The 2025 State of Sports Marketing Report

THE 2025 STATE OF SPORTS MARKETING

A NOTE FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR

PAUL WOOLMINGTON

Sport: Aligning The Universal Faith With The Science of Fan Passion

Sports create mythologies every day. These are stories about dynastic teams defending their place in history; athletic legends rising once more; traditions that are given new life in arenas that are imbued with a sense of permanence. These mythologies give structure to our hopes, fears, and ideals. Just like religion.

Thinking about all this from the vantage point of being in Cannes, that glittering temple of creativity and commerce on the French Riviera, I find myself reflecting on why we in the marketing world are so drawn to the phenomenon of sport. What is it about these games, these contests of human will and ability, that commands our attention and investment year after year?

The answer lies in something far deeper than metrics and media impressions. In a world increasingly fragmented by technology, politics, and ideology, sport stands nearly alone as a universal language — a shared experience that transcends the divisions that separate us. It is, in the truest sense, our modern faith.

THE LAST UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF WORSHIP

Sociologist Émile Durkheim called it “collective effervescence” — that electric sensation of being part of something larger than oneself. It’s a sensation not only found in houses of worship. It also lives and breathes in stadiums packed with 80,000 souls singing, shouting, cheering, grieving together. From SoFi Stadium in Los

Angeles to Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid to Melbourne Cricket Ground, these architectural wonders mirror religious awe with their soaring roofs and ceremonial spaces. However, they are not built to honor saints but to glorify athletes — our modern equivalents of the Greek gods.

Super Bowl Sunday has surpassed many religious holidays in cultural importance in America. It’s a secular “holy day” celebrated with ritual meals, symbolic vestments, and communal gathering.

The World Cup final draws more viewers than any other human event, a global congregation united in watching the same drama unfold in real time.

“Faith is believing without seeing,” as the old religious maxim goes.

And few acts of devotion match a lifelong fan’s belief that next season will finally bring redemption. The Chicago Cubs faithful waited 108 years for their miracle. When it came in 2016, the emotional outpouring saw adults weeping openly. Multiple generations celebrated as one. Graves of long-deceased fans were adorned with pennants and messages from old fans and new. “They did it. They finally did it.”

Those aren’t just touching sports stories. They’re modern religious experiences, complete with suffering, redemption, and communal catharsis.

And this isn’t merely poetic metaphor. As Michael Novak noted in his landmark work, “The Joy of

It’s a sensation not only found in houses of worship. It also lives and breathes in stadiums packed with 80,000 souls singing, shouting, cheering, grieving together. “ >

Sports,” athletic competition provides precisely what the best of religion does: ritual, myth, hero worship, and communal experience. Sport creates order from chaos, meaning from randomness, and shared narratives in an age where communal storytelling has become fragmented across infinite digital channels.

I’ve witnessed this power firsthand. During the pandemic, when our stadiums fell silent, something fundamental was missing from our cultural experience. It wasn’t just entertainment; it was communion. The return of fans to stands, even at reduced capacity, felt like a spiritual homecoming.

A FAITH WITHOUT BORDERS

As we look ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup spread across North America, we see something truly remarkable: a tournament that will unite three nations currently experiencing significant political tensions. The United States, Mexico, and Canada — countries engaged in complicated border negotiations, trade disputes, and cultural frictions — will together host the world’s mostwatched sporting event.

This paradoxical union perfectly encapsulates sport’s unique position in our cultural landscape. While politicians debate border walls, soccer fans will travel freely between these countries, united by their passion for the beautiful game. Corporate sponsors will craft campaigns that

emphasize unity over division. For one glorious month, what unites these nations will take precedence over what divides them.

The diplomatic significance cannot be overstated. At a time when geopolitical tensions run high across the globe, the World Cup offers a rare opportunity for nations to engage in peaceful competition and cultural exchange.

All this might come across as naive optimism, but it is, rather, the demonstrated power of sport throughout history.

Consider how the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang created a diplomatic opening between North and South Korea. Or how cricket matches between India and Pakistan have occasionally thawed relations between these nuclear-armed neighbors. Sport doesn’t solve deep political problems, but it creates windows for dialogue that might otherwise remain closed.

The 2026 World Cup will extend this tradition, bringing together 48 nations in peaceful competition. And its legacy will continue through to the 2031 Women’s World Cup, which returns to American soil with unprecedented momentum behind women’s sports.

THE AMERICAN GOSPEL GOES GLOBAL

The evolution of sport as a global business carries a distinctly American accent. The commercialization model pioneered by American leagues, with its emphasis on entertainment value,

storytelling, and fan engagement, has become the template for sports organizations worldwide.

Consider the English Premier League. Once a predominantly local affair, it has been transformed into a global entertainment product worth billion, following the American playbook of media rights deals, international marketing, and yearround content creation.

The NBA has exported not just basketball but an entire cultural ecosystem, complete with fashion, music, and lifestyle elements. Formula 1’s American expansion under Liberty Media has revolutionized the sport’s presentation, with the Netflix series “Drive to Survive” creating a new generation of fans through compelling narrative storytelling.

This Americanization isn’t a new form of cultural imperialism; it’s a sophisticated exchange of cultures, full of nuance and mutual appreciation.

America exports its business models and entertainment expertise while importing sporting traditions and talents from around the world.

The NFL now regularly plays games in London and Munich. Major League Baseball opened its season in Tokyo. The NBA drafts players from every continent. It’s a circular flow of influence, capital, and culture.

But the most profound American export isn’t merely a business model, it’s the elevation of athletes as independent brands and cultural forces. Nowhere is this more evident

than in the explosion of athlete-led content, commerce, and activism that’s emerged in recent years.

DATA STORYTELLING CONNECTS SCIENCE AND FAITH

Beneath this cultural transformation lies a more fundamental shift that represents the marriage of faith and science in modern sports marketing.

While fans experience the transcendent power of sport through pure emotion and community, the industry increasingly depends on sophisticated analytics to enhance every aspect of the experience – including players’ performance optimization, fan engagement strategies, and outcomesdriven advertising and sponsorship measurement.

This creates a fascinating paradox: we are simultaneously witnessing sport’s elevation as a spiritual and communal experience while drowning in an ironically prosaic ocean of metrics, KPIs, and data points. Every platform, every medium, every piece of technology generates its own set of measurements and insights. As artificial intelligence becomes commonplace throughout all industries, we’ll all be subsumed in a truly infinite array of data about everything from player biometrics to fan purchasing behaviors to real-time sentiment analysis.

It’s easy for all of us, clients included, to become overwhelmed by it all, struggling to see the forest for the

trees. What we need now is not more data, but a new kind of custodian — on to bring color and humanity back into our sights; the data storyteller.

This emerging role is part liberal arts major, part data geek. The data storyteller possesses the analytical skills to dive deep into the numbers, and the communication prowess to weave those analytical insights into compelling narratives. These new sherpas can bring marketers through the newly complex sports landscape using deep analytical capabilities, strong communication and creative abilities, collaborative mindsets, and a keen understanding of media, communications, and business strategy.

Joining the credibility of hard data with the emotional resonance of a well-told tale grounded in emotional truth, the data storyteller moves the message beyond information; they engage, convince, and spur reaction.

Just as ancient storytellers had to paint vivid pictures, setting scenes

and providing crucial context for their communities, the data storyteller must transform raw statistics into narratives that capture both attention and imagination.

Marketing and communications methods and tools are changing dramatically. So are the media consumption habits of the audiences advertisers want to reach. But the reasons our hearts and minds — our attention, our curiosity – are captured remain immutable. We all watch, read, listen, because we are moved by the way information is presented to us — we identify with it.

Advertising is forever grounded in the art and science of persuasion. The data storyteller therefore emerges as a crucial figure in sports marketing, blending raw data with meaningful insights, words, sounds, and images. This becomes particularly vital in the dynamic intersection of brands, media, leagues, teams, athletes, and fans –connecting data and analytics to make the statistics of the game, and the value of outcomes-driven advertising, marketing, and sponsorships, meaningful and actionable.

“ >

What we need now is not more data, but a new kind of custodian — on to bring color and humanity back into our sights; the data storyteller.

By embracing this role and the principles of data storytelling, we can create more impactful, persuasive, and memorable campaigns that honor both the spiritual dimensions of sport and the analytical rigor required for measurable success.

THE HOLY TRINITY: SPORT, CULTURE,

AND COMMUNITY

The elite athletes of 2025 are CEOs of their own corporations, with business portfolios that extend far beyond their playing careers. LeBron James isn’t just a basketball player; he’s a media company, a philanthropist, a political voice, and a cultural tastemaker. Naomi Osaka isn’t merely a tennis champion; she’s a mental health advocate, fashion designer, and founder of her own skincare line.

This very American branding phenomenon represents the completion of a transformation that began with Michael Jordan’s groundbreaking Nike partnership in the 1980s. Athletes are no longer merely endorsers of products. They are creators of culture.

What is more, the intersection of sport with fashion, music, and technology has created a newly extended and integrated cultural ecosystem. Travis Scott designs basketball shoes. Rihanna performs at the Super Bowl. Technological innovations born in sports performance labs influence street fashion. The boundaries between these worlds have dissolved.

Most importantly, athletes have claimed their place as social and political voices. From Colin Kaepernick’s protesting racial injustice to Marcus Rashford’s campaign against child food poverty in the UK, athletes are leveraging their platforms to drive social change.

This activism isn’t without controversy and polarization, but it reflects the genuine makeup of who we all are as fans, as consumers, as people. At the heart of it is that unique, spirited connection between sports figures and the communities they represent.

This development carries profound implications for brands. The transactional celebrity endorsement model is increasingly giving way to deeper partnerships built around shared values and authentic connection. Brands that understand this shift will find ways to amplify athlete voices rather than simply borrowing their fame.

WHERE SPORT GOES NEXT

At CES earlier this year, I was asked about the future of advertising and the role of sports in media. I replied with my standard caveat about predictions: “There are two types of folks who offer predictions: those that don’t know, and those that don’t know they don’t know.”

With that disclaimer firmly in place, I’ll venture a few observations about where sport is headed.

First, the line between physical and digital sports experiences will continue to blur. The metaverse may have lost some of its hype, but the fundamental concept of hybrid physical-digital experiences remains compelling. Truly innovative sports properties will create seamless experiences that carry us through in-person events, broadcast content, social media engagement,

gaming, and digital collectibles.

Second, the globalization of sport will accelerate, but with increasing emphasis on cultural adaptation rather than simply exporting American or European models. We’ll see more genuine fusion between sporting traditions, creating new hybrid forms that honor local cultures while engaging global audiences.

Third, athlete autonomy will continue to reshape the power dynamics in sports. The creator economy has given athletes unprecedented control over their narratives and direct relationships with fans. Leagues and teams will need to adapt to this reality, finding new ways to add value beyond simply providing a platform.

Fourth, the monetization of women’s sports will finally begin to match its cultural impact. The incredible growth of the WNBA following Caitlin Clark’s emergence is just the beginning. The 2031 Women’s World Cup will mark a

“ Sport endures because it speaks to something essential in the human experience — our need for meaning, connection, and transcendence.

watershed moment in the commercial development of women’s athletics.

