Brands flock to sports for added reach

John Rhodes still remembers the moment time seemed to stretch. Watching the Rugby World Cup final in Sydney in 2003, he recalls the uncertainty, and then sudden release when England clinched victory with a last-minute drop goal. “You felt time expand,” he says.

It is that feeling of unpredictability, and of millions experiencing the same unrepeatable moment together, that is drawing brands to sport even as audiences splinter elsewhere. Media executives and analysts call it “monoculture”. 

French advertising group Publicis recently agreed to acquire sports marketing agency 160over90 from WME for a reported $500mn — more than double what WME paid for it in 2018 — underscoring the growing value attached to sports-related marketing assets.

Announcing the deal, Publicis chief executive Arthur Sadoun described sport as “one of the most high-value channels” for clients, combining cultural relevance with live engagement.

The deal reflects a broader push by advertising groups into sports, as traditional channels fragment and become harder to use for brand-building. Brian Wieser, a media analyst and former WPP executive, says that sports marketing offers a relative “hedge” as traditional TV advertising becomes less valuable and digital advertising becomes increasingly performance-driven.

“Investment in the space is likely to continue,” Wieser predicts. 

The investment surge in sports is underpinned by audience trends. Viewership for March Madness, the US college basketball tournament, this year hit a 33-year high, while nearly half of the US population watches live sport, according to data provider Emarketer.

At the same time, the rise of women’s sport is expanding both audiences and sponsorship opportunities.

The price of sports media rights is also rising, with global spending expected to top $78bn by 2030, according to Ampere Analysis, as broadcasters and the world’s largest tech companies — such as Amazon and Apple — compete to air live games. 

The appeal is not just theoretical. Live sport continues to deliver both scale and influence. Last year’s Super Bowl drew a record 127mn viewers, while data from Nielsen shows that fans are significantly more receptive to brands involved in sponsorship. Nearly two-thirds said they would choose a sponsor’s product over a rival’s if price and quality were similar, according to Nielsen.

The expansion of viewing across both broadcast and streaming platforms is also extending reach, with different channels attracting complementary audiences rather than fragmenting a single set of fans.

On the ground, that shift is also changing how sports venues are conceived and run. Rhodes, an architect and design principal at HOK who works on sports and entertainment venues, says brands are harnessing the pull of sport in increasingly sophisticated ways.

Stadiums and arenas are no longer designed just as places to watch sport, but as platforms for brand engagement. “You need to create an environment where you can engage partners on many different levels,” he says.

For example, rather than relying on a single naming-rights deal, venues are increasingly structured around multiple commercial partnerships. Tech companies might power audiovisual systems, while drinks brands create dedicated hospitality spaces.

In Valencia, for example, Rhodes points to a whisky-branded lounge designed to connect the product with the atmosphere of celebration inside the arena. In the UK meanwhile, Everton FC’s new stadium includes a luxury watch boutique run by a club sponsor.

The result, he says, is a more immersive form of marketing, where brands are embedded into the experience itself rather than simply advertised alongside it. For marketers, this offers not just visibility but association — linking their products to moments that carry emotional and cultural weight.

But as brands deepen their presence, they also risk alienating fans. 

Partnerships must feel credible, Rhodes says, particularly as audiences grow more attuned to issues such as sustainability and community impact. “You can’t blag the public,” he says. For venue operators, that means ensuring the physical space aligns with the values brands want to project — whether through environmental design or by working with genuinely local partners.

For agencies, the appeal lies in the convergence of multiple strands of marketing. Sport, says Dave Penski, chief executive of Publicis Connected Media, has become “the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community”. 

You’re not just buying a seat any more — you’re building an experience

Looking ahead, the next phase of sports marketing is likely to be more personalised. Rather than buying a standard ticket, fans are increasingly assembling bespoke experiences which combine hospitality, entertainment and access. “You’re not just buying a seat any more — you’re building an experience,” Rhodes says.

That in turn creates more targeted opportunities for brands, which can tailor their adverts to specific audiences.

Over time, Rhodes expects physical and digital experiences to become more closely integrated, allowing marketers to engage fans in ways that feel less intrusive and more relevant. But brands will need to be cautious, he warns. “It has to feel like a benefit to the fan, not something being pushed at them.”

For brands navigating a media landscape where it may feel difficult to attract attention, that balance may prove critical.