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/
With Wimbledon well into its fortnight the spotlight has once again fallen on the Centre Court, with sold-out crowds, record prize money and the prestige of tennis hospitality all to last another week.
A British upset or two is likely to fuel national excitement, while the Championships continue to top YouGov’s rankings as the most prestigious and best-presented sporting event. It remains a rare jewel in British sport. Not just a tournament, but a brand with unmatched intellectual property value.
But tennis is grappling with off-court tensions that could reshape its future. From disputes over scheduling, to the pressures of new investment and an increasingly fractured player ecosystem, commercial and structural questions are taking centre stage – before a ball is even hit.
Tennis in a scheduling standoff
At the core of tennis’s off-court battle is its calendar – packed, fragmented and increasingly unworkable. While there is consensus that the calendar needs to be streamlined to maintain fan engagement and player wellbeing, agreement ends there.
Grand slam organisers are advocating for a “Premium Tour” model, which would elevate their events as the unchallenged centrepieces of the calendar. In contrast, the ATP and WTA are pushing to preserve the status and viability of the wider ecosystem, including the 250- and 500-tier tournaments that nurture rising talent and support the global footprint of the sport.
The latest move from the USTA (United States Tennis Association) illustrates the impasse. In an effort to extend its marquee event, the US Open announced a revamped mixed doubles tournament, featuring top singles stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu and adding a third week to the Slam. Supporters view it as a commercially savvy response to evolving audience demands. Critics see a thinly veiled attempt to sideline traditional doubles players and consolidate power.
Elsewhere, Masters 1000 events like Indian Wells and Madrid have already stretched to two weeks, compounding the fatigue of a year-long tour. Players now find themselves eyeing counterparts in the NBA or football – where athletes benefit from longer off-seasons and more consistent revenue-sharing frameworks.
Novak Djokovic has repeatedly warned that the calendar “puts players at risk, both physically and mentally.” And with rising stars like Holger Rune calling for time off after just a few seasons on tour, the tension between commercial growth and athlete sustainability is undeniable.
New money, old questions
Amid this struggle, one factor has added fuel to the fire: the influx of external investment, particularly from the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has forged high-profile partnerships with both the ATP and WTA. Already, the WTA Finals and the men’s Next Gen Finals have been hosted in Jeddah, boasting record prize money but struggling with poor in-stadium attendance and muted atmosphere. While top players welcome the financial uplift, critics question the suitability of such locations for flagship women’s events, citing both cultural disconnects and limited fan engagement.
Looking ahead, speculation around a new Masters 1000 event in Riyadh or Neom by 2028 is growing louder. But with the calendar already bursting, accommodating another top-tier tournament raises difficult questions. Would it edge out long-standing events in tennis heartlands like Monte Carlo or Buenos Aires? The path seems to be mirroring that of Formula 1, which is increasingly anchored in the Middle East, but is also drawing concern about the sport’s global balance and authenticity.
Winners and strugglers: The tennis divide
While governing bodies debate calendars and contracts, the inequality across the player ranks is becoming harder to ignore. At the top sit the global superstars: think Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, and Jannik Sinner, the athletes that are commanding seven-figure prize money, eight-figure endorsement deals and appearance fees that rival their tournament winnings.
Consider this: Sinner recently earned over $7.5m at the exhibition-only Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia – more than double what previous Wimbledon champions have pocketed. Meanwhile, players like Casper Ruud, Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka front campaigns for brands like Porsche, Rolex and Nike and their marketability is often tied as much to nationality and global appeal as to results.
Further down the rankings, the story changes sharply. A top-75 singles player might earn less in a season than one Premier League substitute’s weekly wage, all while covering travel, coaching and accommodation. Players like Ons Jabeur have spoken openly about their struggles to fund early careers despite being among the best in the world.
For those in the 100–200 bracket, even making the main draw of a slam can be life-changing. Wildcards offer some relief, but mainly to those from slam-hosting nations. Others face the treadmill of qualifiers and Challenger events, where prize money can’t always cover expenses.
Even within doubles, recent format shifts, like tie-break sets and reduced match times, have made it harder to build careers. And with mixed doubles now being restructured around stars, specialists fear being squeezed out entirely.
