an hour. Their audiences aren’t passing through – they’re staying.
This gravitational pull has already begun reshaping the sport’s ecosystem. Barstool Sports’ recent “Internet Invitational,” a three-day event featuring 48 golf creators, didn’t even stream live. Instead, the footage was crafted into six episodic cuts, each running two to three hours. The result was an average of four million views per episode and some of the most engaged golf storytelling online. Brands like Dunkin’ Donuts and DraftKings were woven into the narrative seamlessly, benefiting from exposure that felt native rather than intrusive. The lesson is clear: audiences gravitate toward formats that make them feel closer to the action and closer to the personalities shaping it.
And so the Joshua vs Paul fight underscores a broader truth – sport can no longer be separated from the cultural forces that surround it. It is entertainment. It is digital storytelling. It is identity. The future of fandom is fluid, and those willing to play at the intersections will find themselves not just reflecting culture, but creating it. Traditional sport is no longer the default destination for fandom – cultural crossover is.
Luke Bliss, Managing Partner at the sports and entertainment agency Fuse, reckons that tips from the pros can only get you so far. “You often hear stories of community leagues where the player with the least knowledge of football, and indeed the least interest in the data, is inexplicably leading the pack,” he says. “The bigger challenge is keeping the casual fan engaged for the entire season.”
“FPL has the unique ability to appeal simultaneously to avid players (the data-nerds) and the casual fan,” he says. “The user experience has become much simpler over time; the ‘mobile-first’ approach to the platform has made FPL accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.”
England’s victory at Euro 2025 was not just a win on the pitch; it was a cultural milestone. From full stadiums to national pride, the Lionesses captivated the country. Across 29 of 31 matches, fans filled every seat, with total attendance reaching 650,000, and the Women’s Champions League final drew record viewing figures.
Suddenly, women’s football was not just a game; it was a phenomenon. Young girls everywhere declared their ambition to be the next Lioness, with research showing unprecedented engagement with the sport.
Yet, as electrifying as the international stage has been, the domestic game is quietly building its own powerful narrative. The Women’s Super League (WSL) is evolving, and while there have been growing pains, the league is laying the foundation for long-term success.
Last season’s dip in attendance reflects the natural ebb and flow of a developing sport, but it also underscores the opportunity for renewed investment and innovation. Clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United are also under increasing pressure to elevate their women’s teams, and this scrutiny is driving change.
Where clubs are still finding their footing, brands are stepping in and filling the gaps, offering not just financial backing but also strategic support. This signals a shift in sponsorship where it moves beyond visibility and into meaningful investment in the women’s game ecosystem.
Turning momentum into action
The Lionesses’ triumph generated unprecedented momentum, but governance and club-level investment have yet to catch up. Clubs are not required to disclose how much they invest in their women’s teams, and often investments are tied to financial manoeuvring rather than a genuine commitment to the game. Chelsea’s ownership structure for their women’s team exemplifies this, revealing that the women’s side can sometimes exist primarily to optimise resources for the men’s team.
Progress is beginning to emerge. Minimum salaries have been introduced in the WSL, marking a step towards professional parity. With continued action at both club and league levels, the WSL is poised to become an inspiring benchmark for women’s football.
Why brands are stepping up
Brands are increasingly recognising that investment in women’s football is more than sponsorship; it is a chance to shape culture and create meaningful connections. Nike’s initiative to provide free boots to every WSL player is both symbolic and practical, offering tangible support to athletes while sending a powerful message about the value of women’s football.
Recognising this potential, Nike has now extended its partnership to supply boots and match balls for players across the top two divisions, reinforcing its commitment to the professional game.
Adidas paired players like Lena Oberdorf and Delphine Cascarino with creators, musicians and fans, blending football with lifestyle in ways that amplify the sport’s reach. PepsiCo highlighted players such as Vivianne Miedema and Alexia Putellas, sharing personal stories that resonate beyond the pitch, while Just Eats’ fan zones at the Euros created immersive, authentic experiences combining food, football and culture.
British Gas, entering as a WSL sponsor this season, has committed to enhancing grassroots engagement, helping fund local teams, training and community programmes. E.l.f Cosmetics’ back-of-shirt partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Women also marks a significant moment in the commercial evolution of the WSL, as it shows the women’s game’s ability to attract new audiences and challenge traditional boundaries between sport and beauty. It not only elevates Spurs Women’s profile but also reinforces the WSL’s positioning as a culturally relevant league. Beauty brands are recognising that women’s football is a vehicle for influence and inclusion.
Players themselves are becoming brands. Leah Williamson has developed her own profile beyond football, combining ambassador roles, personal partnerships, and community engagement to become a leading voice in the women’s game. When brands invest in players as individuals, they help elevate the entire game, increasing visibility and generating fan loyalty that can translate into higher attendance and viewership.
