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.”
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.
Gamechangers and Rainmakers is the story of how sport became big business, along with 40 pivotal moments that helped create a trillion-dollar global entertainment industry.
The growing relationship between sport, television and the advertising industry has been key to this development – as have the boundless ambitions of influencers such as Bernie Ecclestone, Billie Jean King, Rupert Murdoch and the founders of Adidas and ESPN.
The 1980s was the defining decade when sport morphed into primetime entertainment and Nike invented the playbook for brands. Ten years later, Sky won the inaugural Premier League TV contract, UEFA re-launched the European Cup, and a global fan base got hooked on the real-world drama of football, fantasy league, videogames and online betting.
As the value and profile of sport soared, investors wanted to own teams, while prosperous nations wanted to host the top events – which led to a firehose of unregulated cash and rogue behaviour by some of sport’s top bosses.
This fascinating book analyses how and why this happened, exploring the new challenges facing sport, such as how it must adapt to stay relevant to young people. Did sport peak at Paris ’24 or is the best still to come?
About David Stubley
David spent the first decade of his career working in television at ITV and Channel 4. The last 25 years have been spent advising some of the world’s top brands, governing bodies and sporting properties on how to unlock value through sports marketing.
He wrote this book for two reasons. First, to tell the untold story of how sport morphed from being an amateur pastime played on Saturday afternoon – to killer content for modern day brands and broadcasters. Second, to provide a rallying cry to sports leaders to create a roadmap for their sports which excites the next cohort of fans: A restless generation who see the world (and consume content) very differently to their parents.
The showpiece event of the NFL, the Super Bowl, is often touted as one of the great sports and entertainment events of the year, in part driven by the Super Bowl Halftime Show. This intersection of passion points is often credited with driving international growth in the NFL, which it certainly does, but could fantasy football also be fuelling this?
NFL Fantasy football has its roots going back to the 1960s when a group of people connected to the Oakland Raiders competed against each other through a draft of real NFL Players. This foundational underpinning of the game remains today, becoming a multi-billion-dollar industry in itself and a huge revenue driver for the NFL, with millions of fans gathering in pubs, sports bars, and virtually, participating in fantasy football drafts at the start of every NFL season.
But what has propelled fantasy football to the place it is today where it is inherent in the fan experience of those who follow the NFL?
Technology has undoubtedly played a pivotal role allowing fans to play anywhere in the world and stay connected to a community of fans and friends every NFL game week throughout the season. The mobile experience inherently leads to Fantasy being something fans come back to week in and week out.
Broadcast programming designed at least in part to satisfy the consumption preferences of fantasy football players in the form of NFL Redzone has also driven an increase in engagement. NFL Redzone features key moments from all the games across the league. Rather than following your favorite team, NFL fantasy players have a dedicated program that will allow them to follow key moments across the entire league that will impact their fantasy team.
The increase in participation around NFL fantasy has undoubtedly had a positive impact on TV audiences overall and the resulting rights fee for broadcast rights around the world. The current TV package, running until 2033 saw an 80% increase from the prior cycle reflecting the overall popularity of the NFL.
Lastly, the format of NFL fantasy football itself, where players are matched up against other opponents in the league keeps players coming back every week, in contrast to other fantasy games where players have a tendency to set their team and leave it for the entire season. This has resulted in a greater proportion of NFL fans engaging in fantasy football Leagues than other US-centric sports (12.7% NFL fans, 8.5% basketball fans, and 8% baseball fans via GWI Sport).
The Impact on International Audiences
The NFL has recently announced additional regular season games to take place in Ireland and Australia signalling the ongoing commitment to continued growth of the league outside the USA. Next season, the NFL will have seven games played internationally including games in London, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Madrid, and Dublin.
Fantasy football is undoubtedly contributing to the growth of the NFL internationally by increasing interest in teams and players where there is no natural local interest, deepening engagement and making football more accessible to more fans.
Compared to 10 years ago, online conversations around NFL Fantasy Football have grown by 43% as globalization of the sport has picked up pace (Source: Brandwatch).
The Commercial Impact of Fantasy Football
This growth in popularity in fantasy football has seen a broader commercial ecosystem grow around it. The data and analytics elements of the game have parallel interest with betting brands for some fans, enticing an already existing audience onto the platform. Now advertisers are buying inventory within the game itself, including several betting companies, such as Draft Kings and 888sport. Data providers, analysis platforms, and trade and draft generators also benefit from the broader commercial opportunity; by, in some instances, charging fans a subscription price to increase their likelihood of success in their leagues.
Advertising revenue for broadcasters has been positively impacted by the increase in viewership driven by fantasy football. So much so that some brands are creating TV ads specifically related to the Game.
The Future of Fantasy Football
As we look to the future of fantasy football, there is plenty of scope for technology to continue to power the growth of the game for fans. The demand for personalized and bespoke content will only continue to grow for NFL fantasy football players and the brands that want to engage with them. The NFL fantasy audience is 41% more likely than the general population to advocate for brands when they have access to exclusive services.
AI in particular has the capacity to enhance the fan experience by providing customized, real-time stats, predicting player performance, automatically adjusting lineups and proactively suggesting trades and free-agent pickups in a way that is much deeper than existing platforms can do
Additionally, as customized broadcast feeds become a reality, the possibility of fans being able to have bespoke programming or highlights packages reflecting their fantasy teams may become a reality in the near future.