Revenue share: A brewing battle
Underlying all of this is a critical structural issue: who controls the money. In most tennis tournaments, players receive between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of total event revenue – far lower than revenue splits in major US leagues, where athletes routinely secure 50 per cent or more.
This disparity lies at the heart of a lawsuit filed in March by the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), aimed at challenging what they label as a “cartel structure” in global tennis. Although no marquee players have yet put their name to the legal action, the case underscores a broader frustration: that players feel increasingly like assets in a system they don’t control.
For now, the big earners can weather the storm. But for those hovering outside the top tiers, the pressure of uncertain income adds to the mental and emotional burden of competing, especially in decisive moments of tight matches, where every point could mean the difference between breaking even or going into debt.
A tennis tipping point
As Wimbledon unfolds, fans will delight in the drama, tradition, and brilliance that the sport still delivers in abundance. But behind the scenes, the global game is at a crossroads. Balancing tradition with innovation, player wellbeing with sponsor demands and equitable growth with elite performance is no small task.
Whether tennis can navigate these crosswinds without fracturing – as golf has – remains to be seen. But one thing is certain, the conversation at the players’ lounge and courtside hospitality suites at SW19 this year will be as much about power structures and prize pots as it will be about rankings and rivalries.
Wimbledon 2025 is upon us, and it’s a safe bet to say that The Championships will deliver high emotion, record ticket sales, millions of BBC viewers, world-class hospitality, and a British surprise or two. It’s a formula that consistently puts the event top of YouGov’s most prestigious and best-presented sporting event tables, with few properties that can sit alongside it in terms of IP value.
Further encouragement for the AELTC can be found in the stars that have broken through to replace those that pushed broadcast figures to record highs. For Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer see Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, and for Serena Williams see Coco Gauff – the drama and ratings supplied by these players on Court Philippe Chatrier earlier in June will be toasted by the French Tennis Federation for years to come, as well as by their broad collection of personal sponsors.
Off the court, the pressures faced by the sport are more complex for rights holders to navigate. Issues are bubbling underneath the surface and will be subject to numerous discussions as the sport’s leading governors meet at SW19.
Modernizing The Calendar
There is a consensus that the tennis calendar is too complex, too long, and too fragmented to sustain fan interest and allow player recovery. This, however, is where the consensus ends. At its most basic level, the Grand Slams want a streamlined, ‘Premium Tour’ anchored around their events. Whereas, the ATP and WTA are looking to protect the interests of a broader tour that includes 250 lower-tier and 500 middle-tier level events.
An accord looks no closer to materializing. The announcement of a ‘revamped’ US Open mixed doubles tournament, featuring its top singles players (including teammates Alcaraz and Raducanu) and stretching the tournament into a third week, is a clear indication that the USTA is not willing to wait to shake things up. The other grand slams will no doubt be watching this closely. Reaction has been split between those who see the move as a stroke of commercial genius for fans and sponsors, and those who view it as a power-grab that betrays both tradition and the doubles specialists who will be marginalized by the new format.
Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA have extended a number of their celebrated 1000-tier events into two-week slots, and the players remain on a merry-go-round, looking enviously at their peers in other sports who benefit from extended off-seasons. Organizers and players are in a stand-off, and greater disruption remains on the cards.
Navigating New Investment
A relief for all the governing bodies is that tennis hasn’t been fractured in the way golf has been – the top players still play the top tournaments together. Separate strategic partnerships signed between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the ATP and WTA have helped in this regard, but have not been without controversy. Jeddah is currently hosting the year-end WTA Finals and Next Gen Finals, and while prize money for these events has never been higher, the opposite is largely true for in-stadium attendance, with an open question surrounding the appropriateness of WTA marquee events being staged here.
Next on the agenda is a Masters 1000 event, with reports suggesting a new tournament in Saudi Arabia could take place as early as 2028, though many question where this fits in a calendar already bursting at the seams. Ultimately, it’s likely a schedule will emerge that has parallels to F1. One with a high weighting of races in the Middle East, keeping key investors happy, but at the cost of regions such as South America, where top-tier tournaments and, consequently, players don’t visit.