Finally, sport will be valued increasingly, not just for its entertainment jolt, but for its social impact. The most successful sports organizations will be those that can articulate and deliver on a purpose beyond profit. Whether that’s community development, youth engagement, or environmental sustainability.

THE TRANSCENDENT POWER

What makes all this possible — what makes sport unique among entertainment forms — is its transcendent power to create meaningful connection. In an age of widening polarization, sport offers something vanishingly rare: a shared experience that cuts across demographic, political, and cultural divides.

When Lionel Messi finally lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar, the moment resonated with billions. And it wasn’t just football fans. It was anyone who could appreciate the culmination of a lifelong dream.

When Simone Biles returned to Olympic competition after prioritizing her mental health, her hard-won experience spoke to universal themes of courage, vulnerability, and resilience.

These aren’t merely sports stories. They’re human stories. They’re our

history. They connect us to our shared humanity in ways that few other cultural experiences can.

For brands and marketers, this represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. The opportunity is to participate in cultural moments of genuine significance — to be part of conversations that matter. The responsibility is to approach these moments with authenticity and respect, recognizing that we are guests in a sacred space.

Successful sports marketing doesn’t simply leverage the passion of fans; it honors it. It adds value to the experience rather than extracting value from it. It understands that in the religion of sport, brands are neither gods nor priests. They are fellow worshippers, fortunate to share

in the observance.

As we continue to celebrate creativity beyond Cannes, let us remember this fundamental truth: Sport endures because it speaks to something essential in the human experience — our need for meaning, connection, and transcendence.

In a dizzyingly complex world, keeping that serendipity in mind is not just good business. It’s a form of grace that’s grounded in data and the story of sports.

0 INS IDE

Where The Viewers Are –And What They’re Worth p10

The Americanization of Sports: What It Means Now – And Next p22

The Heart and the Hard Drive: Data Enhances Sports’ Sensory Soul p28

Formula 1’s American Renaissance p36

The NFL’s Global and Streaming Playbook p44

Soccer: The Center of Sports’ Convergence p52

The Caitlin Clark Effect – And the Rise of Women’s Sports p58

Game Day Meets The Digital

p64

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If the world of leagues, teams, and athletes in 2024 was about recordbreaking ratings, deals, and (dare we say) even moments of joy, this year is poised for even greater heights as brands, media, and sports organizations build on past successes and prep for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Winter Olympics.

Where The Viewers Are And What They’re Worth

Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass against the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Luke Hales/ Getty Images)

The global sports market is projected to grow from $463 billion in 2024 to $862 billion by 2033, representing a steady 7% (compound annual growth rate), according to sports and entertainment investment bank Houlihan Lokey’s Fall 2024 Sports Market Update. These gains across the entire sports ecosystem are being driven by a panoply of interconnected changes in content consumption, ad spending and marketing, and fan engagement strategies.

For brands like real estate marketplace Zillow, sports weren’t part of its media mix. But that’s changed as sports programming has increasingly proven its value in both the softer brand building objectives and driving revenue and leads.

with Zillow’s target consumers. Zillow also prioritized programming with high attention levels, as data shows a direct link between engaged viewership and ad effectiveness, Wild added.

“The goal was to disrupt the perception of Zillow as just a homeshopping platform by highlighting our ability to help consumers transact, like connecting with an agent or securing a home loan,” Wild said in an interview for this report. “This ‘interrupting the pattern’ approach became a cornerstone of our media strategy.”

VIEWERSHIP & AUDIENCE TRENDS

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That rising tide of sports viewership has been driven, in part, by the entry of tech companies into live sports.

“While sports offer unparalleled consumer engagement due to their live nature, they are also more costly, and Zillow had little presence in this space,” said Ed Wild, Zillow’s VP of Performance Media. “However, in June 2023, we made our first sports investment in years, launching our new brand campaign during the NBA Finals.”

This decision was strategic: the NBA over-indexes in terms of audience engagement and alignment

Attention is increasingly the defined metric driving ad spending. It’s not just about capturing eyeballs anymore. The action of live sports, the “anything can happen,” delivers engagement unmatched by anything else that can be paused or binged.

That high-attention quality underlies the numbers in Nielsen’s Dec. 2024 Top of Sports report. The study pointed to several significant viewership milestones influencing the economics surrounding athletics and media.

At the top of the list, the NFL continues to dominate U.S. viewership with 519.4 billion minutes watched over the past

year. Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers achieved a recordbreaking audience of 123.7 million viewers, the largest single-network telecast to date.

In charting the continuing surge in enthusiasm for women’s sports, Nielsen noted that WNBA regular season coverage across Disney channels and ION averaged 942,000 viewers — a 201% leap over the prior season. The WNBA All-Star game drew 3.4 million viewers, while the finals between Minnesota and New York reached 13.8 million unique viewers across five games, marking the most-watched finals in 25 years.

That rising tide of sports viewership has been driven, in part, by the entry of tech companies into live sports. The deep pockets of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple+, and Google’s YouTube have all raised the

FEATURED

Ed Wild VP, PERFORMANCE MEDIA, ZILLOW

stakes for traditional TV networks and their own streaming offshoots.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking towards 2028, when the sports rights contracts for running games by the MLB, NHL, and Premier League are all set to expire.

MEDIA RIGHTS & STREAMING EVOLUTION

The sports media rights market is in flux — and will continue to be for the next few years in the run up to that the big 2028 date.

Sports rights’ costs currently exceed $60 billion annually, according to Houlihan Lokey.

The NFL leads with approximately $12 billion in annual rights fees, followed by the English Premier League and NBA at roughly $4 billion each.

The single biggest element pushing sports rights higher is the

Brian Wieser CEO & PRINCIPAL, MADISON AND WALL

rise of live streaming deals. Nielsen data shows streaming platforms are gaining significant traction. Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football coverage averages 14.3 million viewers, while Peacock’s exclusive NFL game drew 14.0 million viewers. NBCUniversal’s Olympics coverage on Peacock saw a 39% surge in viewership and doubled its adult 35-49 audience.

THE GREAT CONTENT DIVIDE

The economics of television are being fundamentally reshaped by the soaring costs of sports rights, creating a widening divide between sports and other programming that could transform both advertising and entertainment, according to leading media and advertising analyst Brian Wieser, the CEO and principal of Madison and Wall.

In an interview for this report, Wieser shared research showing sports rights costs have grown at nearly 8% annually over the past two decades, with projections showing continued 7% annual growth through 2029. This comes as overall industry revenue remains essentially flat, creating an unsustainable dynamic where sports will consume an ever-larger share of content budgets.

The math is stark: While sports >

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The economics of television are being fundamentally reshaped by the soaring costs of sports rights, creating a widening divide between sports and other programming.

programming accounts for only about 10% of linear TV viewing, it already commands roughly 40% of content costs. By 2029, sports rights will claim more than half of all programming spending across networks, streamers and local stations. This could force a 14% reduction in non-sports content investment over the next five years.

THE LIMITS OF GAME CHANGERS

The role of major tech companies has only accelerated rights inflation. “The introduction of these players causes costs to go up,” Wieser said. Amazon, Apple, and YouTube have emerged as major bidders, while Netflix has made its first moves into live sports with exclusive NFL games.

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, speaking to analysts during the streamer’s Q4 earnings call in late January 2025, credited sports for producing the company’s highest quarterly subscriber growth. About 19 million more subs signed up to watch football, the weekly WWE Raw series, and more circus-like fare such as the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight.

Don’t expect a deeper dive into

live sports, however. Sarandos signaled that he’s pleased with Netflix’s formula and doesn’t plan to tinker with it.

“The average minute audience for those [NFL] games were 30 million and 31 million,” Sarandos said. “It’s phenomenal. And Beyonce also set a very high bar for future halftime shows, even for the Super Bowl. So, we’re really thrilled with the viewing. We’re thrilled with everything about it.

“All that being said, we are constantly trying to broaden our programming, and live events is one of those things, and sports is part of those live events,” the Netflix CEO continued. “But it doesn’t really change the underlying economics of full season big league sports being extremely challenging. So, if there was a path where we could actually make the economics work for both us and the league, we certainly would explore. But right now, we believe that the live events business is where we really want to be and sports is a very important part of that, but it is a part of that expansion.”

As for ongoing moves of the other tech giants into live sports, Wieser >

Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx heads for the net as Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty defends during Game Five of the WNBA Finals at Barclays Center on October 20, 2024 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images WHERE

not that different than it ever was in the sense that you always had multiple places,” he said. “It is rare that there’s been one true home of any given league.”

For major brand advertisers, sports’ unmatched value makes the price worth it. “Marketers who want to buy sports are big and need to reach everyone,” said Wieser, noting that micro-targeting capabilities touted by streaming platforms matter less for mass-market sports advertising.

However, the declining investment in non-sports programming could accelerate the shift of advertising dollars away from television. “If content budgets are managed on a percentage of revenue model, this could lead to very negative outcomes,” Wieser wrote in a Madison and Wall December report.

“STREAMING FATIGUE” IS A MYTH

Despite concerns about “streaming fatigue” as consumers juggle multiple services, Wieser sees continued room for growth. “It’s a myth to suggest that people are hitting walls,” he said. “What they’re doing

in general is they’re shifting their spending away from traditional pay TV and onto streaming services.”

Wieser noted that consumer spending on video services has historically grown by only 1-2% annually over the past two decades. The difference now is greater choice in how to allocate that spending.

This shift in spending patterns is supported by Deloitte’s 2024 Digital Media Trends study, which found that 88% of US households maintain at least one streaming subscription, with the average household paying for four services. However, price sensitivity remains a key factor, with 73% of consumers expressing frustration over rising subscription costs.

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The coming years will test whether the traditional bundling of sports and nonsports content remains viable as costs diverge dramatically.

The market’s response has been the emergence of sports-centric “skinny bundles.” As reported by Front Office Sports in January 2025, major distributors like Comcast and DirecTV have launched strippeddown packages around $70 monthly, positioning themselves as more affordable alternatives to full-service streaming platforms like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, which now start at $82.99 per month.

One potential wildcard is artificial intelligence. Wieser’s report suggests AI could help maintain programming quality despite reduced budgets, though the extent of its impact remains speculative.

For traditional networks, the math becomes harder to square. “By the end of the five-year period, they’ll be spending half their budget on sports for probably 10% of their viewing,” Wieser added. “Does other content get cheap enough to still be good or is it all going to be crappy and accelerate consumers [leaving] except for sports?”

BUNDLING BITES BACK: THE RISE AND FALL OF VENU

The coming years will test whether the traditional bundling of sports and non-sports content remains viable as costs diverge dramatically. Netflix’s entry into NFL programming, while still limited, signals the potential

for streaming platforms to become major players in live sports.

In February 2024, a bold experiment in sports media promised to answer frustrated sports fans who wanted access to live sports without traditional cable subscriptions.