Formula 1 has always been a sport that combines both heritage and innovation. Historically dominated by luxury brands, oil giants and watchmakers, it is now undergoing a significant commercial transformation. Sponsors such as Rolex, Petronas and Shell, who have been pillars of F1 for decades, now face competition from disruptive new players. Crypto companies, fashion brands and tech giants are seizing F1’s global growth, changing the way sponsorships function across teams, drivers and fan engagement.
With a younger, digitally engaged fanbase emerging, largely driven by the success of Drive to Survive and F1’s expansion into new markets, Brands now recognise the need to connect with audiences through deeper storytelling, engagement, and alignment with modern values such as sustainability and innovation to build meaningful relationships with this new generation of fans.
Teams: The Shift from Traditional Partners to Modern Investment
For many years, F1 teams have relied on established sponsors, ranging from oil companies to high-end consumer brands, to fund their operations. These partnerships not only provided financial stability but also reinforced F1’s image of luxury. However, newer brands are now challenging this traditional model.
Tech giants like Google and AWS have gone beyond typical sponsorship, embedding their technology into team operations. Fashion houses such as Boss and Tommy Hilfiger are transforming partnerships into lifestyle collaborations. On the other hand, the rise and fall of crypto sponsorships has revealed the risks associated with chasing short-term financial gains. The 2022 fallout of FTX from Mercedes, for example, exposed the volatility of these new players and forced teams to rethink their commercial partnerships. (1) This year, we saw the first ever F1 deal that was paid completely in cryptocurrency, with the partnership between Aston Martin and Coinbase. (2)
As the sponsorship landscape evolves, teams are increasingly having to strike a balance between the legacy stability of long-term sponsors and the fresh investment and innovation offered by new players. The most successful teams will be those that align with brands capable of evolving with the sport.
Drivers: From Team Ambassadors to Global Influencers
F1 drivers are no longer just athletes. They have become global influencers, shaping consumer trends and brand perceptions beyond the track. While sponsorships were traditionally handled at a team level, today’s drivers are creating their own high-profile partnerships, redefining how brands interact with the sport.
Lewis Hamilton’s collaboration with Lululemon (3), Charles Leclerc’s association with APM Monaco and Carlos Sainz’s partnership with L’Oréal Paris (4) highlight how drivers have become powerful marketing assets. Their influence stretches beyond motorsport, allowing brands to tap into new audiences and form stronger connections with fans. However, this shift also brings challenges. As drivers form personal sponsor relationships, potential conflicts with team-wide partnerships must be managed carefully to ensure a cohesive commercial strategy. An example of this is Charles Leclerc being a brand ambassador for luxury jewellery brand APM Monaco. (5) While this makes sense due to the driver being from Monaco, it could be seen as ironic due to the FIA’s strict new safety regulations restricting jewellery for drivers, which became a lot stricter in 2022, which was the year Lewis Hamilton clashed with the FIA over his jewellery, particularly a permanent nose stud. (6)
As F1 embraces a digital-first approach to fan engagement and lifestyle branding, drivers play a central role in shaping the sport’s sponsorship landscape. Their ability to connect heritage brands with modern consumer trends makes them invaluable assets in F1’s evolving commercial ecosystem.
Fans: The Changing Expectations of Engagement
F1’s fanbase has undergone a significant shift in recent years, with a growing proportion of younger, digitally savvy fans driven by the rise of Drive to Survive. This new fanbase means that an increasing number of fans are craving more interactive experiences, exclusive content and meaningful engagement.
While legacy brands like Rolex maintain their prestige, newer sponsors are focusing on digital activations, social media campaigns and immersive fan experiences. Red Bull, for example, has revolutionised sponsorship by integrating extreme sports, digital storytelling and fan engagement into its F1 strategy.
Fashion and tech brands have emerged as more stable partners that understand the long-term value of fan engagement. These brands, such as Boss and Google, offer collaborations that go beyond visibility and extend into the lifestyle of fans. For example, fashion brands use drivers as ambassadors, bringing F1 into fans’ daily lives and creating content that resonates on social media platforms. (7) Similarly, tech brands enhance the fan experience through digital innovations, giving fans more access to data and insights while enhancing their connection to the sport.
These long-term, fan-focused partnerships demonstrate the shift in sponsorship strategy. The most successful brands are those that understand the evolving expectations of F1’s global fanbase, aligning their values with the sport’s digital transformation and delivering more than just traditional branding.
The Risk of Chasing the Highest Bidder
If F1 focuses solely on securing the highest bidder, it risks compromising the very prestige that has made the sport iconic. Legacy sponsors like Shell and Petronas have built F1’s financial foundation and bolstered its luxurious image, attracting a dedicated fanbase that values the sport’s tradition and exclusivity. These fans connect with F1 not just for the spectacle but for the heritage it represents, a world of high performance, craftsmanship and elite brands.
Prioritising short-term financial gains from brands that may not share these values could dilute F1’s essence. The influx of new brands, particularly in the crypto and tech sectors, may bring in immediate revenue but could feel transactional rather than rooted in the sport’s culture. If F1 focuses too much on securing the biggest pay checks from passing trends, it risks alienating its loyal fans who are drawn to its history and prestige. These fans seek authenticity and brand alignment that reflects the high standards and legacy of F1.
The shift towards mass-market could create a divide between F1’s loyal, core audience and the new wave of followers who are attracted by more superficial sponsorships. It could lead to a loss of connection between F1’s brand identity and its most dedicated supporters, who may feel the sport has lost its exclusivity and cultural value. For F1 to succeed in the long term, it must balance embracing new, innovative sponsors with maintaining the authenticity and prestige that has made it a global phenomenon. The future of F1’s sponsorship ecosystem should focus on partnerships that reflect its legacy, ensuring growth while preserving its identity.