The Haves and the Have Nots
For the players, a two-tier (at least) system is firmly in place and shows no sign of changing. At the top of the pyramid sit the singles superstars. Those whose annual prize money runs into the millions, with appearance fees at certain tournaments that can be negotiated, and whose earnings can be supplemented by eye-watering sums at exhibitions. Jannik Sinner, for example, took home $7.5 million for winning the Six Kings Slam exhibition, more than twice the sum of a Wimbledon champion.
When it comes to the partnerships sector, the single biggest factor underpinning commercial deals for these players is their country of origin. The raft of sponsors supporting European and American superstars should come as no surprise, based on the appeal these players have for major sponsors. Even the likes of Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils, who weren’t invited to the Six Kings party, fronted big brand campaigns around the French Open. However, moving East and interest wanes quickly, with top 20 players such as Rybakina, Alexandrova, and Khachanov operating in a different market. Despite that, earnings remain healthy thanks to the prize money achieved.
Outside the top 50, the picture changes rapidly. Coaching, travel, and accommodation take up a large percentage of earnings, and if you don’t manage to qualify for the top tournaments, only those representing Grand Slam nations will benefit from wild cards to supplement earnings via a main draw position. Deals with apparel brands are less lucrative, brands aren’t knocking on the door, and even the chance to go deep in doubles tournaments isn’t guaranteed with changing competition formats.
This is exacerbated by another issue – revenue share. Between 15% – 30% of tournament revenue is given back to players via prize money, much lower than seen in the major American leagues, and it’s largely for this reason that the Professional Tennis Players Association submitted a lawsuit in March. The suit looks to break the ‘cartel’ and bring more revenue into the control of players, though few notable names have, as yet, been directly associated with it. In the meantime, those on the periphery of the professional game will continue to have financial pressure adding to the on-court pressure when at the business end of a deciding set.
While changes will have to eventually occur on the above issues, it’s unlikely the structure of tennis will change drastically in the short term as players and organizers look to find balance between the needs of sponsors, fans, investors, and players. As the crowds descend on Wimbledon, this tension is likely to be at the heart of more than a few conversations courtside.
For too long, women’s health has been overlooked in the workplace. While there’s been progress, we’re still only just beginning to have honest conversations about the impact of menstrual health, menopause and the broader impact of female wellbeing on women’s work lives.
At Fuse, we were proud to work with Vodafone and the Welsh Women’s Rugby team on a campaign to launch a menstrual cycle tracking tool, a great example of how sport can lead the way in putting women’s health front and centre. The Women’s Euros this summer represents another platform to push these conversations further and shine a light on the real, lived experiences of women, both on and off the pitch.
We must move beyond tokenism and actively create environments where women feel in a safe space to discuss their health without fear of stigma or professional impact. That means more inclusive policies, from flexible working that reflects hormonal health, to better education for managers, and clear support systems in place.
Future female workforces will expect this as standard, not as a perk. It’s time we caught up. The talent is there, and the ambition is there, but we need to meet it with structures and support that allow women to thrive throughout every stage of their career.
Louise Johnson, the global chief executive of Fuse, believes we’re entering a “golden age of sports marketing and partnerships”.
However, attention spans are narrowing and consumers are being bombarded from every angle by advertisers as well as sponsors, which makes it harder for brands to stand out.
Platforms such as billboards, murals and other forms of out-of-home (OOH) advertising might still serve a purpose, but at a time when people increasingly have their heads in their phones it is the sponsors that are leaning into new technologies to create more immersive experiences that are cutting through.
For brands with bigger budgets in particular, innovations like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and even holographic technology are enabling sponsors to deepen connections with fans and tell stories in different ways.
“I think as an industry, we are much better at really being progressive and using the assets in a creative and integrated way,” Johnson says. “I think the next frontier is how do you keep evolving sports marketing assets to make sure that they are really fit for modern sports marketing.
“So how are you connecting it to commerce? How are you looping in with streaming platforms? How do you use first party data to really personalise your activation, and also the role of AI within activation as well.”
It’s never been enough to simply run an ad or experiential activation without supporting PR coverage and media.
But the variety of marketing channels now available means sponsors can put together campaigns that continue to come to life through a variety of in-person and virtual activity even after generating an initial buzz at launch.
“There’s a really interesting point around how it’s not only about integrated marketing and using it in all of your channels, but actually putting sport or culture at the center of your broader marketing mix, and having everything around that,” Johnson adds.
