Sponsorship offers golden returns

Take the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee’s global partner programme, which includes firms such as Deloitte, generates billions of dollars in sponsorship revenue each Olympic cycle; eagle-eyed viewers will have seen Deloitte’s logo behind medal winners at the Winter Olympics in Italy this year. These deals give sponsors access to one of the world’s largest media audiences while positioning them alongside a globally recognised brand.

Why sponsor sport?

At its simplest, sponsorship is about visibility. But modern partnerships deliver a much wider set of commercial benefits.

Brand exposure remains the most obvious. Major events deliver audiences in the hundreds of millions, often across multiple continents. The NFL’s Super Bowl half-time slot is a classic, if extreme, example. This year, Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny was the star attraction. According to data published by Nielsen, the superstar’s performance averaged 128.2 million viewers, making it the fourth-most watched halftime show behind Kendrick Lamar (133.5 million in 2025), Michael Jackson (133.4 million in 1993) and Usher (129.3 million in 2024). It might not have been the largest, but it break records when it came to social media, as the NFL’s top three most viewed social posts of all time now come from this year’s half-time show.

Market expansion is another powerful driver; sponsoring global competitions allows companies to build awareness in regions where they may not yet have strong market penetration. There are also reputational benefits; brands associated with elite sport can gain credibility and prestige through that association.

For brands seeking global exposure, few events come close to the Fifa World Cup, with this year’s tournament being hosted across the US, Canada and Mexico. It is expected to be the largest commercial football event ever staged, with expanded participation, more matches and unprecedented marketing reach.

This summer’s competition will feature 48 teams and 104 matches, up from 32 teams and 64 matches in previous tournaments. This dramatically increases the inventory of sponsorship exposure across stadium signage, broadcast coverage and digital media.

Fifa expects to generate around US$2.8bn from marketing rights during the current four-year cycle, with the majority linked to the 2026 tournament. In addition to Fifa’s central sponsorship programme, host cities across North America are creating their own commercial ecosystems, producing an estimated US$4.5bn sponsorship economy tied to local marketing rights and partnerships.

The hospitality dividend

But for many businesses, the most valuable element may be something less visible: client relationships.

Corporate hospitality is one of the most overlooked drivers of sponsorship return on investment. Sponsors frequently receive premium hospitality packages, including VIP tickets, executive lounges and behind-the-scenes access to events. These experiences allow companies to entertain clients and prospects in a setting designed to strengthen relationships.

For accounting firms, consulting businesses and financial institutions, this can translate directly into revenue. Hosting a handful of key clients at a global sporting event can drive significant advisory engagements and is often viewed as a key business development tool.

Sponsorship in kind

Not all sponsorship deals involve large financial payments. Many companies provide services in kind instead of, or alongside, cash contributions. Professional services firms are particularly active in this area. For example, consulting firms may provide expertise in areas such as organisational strategy, digital transformation, cybersecurity and data analytics.

In return, they receive branding rights, hospitality benefits and access to the event’s commercial ecosystem. This model allows companies to reduce direct marketing spend while simultaneously showcasing their expertise to a global audience. For consulting firms, it also creates opportunities to develop intellectual property and case studies based on real-world projects delivered for major sporting organisations.

Again, using Deloitte as an example, the Big Four firm recently announced an extension to its collaboration with McLaren Racing, the current Formula 1 champions. The expanded partnership now extends across McLaren Racing, with Arrow McLaren in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and McLaren Racing’s 2027 entry in the FIA World Endurance Championship, alongside the continued support of the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team. The collaboration is also expected to grow across technology and professional services, further advancing performance, efficiency and innovation across McLaren Racing.

As Richard Houston, CEO at Deloitte UK, said at the time of the announcement: ‘We’re proud of the work we’ve done with McLaren Racing and the role it has played in their success. As the relationship expands into new markets and racing series, we will continue working with McLaren to push the boundaries of performance and unlock new opportunities.’

Measurement challenges

Despite its popularity, sponsorship is notoriously difficult to measure. Traditional metrics, such as broadcast exposure and brand impressions, only capture part of the value. Modern measurement approaches increasingly incorporate:

• digital engagement metrics
• social media reach
• brand sentiment analysis
• consumer purchase intent.

Even so, evaluating sponsorship effectiveness remains complex. For finance professionals, the key is to assess sponsorship as part of a broader marketing ecosystem rather than as a standalone investment.