But by January 2025, cord-cutters were again disappointed as the joint venture — dubbed the “great rebundling” — came to an abrupt end with the potential partners, ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery abandoning Venu (as the planned streaming service was to be called.)

The proposed Venu would have offered an unprecedented collection of sports content, bringing together coverage from over a dozen channels including ESPN, Fox Sports, and Turner networks, spanning major leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, along with college sports and international competitions.

However, the venture faced significant headwinds from the start highlighting the complex challenges facing traditional media companies as they attempt to navigate the streaming revolution.

Cable and satellite operators,

particularly DirecTV, saw the service as an existential threat to their business model. DirecTV filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission alleging that Disney was engaging in anti-competitive behavior by forcing carriers to bundle non-sports content with ESPN or pay premium rates. It only brought greater attention to the delicate balance media companies must maintain between their traditional distribution partnerships and direct-to-consumer ambitions.

The opposition extended beyond industry players to Capitol Hill, where Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren raised concerns about market consolidation. Their argument centered on how the joint venture would affect competition for sports rights, suggesting that having three major broadcasters working together could ultimately harm consumers by reducing competitive

bidding for sports contracts.

These concerns resonated with regulators. Ultimately, a judge’s ruling against Venu’s formation cited possible anti-competitive outcomes by allowing major media companies to collaborate rather than compete in the streaming space.

However, the demise of Venu doesn’t mean the end of the rebundling concept. ESPN is proceeding with plans to craft its own standalone streaming app in fall 2025. The thinking is that an individual company is likely to face fewer regulatory hurdles than joint ventures.

All video content owners must balance multiple competing interests: serving changing consumer preferences, maintaining relationships with traditional distribution partners, navigating regulatory scrutiny, and protecting their existing revenue streams.

As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, the lessons learned from Venu’s failure will likely influence future attempts to bring live sports to cord-cutters. The venture’s collapse suggests that > WHERE

by regulatory, competitive, and business model challenges that even the industry’s biggest players cannot easily overcome.

In any case, linear TV isn’t going away. And when it comes to live sports, the traditional viewing experience will remain essential for sports leagues and teams, as well as brand advertisers.

LIVE SPORTS: STREAMING AND LINEAR AREN’T ENEMIES

The unambiguously positive execution of Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day games tell a story of how streaming platforms can overcome technical challenges to deliver highquality live sports experiences. After

. The rise of women’s sports is a major trendline that deserves greater appreciation and analysis. “

initial concerns stemming from technical issues during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match, Netflix’s NFL broadcast showed the platform’s ability to handle major live sporting events.

Jamie Power, SVP, Addressable Sales at Disney Advertising, outlined the future vision on a panel at Digital Hollywood at CES 2025: “Imagine a world very soon where you’re watching a game and your fantasy feed is on one side and your ESPN bet is on the other, and then you’re in immersive worlds. It’s about that experience. It’s about the immersion and that’s how you keep fans there and engaged.”

That sense of immersion is entirely quantifiable. That’s the appeal for brands like Zillow.

The marketer relies on a combination of short-term and longterm KPIs to measure the success of Zillow’s sports marketing results, Wild said.

“In the short term, tools like iSpot allow us to track TV ad performance and directly link exposure to specific actions, such as website visits or form submissions,” Wild said. “For the NBA Finals campaign, we didn’t have pre-existing sports data, but we

made a calculated bet based on deep consumer insights and attention metrics.”

LINEAR’S ROLE REMAINS CRUCIAL

Madison and Wall’s Wieser offered some context for traditional viewing’s continued relevance, particularly in the sports realm. “The leagues have leverage in their negotiations and the fact that there are multiple potential bidders, like new bidders for rights, offsetting those who go away — that just continues to improve the leverage that leagues have.”

Fox Sports’ experience illustrates this continuing strength. As Front Office Sports reported in November 2024, the network generated $3.56 billion in revenue during its fiscal first quarter, up 11% from the previous year.

The relationship between streaming and traditional broadcast has become much more intricate.

Evan Giamanco, SVP of Digital Revenue Strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery, spoke about the strategic importance of sports content at a CES Digital Hollywood panel in January 2025, noting, “There are only two live appointment viewing mediums right now: news and sports. So having sports

content, you’re seeing it become more and more important to these streaming services.

As we mentioned earlier, tech companies are intently contesting traditional media company’s hold on sports rights. But history and experience have their value as the streaming space expands.

For example, the WNBA’s

new media agreement, worth $200 million annually starting in 2026, involves both traditional broadcasters (Disney, NBC) and streaming platforms (Amazon Prime), reflecting the league’s understanding that fans consume content across multiple platforms.

Still, the shift toward streaming has created new challenges in measuring audience engagement.

As Fox Sports president of insight and analytics Mike Mulvihill told Front Office Sports in November 2024, “If Nielsen required streamers to be all-in or all-out with their live measurement — which is what’s always been required of [linear] networks — we’d have a more complete understanding of our market.”

This incomplete understanding extends to advertising effectiveness. EDO’s research throughout 2024 >

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024. Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024

showed that different platforms can deliver different levels of advertising impact, even for similar content. Clarifying these nuances is the mission for brands investing in sports marketing in 2025 and beyond.

COMMERCIAL VALUE AND SPONSORSHIP

In Houlihan Lokey’s analysis, Formula 1’s top teams’ title partners generated over $6 million in media value per race in 2024. The firm noted that brand partnerships of F1

teams now account for 6.6% of all global sports sponsorship revenue.

Nielsen’s research found that in baseball and basketball alone, the top 10 most valuable sports sponsorship assets delivered almost $340 million in media value for brands in 2024.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ jersey patch sponsorship led with $46.7 million in media value, followed by the New York Yankees at $46.1 million.

While upheavals in the media and technology propelling sports’ values higher can be head-spinning, media

networks and advertisers have adapted quickly to new technologies and understanding of changing consumer preferences.

The 2024 numbers above support that view.

The convergence of these trends — rising valuations, evolving media consumption patterns, and growing sponsor engagement — suggests continued strong growth across the sports ecosystem, particularly in digital and streaming platforms, women’s sports, and technologyenabled fan experiences.

Bobbi Oshiro and Will Howells in action during a pro mixed doubles during the final day of the Owl APP Newport Beach Open match. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/The APP/Getty Images)

“NICHE” EXPANDS FURTHER

The changes we saw in the business of sports happened gradually. And yet, in 2024, many changes seemed to happen all at once.

Niche sports from Formula 1 racing to pickleball got even more traction with audiences and advertisers. The centrality of celebrities and pop culture tied sporting events, advertising, and players together like never before. Women’s sports surpassed expectations for growth across basketball and soccer, which is likely to lift the prestige and payday for female hockey, lacrosse, and rugby. Sports where women have often received acclaim, such as tennis, gymnastics, swimming, ice skating, and skiing will also benefit as the female tide rises.

Brand Innovators’ and Canvas Worldwide’s F1 event in Las Vegas absorbed and reflected the various transformations between sports, brands, media, and fandom. Bringing together industry leaders to explore groundbreaking brand activations from companies like Heineken, T-Mobile, and Resorts World that demonstrated the evolving relationship between sports, brands, and consumer engagement.

What was once considered “niche” has become firmly mainstream.

Speaking of how niche has

become dominant… the rise of women’s sports is a major trendline that deserves greater appreciation and analysis.

Women’s sports surpassed the billion-dollar threshold in 2024, with elite leagues like the WNBA completing its most-watched regular season in 21 years.

Women’s sports gaining fuller attention, respect, and investment from fans, brands, and media is a reflection of a sign we pointed out in last year’s Sports Marketing Report: the self-reinforcing concepts of the AmericanizationandGlobalizationof Sport.

For example, Nielsen reported

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Women’s sports surpassed expectations for growth across basketball and soccer, which is likely to lift the prestige and payday for female hockey, lacrosse, and rugby.

that WNBA fans demonstrate exceptionally strong brand engagement, with 60% likely to recommend brand sponsors to others. The league saw a fantastic 29% year-over-year increase in interest, according to Nielsen Fan Insights.

02

The Americanization of Sports: What It Means & What’s Next

Super Bowl LVIII between

on February 11,

the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium

2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Michael Reaves/ Getty Images)

The ubiquitous reach and financial resources of American-based media and tech companies, brand marketers, along with the audience size of the U.S., exacts a strong gravitational pull on professional sports around the world. In response, all aspects of professional sports across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have some connection to the U.S.

The Americanization of Sports, as we see it, is not about U.S. dominance shaping the terms and state of play. Even as major U.S. sports leagues and sponsors expand their presence to other places around the world, at the same time, America is more fully open to other regional sports from every continent.

The FIFA World Cup being hosted across North America in 2026 and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles perfectly signifies the mass exchange going on between the U.S. and the rest of the world shaping the state of sports.

Specifically, there is a serious respective effort on the part of the NFL, NBA, and MLB in appealing to Latin America and Europe. Soccer (call it football or fútbol outside the U.S.), rugby, and cricket are finding large U.S. audiences as well.

Fan passion travels to and from

all parts of the globe. But America is the focal point influencing the directions where sports viewers’ attention goes in. Thanks to digital distribution and brand support, access to sports that fans love is more accessible than ever before.

Greater access has also spurred the democratization of sports. The idea is a subset of Americanization. Leagues and teams are finding new expressions thanks to social media and advanced technology. Artificial intelligence plays a deeper and deeper role in all media, but particularly in sports. Look no further than the NBA’s genuinely original uses of AI and virtual reality to create immersive fan experiences.

Digital content and tech tools have fundamentally altered fan engagement. Today’s sports enthusiasts don’t just watch games, they participate in a continuous conversation across platforms, creating communities that transcend traditional geographic and cultural boundaries.

According to Deloitte, 77% of fans engage in at least one concurrent activity while watching sports, from looking up player statistics to participating in fantasy leagues or betting on ongoing games.

This multi-screen, multi-

“

The traditional sports sponsorship model, focused primarily on visibility and reach, is giving way to a more nuanced approach.

Kia has been the NBA’s official automotive partner for over 16 seasons.

platform engagement has made sports marketing more complex but also more rewarding for brands, as they develop innovative ways to tap into these spirited communities.

The traditional sports sponsorship model, focused primarily on visibility and reach, is giving way to a more nuanced approach. As sports sponsorship costs in major leagues approach nearly $1 million, according to SponsorUnited’s 2024 “State of the Market” report, brands are exploring

new territories. This includes everything from partnerships with individual athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals to innovative local sponsorships that create deeper connections with specific communities.

We all know it, but it can’t be overstated: Technology, prompted by American-based investors and platform companies to a large degree, is accelerating these changes. Yes, the two decades of media fragmentation is at the heart

of it. But so is AI.

Advances in machine learning are upending everything from performance analytics to fan engagement, while immersive

CU Quarterback Shedeur Sanders gets off the bus during the Buff Walk prior to the football game between the University of Colorado and USC Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Sanders is set to earn $5 million on his name and likeness. Daniel Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images

03

The Heart and the Hard Drive: Data Enhances Sports’ Sensory Soul

Sports is a physical, sensory experience; it galvanizes sight, sound, smell, and touch, and even taste. There’s the crack of a bat and the smell of freshly cut grass that hits you when you enter a baseball stadium. There’s the cheers and music of crowds at a basketball or football game. There’s the hush that wafts over tennis fans at the U.S. Open. And at every stadium, concession stands now offer an expansive range of culinary delights alongside the traditional hot dogs and beer.