The Future of F1 Sponsorship
F1’s commercial ecosystem is at a crossroads. Legacy sponsors must evolve to stay relevant while newer brands must demonstrate their ability to offer long-term value instead of short-lived financial gains.
The most successful partnerships will be those that strike a balance between heritage and innovation, combining prestige with modern engagement strategies. In a time where passive sponsorship is no longer enough, F1’s future belongs to brands willing to evolve, connect with fans, new and old, and drive commercial success in new and dynamic ways.
While it was well reported throughout 2024 that Rugby Union found itself facing tough challenges, 2025 has the capacity to be a landmark year for the sport. There is a lot to look forward to over the next twelve months, such as the first British & Irish Lions tour with fan attendance since 2017, as the famous red jersey travels to Australia to tackle a resurgent Wallabies side. Then in late August, England plays host to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, inviting eyes from all around the globe as players and fans anticipate record-breaking crowds across the tournament. Back to the present however, and as it does every year, the Guinness Six Nations has kicked off the 2025 rugby calendar, bringing fresh optimism for the sport. So, what could a successful 2025 mean for the future of rugby as an attractive sponsorship proposition for brands?
The UK’s second most popular sport has recently been described in fairly negative terms: dying a death due to lack of investment, a dwindling grassroots system, and resistant to change. Of the teams competing for the Guinness Six Nations each year, all are operating at a financial loss, and most notably in England, some prominent club sides have ceased to exist due to financial pressures exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘This financial instability isn’t unique to any single team; it’s a widespread concern with far-reaching implications for the future of rugby in these nations.’[1] These financial concerns are extensive, from broadcasting rights and the debate around the commercial benefits of subscription-based viewing vs open access to the sport, to an exodus of playing talent due to the allure of higher-paying salaries in leagues abroad. The English Premiership has a hill to climb to return the elite domestic competition to a position of strength, owing its very existence to a £200m investment from equity partner CVC capital.[2]
Despite this, there may well be some positive signs on the horizon. While the outside perspective offers a bleak view of rugby, one cause for optimism is that brands still see Rugby Union as a worthwhile investment. This has been exemplified by the recent commitment by Qatar Airways to sponsor World Rugby’s new Nations Championship, a men’s international tournament due to start in 2026 and take place every two years. To cement their commitment to rugby even further, the airline has also agreed to become Official Title Partner and Official Airline Partner for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia later this year. The Gulf State’s national carrier is just one of several Middle Eastern revenue sources keen on the opportunities available in rugby. Elsewhere, Indian brand BKT Tires has become an Official Partner of Six Nations rugby from 2025, adding the men’s and women’s northern hemisphere showpiece events to its already sizeable portfolio of tournament sponsorships, whilst John Lewis Money has just signed a new sponsorship with the RFU, the brand’s first foray into sponsorship.
Delving deeper into the type of brands that value partnerships within rugby, there is an increased presence of reputable ‘high-street’ consumer brands such as Vodafone, O2, and British Gas, whose combined commercial involvement covers more than half of the Guinness Six Nations teams. The attraction for these brands is the opportunity that tournaments like the Guinness Six Nations provide for them to engage with, and gain exposure to, a captive audience. In 2024, 185 million fans tuned in across 64 countries to watch the action, whilst 4 million social media followers drove 615 million video views, highlighting the vast reach brands can expect from an association with international rugby unions, and by showing faith in a sport that carries global appeal and continues to grow in developing nations and non-traditional rugby regions.
As with sports like tennis, football, motorsport, golf and cricket, both brands and equity investors are keen to take advantage of the opportunities that rugby can generate through broadcasting rights and sponsorships, and other commercial aspects. It was recently reported that the Guinness Six Nations were investigating the possibility of taking the tournament behind a paywall, such as TNT. Whilst the pay-tv provider has since come out and said making any bid for these rights would be ‘very challenging’, the story has sparked a debate over the importance of investment versus exposure to a tournament that saw it reach 25.9m UK individuals in 2024[3]. Any revenue that does come in from broadcast (and sponsorships) will be shared on with clubs, thanks to a Professional Game Partnership signed between the Union and the League, guaranteeing Premiership clubs increased funds each year.[4]
But what is particularly attractive for those pursuing opportunities in rugby is the global spectator and participant growth the sport is currently seeing: The 2023 men’s Rugby World Cup in France recorded a viewing hours total of 1.33 billion, the highest total ever recorded for a rugby event. The tournament was also the most talked-about rugby event ever, with 3.1 billion impressions across digital and social media, and drew in a global broadcast of more than 800 million[5]. Thanks to results like this, the competition is now regarded as the third largest four-year sporting event in the world, behind the men’s FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. Rugby is also the fastest growing college sport in the US, and one of the fastest growing sports in a nation due to host the 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup and 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup. France captain Antoine Dupont was front and centre as the poster-boy for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris thanks to his participation (and victory) in the ever-popular Rugby 7s format, and Ilona Maher continued her rise to A-list stardom as a member of the Team USA women’s squad. As participation and audiences grow, so will the appetite for investment into a sport that provides a truly global offering with a loyal and passionate fanbase.
