When Carlos Alcaraz was asked at the Cincinnati Open to cover the logo on his Evian water bottle, he refused. The umpire insisted because Aquafina is the tournament’s official water partner. On the surface, it was a throwaway exchange, but beneath it lies one of sponsorship’s biggest questions. How much does sponsorship exclusivity really matter? […] The post Sponsorship exclusivity: Nice to have or a must have? appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
In a sports marketing first, Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant will take the court at the 2025 US Open as the tournament’s Official Underarm Sponsor. Yep, you read that right. But beyond the headline-grabbing novelty of the sponsorship is a calculated brand play that links Dove’s long-running “Real Beauty” platform with one of the most visible […] The post Have Dove made the strangest sponsorship story of the year? appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
With 178 days until the Winter Olympic flame is lit at Milan’s San Siro, Milano Cortina 2026 has confirmed 52 commercial partnerships: 40 national sponsors across four tiers, 11 global Olympic and Paralympic partners, and its official hospitality provider. It marks a substantial increase on earlier in the cycle, particularly in mid-tier domestic sponsorships. So, […] The post 178 days to go: Inside Milano Cortina’s measured sponsorship push appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) recent £520 million capital injection into The Hundred, via partial and full sales of all eight franchises, has redefined the tournament’s commercial trajectory. With ownership now including global sporting heavyweights such as the Ambani family (Mumbai Indians), Sun Group (Sunrisers Hyderabad), and RPSG Group (Lucknow Super Giants), this […] The post £520m boost sparks sponsorship buzz for The Hundred in 2026 appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
Guinness’s recent surge into club football, with new deals expected in quick succession with Arsenal and Newcastle United, follows their 2024 appointment as the Official Beer Sponsor of the Premier League. These aren’t isolated moments of opportunism, but part of a much broader, deliberate brand strategy. What we’re witnessing is Guinness using football as a […] The post Why am I seeing Guinness everywhere in football? appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
When Axi, the global online trading platform, partnered with Manchester City in 2020, the objective was clear: build awareness in new territories, strengthen trust in existing markets, and deliver unique value to clients and partners. Five years later, the partnership has become central to the brand’s marketing strategy, generating standout content, premium experiences, and measurable […] The post Axi’s Hannah Hill on Manchester City, brand ambassadors and ROI appeared first on The Spon...| The Sponsor
Volkswagen has signed a multi-season sponsorship deal with LALIGA EA Sports, LALIGA Hypermotion, and Liga F Moeve, covering all 58 clubs across Spain’s top two men’s divisions and its premier women’s league. It becomes the official automotive partner of the men’s competitions and global sponsor of Liga F. What's new with this deal? Volkswagen’s involvement […] The post Volkswagen shifts gears to drive change across Spanish football appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
Audi’s newly confirmed title partnership with Revolut marks a clear pivot as the German manufacturer prepares to take full control of Sauber for its 2026 Formula 1 entry. The fintech giants, with no previous footprint in sport, step in as both front-of-shirt sponsor and operational partner. They will likely replace Stake, who partnered the team […] The post Audi’s Revolut deal reflects a broader sponsorship realignment appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
When Utilita entered the UK energy market in the early 2000s, it was a challenger brand in every sense of the word. Born around a kitchen table, Utilita began with little brand recognition and no inherited customer base, just an ambitious mission to disrupt a fiercely competitive industry. By 2015, the company needed a step-change […] The post How Utilita turned sponsorship into a growth engine appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor
In case you hadn’t noticed, Artificial Intelligence is reshaping sponsorship. Technologies like VISUA and Entyx now offer frame-by-frame analysis of broadcasts, identifying logo placement, screen time, clarity, and share of voice with millisecond precision. Sponsorship professionals can finally quantify exposure in a way that links directly to value and justify it with data that’s no […] The post How to use AI in sponsorship without losing the plot appeared first on The Sponsor.| The Sponsor