There’s movement on the fields and courts IRL and on your screens. Yes, e-sports are entering the mainstream. But here, too, the rush of adrenaline vibrating from players to spectators, whether in the stands or watching on screens, is palpable.

FEATURED

Keith Dawkins PRESIDENT, THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

And resonating beyond the fields and stadiums, via our attendance, through our purchases, tallied by our cheers and captured through our screens: there’s data.

In the very recent past, it may have seemed that sports would be the last bastion of life as it was “before digital.” But like our professional and personal lives, all facets of the sports experience are being touched by technology, data and analytics. Social media and artificial intelligence are changing the way leagues, teams, coaches, and players strategize, and train.

The culture of sports is evermore increasingly driven by tech. Social media has brought fans and teams closer together. If we were to imagine the ground beneath the players in 2025 and beyond, we might imagine server farms, data centers, and AI laboratories— these are now as much a part of the sports experience as merchandise stands and broadcast booths.

“Everyone’s in the media entertainment space” now — from tech companies to consumer brands to quick-service restaurants, says Keith Dawkins , president of the Harlem Globetrotters and Herschend Entertainment Studios, a division of Herschend Enterprises, which owns the Globetrotters.

“

The rise of women’s sports is amajor trendline that deserves greater appreciation and analysis The boundaries between sport, entertainment, and technology are blurred like never before. And that blurring is accelerating in the AI era.

are blurred like never before. And that blurring is accelerating in the AI era. As with any epochal change, this new dynamic presents exciting questions about the myriad ways we experience athletic competition and fandom and the marketing that supports it all.

THE DATA REVOLUTION: FROM INTUITION TO INTELLIGENCE

The transformation of sports through data represents one of the most significant shifts in how athletic competition is understood and consumed. Nathan Leamon, senior data scientist for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), argued in an interview with the Institutes of Sports Humanities that “In the last ten years the application of data has been transformative to the thinking in a large majority of sports.” He adds that this impact varies significantly based on two key factors: the intricacy of the sport and the resources available to collect and analyze data.

Part of soccer’s global rise has been due to its progressive embrace of data and analytics. The game is a veritable laboratory for data innovation. Once a sport once

governed purely by instinct, it’s been transformed into one where every movement tells a compelling, original story. That’s why fans of all languages and nations have rooted for teams thousands of miles away from them.

Even behind the scenes, soccer players are part of the sports’ tech revolution. Players routinely train wearing GPS-enabled vests that track not just distance covered, but the intensity of every sprint, the force of every turn, and the accumulation of fatigue across a match. These telemetric systems generate heat maps that reveal the hidden choreography of the game — showing how a midfielder’s positioning creates passing lanes, or how a defender’s movement patterns leave vulnerabilities that only become visible through data visualization.

Data has enhanced coaches’

“

In the last ten years the application of data has been transformative to the thinking in a large majority of sports.

experienced eyes. Human experience has combined with algorithmic insight, creating training regimens personalized down to the individual muscle group and recovery protocols timed to the minute.

Fans have also taken advantage of the “democratization of data” too. The experience in the stands has been extended to phones and laptops and back again to soccer matches’ bleachers and front rows. Supporters once debated based on gut feeling and memorable moments; now they dissect expected goals (xG) statistics, possession percentages adjusted for field position, and pass completion rates under pressure.

That’s not to say the blood has been drained from the sport into an academic exercise. Far from it. Rather than diminishing the emotional experience, fans’ ability to dive as deep into the metrics as they have has only enriched their passion and lifted the discussion from the bar to the social media feed. Fans can now appreciate the defensive midfielder whose 50 successful pressures prevented attacks from developing, or understand why their team’s domination in possession didn’t translate to victory.

The data doesn’t replace the joy of a last-minute winner or the agony of defeat; instead, it adds layers of meaning to every touch, every run,

and every tactical decision, turning casual viewers into sophisticated analysts while keeping the passion burning just as bright.

The baseball world offers perhaps the another comprehensive example of data’s transformative power. As Rob Engel, MLB’s vice president of software engineering, told Moor Insights & Strategy, the league’s partnership with Google Cloud began in 2020 when “MLB ramped up its use of advanced tracking systems and real-time analytics across stadiums, dramatically increasing the volume of data collected.” The league now processes “petabytes of information for all 30 teams across thousands of games each year,” tracking everything from pitch speed to player movement.

MLB’s Statcast system, which collects real-time data from sensors

in every stadium, powers advanced statistics like catch probability and baserunner steal success rates, while Google Cloud’s Vertex AI builds custom machine learning models offering deeper insights into player performance and game strategy.

THE TRUEST EXPRESSION OF FANDOM

While the technical infrastructure of sports data continues to evolve, perhaps the more profound transformation is occurring in how organizations understand and connect with their audiences. In an interview for this report, Gina Waldhorn, CMO of analytics provider Sports Innovation Lab, articulates a fundamental shift in perspective: “The truest expression of fandom is through a wallet.”

This transactional view of

fandom represents a departure from traditional metrics of engagement, moving beyond simple attendance figures or television ratings to understand the complete ecosystem of fan behavior.

Sports Innovation Lab’s approach reveals surprising insights about modern fandom. “Our data cloud is anchored in transactional data,” Waldhorn explains, building “a unique ontology across the long tail of sports brands, merchants, retailers, entertainment, and beyond.” This comprehensive view captures not just purchases from major retailers like Fanatics, but also “Black womenowned sports streetwear retailer Playa Society, and [athletics-wear retailers] RallyHouse and BreakingT and Chowdaheadz in Boston.”

The sophistication of this data collection reveals profound changes in fan demographics and behaviors. Waldhorn shares a striking example: “From 2022 to 2024, the number of NFL fans who fell into this category [values-driven fans] and who were making charitable donations. And that number grew and it’s up 11 points relative to the general population over the same time period.”

Waldhorn’s data defies traditional stereotypes about sports audiences. “You might think, ‘Oh, an NFL fan is someone smashing beer cans and just showing up for the touchdowns. No. The numbers tell us these people who are buying the merch are valuedriven fans.”

sports fandom. Waldhorn noted that Sports Innovation Lab saw three times as many sports fans purchase non-alcoholic beverages last year versus 2021. “NFL fans were two times more likely than the general population to show up in our sober curious community.” “This idea that it’s all about beer and tailgating

THE IMMERSIVE FUTURE: COSM AND SHARED REALITY

While data analytics and digital engagement represent current transformations, the future of sports technology points toward entirely new modes of experiencing athletic competition.

Take immersive venue operator COSM. The company “exploded onto the immersive technology scene in 2024,” Sports Business Journal wrote in February, when it named the platform as “10 Most Innovative Sports Tech Companies” in February.

COSM has sports venues in Los Angeles and Dallas, with two more locations slated in Atlanta and Detroit. SBJ said the company represents the next frontier with its concept of “shared reality — a term the company has coined to describe its blend of planetarium-style

programming and sports bar vibe.”

COSM’s wraparound dome theaters “display content in 12K and are fed live game footage captured by specialized cameras stationed around stadiums and arenas, simulating the effect of front-row viewing.” CEO Jeb Terry explained the vision this way to SBJ: “We saw there was a demand and a local appetite for all these fantastic events, and being able to fill that gap is what we wanted to do. It was also a way to leverage immersive technology and another outlet to bring that tech to life.”

“It’s not one of those things where we’re trying to solve a defined problem. It’s more about creating a new opportunity and a

“

This philosophy of creating entirely new categories of experience, rather than simply solving existing problems, represents a fundamental shift in how technology companies approach sports in original ways.

new category,” he added. This philosophy of creating entirely new categories of experience, rather than simply solving existing problems, represents a fundamental shift in how technology companies approach sports in original ways.

THE EVOLUTION OF FAN RELATIONSHIPS

Even as the relationship between fans, teams, and brands has fundamentally changed in the digital age, some core elements remain constant. To the Globetrotter’s Dawkins, what absolutely remains the same is that word: Fan.

“Fanatics, by definition, have always had a deep affinity with a brand or an individual player,” Dawkins said. “The one constant is that they always felt as though they had an individual relationship

with their idols. It wasn’t lost on Muhammad Ali and his persona; he always called himself the ‘People’s Champ.’”

However, the mechanisms of that fan/athlete/team/brand relationship have transformed dramatically. “The difference now compared to fans of 100 years ago is that they may have seen their favorite star once in a feature film or heard about them on radio — or never saw them at all. Maybe they showed up at a live event. But that was about it.

This level of face-to-face contact demands new marketing strategies. “Everyone in the media entertainment space is navigating a cluttered marketplace,” Dawkins added. “How do you break through? It’s harder. It’s a lot of noise. How do you get the consideration of the consumer when there’s so many

things coming at them and trying to get into their wallets?”

The problem extends beyond just media channels to the fundamental structure of how sports are consumed. “We’ve never seen such fragmentation,” said Waldhorn. “It’s harder to find the games even for the NFL. It used to be just women’s sports that struggled with discoverability. Now you can’t find games easily because the NFL has 13 different rights partners across streaming.”

WOMEN’S SPORTS AND THE DATA DIVIDEND

The rise of women’s sports provides a compelling case study in how data can reveal hidden value and challenge long-held assumptions. “The data didn’t exist,” Waldhorn said. “Nobody was bothering to aggregate it and make sense of it,

and nobody was willing to invest to go ahead and create research and tracking and benchmarks and show and calculate the growth or the loyalty or the value of these fans.”

04

Formula 1’s American Renaissance

George Russell of Great Britain driving the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W15 and Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the Ferrari SF-24 during the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Clive Rose - Formula

1/ Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Perhaps no better example of this cultural exchange exists than Formula 1’s continued American expansion. As The Athletic reported in November 2024, F1’s second Las Vegas Grand Prix demonstrated true maturity in its sophomore year. With over 306,000 attendees across the race weekend, the event showed how an international sport could maintain momentum while learning from first-year experiences.

The key to F1’s Vegas win came from understanding when to embrace spectacle and when to focus on racing. “F1 learned this year that it did not need to overhype its product to make the Las Vegas GP special,” The Athletic’s Luke Smith noted. “All it had to do was do what it does best: go racing.”

on the 24-race calendar in just its second year. The spectacular night race, which saw Max Verstappen clinch his championship title amid a Mercedes 1-2 finish, drew more than 300,000 attendees over the race weekend, with the Saturday night finale selling out hours before the 10 p.m. start time.

The key to F1’s Vegas win came from understanding when to embrace spectacle and when to focus on racing.

This balance between entertainment and competition proved crucial. According to Front Office Sports’ coverage, F1 saw more than 200 countries tune in for the Vegas race weekend, making it the second most popular live title in series history.