In addition to the traditional commercial opportunities that these sports offer, investors are also looking to capitalise on future revenue growth areas, such as streaming services, gaming/esports and the increased popularity of the women’s game. These are areas that rugby will need to continue to explore and support, as an ability to modernise will attract an even broader array of commercial partners and fans. With the news breaking that Netflix would not be renewing their rugby documentary ‘Full Contact’ for a third season, there is a feeling of missed opportunity given the success seen elsewhere when providing fans and flirts with behind-the-scenes access to the teams and the biggest superstars in the sport. Recent comments made by Ilona Maher ring true to this fact; ‘there is a culture in rugby we need to shift…we keep talking about how do we get young people into the game. Those people are online. We have to shift our mindset if the sport is going to evolve.’[6] While we saw some positive steps in 2024, this willingness to adapt to the times is one of the most important challenges facing rugby in 2025.
In summary, rugby union’s combination of global appeal, dedicated fanbase, valuable broadcast rights, and commercial opportunities makes it highly attractive to sponsors, and investors. While the sport still has a way to go to re-establish complete confidence amongst traditional fans regarding plans for sustainable future growth, the reports that rugby finds itself in a slide toward an inevitable demise are exaggerated in our opinion, and with all there is to come in 2025, starting with the Guinness Six Nations, we expect this will be proven as such over the next 12 months.
[1] Gauna, ‘The Financial Side of the 2024 Six Nations Rugby’
[2] Schofield, “They saved the Premiership’: Behind CVC’s five years in rugby’
[3] TechEdge
[4] RFU and Premiership Rugby reach ‘UK£264m’ revenue distribution agreement
[5] Gibbon, ‘LIV Golf chief says rugby next in line for Gulf funds’
[6] Maher, ‘Rugby union needs culture shift to create stars and grow’
Over the past few years, women’s sports have seen significant progress in media coverage. As highlighted by UN Women, women’s sports media coverage worldwide has surged from a stagnant 5 to around 16% in 2022, with projections to reach 20% by 2025 if trends continue. In the UK, the success of the Lionesses during Euro 2021 played a pivotal role in this rise in attention to women’s sports. However, while women’s sports are gaining recognition, disability sports still face significant barriers to consistent media visibility, despite the increasing general focus on inclusivity in mainstream sports.
A Surge In Awareness of Underrepresented Sports, Yet Disability Sport Still Struggles For Visibility
Despite progress in women’s sports media coverage in the UK, disability sports remains a niche, gaining significant attention only during events like the Paralympic Games. Once the Games end, however, coverage of disabled athletes often fades back into obscurity. While there is some movement toward greater inclusivity in media, this sporadic coverage fails to reflect the year-round dedication and achievement of athletes with disabilities.
The potential for disability sports to become more mainstream lies in the media’s ability to portray these athletes for what they truly are—world-class athletes with remarkable skills, rather than merely “inspirational” figures overcoming adversity. As Channel 4’s coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics reached 18.5 million individuals, equating to 30.4% of the TV population, broadcasters have proven that there is a genuine appetite for more accessible and inclusive sports. This coverage included improvements such as British Sign Language and audio descriptions, further demonstrating the importance of accessibility in sports media.
The challenge lies not just in the athletes’ visibility, but in how disability is portrayed in the media. Journalists can often frame disabilities as obstacles that athletes must overcome, rather than recognizing the athletes for their skill, dedication, and athletic prowess. This narrative can undermine the perception of disabled athletes as equal competitors, contributing to a culture where their accomplishments are viewed as “extraordinary” simply because of their disability, rather than “normal” as with their able-bodied peers.
Channel 4 shifted its approach from the typical narrative of “Superhumans” and the idea of competitors “overcoming” their disabilities to a campaign for the Paralympics 2024 that challenges viewers to rethink their perceptions of these elite athletes.
The Reality of Professional Disability Sport: A Struggle for Recognition and Support
While major events like the Paralympics draw attention to elite disabled athletes, the lack of consistent media coverage and financial support remains a major issue. British para-cyclist and one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes of all time Dame Sarah Storey has spoken candidly since the Paralympics in 2024 about the financial difficulties para-athletes face, noting that very few, outside of sports like tennis, receive sufficient funding to pursue professional careers. Most para-athletes juggle their athletic careers with regular jobs, a reality that severely limits their training and performance potential. The lack of consistent, year-round coverage means that disability sports often lack the revenue to support athletes at the professional level.
Another example of recognition, Alfie Hewitt made history by becoming only the second male player in history to win all four tennis Grand Slams in both singles and doubles. Yet, while this achievement was celebrated in the disability sport community, it didn’t receive the same widespread attention as similar feats in able-bodied tennis. Alfie had been previously listed for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2023, yet as with many disabled athletes, didn’t make it into the final 3. Only Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in 2000 and Jonnie Peacock in 2017 have made the top 3 since it began in 1954.
Increased media coverage, similar to what women’s sports are currently experiencing, could help elevate the visibility of these athletes and attract much-needed sponsorships and endorsements. The challenge lies in breaking the cycle of sporadic coverage and shifting attitudes so that disabled athletes are seen and treated on par with their able-bodied counterparts.
Sponsorship and Brand Activation Supporting Change
In addition to media attention, brands are increasingly recognising the value of supporting disability athletes and strength in storytelling. Vodafone’s PLAYER.Connect platform, which extends to elite athletes like Alfie Hewitt and the Men’s British Wheelchair Basketball team, exemplifies how commercial partnerships can play a key role in increasing visibility and supporting athletes. By leveraging their sponsorships to promote disability sports, brands can help create a more inclusive sports culture, one that recognises the talent and achievements of athletes with disabilities as part of the mainstream conversation.