Protecting the Lionesses’ legacy
The Lionesses’ victory ignited a surge in interest, and women’s football is more culturally relevant than ever. But without consistent investment, that momentum risks being squandered. Brands can help bridge the funding gap, ensuring progress in wages, facilities, grassroots pathways, and fan accessibility. Partnerships can take many forms. They can supply equipment to players at all levels, create engaging fan experiences, or provide ambassador roles that build profiles and open up new revenue streams.
For players like Leah Williamson, these ambassador roles are not just marketing; they are platforms to inspire, advocate, and shape the narrative of women’s football. These initiatives can turn individual star power into league-wide growth, helping to secure the legacy of the Lionesses for future generations.
Next steps for clubs
While brands have shown appetite and creativity in supporting women’s football, clubs cannot rely solely on external investment. The disparity between men’s and women’s football remains stark. Male footballers in England earn nearly 17,000% more than their female counterparts, and grassroots support lags far behind.
Across the UK, 64% of women’s teams lack a trainer, 43% struggle to find referees, and over half of players pay for their own kits, with one in 10 going without. In some areas, the absence of local teams or enough players to form a squad prevents women from playing at all, while childcare and travel barriers further restrict participation.
For the WSL to continue the women’s game’s upward trajectory, clubs can align with the ambition shown by players, fans, and forward-thinking sponsors like Nike, British Gas, and others. Equal urgency, investment, and infrastructure are essential at both professional and grassroots levels. The Lionesses have sparked a movement – and with collective action, the WSL can ensure that this enthusiasm becomes lasting progress.
The Lionesses brought football home and, in doing so, inspired a generation. Now the question is whether that legacy will endure. Brands like Nike and British Gas are stepping up, investing in players and connecting the sport with broader culture. The league and clubs must follow suit, investing in talent, infrastructure, and communities before the momentum is lost.
The Lionesses have shown what women’s football can achieve on the world stage. With consistent, authentic support from both brands and clubs, the WSL has the potential to flourish, ensuring that women’s football remains a permanent fixture in the national imagination. The ball is now in the league’s court.
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 delivered on every front, showcasing world-class football, packed stadiums, record-breaking viewership and a cultural momentum that continues to elevate the women’s game.
But did brands play it safe? Using reliable, established tactics but slipping into the background, or did they go for goal with new campaigns that truly met the opportunity of this moment?
WEUROs 2025 not only showcased the level of talent on the pitch but also tested brands to embrace brand strategy, fan engagement and cultural alignment. Some led with purpose, creativity and consistency; others did not, risking being left behind as the game evolves at pace.
Sponsors were highly visible across host cities and media channels. Just Eat’s fan zones in Zurich and Basel created immersive experiences with food, football, and branded content combined in ways that felt genuine and celebratory. PepsiCo’s campaign highlighted individuality and fan diversity, capturing the Euros’ inclusive spirit. Adidas was active in combining product performance with powerful storytelling delivered by ambassador partnerships. All great examples of brands going above and beyond, leaving behind surface-level logo placement, and it paid off.
Transitions on digital advertising boards don’t get fans out of their seats. To fans, tournaments are immersive, experiential and cultural. Tapping into this energy with engaging, relevant content brings a brand into the competition experience, ensuring long-term association.
Collaborative storytelling between brands and athletes was another strategy that resonated. Adidas is a strong example, pairing players like Lena Oberdorf and Delphine Cascarino with creators, musicians and fans to build bridges between sport and lifestyle. PepsiCo’s campaigns featured Vivianne Miedema and Alexia Putellas, two of the world’s best players, to highlight diversity and individuality in women’s football, sharing personal stories that resonate beyond the pitch.
Fans are knowledgeable. They know the players’ on-pitch prestige and off-pitch background as well as anyone, meaning they know which partnerships feel genuine and which feel inauthentic. Establishing strong brand ambassadors with shared values builds credibility and generates impact.
Expectations for the broadcast and digital reach of the tournament were high. UEFA had a target of reaching 500 million global viewers, and early estimates suggest the tournament came close to that, with the final drawing over 45 million viewers globally. These numbers reflect not only the growing popularity of the women’s game, but also its value as a media and commercial platform.
Social media platforms TikTok, Instagram and YouTube were abuzz with behind-the-scenes content, match highlights and fan reactions, and the short-form, shareable and platform-native content is now outperforming more polished but less personal formats.