“So whether that be creative, media and commerce, I think that’s where you’ll start seeing some really interesting work moving forward.”
The rise in technical talent and rich player storytelling has driven cultural momentum behind women’s football. Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences are emotionally invested and demanding equal representation. Major global brands are now consistently activating across both club and international tournaments, committing to long-term strategic partnerships, rather than one-off campaigns. We’ve moved into an era of sustained interest and belief in the women’s game. It’s no longer just a trend; it’s a cultural shift.
The time to get involved is now. UEFA is targeting over 500 million global viewers for WEURO 2025, and Switzerland’s strong infrastructure and central European location indicate it’s likely to be strongly attended on the ground. It’s a huge validation for the commercial opportunity behind sponsorship, as this level of potential reach is not something brands can afford to miss.
But with mounting pressure on UEFA and FIFA to deliver fairer funding, prize money and broadcasting rights, we’re at a crunch point. With more record-breaking sponsorship deals across multiple tournaments, brands risk stretching activation budgets thin. New approaches are needed to drive deeper impact, such as linking campaigns across properties and connected sponsorship across both men’s and women’s football, to distribute funds without undermining the women’s game.
It’s a wider conversation than brand investment; that’s just the tip of the iceberg. To achieve true long-term investment equity, we need to see meaningful action, such as revenue reinvested into grassroots programmes, league infrastructure and talent development. WEURO 2025 provides the perfect prompt to inspire this change.
“Sports is a way to hit those audiences more effectively than traditional advertising,” said Louise Johnson, global chief executive officer at Fuse, a sport and entertainment marketing agency.
Beauty plays a big role in sports. Personal care is essential to athletes; hair and makeup are powerful tools for self-expression while athletes wear a uniform, and sports and beauty both stand at the intersection of physical and mental well-being, she said. Sport is at the junction of adjacent passions, too, such as fashion, music and wellness. “Everything is crossing and bleeding over at the moment,” Johnson said. “That is why you are starting to see a lot of beauty brands coming in.”
Last year, when Charlotte Tilbury became the first beauty company and female-founded brand to be an official sponsor of F1 Academy, the female-only racing championship founded by Formula 1 that supports women drivers, it “sent a shockwave through the industry,” Johnson said.
20 March 2025, Oslo, Norway: Leading global sports and entertainment agency Fuse, part of Omnicom Media Group, has announced Marius Ramdahl as Head of Fuse Nordics. The creation of the new regional role follows the recent expansion of Fuse into Sweden and Finland. Through Fuse, OMG will leverage the growing potential of sports and entertainment marketing in the Nordics, offering consultancy services to support brand advertisers with their partnership needs.
Ramdahl has been selected to lead the regional Fuse business unit from Oslo; the appointment will be an additional remit to his successful six-year tenure as Managing Director of Fuse Norway. The Norwegian office has already gained significant recognition by winning gold at the global Festival of Media and Sabre Awards, as well as gold in the Gullblyanten, Medieprisen, and Sponsor & Eventprisen competitions.
CEO of Omnicom Media Group Norway, Espen Klepper, is particularly pleased that his Norwegian colleague has been chosen to lead Fuse in the Nordic region. “I have nothing but praise for Marius, and there is no doubt that what we have achieved in Norway so far has been a fantastic success. We clearly see that our clients are increasingly looking for ways to engage more deeply with their audiences, and sports and entertainment are platforms that truly deliver on this. The launch of Fuse in the Nordics will undoubtedly strengthen our commitment to bringing brands closer to people through the things they love,” says Klepper.
Ramdahl himself is excited about the new challenges: “It has been an absolute pleasure to lead Fuse in Norway from the very beginning, and I look forward to the challenge of a broader presence in the Nordic market. Many of our clients operate across borders, so we look forward to offering them a wider range of services in the region while also helping to elevate local brands in each country through the power of sports and entertainment.”
The sponsorship market in the Nordics amounts to over 20 billion NOK, with the majority of investments directed toward the sports category. “With our holistic approach to commercial partnerships, combined with our extensive international experience, we are aiming to take a leading position in the Nordic market. We are proud of what we have achieved in Norway so far and are highly motivated to build on this success in our new markets,” Ramdahl concludes.
