Five factors shaping the future of sports marketing

Over the last 18+ months of uncertainty, the ongoing pandemic has affected every facet of the sports advertising arena. Areas of focus for marketers, including measurement, changing media consumption habits and the power of athletes as influencers have only increased in importance. To effectively engage consumers, marketers have had to remain nimble in an increasingly fragmented—and challenging—environment. Heading into 2022, areas of focus for marketers will continue to transform....

Excitement in the air as the 12 month countdown to FIFA World Cup 2022™ begins

With the FIFA World Cup 2022™ kicking off one year from now, Nielsen is sharing the results of its Nielsen Sports brand tracking study showing a high level of excitement globally in anticipation of the global event in Qatar. As a part of FIFA’s Research Programme, Nielsen surveyed respondents across 28 global markets, and 79% noted that they are “excited” about the upcoming tournament. This scores higher than both...

Blockchain companies intensify jersey sponsorship investments in European football

More and more companies from the blockchain industry detect sports sponsorship as a valuable marketing platform. Nevertheless, automotive, tech and airline companies invest nearly one third of total volume for jersey sponsorships. These are key results of the annual European Football Jersey Report, which Nielsen Sports analyses for the top six European football leagues. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, jersey brandings become more valuable from year to year. If revenues...

Esports Economics Podcast Episode 2: Sponsorship ROI

Enjoy the second episode in our six-part podcast series Esports Economics in collaboration with Unofficial Partner.  This conversation is focused on sponsorship and the key questions surrounding return on investment within the esports industry. We challenge the many preconceptions about esports within the brand marketing community and weigh the benefits and outcomes of sponsorship versus programmatic advertising. We also analyze the differences between rights packages in esports compared to...

Sports Fans Want Social Distancing as NFL and NBA to Start New Seasons at Full Capacity

After more than a year-and-a-half of starts and stops amid the disruption of the coronavirus, sports fans are eager for the arrival of the 2021 NFL season. As the most lucrative professional sports league in the U.S., the league is ready to welcome fans back to the 30 stadiums that host the 32 competing franchises. And to that effect, all stadiums are slated to allow full capacity when the...

Esports Economics Podcast Episode 1: State of the Industry

This is the first in a new six-part podcast series looking at the business of esports, in collaboration with Unofficial Partner.  Today’s guests are Matthew Archambault, head of partnerships for North America at Riot Games, publishers of the phenomenally successful League of Legends franchise. Matt manages strategic partnerships, national sponsorships, media rights, and merchandising for the League Championship Series (LCS).  Joining Matthew is Matt Boyd, Vice President of Nielsen...

Metrics are Key to Proving ROI for Brands Entering the Esports Arena

The video game industry has been growing for years, but the arrival of COVID-19 and the virtualization of our lives over the past 18 months or so has accelerated and expanded that growth. That advancement has also propelled competitive, organized gaming, aided by the pause in live sports last year, with industry forecasts projecting that esports will be more than a $1 billion industry by the end of this...

The Inclusivity of the Olympic Games Is Key to Widespread Fan Appeal

Rising interest in women’s sport has yet to translate into media coverage and financial investment equaling men’s sports. But this year’s Summer Olympics has the opportunity to show brands and rightsholders just how high fan interest is in female sports globally. We know the Olympics is the world’s biggest sporting event, but it’s also one where fandom is nearly even among men and women. In addition to leveling the...

The Olympics Is the Biggest Platform for Gender Equality in Global Sports

The world of sports is not immune to gender bias, as evidenced by the notably lopsided coverage of women’s sports by the media and the disproportionate level of brand sponsorship spend allocated to men’s sports. This situation changes, however, during a two-week period every two years when the eyes of the world focus on the Olympics, the only global sporting event characterized by true gender parity. Unlike other events,...

Cannes LIONS Live 2021: Post COVID World: Next phase with brands and esports

Few industries were prepared for the massive disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic caused throughout 2020, and even fewer were able to find a way to grow. The video game industry, however, did just that, with 82% of global consumers reporting that they played video games and watched game content during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. That heightened engagement has had a halo effect on the burgeoning esports...

Sports Fans are Looking to Sports Leagues and Athletes to Support Social Causes

Sports Betting: Who’s in and how much of an opportunity do they represent?

Turn on any live sporting event these days and you’ll likely see an abundance of ads during the commercial breaks enticing engaged fans to get in on the action by betting on various aspects of the games and matches they’re watching. Already a $154 million game in U.S. local TV spot advertising, online sports betting is the latest way that a handful of prolific gambling brands are tapping into...