LAS VEGAS GRAND PRIX SETS NEW BENCHMARKS FOR F1’S COMMERCIAL VICTORY

The 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix has emerged as F1’s crown jewel, establishing itself as the largest event

The event’s triumph reflects F1’s broader commercial momentum in 2024, with Nielsen’s latest study revealing unprecedented growth in both viewership and sponsorship value. The sport now boasts over 750 million fans worldwide, marking it as the most popular annual sporting series globally. This represents healthy 5.7 percent gains in global interest since 2021, translating to approximately 50 million new fans in just three years.

The commercial impact has been equally impressive. Title partners of F1’s top teams generated an average of $6 million in media value per race in 2024, according to Nielsen’s comprehensive study across 37 international markets. The research, which gathered input from 46,000 respondents, highlighted significant shifts in sponsorship dynamics, with F1 teams now accounting for 6.6 percent of all global sports sponsorship revenue.

The average sponsorship deal value has seen a dramatic rise,

Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Ferrari SF23 and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 battle for the race lead during the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Cars race by the MSG Sphere with ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign graphics during the Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix on the Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 23, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

41 percent of F1 fans are now women, with the fastest-growing segment being women aged 16 to 24.

jumping from $2.87 million in 2019 to $5.08 million in 2024 — a 56 percent improvement. Notably, deal durations have become more dynamic, decreasing from 5.2 years to 3.2 years, allowing teams to adapt more quickly to market opportunities. Underlying reduced deal duration is the expectation of quicker, more demonstrable ROI.

The sport’s sponsorship landscape has undergone a significant transformation, too, particularly in technology and financial services. IT sponsors, including newcomers like HP, Dropbox, and Globant, now represent 20 percent of overall sponsorship spend, up from just three percent in 2019. Financial services have seen similar growth, expanding from two percent to 17 percent of F1’s sponsorship revenue over the same period.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix advertising and viewership successes were directly tied to F1’s evolving audience demographics. Nielsen’s research indicates that 41 percent of F1 fans are now women, with the fastest-growing segment being women aged 16 to 24. This diversification of the fanbase has attracted new categories of sponsors and transformed how teams and drivers engage with global audiences.

Formula 1 counts 500 million fans worldwide — 41% are women, and 45% are under the age of 35.

Formula 1 is the younger, newer fans that are coming into the sport [and] the interesting dynamics and personalities with the drivers in the cars at the heart of the sport, really giving us the unique opportunity to kind of craft stories around both,” Andrea Fairchild, Visa’s senior VP of global sponsorship strategy, told Ad Age back in February 2024. “There’s a lot of passion in this fanbase,” she added. “They’re enthusiastic. They’re diverse.”

That diversity is reflected not just in the U.S., but around the globe.

“Formula 1 is a perfect example of a rights owner innovating its

“The key to F1’s Vegas win came from understanding when to embrace spectacle and when to focus on racing.

F1’s 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix attracted

306,000 attendees

relationship with fans,” Jon Stainer, Nielsen Sports’ global general manager, told Forbes in December 2024. “Growth of interest, especially among women and newer markets like Saudi Arabia can be attributed largely by a shift in how the teams and drivers are profiled today, and the access they are affording global audiences. New sponsorship categories are opening up. We’re seeing a significant shift in the brands engaging in the sport, attracted to this changing fan demographic.

The Netflix series “Drive to Survive” continues to play a crucial role in expanding the sport’s reach, with 35 percent of survey respondents indicating their intention to watch more races because of the show. Intriguingly, one-in-four fans attribute their introduction to F1 to the documentary series.

As F1 moves ahead, the Las Vegas Grand Prix stands as a testament to

the sport’s successful modernization strategy. The event has quickly established itself as more than just a race, combining the spectacle of Las Vegas with high-stakes motorsport to create what many consider the new jewel in F1’s crown, despite lacking the historical prestige of venues like Monaco.

On top of F1’s broader commercial achievements in 2024, Las Vegas proved that the sport’s strategic focus on entertainment and accessibility is paying dividends, setting new benchmarks for what a modern Grand Prix can achieve in terms of both the sport’s dramatic appeal and its tremendous marketing value.

Las Vegas also represented the sport’s ability to celebrate its rich legacy while inspiring a new generation of fans. In addition to the racing, consider the poignant farewell campaign for Lewis Hamilton by Mercedes.

The “Every Dream Needs a Team” campaign at the Grand Prix not only celebrated Hamilton’s storied 12year journey with Mercedes — where he elevated the brand’s dominance and championed diversity — it also underscored the F1’s narrative of progress.

By weaving archival footage with inspiring young talent, the campaign mirrored F1’s commitment to blending heritage with fresh energy

and passion, a key driver of its broadening appeal in marquee locations like Las Vegas.

AMEX EXTENDS ITS F1 TIES

Decades after establishing its association with tennis and the US Open tournament, American Express has started to deepen its ties to Formula 1. The finance services brand has extended its Formula 1 partnership from a regional Americas deal to a global partnership, increasing its race presence from 5 to 20 races in the 2025 season. The expansion targets Millennials and Generation Z, with 300 million fans in these demographics.

F1’s Chief Commercial Officer Emily Prazer expressed enthusiasm about the larger partnership: “American Express has been a fantastic partner to Formula 1 in the Americas and as a supporter of F1 Academy, and I’m delighted that they have chosen to expand their relationship with us to become an official partner.”

The deal includes enhanced card member benefits like presale tickets, Paddock Club access, and race commentary radios.

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula 1, building on the strong momentum

of the sponsorship in the Americas over the past year,” American Express CMO Elizabeth Rutledge told WWD. “This demonstrates yet another way we are continuously enhancing the value of American Express membership for card members around the world.”

The partnership also continues American Express’s support of F1 Academy, the all-women racing series, which itself also reflects the ever-rising appeal of female athletes to brands and fans.

F1’s momentum into 2025 can be gleaned via several signposts over the last year. Nielsen’s research

noted that title partners for top teams now generate an average media value of $6 million per race, with the average sponsorship deal value jumping 56% from $2.87 million in 2019 to $5.08 million in 2024. Tech brands have emerged as a dominant force, increasing its share of total sponsorship spend from 3% in 2019 to 20% in 2024, followed closely by financial services, which grew from 2% to 17%. The race is very much on.

The NFL’s Global and Streaming Playbook

performs during the halftime show for the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on December 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex

What started as a $150 million experiment for Netflix’s first NFL games turned into a cultural phenomenon. “

Beyoncé

Slitz/Getty Images)

While sports like F1 and soccer made deeper inroads in America, the NFL is continuing its methodical expansion strategy on both the international and the streaming fronts.

As 2024 redefined sports media consumption, the NFL’s streaming experiments yielded unprecedented success, culminating in Netflix’s historic Christmas Day doubleheader that drew more than 200 million viewers globally for the ChiefsSteelers contest alone, according to Netflix data.

Super Bowl LIX was perfectly positioned to build on the NFL’s massive media successes of the past few years.

The Kansas City ChiefsPhiladelphia Eagles faced off again for the second time in two years for Super Bowl LIX. The rematch was practically a dream scenario for advertisers and viewers of Fox and Fubo, where the big game will be broadcast and streamed, respectively.

The championship contest featured two major media markets, compelling storylines, and star power that should drive massive ratings. As Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ hope for unprecedented three-peat was ultimately dashed, Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley’s made good on his incredible 2,000+ yard season. As he looks to the 20252026 NFL season, the world will be

watching even more intently. For advertisers, who paid an estimated $8 million per 30-second spot, the combination of Mahomes’ quest for history and Barkley’s breakthrough season created multiple angles to build marketing campaigns around. The Eagles’ massive East Coast fanbase coupled with Kansas City’s recent dynasty should help Fox approach or surpass last year’s audience of 115.1 million viewers. In that sense, Fox and Fubo can already count on their own championship rings.

“If I learned anything, it’s that we’re in a period now where the live sporting event, where people and families come together to watch, is that much more coveted,” Mark Evans, executive vice president of ad sales for Fox Sports, told CNBC at the end of Jan. 2025. “There’s an escalation in price and interest in the demand for live sports, but we’re not at its peak. We’ve still got runway for growth.”

For fans, they’ll get a fascinating clash of styles between Mahomes’ improvisational brilliance and Barkley’s explosive running ability behind Philadelphia’s dominant offensive line. The Eagles are seeking

revenge from their Super Bowl LVII loss while trying to deny Kansas City’s bid for a third straight title. The contrast between Mahomes’ passing wizardry and Barkley’s throwback rushing prowess gives fans an old school vs. new school dynamic that should make for compelling viewing.

The presence of legendary Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the broadcast booth for Fox adds another layer of excitement, as the seven-time champion completes his first season as a commentator and is charting a very different Super Bowl legacy for himself and the network.

A NETFLIX DEAL PAYS OFF

What started as a $150 million experiment for Netflix’s first NFL

games turned into a cultural phenomenon, complete with Beyoncé’s halftime performance in her hometown Houston drawing comparisons to a Super Bowllevel extravaganza. The streaming giant’s technical performance marked a dramatic improvement from November’s troubled Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing stream, delivering mostly glitch-free football to viewers in over 200 countries.

“This is about the next generation of power players in the media space, which unquestionably Netflix has become,” Ed Desser, president of Desser Sports Media Inc., told The Athletic. “Now having said that, they have not become a power player

>

As 2024 redefined sports media consumption, the NFL’s streaming experiments yielded unprecedented success. “

Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions passes the ball against Isaiah McDuffie #58 of the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on December 05, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

“Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football set a new streaming record with 17.29 million viewers for the Lions-Packers December matchup

in sports yet. One boxing match and a couple of NFL games on Christmas Day does not a juggernaut make. But this is the beginning.”

STREAMING SUCCESS ACROSS CHANNELS

The NFL’s streaming strategy extends well beyond Netflix. Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football has seen viewership surge 9% yearover-year, averaging 13.61 million viewers through 12 games in 2024. The platform set a new streaming

record with 17.29 million viewers for the Lions-Packers December matchup, according to Nielsen data.

“In just two seasons, we’ve seen our games move to Thursday night package on Amazon, two Christmas games on Netflix, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV,” Andy Kauffman, SVP of Marketing Strategy & Science at the NFL, noted at the Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit during CES. “It’s incredibly fast.”

The wider ad placement options available to brands across all media

Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions celebrates with fans after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on September 28, 2023. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

channels, from linear to streaming to social have paid dividends to Zillow. But there’s more to it than that, Wild said. Zillow’s work on the “LA Rams Draft House” campaign is a perfect study of how brands and teams are going beyond typical sponsorship and advertising deals.

This initiative tied Zillow’s mission — helping people get home — to one of the league’s biggest moments outside of the Super Bowl: the NFL Draft. The brand and the team ended up creating a culturally relevant experience that resonated deeply with fans, said Zillow’s Wild.

“This wasn’t just a sponsorship — it was an immersive experience that connected our mission to a culturally relevant event, making it both meaningful and memorable,” Wild said. These initiatives bring our brand message to life, making it culturally relevant and emotionally impactful while reinforcing the connection between Zillow and the idea of ‘home.’”