Commenting on the Nordic launch, Louise Johnson, Global CEO of Fuse, stated: “Our extended coverage in the Nordic region is a crucial strategic move for Fuse – not only to enable us to leverage the significant opportunity we see in this region, but also to deliver more to the existing Fuse client base – many of which require regional support. As part of OMG, Fuse is uniquely positioned to unlock the potential in this region: combining the group’s leading data and technology capabilities – – powered by the industry-leading Omni open operating system – with our expertise in connecting brands to culture through effective partnerships truly sets us apart.»
Fuse recently launched in Sweden and Finland, led by Chris Drake and Sanna Tamminen, respectively.
The 2016 champion is one of several former drivers to turn to the world of finance.
When the Las Vegas race weekend gets under way, scores of fans will inevitably be lured in by the city’s bright lights to gamble their money away in its many casinos. Nico Rosberg, in contrast, will be looking to create wealth.
The 2016 Formula One champion will host around two dozen guests in the hospitality suite of Mercedes — his former team — to discuss their plans for investment.
The 39-year-old German, who shocked fans when he retired from the sport only days after winning the title ahead of teammate Sir Lewis Hamilton, has built a career outside the sport as an eco investor. Rosberg Ventures, a venture capital fund of funds the former champion launched this year, has raised more than $100mn from wealthy families and investors to deploy with investment firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, Accel and Kleiner Perkins.
“In F1, I learnt to move fast, make fast decisions and occasionally break things,” Rosberg says. “In venture capital, that’s how you get from $0 to $100mn in such a short space of time.”
Speaking to the FT via a video link from his wood-panelled offices in Monaco, Rosberg talks enthusiastically about life after leaving the sport.
He is one of a number of former F1 drivers who, having either walked away from or lost their seat at the pinnacle of motorsport, have branched out into the world of financial services. He had built a reputation during his F1 career for using his technical nous to help boost his performance on the track. After leaving the sport, he switched this analytical drive to slowly get his head around the world of finance.
Early in his retirement, Rosberg was directed by Swiss Bank UBS to build a vanilla portfolio including equity, bonds and real estate before he branched out into angel investing and venture capital — becoming involved in funding rounds for Airbnb, Lyft, and SpaceX when they were start-ups.
Rosberg now has a small team of six people running his venture fund, which has turned into a full-time job for him as he manages part of the family wealth of some of Germany’s leading industrialists.
Louise Johnson, chief executive of sports marketing agency Fuse, says that, as F1 has grown rapidly over the past decade under the ownership of Liberty Media and began to capitalise on its global reach, drivers have broadened their horizons in terms of careers after leaving the sport.
“The traditional route for drivers in the past was to commentate, become a brand ambassador, race in another series, or even buy a team,” she explains. “But a new generation is seeking other opportunities.”
F1 is ruthless and drivers rarely have an opportunity to dictate the length of their career. In the past season alone, two drivers have been dropped with several races left to run due to poor performances, and several others will move on at the end of the year having not had their contracts renewed.
“As a young driver, you have to deliver straight away or you’re out — there’s 10 other drivers waiting in line,” Rosberg says. “Look at [Franco] Colapinto,” he adds, referring to the Argentine driver who replaced American Logan Sargeant at Williams in the middle of the season.
“This is his one opportunity [to deliver] and there’s probably never going to be another one.”
The pressure cooker of F1 and the sheer focus demanded of drivers during their career leaves many unprepared for what comes next. But it can also provide a moment of clarity.
Not long after being let go midseason by the then AlphaTauri team in 2023, former Red Bull junior driver Nyck De Vries says a chance meeting with Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff in a coffee shop in Monaco led him to Harvard, to take an executive leadership course, after the former banker advised him to plug some of the gaps in his CV.
“I was hurt and hoped it would work out differently,” the 29-year-old Dutchman says. “But, in our industry, there is no certainty and you can’t take anything for granted. You’re only as good as your last race. I tried to quickly regroup, reset, and look ahead.”
He is part of a generation of drivers who left mainstream education early to focus entirely on their motor racing career, leaving little scope for any kind of fallback plan.
De Vries’ says the Harvard course was instructive and helped him broaden his horizons even though he subsequently returned to motorsport as an endurance racing driver with five-time Le Man winners Toyota, and to Formula E with Mahindra Racing.