Some brands are also supporting their disabled athletes to speak out on the lack of representation across the disabled community, such as those with learning disabilities or hearing impairments, who still have minimal representation in major sporting events. The recent “Dare to Defy: Powered By Nissan” docu-series on Prime Video, featuring Nissan’s ambassadors Richard Whitehead MBE and Adele Roberts, explores disability representation and inclusivity in sport. However, as Richard Whitehead points out during the series: “(true inclusivity) isn’t just about empowering individuals with disabilities; it’s about how the public and stakeholders in sport perceive and elevate the achievements of disabled athletes”.
For instance, while the Paralympics offers a platform for athletes, it doesn’t fully incorporate all disabilities. The absence of events for the deaf community and limited opportunities for athletes with learning disabilities only reinforces the exclusion within the wider sporting world.
For change to be meaningful, we need to ensure that all forms of disability are represented in competitive sports. This includes creating more events in the Paralympics, but also expanding opportunities outside of these high-profile tournaments. Representation in non-paralympic sports, such as wheelchair tennis and basketball, must become just as normalised and supported as able-bodied sports.
Conclusion: The Road to True Inclusivity
Disability sports have made strides in recent years, but they still face significant challenges in terms of visibility, representation, and funding.
For disability sports to thrive and be seen as a central part of the sporting world, there must be a shift in how it is represented and supported. This includes not only more consistent media coverage but also greater inclusivity in sporting events and more financial investment. If these changes are made, we could see a future where disabled athletes are celebrated year-round, not just during the Paralympics, and where their achievements are celebrated as equal to those of able-bodied athletes.
Cited:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/paris-2024-olympics-new-era-for-women-in-sport/facts-and-figures-women-in-sport
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/player-connect-now-supports-wheelchair-athletes-international-summer-competitions/#:~:text=Vodafone%20has%20expanded%20its%20landmark,been%20available%20for%20wheelchair%20athletes.
https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4s-paris-2024-paralympic-games-marketing-campaign-challenges-patronising
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dare-to-Defy/dp/B0DN25KCCNhttps://www.independent.co.uk/sport/london-rio-manchester-city-adele-roberts-lgbtq-b2654513.html
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/press-release/player-connect-now-supports-wheelchair-athletes-international-summer-competitions/
This weekend the Super League makes its debut stateside, with a regular season fixture between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves taking place at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday. Like many sports before it, the move is designed to showcase the game on the global stage as part of its long-term growth into new markets.
And while an estimated 10,000 Super League fans have crossed the Atlantic to see the spectacle live, it’s really at home where people are taking notice. The fixture is getting significantly more press coverage than ever before and the sentiment is largely very good.
This is interesting in itself. Typically, sports leaving their home towns during the season causes consternation amongst fans and writers, and with good reason. In its simplest terms, it’s robbing fans of a major moment in their season calendar, unless you’re one of the few people with the means to book a last-minute flight to Las Vegas. Moreover, it creates uncertainty about where their beloved sport might end up in the future. How many more in-season fixtures will be taken away from the fans at home? Is this the end of Rugby League (a sport steeped in tradition) as we know it?
But this narrative doesn’t seem to be playing out at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It has elevated the Super League into the spotlight and everyone seems genuinely excited. Every radio station I’ve tuned into this week has featured it, and the coverage is glowing. The story feels progressive. If the NFL can play in-season fixtures in England, why can’t the Super League do it Vegas? In the same stadium, no less, where Usher performed a half-time show at the Superbowl in 2024, and where Wrestlemania will take place in April this year. If nothing else, going stateside puts the Super League in the same conversation as the big boys, who are all full steam ahead with their own plans for global domination. This fixture (and the sport) feels bigger than ever before.
And as we edge closer to kick-off, the anticipation feels more like a boxing match than a Rugby League fixture (an ironic coincidence perhaps, in the wake of Chris Eubank Jr’s egging of Conor Benn on Tuesday). Sam Burgess has made a late arrival following last-minute Visa issues. A couple of Wigan fans who have been engaged for six years are using the occasion to finally tie the knot (when in Vegas…) It all adds to the narrative. And the coverage.
Warrington CEO Karl Fitzpatrick has said himself that this isn’t about cracking the American market. Recruiting more American fans is just a bi-product. This is about driving engagement back home. Today, he told the Independent, “When the NRL came out last year, they spoke about the ‘halo effect’ afterwards in Australia. Crowds were up, digital engagement is up and it’s been the same in Super League in our opening two rounds”.
Regardless of the result on Saturday, the American dream feels like more than a safe bet for the Super League. And at the very least, it’s been a home run for their PR team this week.
While third-party targeting no longer has one foot in the grave, advertisers comfortable with using a 20-year-old technology available to everyone in the market as their primary method of accurately targeting potential customers should take a long, hard look in the mirror. In the age of AI, insights, ever-increasing addressability and attribution – those savouring the crumbs of cookies stand to miss out on the feast of alternative targeting and measurement available.
While the world of digital media and cookie alternatives is advancing faster than most can keep up, two of the foundations of advertising are still as relevant as ever. Campaigns that prioritise contextually relevant advertising to engaged audiences are proving their value and, with two in three people in the UK claiming they are sports fans, the opportunity to engage fans across the sporting landscape is huge.
As well as access to engaged fans in sporting environments, brands that can tap into these properties through sponsorship are uniquely positioned to take even better advantage of alternative targeting through contracted rights, IP-access and the global reach of rights holders.
IP-Inclusivity and Contextual Relevance
Most ads are remarkably forgettable. Exclusive access to the IP offered by premium rights holders to sponsors can change this.
System1 and Fuse’s The Sports Dividend research explains that among sports fans, brand ads that feature sports in the creative are more likely to contribute to long-term brand health, drive short-term sales performance and viewers are more likely to feel emotions like happiness more strongly.
