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.
NBA Sponsorship Spending Up 9% Last Season
Media Post, October 12, 2015
Sponsorship spending on the National Basketball Association and its 30 teams totaled $739 million last season, up 8.9 percent from the previous year’s $679 million, according to research from IEG, part of WPP’s ESP Properties... More
A-B InBev Takes Over SXSW Sponsorship From MillerCoors
Advertising Age, October 08, 2015
Miller Time is over at South by Southwest. Rival brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev will take over as sponsor of the Austin-based music, film and interactive festival, which has emerged as a major showcase for brands... More
Charlotte Hornets 'Below Average' for Sponsor Sales
Charlotte Business Journal, October 08, 2015
Michael Jordan and the Charlotte Hornets added 35 corporate partners during the two-year transition that left the Bobcats name behind, but the NBA team lags the league average in sponsorship... More
Citigroup To Become Sponsor Of NBC ‘Today’ Show Concert Series
New York Times, October 07, 2015
On Monday morning, viewers may notice a change to one of the “Today” show’s most familiar features. With a performance by Selena Gomez, the NBC program’s live-music series — sponsored by Toyota for the last 12 years — will be rechristened with the name of a new corporate patron, becoming the Citi Concert Series... More
Cavs' International Reach Could Be Lucrative
Crain's Cleveland Business, September 27, 2015
With the world’s best player on a roster complemented by standouts from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Russia, the Cleveland Cavaliers truly are global players... More
NHL, adidas: Visions Of Hockey World Cup, Stanley Cup, Jersey Ads, Marketing
nysportsjournalism.com, September 16, 2015
What had been talked about behind closed doors for nearly a year and a half and hinted at in public for weeks became official when the NHL shared details of its new seven-year alliance making adidas the exclusive outfitter of on-ice uniforms and official supplier of licensed apparel and headwear for the league starting with the 2017-18 season... More
Lenovo Uses Fantasy Football To Build Brand Awareness
Advertising Age, August 25, 2015
At Fantasy Online College, NFL running back Matt Forte teaches Chicago history and compares himself to other notable Chicagoans such as Barack Obama. Comedian J.B. Smoove is school chancellor and wideout Odell Beckham Jr. is senior professor, aeronautic miracles... More
For Tom Brady And NFL, Deflategate Has Nicked, Not Destroyed Images
Sporting News, August 18, 2015
NEW YORK — The NFL is accusing Tom Brady, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, of cheating in Deflategate. New York Jets QB Geno Smith just had his jaw busted by an enraged teammate. The league's still struggling with the fallout from Ray Rice’s domestic violence scandal and charges of child abuse against Adrian Peterson last season... More
Falcons Dispute ‘Unique’
Community News, August 13, 2015
A GLOBAL sponsorship expert has weighed in on the WAFL dispute between West Perth sponsor Channel 9 and TV rights holder Channel 7... More
Banks Are Stepping Up Their Sports Marketing Game
Crain’s Cleveland Business, July 12, 2015
If you've been to a Cleveland Indians game at Progressive Field, you've probably seen the KeyBank sign on the left side of the scoreboard. The Key logo that stretches across four light tower poles along the first-base line is even more difficult to miss... More
The Dramatic Fall Of The Tebow Brand
philly.com, July 10, 2015
This is not a column about Tim Tebow and the Eagles, really. This is not about whether he'll beat out Matt Barkley for the No. 3 quarterback spot or whether Chip Kelly will use him in short-yardage or special-teams situations or whether his throwing motion is quicker and tighter and no longer resembles Sandy Koufax working out of the stretch. This is not a column about the minutia of football we tend to focus on when we focus on the Eagles. Feel free to stop reading. No one will be offended... More
Carli Lloyd Inks Deal With Visa, Other Endorsements Loom
Advertising Age, July 06, 2015
The social media verdict is in: Carli Lloyd was the biggest sports star on the planet yesterday. But if the soccer star is going to cash in with brands she will have to move fast, according to sports marketing experts... More
ThePostGame Will Partner With WPP's New Sports Entertainment Business
Adweek, June 30, 2015
ThePostGame, a 4-year-old digital media property that reaches roughly 40 million people per month, is set to make a few major announcements. First up will be a sales and marketing partnership with WPP's new entertainment, sports and partnership business, ESP Properties... More
WPP Acquires Two Circles And Forges New Agency Offering
Sports Pro Media, June 25, 2015
GroupM, global marketing giant WPP’s media investment management company, acquired London-based sports data marketing agency Two Circles in May, and rolled it into a new global agency brand called ESP. ESP will consist of two separate businesses – ESP Properties and ESP Brand – and will be GroupM’s first company dedicated to serving sports and entertainment rights holders... More
Sponsors Follow The Fans In Wake Of FIFA Corruption Scandal
The Globe and Mail, June 14, 2015
The deepening corruption scandal at FIFA has led to calls for sponsors to drop their support of soccer to send a message about ethics. But unless fans are willing to walk away, it’s unlikely the sport’s governing body will feel much pain... More
NHL Sponsorship Grows Faster Than NFL's
Chicago Tribune, June 11, 2015
Whether or not the Blackhawks beat the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final, there's one competition where the team has already won big: sponsorship dollars... More