“Going up the ladder to F1, everything is centred around racing and maximising your career,” he points out. “When you’re doing 24 race weekends in a year, the time you have available to explore other things is non-existent. The time [out of the sport] allowed me to explore.”
Shortly after De Vries was dropped from F1, another chance encounter with Serge Savasta, chief executive of Omnes Capital, which manages €6bn in assets and specialises in green transition investments, piqued his interest in private equity.
De Vries, who developed an interest in green investments during his first successful spell in Formula E at that start of the decade, has worked with Omnes to develop an “accelerator programme” that can help other professional sportspeople learn about private equity.
“I want to race for as long as possible,” he says. “But, in order to stay relevant in the future, I’ve developed an interest in business.”
Rosberg still remembers feeling scared during his first few months after leaving F1: “I didn’t know what was coming next,” he says. “It wasn’t until five years ago, that I finally understood where I needed to be going . . . Now I know exactly.”
During this decade, we have seen globally acclaimed sports like football, motorsport and basketball commit to championing the women’s game. Therefore, we are seeing more women step up to be the face of the women’s game, such as Leah Williamson, Bianca Bustamante, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese to name a few.
However, within the last year we have seen one woman’s career and profile transcend their sport at an unprecedented rate. Ilona Maher has become nearly impossible to miss, managing to build her brand and effortlessly adapt to the changeable appetite of society, popular culture and social media. She has shown that female athletes’ potential can be bigger than just the dimension of their sporting career. But what has this looked like and what can it teach the industry about incubating the future talent that are surely hot on her heels?
It is Ilona’s world, and we are all just living in it
With her bubbly, straight-talking personality, Maher gained over 6M additional followers across Instagram and TikTok since the Paris 2024 Olympics, dwarfing the growth of male rugby royalty such as Antoine Dupoint. Online buzz around the athlete increased by 4,824% from 2023 to 2024.
This “Beast, Beauty, Brains” athlete has become a force of her own, galvanising support for whatever direction she takes her career. For example, her shift from rugby sevens to rugby union has raised the profile of the English game and its teams. This was evident in her signing announcement with Bristol Bears, which helped the club gain over 22K followers on TikTok in the week following the reveal.
Source: Bristol Bears TikTok account (@bristolbearsrugby)
The announcement post alone generated 366.7K visible engagements, making it their most successful piece of content since starting their page in 2024 – an increase of +2,918%, compared to their channel average (12.2K visible engagements)[1].
A sticking point for female athletes in building fandom beyond their individual sport to wider sports fans is often a lack of authentic male allyship and support that feels genuine rather than obligatory (as seen in traditional partnerships between men’s and women’s national teams). The strong endorsement for Ilona from male rugby legends like Dan Cole and Ben Youngs likely played a role in firstly, helping newfound women’s rugby fans feel included and accepted as part of the rugby world, and secondly, instigating conversation and curiosity for the women’s game amongst the men’s rugby community.
Ilona’s influence has also extended beyond the pitch. She often stole the show on Dancing With The Stars, with social media snippets of her iconic dances being some of the most popular content on their Instagram (4 of the top 5 posts feature Ilona), amassing just under 2M visible engagement [2]. She also was recognised and celebrated for her empowered femininity as a cover star on Sports Swimsuit Illustrated, People and Cherry Bombe.
In short, 2024 saw the full force of the Ilona Maher effect, with her influence making her bigger than rugby, and providing a blueprint for future female talent in the sport and entertainment space.
The Ilona cheat code
Ilona straight-armed her way through the glass ceiling, and her success is far from accidental. Whilst societal and contextual influences have played a role in creating an environment where she could flourish, Ilona and her team have been highly intentional with her brand and image.
Firstly, with over 5 billion users on social media channels globally [3], Ilona has leveraged the world’s insatiable consumption of content to expand her reach and connect with as wide an audience possible. On the podcast The Good, The Scaz & The Rugby, she highlighted the difference in her attitude towards social media versus her teammates, admitting that she embraces scrolling as part of her work, always researching social media trends to widen her audience appeal. Maher’s channels are reflective of popular culture but also infuse her signature Ilona twist with the occasional “sprinkle of rugby”, enticing curiosity amongst her new audiences, potentially converting them into engaged fans.
