Announcements
We are pleased to serve as the primary source of sponsorship information and analysis for news media around the globe. Our current annoucements and news releases are viewable through the links below.
Cubs World Series Makes Team’s Stars A Hit With Marketers
Chicago Tribune, October 25, 2016
Winning the World Series could do more than end a centurylong drought for the Chicago Cubs and their long-suffering fans. A victory on baseball's ultimate stage could launch the team's charismatic young stars, and its grizzled manager, into the sports marketing elite... More
Is Kaepernick's Brand Benefiting From National Anthem Protests?
Fox Business, September 13, 2016
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has endured plenty of criticism in recent weeks due to his decision to kneel in protest during the National Anthem, but there’s evidence that the ongoing debate over his actions has boosted his personal brand... More
Here's What Sox Get in Ballpark Naming Deal
Crain's Chicago Business, September 01, 2016
The White Sox's new stadium naming rights deal with Chicago-based mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate is worth a fraction of the team's previous contract with U.S. Cellular... More
So You Sponsor Colin Kaepernick, Now What?
Ad Age, August 31, 2016
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has effectively put his sponsors in a quagmire with his controversial decision to remain seated as the national anthem played during last Friday's preseason game against the Green Bay Packers... More
MasterCard’s Priceless Sponsorship
Warc, August 24, 2016
MasterCard, the payments firm, is shifting its sponsorship strategy away from being a "dumb buyer" and towards co-creating unique partnerships and experiences – a move based in part on meeting the needs of millennials... More
How Nike Brilliantly Ruined Olympic Marketing Forever
Adweek, August 10, 2016
Unless you happen to be a company like GE, Coca-Cola or McDonald's—a brand that can afford the reported $100 million to $200 million it costs to be an official Olympic sponsor—you'd better not mention the Rio games in your marketing... More
Key Sponsors Praise NBA Move to Pull All-Star Game From N.C.
Ad Age, July 21, 2016
The National Basketball Association today said it would pull the 2017 All-Star game from North Carolina, citing the state's controversial anti-LGBT law. And sponsors — which faced the prospect of dealing with protests — are big winners in the decision, said sports marketing experts... More
Sevens’ Olympic Moment
Raconteur, July 10, 2016
As rugby sevens makes its bow at the Rio Olympics, players, fans and sponsors believe that the shortened version of the game could be about to break out as a real commercial force... More
NBA Sponsorship Dollars Jump 8% in 2015-16 Season
MediaPost, June 30, 2016
Sponsorship spending on the National Basketball Association and its 30 teams totaled nearly $800 million in the 2015-2016 season — up 8% from the previous year, according to IEG research, part of WPP’s ESP Properties... More