The value of tying CTV to broadcast and other digital channels is key, Wild added.

He pointed to a clear fact of sports programming: if there’s a great game, fans will find a way to watch it.

“We need to follow the consumer,”

Wild said. “Live sports streaming platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and Peacock are rapidly transforming how fans engage, and brands must adapt. For instance, some reports suggest that 70% of people who signed up for Peacock ahead of its NFL programming stayed subscribed afterward, demonstrating the power of live sports to capture and retain attention. This speaks to the enduring strength of sports as a must-see experience.”

THE “HELMETS OFF” STRATEGY

marketing strategy, focusing on players’ personalities beyond the field, has helped drive deeper fan engagement. “By focusing on what players care about, the strategy has fostered a deeper emotional connection with fans,” Ellis told Adweek in September 2024, noting particular growth among youth, Latino, and female audiences.

Kauffman, in his talk at Brand Innovators expanded on the NFL’s personality pitch: “What we found is it has engaged a new set of fans that were not really interested in the gladiator side of the players, but are interested in finding out what they believe in and what they care about as human beings.”

The NFL’s success in 2024 wasn’t just about distribution. NFL CMO Tim Ellis’s “Helmets Off” >

THE NFL’S GLOBAL AND STREAMING PLAYBOOK

reached new heights in 2024, with the league completing a recordtying five international games across London, Munich, and São Paulo. But this appears to be just the beginning — NFL owners have approved hosting up to eight regular-season games abroad starting next year, with Commissioner Roger Goodell suggesting that number could eventually reach 16 games.

The league’s international

“The NFL is using AI to spread this content for international markets, creating personalized game promotions featuring popular players in specific countries.

strategy is evolving from occasional showcase games to establishing permanent footholds in key markets. Spain will host its first NFL game in 2025 at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, while Ireland and Australia have emerged as strong candidates for future expansion. The NFL is even exploring possibilities in the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi under consideration.

To support this global push, the NFL has transformed its content creation engine. Andy Kauffman, speaking at the Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit 2025 during CES, said the league now produces an astounding 1,500 pieces of content weekly for its over 2 billion social media followers. The NFL is using AI to spread this content for international markets, creating personalized game promotions featuring popular players in specific countries.

“Imagine if you can type or voice a prompt and say I need tune-in assets for every game this weekend across these 15 markets and these 12 languages,” Kauffman said, describing the NFL’s AI-powered content localization efforts.

could be substantial. Sources told Front Office Sports that a separate package of international games, potentially creating a weekly 9:30 a.m. ET broadcast window, could command more than $1 billion from a global streaming partner. Such developments, combined with Goodell’s openness to eventually hosting a Super Bowl in London, suggest the NFL’s transformation into a truly global league is accelerating.

THE ROAD TO SUPER BOWL LIX: FOX’S TUBI TEST

With Netflix’s successful NFL debut and Amazon’s record-breaking Thursday night numbers, all eyes turn to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans at the Superdome. The league’s expanding streaming presence and growing international audience suggest potential for another viewership record, building on last year’s massive audience of 123.7 million viewers across all platforms.

The financial implications

Fox Sports is breaking new ground with its broadcast strategy for the big game. In a significant shift, the network will stream the game on its free, ad-supported platform Tubi alongside traditional broadcasts on Fox, Fox Deportes, and Telemundo, marking the first time the Super Bowl will be available on a major FAST (Free Ad-Supported Television)

service.

The multiplatform approach reflects the evolving media landscape that has defined the NFL’s 2024 season. Tubi’s 4K stream will complement Fox’s main telecast, offering unprecedented accessibility to the estimated 97 million monthly users who frequent the platform. The streaming service will also feature exclusive content, including a “Tubi Red Carpet at Super Bowl LIX” hosted by Olivia Culpo and a “Countdown to the Super Bowl” programming block starting January 28.

On the advertising front, Fox is reportedly commanding at least $7 million for 30-second spots, reflecting the game’s enduring value as television’s premier advertising showcase. However, brands are more inclined to explore alternative strategies around the big game.

The entertainment spectacle will feature Kendrick Lamar headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, continuing the NFL’s strategy of leveraging music

Featured Super Bowl content from FOX will include a first-of-its-kind live pre-show titled the TUBI RED CARPET AT SUPER BOWL LIX. Hosted by Olivia Culpo, the TUBI RED CARPET AT SUPER BOWL LIX, covers the celebrity, fashion and culture behind America’s biggest sports event live from Caesars Superdome.

and entertainment to broaden its cultural impact.

The convergence of traditional broadcasting, streaming innovation, and cultural programming at Super Bowl LIX represents the culmination of the NFL’s transformative 2024 season — one that has seen the league successfully expand its digital footprint while maintaining its position as America’s premier sports entertainment property.

THE NFL’S GLOBAL AND STREAMING PLAYBOOK

06 Soccer: The Center of Sports’ Convergence

Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami reacts during the second half against the Atlanta United during round one of the 2024 MLS Playoffs at Chase Stadium on October 25, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

As North America prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the landscape of soccer in the United States is undergoing a profound transformation. This report examines the convergence of several key factors driving soccer’s unprecedented growth, including the evolution of fan culture, the rise of athletedriven media, and the commercial opportunities emerging in both men’s and women’s soccer.

“Major League Soccer’s astonishing growth in 2024 signals a watershed moment in the sport’s American journey.

Major League Soccer’s astonishing growth in 2024 signals a watershed moment in the sport’s American journey. With record-breaking attendance figures exceeding 11.4 million fans and venues operating at 94% capacity, MLS has positioned itself among the world’s top three leagues in attendance. This surge is reflected in a 13% upturn in sponsorship revenue and the addition of 18 new corporate partners, demonstrating the league’s growing commercial appeal.

The “Messi Effect” has accelerated this transformation. Since joining Inter Miami, Lionel Messi has not only driven unprecedented social media growth — making Inter Miami the most followed North American sports team on TikTok with 9.4 million followers — but has also redefined the commercial potential of soccer in America. His authentic, down-toearth persona has proven particularly appealing to brands, with sponsored

posts from his Instagram account commanding up to $2.5 million each. For sports apparel brands, the soccer field has become a critical battleground to reach fans.

In March 2024, Nike achieved a significant victory over Adidas by securing the sponsorship of the German national soccer team, ending Adidas’s 77-year partnership. The deal, as Digiday reported at the time, was worth over $100 million — twice what Adidas was paying. Nike’s deal runs from 2027 to 2034. It’s a big victory for the brand which has been working to recapture its affinity with consumers. Given that Germany is one of soccer’s most successful teams, and represents Adidas’s home country, this could be a source of renewal for Nike as soccer continues its growth trajectory.

“We are the world’s leading sports brand, the largest sports brand and the leader in football, the world’s most popular sport,” Nike CEO John Donahoe told Digiday. “And our ability to expand the game, [by] expanding the women’s football game and inviting youth culture into football, [have] all mattered. It was a remarkable team effort and a great proof point that, when Nike brings out our best, no one can beat us.”

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What distinguishes soccer’s growth in America is the unique character of its fan base.

As Courtney Carter, Chief Revenue Officer of Seattle Sounders and Reign ownership group, told us in an interview for this report, “We now have a consumer, we have a community where people who are in charge of the wallet, both men and women, grew up playing the sport at very high levels. It wasn’t just something that their kids played.”

This demographic shift is particularly evident in the research

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Courtney Carter CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC & REIGN FC

showing that 54% of soccer fans are under 45, representing a younger and more diverse audience compared to other major U.S. sports. The Hispanic community plays a crucial role in driving this cultural momentum, significantly influencing soccer viewership and culture across the country.

SOCCER RESHAPES NEW MEDIA LANDSCAPE

The transformation of soccer’s media presence in America reflects broader changes in sports consumption. The success of Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass represents a significant shift in how soccer is presented to American audiences, with unprecedented investment in production quality and accessibility.

Athletes themselves have become powerful media entities. Messi’s 500 million Instagram followers and Ronaldo’s 623 million demonstrate how soccer stars have become global influencers while maintaining authentic connections with fans. This direct-to-fan relationship has created new opportunities for brands to engage with audiences in more meaningful ways.

THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP AND BEYOND

The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America represents soccer’s literal

prime time.

Home Depot is one brand getting into position for the global championship matches.

Like many brands taking a prominent position with FIFA and soccer generally, this was not a sudden conversion. While Home Depot is widely recognized for its long-standing relationship with ESPN’s College GameDay, the brand has quietly maintained a significant presence in soccer marketing for over two decades.

Since 2003, it has sponsored the Mexican National Team and later expanded into Major League Soccer partnerships. This foundation in soccer marketing positions the company well for World Cup activation, particularly given the demographic data showing stronger World Cup interest among younger consumers aged 18-34, who are five percentage points more likely to watch the World Cup than the Summer Olympics.

“The Home Depot’s commitment to innovation and community resonates with FIFA’s values of inclusivity and global engagement,” FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said in a statement. “As we prepare for the most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history… this partnership will bring unique opportunities for fans, as well as meaningful engagement for The

Home Depot’s customers and associates across the host countries.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER: A PARALLEL REVOLUTION

The growth of soccer in the U.S. can’t be told without a special focus on the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). It’s a vital dimension of the sport’s evolution in America.

Witness the retirement ceremony of the Seattle’s Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and how she built her own media brand. It’s a path more athletes are taking — and it’s one brand marketers would do well to follow.

Rapinoe spent her entire NWSL career with the club, starting in the Reign’s inaugural season in 2013 until her retirement in Sept. 2023.

As the player with most goals in the team’s history, Rapinoe’s number 15 was retired, making her a permanent fixture of the Reign.

A year after her final game in November 2023, Rapinoe continued the podcast she started with her fiancé and retired WNBA pioneer Sue Bird, which cemented her celebrity as well as her continued affiliation with women’s soccer through regular season play and the Paris Olympics.

During Team USA’s various goldmedal achievements, Rapinoe and Bird were featured on the sidelines at both soccer and basketball games, often alongside Lauren Holiday, who is the only other player in history to have their jersey retired by an NWSL team.

Rapinoe’s continued rising star came as the Reign struck major partnerships with brands like Google Pixel, providing further evidence — not that any is needed — about women’s soccer as a recognized force for fans and brands.

In that sense, the men’s >

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Take a look back at the retirement ceremony of the Seattle’s Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and how she built her own media brand. It’s a path more athletes are taking.

Founders and the Reign also reflect the ever-rising fortunes associated with U.S. soccer and its source as a bridge between the U.S. and the global sports firmament.

Carter’s balanced approach to furthering the Founders’ and Reign’s demonstrates a crucial shift in how women’s sports are achieving parity with men’s. “These are two wholly unique and individual brands,” she said. “It’s important that they are viewed that way and we’ve seen that

from the fans as well as our brand partners. It’s why soccer is truly a global game that’s continuing to grow so rapidly in the U.S.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER: A BRAND RECOGNITION STORY

Women’s soccer is experiencing a transformative moment in brand partnerships, with innovative collaborations reshaping how sponsors engage with the sport and its growing audience. The 2024 season

Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States acknowledges the fans as she leaves the pitch after her final United States match after the game against South Africa at Soldier Field on September 24, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

demonstrated this evolution through several major partnerships that went far beyond traditional sports sponsorships.