Secondly, the current political and societal climate is tumultuous, and in extreme cases hostile towards any kind of otherness. Ilona is passionate about empowering people and instilling self-belief through comedic sincerity. Naturally, being in the public eye invites intense public scrutiny but Ilona’s ‘take-me-or-leave-me’ attitude cleverly acknowledges but denies power to the unsolicited opinions from trolls or anti-fans. Maher is also an unapologetic ally for the talent of others, as we’ve seen post-Olympics, when she used her newfound influence and notoriety to encourage her audience (4.8M of which she gained during the Olympic period [4]) to keep audiences engaged with the Paralympics. Ilona is a fierce advocate for self and otherness acceptance, which is something the world needs now more than ever.
Finally, Ilona challenges the rigid standards put on female athletes – and women generally – reminding us there is no right or wrong way to exist. She has not pigeonholed herself as just an Olympian (although it is an impressive pigeonhole) or just an online personality. Her ‘say yes’ approach to non-rugby opportunities has helped her to cultivate her fandom beyond the women’s rugby sphere, giving her an ongoing relevancy within pop culture. This is most clearly reflected on her social media, specifically on her Instagram and TikTok where all or the majority of her top 5 posts are unrelated to rugby or not solely rugby focused (breakdown can be found in the Appendix).
How can brands (and rightsholders) harness such power
While 2024 was Ilona’s year, she has been grafting hard on social media, cultivating her brand since her first Olympic appearance at Tokyo.
Keeping abreast of the current talent landscape – looking at top performers, emerging personalities, and intersectionality innovators between their industry and culture – is key. Spotting these stars early will help brands to align and build in conjunction with their success. Whilst there is only one Ilona Maher, there are others like her across sports and entertainment waiting to be discovered.
Authenticity matters – fans can see through surface-level partnerships that simply feature the most followed/biggest stars. If brands want to use talent effectively, they need to identify and clearly define what their assessment criteria is before researching potential ambassadors/collaborators. Knowing what data-led and subjective brand fit KPIs are important for improving your brand’s image is key to aligning with the best talent. These pre-determined selection criteria can also be used as part of a measurement framework to monitor the effectiveness of the talent and identify actionable insights to improve campaign strategy. By taking a strategic approach, brands can identify talent avenues that naturally complement their identity, ensuring partnerships feel genuine and create mutual value.
Once you have identified and signed talent, they should have a seat at the creative table. By actively including talent in creative brainstorms, brands can ensure that the signature flare and persona that makes them beloved is organically weaved into the campaign’s fabric. A recent example of this for Ilona was the Adidas partnership, which still had the brand’s style but through Ilona’s lens. Ilona has helped to further this by providing supplementary behind-the-scenes content on her own channels, emphasising that she is more than just a face in the brand’s ambassador roster, but a proactive part of the Adidas family.
Rightsholders should start considering the social influence and inventory that their female talent and performers are building. Understanding their passion points and social media literacy in general can help rightsholders:
Ilona’s success didn’t happen overnight, despite 2024 appearing that way. She put in the work, and for the rest of this decade, many more female athletes will follow suit. Brands that take notice sooner rather than later will give themselves a head start to create and harness their own Ilona Maher effect.
Sources
Appendix:
Breakdown of top 5 posts on Ilona Maher’s Instagram and TikTok channels:
| Visible Engagement | TikTok | Views | |
| Comparison between Ilona on the red carpet and before a rugby game | 1.9M | Dancing with the Stars – Leg Lift Challenge | 29.5M |
| Meeting Snoop Dogg | 1.4M | ‘When you and your friends are complete opposites’ | 22.5M |
| Olympic Medallist Portrait | 1.3M | Making Moves in the Olympic’s Villa | 20.7M |
| Making Moves in Olympic’s Villa | 1.2M | Paid Partnership with L’Oreal Paris | 18.4M |
| ‘Women can do it all’ | 1.2M | Dancing With the Stars Funny BTS | 17.7M |
Once considered a niche motorsport with a predominantly European following, Formula 1 has exploded into a global phenomenon in recent years, fuelled in large part by Netflix’s Drive to Survive. F1: The Movie builds on this momentum, delivering cinematic excitement but also a deeply authentic, culturally resonant portrayal of the world of modern Formula 1. The film leverages this unique cultural moment for the sport, using the global fascination inspired by Drive to Survive as a springboard and leaning into what fans love most: real access, real emotion and real racing.
