A new report from Getty Images raises questions about whether brands are truly utilising the spend they put into sponsoring a tournament, club or athlete.
More than 70% of sports fans want ongoing off-season communications, yet brands sponsoring teams and big tournaments often go quiet after the final whistle.
Despite making large investments in sports sponsorship, many brands are not effectively translating that access and visibility into fan engagement, according to The New Fandom Economy report by Getty Images.
The majority of fans (84%) in the UK said the culture around a sport is one of the major reasons they become a fan. However, game day is becoming a too narrow window for sponsorship activation.
Analysis from the report demonstrated that sport sponsorship has evolved from brand visibility to brands becoming active cultural participants.
Sports intellectual property revenue has grown almost twice as fast as GDP since 2015. Two Circles 2026 Sports IP Revenue League report estimated aggregate sport property revenue reached a record high of $174bn in 2025.
It is forecast to exceed $260bn by 2033, according to Fortune Business Insights, with the global sponsorship market projected to hit $150bn alone by 2032.
This growth, coupled with the rise of AI, is increasing demand for more content at an unprecedented rate.
What fans want
Getty Images report highlighted there is a key shift in expectations from fans of sponsors.
More than two-thirds (67%) of sports fans want personalised, always-on content that is aggregated in one place.
Over 70% said they want off-season communications such as behind-the-scenes, training imagery or pre-season walkthroughs – they are seeking to engage with athletes, the sport and the communities.
Around half (49%) said they are more likely to purchase from a brand advertising across TV and digital, highlighting that consistency across channels is important just as much as what a campaign says.
In addition, the report also pointed out that 56% of fans use a second screen during live matches, showcasing another avenue that sponsoring brands could utilise for engagement.
So what formats work for fandom? According to the data analysed by Getty images, 42% of fans want short-form video, 40% long-form video and 32% said images and posts on social media.
Therefore brands need a variety of content built into their media plans that can move with and where the fans are at a given moment. However, the content cannot just be replaced with lifestyle features, the sport still has to come first.
More authenticity in women’s sport
The other key shift shaping consumer behaviour is the rise of women’s sport. Investment and interest in women’s sport has been growing with a 22% year-on-year (YoY) rise in brand deals across leagues, teams and athletes in 2024.
Getty Images search data revealed a 219% YoY increase in the Women’s Super League, a 141% in England Women’s Cricket and 90% in the WNBA.
Much of this comes due to major successes such as the England Lioness’ winning the European champions back-to-back and the Red Roses winning the rugby world cup.
UEFA data revealed there has been a 150% rise in tournament sponsorship revenue for women’s football. While data from F1 showed that three in four new fans of the motor sport are women.
For brands, this is expanding the sports marketplace as well as influencing who participates and how fandom is expressed.
Despite increase in brand participation, figures suggested that representation of women in sport is still lagging behind with just 10% saying the current imagery authentically portrays female fans.
According to the report, 70% of fans want female athletes portrayed through skill and athleticism rather than their appearance or stereotypical roles.
Almost three-quarters (73%) believe female athletes deserve equal coverage to their male counterparts. A further 72% said children should see female athletes represented.
How can CMOs utilise sport sponsorship
Dr. Rebecca Swift, global head of creative at Getty Images, said: “Visual content is what turns a sponsorship into something audiences actually see and feel. Brands invest significantly to secure sponsorship rights, but those rights are only the starting point.
“Our research shows that lasting engagement depends on how effectively brands translate that access to athletes, fans, and the culture surrounding sport into visual stories grounded in authenticity, giving audiences something they can recognise and trust.”
To help brands maximise their sponsorship investments, the report suggests three key areas for marketers to consider.
The first is to turn sports rights into always-on content by extending it beyond game day or tournament weeks.
Second, when it comes to content, lead with the real. “Sport is built on real people and real moments – things AI can’t manufacture,” the report stated. “As content gets easier to scale, authentic access and authentic content become the differentiator.”
With this in mind, brands should consider putting fans inside the story, representing the fandom that’s already there to show the full picture and moments campaigns can’t always reach.
Finally, connect the sport to culture, whether that’s fashion, music, food, rituals or communities. This is about building relevance beyond the games.
