The report Sponsorship Market Overview 2023 created by Nielsen Sports in collaboration with the European Sponsorship Association (ESA), highlights the growth of the European sponsorship market by second year in a row. The sports sponsorship sector is dynamic and resilient for yet another year, noting its resilience in the face of the devastating effects of the pandemic. 2022, a year marked by the full resumption of face-to-face sporting and cultural events, has left a record figure of 20,690 million euros. Although the volume of European sponsorship has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, it has experienced an increase of 4.3% compared to the previous year.
This impulse is also due to the reception in European territory of important sporting events, such as the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup, the European Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Europe has also benefited indirectly from global events, such as the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He rise of new formats, platforms and companiessuch as those developed in the Web3, have also had a direct impact on the growth of the sector. Despite the fragile situation that the cryptocurrenciesthe agreements that involve these types of assets and their brands continue to grow.
Spain is positioned as the country with the highest growth with an increase of 14%, followed by the United Kingdom with 10%. The rise of sports sponsorship in Spain is mainly due to the following factors: The market stabilization after ban on betting sponsorship in 2021. At commercial growth of the main clubs of La Liga. For example, FC Barcelona goes from Rakuten to Spotify as main sponsor and sells the stadium naming rights (+117% growth) and Atlético de Madrid goes from Plus500 to WhaleFin (+180% growth). to the important promotion of women’s sports and athletes as ambassadors. The milestone signified by the entry of FC Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Champions League stands out.
The sports market is undergoing interesting developments that will significantly impact sponsorship models. These include important changes in media consumption towards non-direct and multiscreen optionsas well as the notable growth of consumption through OTT channels. In addition, the future development of the sector blockchain and the rapid advance of metaverse in the sports field they offer a high marketing potential. Other emerging trends include a greater diversification of sponsorship towards sustainability and a growing investment in women’s footballwith a projected four-fold increase in sponsorship value by 2033.