But this is more than just a film – it’s a cultural inflection point. F1: The Movie blurs the lines between sport, entertainment, and storytelling, offering a new blueprint for how sports properties can engage fans beyond the track. It signals a shift from passive sponsorship to active participation in the stories fans care about.
From the first email, when director Joseph Kosinski reached out to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the vision was clear; to make something real and accurate. Hamilton, who served as a producer, was instrumental in ensuring the film mirrored the identity of the sport. To achieve this, a fictional “11th team” was created, APXGP, fully integrated into the 2023 and 2024 F1 seasons with its own motorhome, garages, team sponsors, and interacting seamlessly with real teams and drivers across specific race weekends. The two lead actors, Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, trained to drive modified F2 cars designed to look and feel like F1 vehicles. This realism, supported by a specially developed camera system tailored to the unique demands of high-speed racing, deliver a radical on-track perspective bringing audiences and fans closer than ever to the speed, precision and experience of Formula 1.
The authenticity of F1: The Movie is amplified further through the film’s commercial integration which mirrors the business engine that drives modern Formula 1. APXGP’s team livery features real sponsors including MSC Cruises, Expensify, SharkNinja, and Tommy Hilfiger – brands that clearly recognise the sport’s growing global influence. These partnerships go beyond simple product placement; they’re part of a larger ecosystem positioning F1 as an ideal platform for premium, lifestyle-driven marketing.
Tommy Hilfiger stands out as a brand that has maximised the sponsorship with a bold activation strategy not only designing the APXGP team suits, but launching a capsule collection inspired by the film. The brand integration reached a new level at the 2025 Met Gala where Damson Idris arrived in a real APXGP car wearing a bespoke Tommy Hilfiger racing suit and a Swarovski-crystal-encrusted helmet. On the red carpet, two assistants performed a “pit stop,” removing Idris’ racing suit to reveal a tailored Tommy Hilfiger suit underneath, aligned to the evening’s theme. The Met Gala appearance was more than just a viral spectacle, it was part of a fully integrated marketing campaign. The APXGP Collection, modelled by Idris, is now being marketed worldwide, with a global out of home and digital campaign rolling out across multiple channels, amplifying brand visibility and connecting F1 to a broader lifestyle audience. The impact of the campaign has been noted by other sponsors, such as Expensify, who also saw a surge in brand engagement following the Met Gala reveal.
These kinds of activations serve as a gateway to new audiences. The Met Gala moment wasn’t just for motorsport fans; it was for culture-watchers, fashion enthusiasts, and digital natives who may have never tuned into a Grand Prix but instantly connected with the spectacle. By tapping into culturally charged moments, F1 and its partners are expanding the sport’s cultural footprint, through moments that feel relevant, shareable, and emotionally resonant across different verticals. As Apple CEO Tim Cook described the film, it’s “the intersection of technology and sport” – and the Met Gala moment exemplified exactly that, where entertainment, fashion, and motorsport collided on a global stage.
Some may also question the risk it poses for brands if the film doesn’t perform well or underdelivers – however, the smartest activations aren’t just betting on box office numbers. They are building campaigns that stand on their own where it isn’t a one-off product placement and are creatively valuable in their own right.
With Hamilton’s guidance, racing integration, revolutionary technology, and real-world commercial partnerships, this film sets a new standard for motorsport storytelling and marketing. F1: The Movie is more than a Hollywood drama. It’s a culturally resonant, deeply authentic celebration of Formula 1 and a global marketing platform expanding the fanbase whilst showcasing the sport’s unmatched opportunity and commercial potential. Additionally, it offers a glimpse into the future of brand storytelling – one where entertainment doesn’t just support sport, but builds the platform itself. The fictional APXGP team wasn’t an add-on: it was engineered from the ground up with brand integration at its core. That gives brands a seat at the creative table from day one, enabling deeper engagement with fans. As the lines between sport, culture, and entertainment continue to blur, F1: The Movie isn’t just a cinematic milestone – it’s a playbook for how brands can show up authentically and drive relevance.