These platforms give brands direct access into fans’ homes and personal spaces, so it requires a personal approach to maximise impact and drive engagement. Campaigns that feel too corporate will be too intrusive. But by “sticking to the football,” brands can gain more attention and loyalty, participating in conversations fans are already having through media they are already consuming. It’s no longer enough to just be seen. Brands need to embrace digital storytelling and integrate with fan behaviour to gain more meaningful traction.
Switzerland was a well-organised and visually striking host. Central locations, reliable infrastructure and high production values made it a memorable setting. But accessibility remained a concern. Travel and accommodation costs created barriers for many fans — particularly young people and families — limiting who could be part of the experience.
This persistent equity issue continues to shadow the women’s game. It’s here that brands still have room to do more. Sponsors and partners had a real opportunity to support match-goers with subsidised travel, community ticketing schemes or virtual access programmes. Remember local schoolchildren and residents receiving free or reduced-price tickets to the London 2012 and Paris 2024 Olympics? Or, at club level, travel companies Thomas Cook and Virgin Trains teaming up with Chelsea and Newcastle, respectively, to subsidise away travel for fans? It’s time to see similar action taken by brands when it comes to international football tournaments.
This tournament is about more than sport. It reflects a cultural movement being shaped by young audiences who care deeply about representation, fairness, sustainability and inclusion.
We saw several moments both on and off the pitch that struck a chord. From Ian Wright leading the BBC punditry team’s celebrations against Italy, to England’s Jess Carter speaking openly about having to delete social media after receiving a barrage of racist abuse. Women’s Euro 2025 connected with fans on many different, personal levels.
Brands should not be scared to tap into this, showing personality and purpose. This is what fans are after. They want commitment, authenticity and shared values. They want to see brands help turn momentum into sustainable growth, commercial success into grassroots investment, and help players build their platform to speak out on issues such as discrimination and equal funding.
By supporting youth programmes, infrastructure development and the broader ecosystem of the women’s game, brands could contribute to something lasting.
This tournament offered more than a chance to advertise. It offered a chance to lead.
Now is the time for brands to build on this momentum. With many already active in domestic leagues, global tournaments and men’s football, sponsorship budgets remain under pressure. But the lesson from this summer is clear: The challenge isn’t just about spending more — it’s about spending smarter.
This tournament has shown what’s possible when fans are truly engaged and the women’s game is given the platform it deserves. It should serve as a catalyst for deeper, more meaningful investment. This is still the moment to stand out. To connect with fans. To support players. To drive cultural relevance. And to leave behind a legacy that extends far beyond the final whistle.
Women’s football is not waiting, it’s moving forward. Brands that move with it will be remembered not just as sponsors, but as players that changed the game.
Formula 1 has become one of the most sought-after properties in global sport — and the reasons run far deeper than glamour and horsepower. In a fragmented media landscape, F1 is one of the few rights-holders that can credibly claim global scale, cultural momentum and commercial scarcity.
Start with the basics: reach. F1 remains one of the only sports that races across five continents over a nine-month season, delivering a weekly cadence of jeopardy, personality and drama. That continuity has turned it into an always-on global storyline — a structural advantage even the biggest leagues struggle to match.
It’s also become a serious commercial engine. Media-rights revenues and sponsorship investment have surged across multiple cycles, confirming F1’s shift from a specialist motorsport to a structural global asset. The record fees now being paid for rights — including Apple’s exclusive U.S. broadcast deal beginning next season — are less a spike than a signal that F1 has become premium entertainment infrastructure. Apple’s production and release of last summer’s Brad Pitt F1 film only highlights the point: this is now a hybrid sport-entertainment-tech platform with global distribution baked in.
The commercial boom runs in parallel with F1’s cultural rise. The sponsorship supercycle that began in 2024–25 hasn’t cooled; it has deepened and diversified. PepsiCo’s multi-brand entry earlier this year is emblematic. The company views F1 as one of the few global platforms capable of accelerating consumer brands at scale — powered by its year-round narrative, its young, mixed-gender fanbase and its expanding entertainment footprint. For PepsiCo, F1 is less a motorsport and more a fast-growing cultural ecosystem with global reach and local resonance
This reflects a broader shift in how brands and cities engage with F1. Brands went ‘all in’ at this year’s Las Vegas Grand Prix — treating it less as a race and more as a cultural festival. The street circuit winds through the city’s most iconic landmarks. Brand activations, fanzones, viewing parties and merchandise proliferated across Vegas in ways that blurred the line between sporting event and cultural takeover. The post-race spectacle also reinforced that Las Vegas has become an extension of F1. Podium finishers were driven in a pink Lego Cadillac to the Bellagio fountains, followed by city-wide fireworks and a Disney concert featuring Mickey Mouse, orchestrated to announce Disney’s ‘Fuel the Magic’ F1 collaboration. That intensity reflects a truth about modern F1: it has become the place where brands go to create spectacle, content and global moments. Cities see that value too. Las Vegas’s own tourism authority has doubled down with multi-year commitments, a reminder that the economic impact of F1 now extends far beyond the paddock into destination branding, hospitality and global visibility. And F1’s influence now intersects directly with the global marketing and media calendar. The inaugural Las Vegas F1 Business Summit — rapidly establishing itself as a Cannes equivalent for sport, media and entertainment — brought together CEOs, CMOs and cultural decision-makers in a way no other sports property currently can. It captured the sport’s new positioning at the convergence of sport, culture, business and storytelling.