With creative that achieves stronger results and makes consumers feel happier, contextual alignment is the next step. Research shows that ads get twice as much attention when placed in top rated / the most relevant contexts.
This means when compared to a standard ad in a standard context, IP-inclusive ads in relevant contextual environments can be twice as effective at long term brand building among relevant sport loving audiences. For example, an ad starring Tom Daley aligned with Olympics content or one with Virgil van Dijk aligned to football news will double its effectiveness compared to ads without IP in irrelevant contexts.
While leaning on contextual placements in an age of data and tracking might seem counterintuitive, for sponsors who have IP-access, content amplified with a media partner, or with AI-powered contextual targeting, produces results that are clear.
All of this is done without using any audience targeting at all. Imagine what could be achieved when privacy compliant first-party audiences are overlayed.
Privacy compliant first-party data sharing
Gone are the days when sponsors are content with simply placing a logo on a shirt or LED board and calling it a day. As well as the key role that sponsorship plays in shifting brand metrics, the ability to identify current or potential customers and serve them IP-inclusive, contextually relevant creative can improve performance further.
The most accurate way to do this is using a data clean room, a tool used to match datasets from different parties in a secure and privacy compliant way. Using a data clean room, first-party data from the rights holder can be overlayed with first or second-party data from the sponsor, meaning brands can securely identify current or potential customers who are already engaged with a rights holder and therefore are more likely to engage with branded sponsorship content.
While many rights holders are still in the early stages of developing a project that requires significant investment and a mature data strategy, Manchester City is showing it is not just ahead on the pitch, but also when it comes to driving value for its sponsors.
Following the launch of the Nissan Ariya, Nissan released its ‘Be More Pep’ campaign, encouraging people to follow in the steps of City’s iconic manager, from fashion to haircuts and ultimately, to the electric Nissan he’s seen driving around Manchester.
Using a data clean room, Manchester City’s first-party data segments were matched with second-party signals, creating an audience of “Man City fans who are environmentally conscious and interested in electric vehicles”. The segment was then tested against the “Ad Platform ‘EV Intender’ Audience” with the matched dataset resulting in significantly higher engagement for Nissan, recording 52% higher VCR and 43% longer average watch time.
While engagement metrics in a nondescript ad buying platform are not necessarily an indicator of bottom-line success, they do suggest that this relatively new strategy in the sponsorship industry has massive potential.
The next challenge for the world of sponsorship will be to reach data sharing standards expected by the rest of the industry. These are twofold – on the one hand, rights holders need to highlight the value their data can bring to sponsors, building clear audience segments and data sharing projects that sponsors can confidently buy into and activate. On the other, sponsors need to ensure their internal data-strategy includes an acknowledgement of the possibility of activating the sponsors’ data.
As these products evolve, there will be more pressure on rights holders to define and identify signals more accurately. This will help sponsors use their rights for more middle and lower-funnel tactics, highlighting sponsorship as a truly through-the-line channel able to drive more than just impressions and 30 second equivalents.
The case for better metrics
Across digital media, the success of sponsorship properties has largely sat with vanity media metrics like impressions, engagement or clicks, often driving to irrelevant landing pages too focused on the sponsor and not linked to the sponsorship. But, with opportunities to analyse more signals than ever with AI, using legacy digital metrics like impressions or viewability cannot show the real value of sponsorship.
Playground xyz’s Attention Time is a human-led, AI scaled metric measuring the length of time that an ad is looked at – it is 7.5x more important in determining awareness, and 5.9x more important in determining recall than viewability. While clicks can be sparse and conversions even more so, Attention Time is proving to be one of the most reliable metrics that we have to measure the effectiveness of sponsorship ads.
While Playground xyz is only one example of an ever-growing list of companies measuring attention and similar metrics (all with varying methodologies), exploring and testing new metrics is going to be vital in accurately optimising properties over the course of a campaign, season or cycle.
While the sunset of the third-party cookie is further away than ever, privacy savvy consumers and increasingly unreliable targeting suggest that reliance on this outdated technology is leading to less efficient advertising and losses for brands.
However, brands that have invested in sponsorship are increasingly finding value goes beyond impressions and time on screen. Access to IP inclusive assets, when served in relevant contexts, can result in significant boosts to long- and short-term brand metrics, and access to first-party rights holder data can then further help to reach efficiencies in campaigns. When complemented by more advanced performance metrics, the strength of alternative targeting solutions speak for themselves.
All without the crumb of a cookie in sight.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
My journey into sponsorship began in an extraordinary setting — the Sahara Desert — where I worked on the Festival au Désert near Timbuktu, a music festival centred around the Tuareg tribe. My role there was to secure sponsorship for the music production, and then heading onsite to film the festival. I then went onto work in big PR events, working on projects like Vodafone Lifesavers and HSBC Startup Stars, which further deepened my exposure to sponsorship.
At just 26, I joined Vodafone’s global sponsorship team, working on partnerships with Ferrari, Manchester United, and later McLaren F1 and UEFA Champions League. It was an incredible experience, activating across 100 markets and working with one of the world’s biggest brands.
From there, I moved to RBS, expecting a major sponsorship role — only to arrive during the financial crisis! It was a rollercoaster moment, but also the most informative 18 months of my career. In times of crisis, like the financial crash or COVID, you learn a lot on how to navigate through disruption. It was challenging but exciting.
Finally, in 2010, David Pinnington, the founder of Fuse, gave me a call and said that he had set up a sports division and asked if I fancied a challenge. I said yes — and here I am now!
