The Most Important Sports and Entertainment Sponsorship Trends of 2023
A look at athlete influencers, women’s sports, the rise of digital media partnerships and more
The past year has been truly transformative for sports and entertainment sponsorships. Brands invested aggressively across a wide range of new channels, from CTV to influencers/creators. NIL entered its second year. Women’s sports broke new barriers. Generative AI became a new hot tool. And the personalities shaping the industry were as varied as Lionel Messi, Angel Reece and Mr. Beast.
A new report from SponsorUnited, “2023 Year In Review—Sports & Entertainment Marketing Partnerships,” takes a comprehensive dive into this ever-evolving market. Using SponsorUnited data, it identifies the innovative trends that emerged over the past year.
The trends include:
- The rise of athlete influencers: The analysis reveals that soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi commanded 25% share of total branded engagement in the top 100 social campaigns.
- A surge in women’s sports: Women’s leagues attracted more than 1,000 additional brand partners, surging 35% year-over-year.
- The growth of digital partnerships: Over 1,000 new brands have entered the digital media space highlighting the shift from traditional media like television, with only 330.
Make your sports and entertainment marketing partnerships count. Download the report.
Get access to more guides and white papers at the Adweek Resource Library
