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2025 Sports Marketing Outlook
How the trends and lessons of 2024 shed light on what to expect in 2025
To be sure, 2024 was a transformative year for sports marketing, where brands grappled with rising costs and the ever-evolving audience landscape.
As brands navigate these changes and prepare for 2025, one thing is clear: the future of sports sponsorship is about more than just visibility — it's about meaningful connections with fans, especially in emerging spaces.
Based on this year's insights, here's what to expect in 2025.
Niche Sports Will Continue to Rise
As professional sports sponsorship costs skyrocket — now averaging nearly $1 million in leagues such as the NFL, NBA, and MLS, according to SponsorUnited's 2024 "State of the Market" report — brands are looking beyond the traditional to explore untapped opportunities. Niche sports have become a key area of focus. For example, the 2024 Olympics highlighted this shift, where a historic bronze medal in often-overlooked women's rugby and viral moments from the men's gymnastics pommel horse competition captivated U.S. audiences. This growing interest in more specialized, 'out of the ordinary' sports shows that today's fans crave variety in their sports experiences.
In 2025, marketers can expect this trend to accelerate, as brands recognize the unique opportunities that niche sports offer. These sports often come with a more engaged and loyal fan base, allowing for deeper, more authentic connections at a fraction of the cost of sponsorships in big market sports leagues. Brands will look to sponsor these small and tight-knit communities, recognizing that it's not always the size of the audience that matters but the level of engagement. This strategy not only aligns with fans' growing preference for originality and community but also opens new avenues for brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace.
Brands Will Follow Fans to New Media
Shifting fandom dynamics played a critical role in shaping the sports sponsorship landscape. While traditional sports fans remain passionate, the way new generations engage with their favorite teams and athletes has evolved significantly, forcing brands to rethink their approach to reaching and nurturing these audiences.
As fandom continues to shift toward digital engagement, brands are adapting to the platforms where younger generations spend their time. Social media has become a key battleground for sports fandom, especially in the wake of the NCAA's name, image, and likeness rule changes, which have transformed college athletes into major influencers.
For gen Z and gen alpha, following athletes on TikTok or Instagram is often the first step in their journey toward becoming a fan, a marked contrast to previous generations who became fans through attending live events or watching on TV. Many athletes rose to superstardom in 2024 thanks in part to their social media presence, such as U.S. Rugby player Ilona Maher and brothers and NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce.
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In 2025, marketers can expect to see more digital experiences surrounding game day, as well as a continued increase in individuals rising to social media stardom rivaling or surpassing the reach of teams. Given this change, brands should consider introducing or increasing support for their influencer marketing strategies within sports, even looking into micro-influencer strategies tapping into collegiate athletes or local teams.
The Rise of Women's Sports Shows No Signs of Slowing
This year was a banner year for women's sports. According to Statista, the fan base of U.S. women's NCAA college basketball grew to nearly 50 million and the NWSL attracted almost 36 million fans. In this year's Olympics, the first in which the International Olympic Committee achieved gender parity, more than half of team USA's medals were earned by female athletes.
Fans are tuning in like never before, and brands are following suit. The investment in women's sports not only reflects audience demand but also a shift toward aligning with social impact narratives by supporting gender equity in athletics, which resonates strongly with today's consumers. According to a global Nielsen Fan Insights study cited by Nielsen in a 2021 report, 47.5 percent of participants express a stronger preference for brands that prioritize social responsibility and contribute positively to society.
The biggest takeaway for brands? Women's sports offer a powerful and still under-leveraged platform for connection. These leagues and athletes represent not just skill but also stories of perseverance, achievement, and empowerment — key themes that brands can tap into to build stronger emotional connections with their audience.
Sponsorships Will Lean More Local and Purpose-Driven
In the face of rising costs for national and international sponsorships, 2024 saw brands returning to local sports and focusing their brand efforts on purpose-driven, grassroots initiatives. For example, Gatorade's "Turf Finder" campaign used data to predict when streets and other public spaces in India would be available for pickup games of cricket, soccer, and basketball.
Marketers have long understood that millennials are driven by purpose, and now are seeing similar sentiment with gen Z consumers. In 2018, Nielsen reported that 73 percent of millennials are willing to pay more for products from companies that are committed to positive social impact. A 2023 study by Snapchat confirms that gen Z is more likely to be loyal to brands that show commitment to social issues and social change. As millennials' average household expenditures near $82,000, per Statista, and Snapchat's data shows gen Z's global spending power has reached $853 billion, appealing to these core buying groups is more important than ever. Whether it was partnerships with local youth sports leagues or aligning to a brand purpose such as increasing girls' sports participation, brands increasingly recognized the power of connecting with consumers on a community level.
Local sponsorships offer brands an opportunity to create personal, memorable experiences. By sponsoring community events or regional teams, brands can become part of the fabric of sports fans' everyday lives. Not only do local efforts cost less than national or international sponsorships, but they can also foster long-term brand loyalty in ways that larger sponsorships can't.
In 2025, marketers can expect to see more brands leaning into youth sports, purporting equality in sports, and inspiring the next generation of athletes and leaders through sport.
2025 Is a Jump Ball
As marketers look ahead to 2025, they will need to focus on creating deeper connections with fans through niche sports, digital engagement, and purpose-driven campaigns.
With women's sports and local sponsorships gaining momentum, the year ahead promises even greater opportunities to align brand values with audience passions.
TeamSnap is a partner in the ANA Thought Leadership Program.