Meanwhile, the fanbase continues to widen — younger, more female and more culturally diverse than at any point in F1’s modern era. The F1 Academy has expanded the funnel; the emergence of House 44, a unique collaboration between F1, Lewis Hamilton and Soho House creating a premier members club feel to the paddock, to Adidas–Mercedes have pushed the sport deep into lifestyle; and team merchandise has moved from memorabilia to mainstream. Yet with growth comes increased complexity in fan engagement, where the sport and brands involved require localised strategies that vary from region to region while maintaining global brand coherence.
With the rise of the sport, it also brings natural tensions that come with being the most valuable sport property and they require thoughtful strategies to navigate through it.
Sustainability in F1 is widely spoken about, as a sport built on speed and performance. The carbon footprint of moving 10 teams and their equipment across 24 races and 5 continents is significant and while F1 has committed to 100% sustainable fuels by 2026 and net-zero by 2030, achieving this will requires systemic change across the entire chain. Yet, meaningful progress is underway. For brands this creates a credible and evolving ESG narrative, one where they can contribute to practical solutions, realistic commitments and measurable targets that extend well beyond the track.
Access has also become a pressure point with ticket and hospitality prices rising, potentially pricing out the fans who drove the sport’s cultural resurgence. So the question remains, how the sport can maintain exclusivity and premium positioning whilst also ensuring that it remains accessible to the next generation of fans who many experience F1 primarily through screen rather than grandstands. This creates a clear opportunity for brands to step in as cultural connectors, helping balance exclusivity with accessibility.
It’s no surprise that CMOs keep asking the same question: how do we get in? In 2026, Formula One stands not just as a sport but as a rare global asset – one whose momentum and value continue to accelerate.
As the Women’s Super League kicks off its 2025–26 season, the return of Hannah Blundell to Manchester United marks another important moment in the evolving landscape of motherhood in elite football. Blundell, who began her maternity leave earlier this year, is set to become the first Manchester United player to return to the pitch after pregnancy—a milestone that reflects growing support structures within the game.
She joins a small but growing group of players who have navigated pregnancy and returned to elite competition. Toni Duggan made history in 2022 as the first WSL player to take maternity leave under newly introduced legislation. Melanie Leupolz returned to competitive football for Chelsea just three months after giving birth, and Katrina Gorry—now at West Ham United—continues to balance top-flight football with parenting two young children, having also taken maternity leave earlier in her career.
The WSL has made meaningful progress in recent years. Maternity leave policies now offer 14 weeks of fully paid leave, with protections in place regardless of how long a player has been at a club. These changes are helping dismantle long-standing barriers that once forced many women to choose between motherhood and their careers.
Still, while institutional policies are evolving, brand engagement is still finding its footing. Parent athletes—particularly mothers—remain relatively absennt from mainstream marketing narratives, despite the richness and relatability of their stories. This absence is not just a missed emotional opportunity; it reflects a broader disconnect between brand narratives and the lived experiences of modern athletes. In an era where authenticity and social relevance are important, brands risk falling behind if they fail to engage with the multifaceted identities of the athletes they partner with.
There’s potential for brands to engage more thoughtfully with this space. By recognising and supporting the journeys of parent athletes, they can contribute to a more inclusive sporting culture—one that reflects the realities of modern professional life. Also, authenticity is key. Campaigns that spotlight the lived experiences of mother-athletes can promote emotional connection and brand loyalty. These stories challenge outdated notions of what strength looks like, redefining it to include care, adaptability, and perseverance. They also offer a more expansive view of athleticism, one that embraces the full spectrum of human experience.
Partnerships with advocacy organisations can also ensure that brand efforts are informed and impactful. These collaborations can help brands navigate the nuances of maternity in sport, avoiding tokenism and instead contributing meaningfully to structural change.
As football continues to grow, the structures that support participation will be just as important as the performances on the pitch. Supporting motherhood in sport is one meaningful way to help shape that future. Brands that recognise this won’t just be keeping pace with progress; they’ll be helping to shape it.