Google’s “Pitchside with Pixel” program with the NWSL is an ideal example. As Adweek reported in November 2024, the tech giant placed AI-powered smartphone cameras in the hands of content creators across all 14 NWSL markets, including the Reign, creating intimate access to everything from warm-ups to tunnel moments. The program was particularly notable given the NWSL’s record-breaking attendance of over 2 million fans in 2024, which was nearly triple its pre-pandemic numbers from 2019.

“Around 80% net new fans that came in at kickoff last year experienced the NWSL for the first time because of [live] content,” NWSL CMO Julie Haddon told Adweek, highlighting how digital content is driving audience growth.

The appeal to brands extends beyond traditional sports marketers. As a November 2024 Marketplace report noted, clothing rental company Nuuly entered the sports sponsorship arena for the first time through a partnership with the Kansas City

Current, transforming the team’s stadium entrance into a fashion runway.

“The outfits that players wear gets a lot of attention, both in person at the event but also via social media,” said Kim Gallagher, Nuuly’s executive director of marketing, adding that the brand was drawn to women’s sports’ rising popularity.

This convergence of sports, fashion, and technology is creating new opportunities for both established and emerging brands.

Google’s Julia Cheney was emphatic about the potential for brands to reach new audiences: “We know that when we put up content, we’re putting it out to an audience who probably has not seen it before, and that is exciting for us.”

The success of these partnerships is driving further innovation, with Google preparing its first Pixel commercial featuring an NWSL player.

It’s all part of a broader trend of brands recognizing women’s soccer not just as a sports property, but as a cultural platform that connects with younger, digitally-native audiences.

07

The Caitlin Clark Effect –And the Rise of Women’s Sports

The impact of individual stars on women’s sports reached new heights in 2024. A Caitlin Clark trading card sold for $234,850 in December, beyond doubling the previous record for a Clark or WNBA card. This sale represented the second most expensive women’s sports card of all time, trailing only a 2003 Serena Williams autographed patch card.

The WNBA’s success has translated into significant financial gains. In July 2024, the league announced a new media rights agreement with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime valued at $200 million per year ($2.2 billion total), more than triple the current agreement of $60 million annually. The deal, which begins in 2026, will see over 100 regular season games televised or streamed nationally.

Major brands are escalating their investment in women’s sports, recognizing the unique opportunity to connect with engaged audiences. “Women’s sports actually started catching on a while ago, but the audience growth was hampered because the platforms and the brands took longer to catch up more fully,” said Shannon Pruitt, global chief marketing officer of the Stagwell Brand Performance Network, in an appearance at Digital Hollywood’s CES event. “Because of the ability for platforms to adapt and put more money and distribution behind women’s sports, audiences have shown up ready to consume.”

Major brands are escalating their investment in women’s sports, recognizing the unique opportunity to connect with engaged audiences.

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Jessie Katz HEAD OF IHEART WOMEN’S SPORTS, IHEARTMEDIA

IHEART WOMEN’S SPORTS NETWORK’S HITS

The growth extends beyond traditional sports media. According to industry reports, iHeart Women’s Sports has released more than 35,000 women’s sports reports and provided over 600 hours of content, reaching 75 million fans. The network’s podcast downloads have approached 3 million since launch, with individual shows seeing dramatic growth — host Sarah Spain’s program grew 130% in late 2024 alone.

“We launched iHeart Women’s Sports last year to provide the type of women’s sports coverage that fans have long been wanting,” said Jessie Katz, head of iHeart Women’s Sports. “The latest programming further builds on the media industry’s most consistent, authentic network for news, and commentary about women’s sports.”

The revolution in women’s sports extends beyond professional leagues to grassroots development.

WHAT TO WATCH:

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY SET TO STICK AROUND

It’s early days for the Professional Women’s Hockey League. But the sixteam league represents a significant development in professional women’s sports. Its expected staying power combines strong financial backing with novel approaches to both game play and business development.

As the league enters its second season in 2024-25, it presents unique opportunities for brands and media companies looking to engage with an emerging sports property.

The PWHL operates under a singleentity ownership model, backed by

Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and his wife Kimbra. This structure, combined with advisory board members including Dodgers president Stan Kasten and tennis legend Billie Jean King, provides the financial stability and sports business expertise that previous women’s hockey leagues lacked, The Athletic reported in its November 2024 overview of the burgeoning sport.

MEDIA STRATEGY AND DISTRIBUTION

The league has evolved its media approach for its sophomore season, moving from a YouTubecentric strategy to a multi-platform distribution model. In Canada,

Megan Carter pursues Nadia Mattivi during the championship game of the annual Womens Beanpot Hockey Tournament at TD Garden on January 23, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images

Montreal and Toronto at the Bell Centre on April 20, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

broadcast rights are split between major networks including TSN, RDS, CBC/Radio-Canada, and Prime Video. Regional sports networks NESN and MSG Network provide coverage in key U.S. markets Boston and New York, though a U.S. national broadcast partner has yet to be announced as of the 2024-25 season launch.

BRAND ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS STORIES

Early brand partnerships have shown promising results. According to Nielsen data cited by Amy Scheer, the PWHL’s senior vice president of business operations, 75% of league fans can identify sponsors, with 65% showing brand loyalty to those partners. Notable success stories include:

1. A Mattel Barbie partnership that launched an inspirational clothing line which sold out in two days.

2. A Molson campaign featuring innovative jersey branding that drove a 6% sales upswing during the activation period.

MARKET RESPONSE AND GROWTH

The league has demonstrated strong market appeal, breaking six women’s hockey attendance records in its inaugural season. A TorontoMontreal match drew 21,105 fans

to Montreal’s Bell Centre, showing the potential for significant live event attendance, according to an October Adweek report.

The PWHL is already planning expansion, with over 20 requests for proposals sent to potential expansion partners. The league could add up to two teams as early as 2025-26, evaluating markets based on economic opportunity, population, youth hockey participation, women’s hockey history, and existing infrastructure, The Athletic reported.

BRAND PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY

Deep Blue Sports + Entertainment, through its Deep Blue Exchange (DBX), is working to position the PWHL to brands not as a traditional sponsorship play but as a brandbuilding opportunity. Laura Correnti, Giant Spoon partner and Deep Blue founder, emphasizes the importance of storytelling and experience over traditional reach and efficiency models, Adweek reported.

The league specifically seeks partners willing to help build the sport of hockey, focusing on getting girls into the sport and retaining their participation. This approach has attracted non-traditional partners and created unique activation opportunities, Adweek noted.

The PWHL represents a new model for women’s professional sports, combining strong financial backing, innovative game presentation, and strategic brand partnerships. While operating in what might currently be considered a niche sport, the league’s early success with both attendance and brand activations suggests significant potential for growth and value creation for media and brand partners.

The extensive broadcast agreements, successful brand partnerships, and plans for expansion indicate that the PWHL has established a foundation for sustainable growth. For brands and media companies looking to engage with women’s sports, the league offers both immediate activation opportunities and the potential for

08 Game Day Meets the Digital Media Revolution

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This integration of AI technology is fundamentally reshaping how fans interact with sports venues, creating more immersive, efficient, and personalized experiences that extend well beyond the game itself.

echnology has been a part of sports since electric lights made the first football night game possible in Mansfield, Pennsylvania back on September 28, 1892.

Since then, sports tech has moved far beyond basic statistics and replay screens. In 2024, artificial intelligence, automation, and digital innovations are fundamentally changing how fans attend and watch sports at home, and how venues make themselves more pleasing to attendees.

THE EVOLUTION OF INVENUE EXPERIENCE

American Express’s implementation of frictionless concession stores represents a prime example of how AI is transforming the traditional stadium experience. As the Sports Business Journal reported in September 2024, Amex’s AIpowered store at the U.S. Open tennis tournament saw foot traffic soar 30% and sales gains of 40% year-over-year.

AmEx’s example answers the

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question practically everyone has been asking about AI: how does this technology enhance rather than replace the human experience? In this case, it’s about layering AI to make sure US Open fans can shop and pay for their drinks, food, and merchandise and have more time to get back to the main reason they bought tickets: to watch the tennis matches.

“Because it’s such a highprofile event, the store has to work no matter what,” Krishna Motukuri CEO of Zippin told Sports Business Journal.

“The Paris Summer Olympics and Paralympics provided the NBC Universal pointed to success in balancing linear TV and streaming in terms of fan engagement.

For four years, Zippin has provided AI checkout systems for the US Open, which has been sponsored by Amex for nearly 30 years. Zippin also outfits the checkout for roughly 190 U.S. sports venues, including the Amex-branded stores at the Nets/ Liberty’s Barclays Center and Jazz’s Delta Center.

While Zippin’s systems are tailored to each location’s individual set up, at the US Open, its “grab and go” tech relied on 44 ceiling-hung, computer vision-powered cameras and several hundred shelf sensors to identify which items are taken from the store and which shoppers are taking them.

Reliability is crucial. “The accuracy has to be extremely high. What you can’t do is ever betray [fans’] trust,” Motukuri noted.

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Alison Levin PRESIDENT, ADVERTISING & PARTNERSHIPS, NBCUNIVERSAL

Apart from frictionless retail, sports stadiums are finding other uses for AI. London’s Wembley Stadium, which is owned by the Football Association, has used AI chatbots that provide instant responses to visitor queries, from locating the nearest restroom to finding specific food vendors or merchandise locations for people attending soccer matches and concerts.

The transformation extends to the at-home viewing experience even more naturally.

Taking cues from advances like those seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics, venues are implementing AI-driven systems that can generate real-time highlights and customize content displayed on stadium screens based on crowd reactions and game momentum. This creates a more dynamic and responsive atmosphere that adapts to the energy of the event.

This integration of AI technology isn’t just about convenience — it’s fundamentally reshaping how fans interact with sports venues, creating more immersive, efficient, and personalized experiences that extend well beyond the game itself.

HOW NBCU EXPANDED THE OLYMPICS EXPERIENCE

“The Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games truly set a new benchmark, with over 30 million viewers—an

80% increase from Tokyo— the Games proved their unmatched power to connect audiences across the nation,” Levin said. “We achieved the highest ad revenue in history, with first-time sponsors contributing more than $500 million. We saw record-breaking engagement with innovations like Gold Zone, MultiView, and Virtual Concessions, all adding fresh layers to the fan experience. We democratized access to one of the biggest stages in the world opening up the Games programmatically for the first time with 90% of buyers new to the Olympics. So, as we look to Milan Cortina 2026, we’re building on this success, leveraging these insights, and pushing boundaries to create even greater opportunities for fans and advertisers alike.”

NBCU is looking ahead to 202526, where the media company

kicks off a two-year stretch with a slate of tentpole moments including the launch of our new NBA and WNBA partnerships, Bravocon, Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Super Bowl LX, NBA All Star Game, World Cup in Spanish, the NBA Playoffs, WNBA Finals, NBC’s 100th Anniversary and more.