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Disruptive doesn’t always have to equal groundbreaking. A successful business leader is one that can authentically leverage untapped opportunities to do better and be better. For example, we always think global — how can we make a difference and disrupt the sports marketing industry in other regions? We are currently expanding our international remit to countries where there is huge potential for brands to capitalise on the growing sport sponsorship market. Having just launched in Spain, India and Brazil, we have our sights set on new offices across the globe.
As a business we are also developing more sophisticated measurement tools to help brands and rights holders understand the true effectiveness and value of sport sponsorship. Over the last couple of years, we have worked closely with creative effectiveness agency System1 to coin a new term that we call the ‘Sport Dividend.’ This is best described as a rigorous set of principles that can help brands unlock growth amongst both sport and broad audiences. If done properly, sport sponsorship can go toe-to-toe with the world’s best advertising.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Every single human being makes mistakes — they’re inevitable. But they really allow for opportunities for growth and learning. I believe that when you make a mistake, you have got to acknowledge it and own it and then move forward from it as quickly as possible. The quicker you can learn from it and adapt, the more resilient you become.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
It’s no secret that the most successful individuals have had support along the way — I strongly believe in the value of mentors and the guidance they provide.
One of my first mentors was David Pinnington, who was an incredible boss and friend. As a female within this industry, he instilled in me this steadfast belief that I could do anything I set my mind to. His total confidence in my abilities was so refreshing and his positive attitude and ability to see the best in any situation made you feel like you could conquer the world. When people tell me I can’t do something, I channel my inner ‘David Pinnington’ and the belief that you can achieve anything.
Philippa Brown was someone I also saw as a mentor and had a significant influence on my career. She helped shift my mindset from being a director of sponsorship to thinking like a true business woman and leader. Philippa taught me that it’s not just about sports; it’s about business. She encouraged me to develop the gravitas and strategic mindset that are essential for women in leadership roles.
Finally, my brother has been an incredibly important figure throughout my life. His entrepreneurial spirit and pragmatic approach have always helped me navigate challenges. He taught me how to approach complex issues by breaking them down and simplifying them which has changed the way I view and solve problems.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
The phrase often goes: “be disruptive or be disrupted.” But, despite this mantra, disruption can still carry a negative connotation, particularly it if evokes feelings of chaos and uncertainty, alienates people, or fails to address an essential industry challenge.
Innovation is often a word used alongside disruption. But while innovation makes mere improvements to a product or service, disruption fundamentally changes how an industry operates. And it isn’t just about a quirky piece of creative that is plastered loud and proud online to generate a short-lived buzz, disruption can be quiet. It sits at the heart of culture and makes a difference over the long-term.
The female sports landscape has seen some disruption already from brands, sports clubs and media. For example, the WNBA agreed a ground-breaking $2.2 billion broadcast deal over 11 years with NBC, Disney and Amazon which is worth more than three times its previous cycle. Barclays has recently made history in the UK with their record investment in women’s domestic football. The investment gives a greater platform to the sport with an inevitable knock-on effect on fandom.
But the female sports market is still ripe for disruption — in terms of how it’s marketed, sponsored, invested in and broadcast, but also in terms of its overarching narrative — moving beyond the parity story into creative storytelling.
Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Throughout my career, I was always told the cricket expression, ‘Play everything with a straight bat’. I’ve always found this to be so powerful and implement this within my personal and professional life. It means to approach things with honesty and decency. People always appreciate transparency and authenticity, and I’ve found it builds long-lasting trust with my clients and team.
Another piece of advice I’ve received is to always trust your intuition. Our gut instinct is an incredibly powerful tool. In my experience, 9 times out of 10, that inner voice is right. Listening to it has consistently guided me to make better, more confident decisions. It’s about trusting that you have the insight and capability to navigate challenges and seize opportunities with that true belief in yourself.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Fuse is driving global expansion rapidly, with numerous new markets set to open in the coming years. This growth represents an incredible opportunity for us to and deepen our impact across the globe and really stay ahead of the curve within our industry. With the launch of our new global proposition, ‘Culturally Connected, Seriously Effective’, we’re committed to making it a driving force to ensure our clients feel more connected to culture than ever and further enhancing our capabilities to ensure we generate effective results for our clients. Alongside this, Fuse Ignite will be launched, which will be our future-facing, modern consultancy for rightsholders, with transparency at the heart of it — ensuring clarity and trust in every step of the process.
On a personal note, I’m also working on an exciting project focused on women’s health — a cause that is incredibly important to me. So, watch this space!
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by ‘women disruptors’ that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
It’s no secret that female leaders still face bias in the workplace, among a myriad of other stereotypes — from leadership style to women’s health. Starting with a career in finance and then becoming one of few female CEOs in the sports marketing industry, tackling some of these has been a real challenge for me.
One of the oldest and most persistent gender stereotypes is that women are too emotional. They are perceived as less fit to make disruptive decisions because these are more likely to be irrational and emotion driven. When compared to men, female leaders are said to be less comfortable in asserting their authority, rebelling or inciting long-term change.
But he who shouts the loudest shouldn’t just be heard. Disruption isn’t about being bossy and bold, it’s about being smart. It’s about being collaborative with your team and the industry in which you sit in. And because women are socialised to put others’ needs before their own, they are more likely to be thinking strategically with emotional awareness — two key ingredients for successful disruption.
Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?
One book that resonated with me is Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership by Nancy Koehn.