“NBCUniversal will have the greatest 730 days that any media company has ever had to offer fans,” Levin said.

Looking back at the experience of Paris, NBCU achieved the highest ad revenue in its history, with firsttime sponsors contributing more than $500 million, Levin said. She pointed to “record-breaking engagement” with innovations like the Gold Zone, a “whip-around” studio show that allowed viewers to jump from event to event

so they could capture the most exciting moments. MultiView, which offered additional video feeds for the Paralympics, and the e-commerce feature Virtual Concessions added fresh layers to the fan experience as well.

“We democratized access to one of the biggest stages in the world, opening up the Games programmatically for the first time with 90% of buyers new to the Olympics,” Levin said. “So, as

09 eSports: A New Empire Ties Competition & Commerce

“TWith a staggering $60 million prize pool spread across 22 tournaments and 21 games, the eSports World Cup in July 2024 represents the largest single investment in competitive gaming history.

he eSports industry is experiencing what can only be described as a seismic transformation, with 2024 marking a pivotal year in its evolution from niche entertainment to global phenomenon.

According to Houlihan Lokey’s comprehensive Fall 2024 Sports Market Update, the eSports market is projected to reach $10.9 billion by 2032, reflecting a robust compound annual growth rate of 20.9%.

The launch of the eSports World Cup in July 2024 in Saudi Arabia made history by hosting the inaugural competition, an unprecedented eight-week festival featuring over 1,500 competitors from across the globe. With a staggering $60 million prize pool spread across 22 tournaments and 21 games, the event represents the largest single

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Russell Wager VP, MARKETING, KIA AMERICA

investment in competitive gaming history. As Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the eSports World Cup Foundation, noted, “There are 3.4 billion gamers in the world today... the coming eight weeks will transform the gaming and eSports landscape like never before.”

Major corporations have gradually recognized eSports’ unique value proposition. KIA’s strategic partnership with Cloud9, one of the industry’s premier organizations, exemplifies the sophisticated approach brands are now taking to engage with this audience.

Russell Wager, KIA America’s Vice President of Marketing, in an interview with us for this report, said the automotive giant recognized early on that eSports reaches an entirely untapped demographic: “50% of the people that are participating or watching eSports don’t watch any of the other majors of NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL.”

REVENUE STREAMS AND MARKET STRUCTURE

Houlihan Lokey’s analysis reveals a diversifying revenue landscape within eSports. The sector’s 2024 revenue mix shows sponsorship leading at 38.4%, followed by media rights at 22.2%, with additional streams including advertising (12%), merchandising (12%), and

publisher fees (7.7%). This multifaceted revenue structure mirrors traditional sports while maintaining unique digital-first elements.

Demographics and Consumer Behavior Contrary to common misconceptions about the eSports audience, market research cited in the Houlihan Lokey report indicates a mature, financially capable viewership. Wager’s observation that “one in four of them is going to purchase a new car in the next 12 months” underscores the economic potential of this demographic. This purchasing power has attracted not only automotive brands but also technology companies, financial services, and luxury goods manufacturers.

BRANDS EXPAND ESPORTS INVESTMENT

The Houlihan Lokey report projects continued strong growth in the eSports sector through 2032, with live streaming revenue expected to reach $7.1 billion by that year. The report highlights several key growth drivers, including:

● Greater mainstream acceptance and recognition

● Growing prize pools attracting top talent

● Enhanced broadcast and streaming technology

● Rising advertiser interest in reaching digital-native audiences

For brands, eSports represents not just a new marketing channel but a fundamental shift in how

competition and entertainment are consumed in the digital age. As the inaugural eSports World Cup demonstrates, the industry has reached a level of maturity and scale that demands serious attention from the business and investment communities.

The benefits of early corporate entrants like KIA, who have approached the space with authenticity and commitment to

Postgame Analysis: The People and Forces Shaping Sports Marketing in 2025

Simone Biles of Team United States celebrates after winning the gold medal at the end of the Artistic GymnasticsWomen’s All-Around Final on day 6 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Bercy Arena on August 1, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Wei Zheng/CHINASPORTS/ VCG via Getty Images)

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Sports has transcended its traditional role as mere athletic competition to become the defining cultural touchstone of our time.

he 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina and FIFA World Cup North America that June, all seem far away. But the anticipation is building among athletes, leagues, teams, media, and brand advertisers. Fans are surely ready.

This moment, despite all its political and cultural tensions, is marked by unprecedented global connectivity and rapid technological advancement. Sports has transcended its traditional role as mere athletic competition to become the defining cultural touchstone of our time. This transformation is reshaping not just how we experience sports, but how brands engage with audiences across a progressively borderless world.

The evidence of this shift is everywhere: We’ll look back on 2024 and baseball with thoughts of how legends like tennis star Rafael Nadal, who retired last year after a career of winning 22 Grand Slams and 14 French Open titles.

Tennis fans are insatiably curious about what’s next: Can 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who won his first Roland-Garros title and his second Wimbledon title, fulfill bets that he’s the sport’s future? Meanwhile, on the women’s side of the court, Coco Gauff’s run at the 2025 Australian Open came to an earlierthan-expected end, her star power

remains strong. Fellow American Madison Keys was cheered for her “overnight success” after winning the 19-year-old won her first Grand Slam at the Australian tournament, albeit after playing professionally for 16 years.

Other shifts abound. LeBron James will exit the LA Lakers’ court after he completes a historic 21-year run with the team. His stats will be tough for the next generation of players to come close to. LeBron’s career earnings will top more than $500 million (per Sportrac estimates). And he still has more than 200 million followers on Instagram and X — not to mention his incomparable player stats, like a career total of 40,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. Can his 20-yearold son, Bronny, who was drafted by the Lakers in June 2024, carry on his father’s legacy? It’s all wait and see now.

As retirement talk stalks soccer’s Lionel Messi after bringing his magic from Barcelona to Miami, will younger stars like Erling Braut Haaland, a striker for the Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team, expand his own presence with brands and fans?

Whether or not Simone Biles decides to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics, her gymnastics

performance in Paris changed the sport, both by dint of her gravitydefying talent and the way she shined needed attention on athletes’ mental health.

Meanwhile, so many great players are in the prime. As the Chiefs look beyond their loss in Super Bowl 2025, Mahomes will still make headlines and attract endorsements from the likes of Adidas and State Farm for years to come.

Retirement rumors have also swirled around Mahomes’ teammate, Travis Kelce. He has a lot more going on off the field than just dating the world’s biggest pop star, Taylor Swift. Kelce and his brother, Jason, a former Philadelphia Eagles center, have been building their own podcast empire. The brothers’ talk show, “New Heights,” saw its ad sales and distribution rights acquired by Amazon’s Wondery in

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August for more than $100 million. Meanwhile, Jason’s wife, Kylie, also has her own hit podcast, “Not Gonna Lie With Kylie Kelce.”

It’s all more evidence of the closer confluence of sports and media. The attention-multiplier quality of that closeness can be seen in how social media erupted when Caitlin Clark happened to be Swift’s guest

during mid-January’s Chiefs’ AFC Divisional Playoff against the Houston Texans.

Star athletes aside, 2024 will also be remembered for McDonald’s mascot became an unlikely rallying point for New York Mets fans. How can the team and the brand top that in 2025? Stay tuned, they’re working on it.

Russell Wager

VP, MARKETING, KIA AMERICA

Ed Wild

VP, PERFORMANCE MEDIA, ZILLOW

Alison Levin

Lastly, media, sports, tech, and brand leaders will be looking for ways to break Netflix’s record viewership for NFL games on Christmas Day. We’ll all likely marvel at the WNBA’s, men’s and women’s soccer, and F1 continued to grow by the end of 2025.

These aren’t isolated incidents but rather symptoms of a larger phenomenon: the emergence of sports as our modern town square, our shared cultural nucleus.

“Sports is the thing that pulls us all together versus pushing us apart,” as the NFL’s Kauffman put it.

Compared to the broadcast and cable primetime average, ads during the Big Game were 224% more likely to drive engagement. “

Live sports made a powerful impact on 2024 — and women’s sports are leading the charge, NBCU’s Levin told us.

“With more access across broadcast and streaming than ever before, viewer demand is soaring — making this the perfect time for brands to lean in and be part of the movement. At NBCUniversal, we’re putting women’s sports front and center with more live broadcast primetime coverage than any other media company in history,” said Levin.

“We’re innovating with new ad formats and data collaborations across the industry to elevate the fan experience and create more impactful opportunities for advertisers. The Paris Olympics were a perfect example of that with half of our primetime coverage dedicated to women’s sports and airing nearly 3.5K hours of women’s sports coverage across platforms and languages. With the Milan Cortina Olympics, WNBA, and more on the horizon, the next era of women’s sports is here.”

According to research from EDO, live sports programming nearly swept the top primetime programs of 2024 for ad engagement, with 16

game and championship broadcasts ranking in the top 20. The NFL earned five of those spots, with Super Bowl LVIII ranking as the second-best primetime program for ad engagement. Compared to the broadcast and cable primetime average, ads during the Big Game were 224% more likely to drive engagement.

Even adjacent moments to live sports matter to brands and fans. Here, too, it matters because the audience is more and more global, noted KIA’s Wager.

“Being global is a great thing right up until you have to figure out who’s paying for it and what the benefit for each of the markets is,” Wager said, explaining the brand’s calculation. “So, let’s take a case in point. Right now, the Australian Open is going on and KIA sponsors it and it’s a great thing for us in the U.S. we get a lot of great coverage. On December 31st we partnered with Times Square Alliance, and we were on the One Times Square billboard during the ball drop. KIA was seen all over the globe by over a hundred million people and no one paid for it except us. Live sports have that same power.”

Lastly, brands are asking for one thing from the leagues, teams, and athletes they support: opportunities to be part of the storytelling that gives sports its many dimensions.

“Consumers crave meaningful connections, which is why women’s sports remain a priority for us,” said Zillow’s Wild. “Our partnership with [WNBA Indian Fever forward] Aliyah Boston is a great example. It highlights how Zillow can help make dreams a reality, whether for a star athlete or an everyday homebuyer. By focusing on storytelling rather than one-off big-stage moments, we

create lasting, impactful connections that drive both awareness and brand affinity. As a sports fan, I’ve seen firsthand the powerful impact sports marketing can have on building emotional connections with a brand. It feels natural to bring Zillow into that conversation, but the challenge lies in executing consistently amidst so many opportunities.”

We hope this report sparks more discussion about how these converging trends are reshaping the sports marketing landscape. Throughout the year, we will be updating this report to continue

exploring how brands are adapting to — and driving — these changes, while looking ahead to the opportunities and challenges that await in a sports world being remade before our eyes!

As the longest-running major partner of the Australian Open, Kia has played a key role since 2002 in supporting the players on and off the court, while promoting the growth of tennis around the world.

and the Brand Innovators Team

James McNamara

Megan Quick