I feel like as a leader, I’ve dealt with a period of turbulence — from Covid to the geopolitical issues in the Middle East and the ongoing war in Ukraine. In today’s world, leadership requires you to constantly adapt, not only within the business world but also on a broader, macro-geographical scale. While the leaders in the book may come from a different time, there’s learnings in there that are still so relevant today; how to show up for your people, manage crises, and communicate with clarity and integrity.
As we move forward, yes, we ourselves as leaders should be disruptive, but we will face disruption constantly, and so this book made me think about how we need to adapt our leadership approaches to stay agile and resilient in the face of constant change.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
As a female leader, one core thing for me is ensuring equal pay for women across all sectors. The gender pay gap is a systemic issue that continues to go on and I truly believe it’s essential that we tackle it comprehensively — not just at the senior leadership level, but across all roles. Women should feel values for their contributions and unfortunately, this is an issue that often gets de-prioritised, particularly by government bodies but this needs more focus and requires serious conversations about how to close the gender pay gap once and for all.
I also feel that women’s health often gets sidelined, and I would like to raise awareness about our health issues and its impact, not just later in life, but at every stage of it. By having these conversations and driving real change, we can empower women to take charge of their health, feel supported in their careers, and ensure equality across all areas of life.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Just one word — ‘Onwards.’
This was David Pinnington’s response to any news — whether good or bad. This approach is deep-rooted within our heritage and our ethos and has shaped our values. It taught me to always look forward and embrace what was ahead with positivity. Resilience in the face of adversity.
This is at the heart of our agency and is key to achieving continued growth and success.
Sports marketing continues to play a diverse and increasingly important role in the marketing mix for brands. And for many reasons. It serves as a launchpad for brands seeking to enter new markets by capitalising on major events across the globe that command mass audiences. It’s a signal of a brand’s stature and prominence re-enforcing trust and credibility and a way for brands across all industries to build loyalty because they are involved in the very events that drive passion and reunite and connect us.
From an advertising perspective, media fragmentation is causing more and more brands to look at sport as one of the last remaining platforms to connect with audiences en masse. People instinctively know sport is important but now it is indisputable – just look at the impact of the most recent Euros on the UK advertising market – a 9 per cent growth in TV ad spend in Q2 2024, the strongest quarter for TV in over two years.
Globally, investment will continue to grow as history shows the sector is extremely resilient to challenging economic headwinds. Beyond the overall growth story, we’ll see other trends emerging in sports marketing in 2025, some of which mirror wider advertising and business trajectories.
The retail media boom is reshaping how sports marketers connect with fans, offering dynamic opportunities for brand activation. By blending e-commerce and fan engagement, retail media provides a direct path to consumers, creating moments where shopping meets sports.
Brands that integrate commerce strategies into sponsorships or athlete partnerships will stay ahead, driving ROI while building deeper audience connections. As retail media scales globally, sports marketing professionals must explore creative ways to tie sales and storytelling together.
This trend isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the future of sports-related consumer engagement, providing brands with both measurable results and meaningful fan relationships.
In 2025, digital ad spend will shape the sports marketing landscape, demanding that brands adopt cutting-edge strategies to engage fans. With AI-driven insights, dynamic ad placements, and cross-channel personalisation, sports marketers can unlock new levels of engagement. Social platforms and programmatic advertising are no longer optional but critical, as fans increasingly consume sports content digitally.
Brands must pivot towards data-driven storytelling, aligning ad spend with fan behaviour and expectations. Staying relevant in this space requires innovation and speed, offering immersive ad experiences that resonate with evolving audiences. In sports marketing, digital is not just part of the strategy – it is the strategy.
One of the biggest advantages of digital is the ability to measure the ROI of campaigns with precision. Metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and time spent engaging with content provide clear insights into what works. This enables sports marketers to optimise campaigns in real time, ensuring maximum impact.
Brands can now track the journey from fan interaction to purchase, creating a seamless loop that drives both engagement and revenue.
Artificial intelligence is moving from test-and-learn pilots to real-world deployment, transforming how sports brands engage fans in 2025. AI-driven tools enable hyper-personalised fan experiences, from curated content to predictive merchandising, but with great power comes ethical responsibility.
Sports marketers must balance innovation with transparency, ensuring fan data is used responsibly. Whether through chatbots, real-time analytics, or automated ad targeting, AI’s potential is immense, but so are its risks. As this technology matures, ethical frameworks will determine success. Brands that embrace AI strategically while respecting consumer trust will redefine the future of fan and brand activation in sports marketing.
As India is set to become the third biggest global economy, growing faster than any other emerging market, we expect to see brands from the region taking key positions within global sports platforms.
China is already ahead of the game having become active in sports marketing for a number of years, but last year’s Euros demonstrated how they are providing strong competition for limited spaces across major sport platforms. For example, five out of 13 of Euro 2024’s official global sponsors were from China, including key sectors like electric vehicles (BYD), which took many established manufacturers by surprise, and e-commerce (Ali Express). Alibaba also joined the Olympic Partner programme in 2017 and recently extended its partnership through to 2028.
Women’s sport has seen unprecedented growth, yet brands must now go beyond words and significantly invest in this space. From grassroots initiatives to professional leagues, untapped potential for sponsorship, storytelling, and merchandise lies ahead.
As audiences grow and media coverage expands, the call for authentic support is louder than ever. Token gestures won’t cut it—brands must integrate women’s sport into broader strategies and commit to long-term partnerships. While women’s football has seen significant media attention and commitment from brands including record investment from Barclays in particular, other sports are yet to benefit. 2025 is the year to act, with early adopters set to benefit from heightened visibility, audience loyalty, and meaningful social impact. Women’s sport isn’t a side project; it’s a movement.
