Latest news with #SponsorUnited
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NHL Teams Scored With Record $1.5B in Sponsorship Revenue, Up 9%
With the 2025 Stanley Cup Final underway between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, the league has something else to celebrate. NHL teams generated a record $1.53 billion in sponsorship revenue, up 9% from $1.4 billion last season and up nearly 20% from the 2022-23 season, according to sports marketing research firm SponsorUnited. The company's data does not include league-wide deals in its reports, but the NHL holds its own compared to other pro sports leagues, including the NFL ($2.49 billion), Formula 1 ($2.04 billion), MLB ($1.90 billion) and the NBA ($1.62 billion). It has a sizable lead over MLS's $670 million. The average NHL team's sponsorship contract goes for $529,000, a total slightly larger than MLB's average of $520,000. Advertisement More from Each NHL team on average holds about 91 sponsorships, with deal volume up 7% since the 2022-23 season. Such deals include board signage along the ice, naming rights for premium hospitality areas and Zamboni branding. By SponsorUnited's count, the Nashville Predators lead the league with 141 deals, with ten teams in total having over 100 agreements. The Oilers—who leveled out the Stanley Cup Final at 2-2 after a historic comeback capped by Leon Draisaitl's overtime goal in Thursday's Game 4—rank fourth among all teams with 119. A major area of revenue generation comes from jersey/sweater and helmet patches. Jersey patch deals, according to the report, range from $3.4 million-$4.2 million per season, generally lower price points versus those from the NBA, MLB or MLS. Advertisement Deals for helmet decals run between $900,000 and $1.2 million. Among the most notable helmet agreements in 2024-25 were the Toronto Maple Leafs pairing up with Mondelez's Oreos brand, the New York Islanders linking with AI-focused tech company Viam and the Philadelphia Flyers connecting with Chevy dealerships in their market. Those three brands are among the 500 new sponsors the NHL picked up in 2024-25, The Flyers' deal helped the auto sector pull in an additional $8.5 million in sponsorship spend (an 8% increase year-over-year) as the category remained the third-biggest sector for the league. By far, financial firms led the way with an additional $19 million spend (+8%), led by three deals for the Utah Mammoth and the Colorado Avalanche's jersey patch deal with IMA Financial Group. Business services had the most growth of all categories at 18%, accounting for $17 million in new money. Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
NBA Team Sponsorship Revenue Hits $1.6 Billion In 2024-2025 Season
NBA franchises secured $1.62 billion in team sponsorship revenue for the 2024-25 season, an 8% uptick year-over-year. That's also a 91% increase over the past five years, according to a new report released by SponsorUnited, a sports and entertainment sponsorship intelligence and data firm. The three team sponsorship categories which grew the most year-over-year included technology ($22 million), followed by healthcare ($8.2 million) and auto ($8 million). The NBA report, which was authored by SponsorUnited's marketing, business, intelligence and analytics groups, incorporated data via its SaaS platform from September 2021 to April 2025. SponsorUnited found that jersey patch revenue contributed, in large part, to NBA teams' business success off the court in 2024-25. Patches first debuted during the 2017-18 campaign to bolster teams' sponsorship offerings to current and prospective partners. This season, there were 11 new jersey patch deals featuring six brands — such as Amica Insurance (Boston Celtics), Reviver (Sacramento Kings) and Brightside Windows (Portland Trail Blazers) — who were also first-time NBA partners. The new agreements reached over $80 million in total spending across the NBA, which will see its new media rights deals with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video begin in 2025-26. Meanwhile, almost 450 brands partnered with the NBA for the first time during this recent season. Sponsorship categories that saw the most growth in terms of new brand partners included construction (37%), alcohol (35%), technology (31%), hotel, restaurant and leisure (31%) and government (30%). The Golden State Warriors' jersey patch partner, Rakuten, and naming rights sponsor, JPMorgan Chase, were the two biggest-spending brands, according to the report. AB InBev, Toyota and Bibigo, a Korean food company featured on the Los Angeles Lakers jersey, rounded out the top five spenders. Toyota is a sponsor with more than half of the league's 30 teams. Among the major U.S. men's professional sports leagues, the NBA sits in third behind the NFL and MLB, whose teams secured nearly $2.5 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively, in overall team sponsorship revenue. From a player perspective, Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard Jared McCain had the most endorsement deals (30) of any NBA player, per SponsorUnited. New York Knicks forward Karl Anthony Towns (23), shooting guard Josh Hart (19) and point guard Jalen Brunson (18) were also among the top endorsed NBA athletes.
NBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- NBC News
NBA team sponsorship revenue up 8% to $1.6 billion, boosted by jersey patches
NBA teams notched $1.62 billion in sponsorship revenue this season — an increase of 8% since last year, and 91% from $850 million five years ago, according to third-party data firm SponsorUnited. While the volume of deals was up just 2.5% since last year, the partnerships got bigger and more strategic, per the NBA Marketing Partnerships 2024-2025 report from SponsorUnited, which tracks global sports and entertainment sponsorships. That haul is still shy, however, of the NFL, which had nearly $2.5 billion in team sponsorship revenue, a 6% increase from the prior season, according to SponsorUnited. A key part of the NBA's revenue rise is the proliferation of sponsor patches on team jerseys, said Bob Lynch, founder and CEO of the data firm. The number of jersey patch deals — commonplace in international soccer and increasingly popular in the NBA since their introduction in 2017 — more than doubled year-over-year last season. There were six first-time NBA jersey partners, contributing more than $80 million in new spending this year, according to the report. The deals typically run three years on average, Lynch said. 'It was sort of this mad dash to bring in these deals, which generate a lot of buzz and a lot of revenue,' said Lynch. 'These partnerships can be a quarter of a billion dollars of incremental revenue that was generated just from 11 deals that were sold. So it just shows the continued viability and interest in the NBA just on these jersey patches alone.' The 2024 opening of the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome has also helped to drive up overall sponsorship revenue. 'Anytime these leagues have a big stadium that opens or an expansion team, it just adds so much revenue to the league,' said Lynch. 'Between jersey patches and the Clippers' stadium, it was like the equivalent of bringing in three new teams to the league that generated revenue,' he said. There were 450 brands that entered NBA sponsorships for the first time this season. The most growth came from brands in the construction, alcohol and technology sectors, according to SponsorUnited. Rakuten and JPMorgan Chase rank as the top-spending brands in the league, according to the report. Chase is the arena sponsor for the Golden State Warriors, while Rakuten has a patch on the team's jersey. The sponsorship increase comes on the heels of the league's $77 billion media rights deal, in which games will be offered across Disney' s platforms like ESPN, Comcast 's NBC broadcast and Peacock, and Amazon 's Prime Video beginning next season. The latest media rights deal shows a heavy emphasis on streaming and a broader expansion on broadcast TV. Individual star players have beckoned some of the biggest endorsement deals, which didn't contribute to the team sponsorship total, but often serves as a gateway for brands to eventually strike deals with teams, said Lynch. 'What we're seeing is that players are almost becoming teams themselves in the number of sponsorship deals they have,' said Lynch. Initially, star players and their massive social media followings were considered a threat to overall league and team sponsorship revenue. Instead, they've provided a boost, said Lynch. 'It's created a larger ecosystem for brands to enter into the NBA space, sort of dip their toe in the water,' he said. Athletes often ink endorsement deals that can last just a few months, as opposed to team sponsorships that are longer-term. The exception is generational players, like Steph Curry and LeBron James, who have the leverage for long-term deals. This season the Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain inked 30 endorsement deals, the most by a player in a single season in NBA history, according to SponsorUnited. Other top NBA athletes who led in endorsement deals include three New York Knicks players — Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson — who powered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. Golden State Warriors' Curry was also among the top-endorsed NBA players. Curry saw his business career trajectory change when he inked a deal with Under Armour in 2013, which was worth about $4 million per year, CNBC recently reported. In 2023 Curry extended the deal and received 8.8 million Under Armour shares, valued at $75 million at the time. As a whole, the Warriors ranked alongside the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a handful of U.S. teams with the most lucrative sponsorships businesses.
CNBC
05-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
NBA team sponsorship revenue up 8% to $1.6 billion, boosted by jersey patches
NBA teams notched $1.62 billion in sponsorship revenue this season — an increase of 8% since last year, and 91% from $850 million five years ago, according to third-party data firm SponsorUnited. While the volume of deals was up just 2.5% since last year, the partnerships got bigger and more strategic, per the NBA Marketing Partnerships 2024-2025 report from SponsorUnited, which tracks global sports and entertainment sponsorships. That haul is still shy, however, of the NFL, which had nearly $2.5 billion in team sponsorship revenue, a 6% increase from the prior season, according to SponsorUnited. A key part of the NBA's revenue rise is the proliferation of sponsor patches on team jerseys, said Bob Lynch, founder and CEO of the data firm. The number of jersey patch deals — commonplace in international soccer and increasingly popular in the NBA since their introduction in 2017 — more than doubled year-over-year last season. There were six first-time NBA jersey partners, contributing more than $80 million in new spending this year, according to the report. The deals typically run three years on average, Lynch said. "It was sort of this mad dash to bring in these deals, which generate a lot of buzz and a lot of revenue," said Lynch. "These partnerships can be a quarter of a billion dollars of incremental revenue that was generated just from 11 deals that were sold. So it just shows the continued viability and interest in the NBA just on these jersey patches alone." The 2024 opening of the Los Angeles Clippers' Intuit Dome has also helped to drive up overall sponsorship revenue. "Anytime these leagues have a big stadium that opens or an expansion team, it just adds so much revenue to the league," said Lynch. "Between jersey patches and the Clippers' stadium, it was like the equivalent of bringing in three new teams to the league that generated revenue," he said. There were 450 brands that entered NBA sponsorships for the first time this season. The most growth came from brands in the construction, alcohol and technology sectors, according to SponsorUnited. Rakuten and JPMorgan Chase rank as the top-spending brands in the league, according to the report. Chase is the arena sponsor for the Golden State Warriors, while Rakuten has a patch on the team's jersey. The sponsorship increase comes on the heels of the league's $77 billion media rights deal, in which games will be offered across Disney's platforms like ESPN, Comcast's NBC broadcast and Peacock, and Amazon's Prime Video beginning next season. The latest media rights deal shows a heavy emphasis on streaming and a broader expansion on broadcast TV. Individual star players have beckoned some of the biggest endorsement deals, which didn't contribute to the team sponsorship total, but often serves as a gateway for brands to eventually strike deals with teams, said Lynch. "What we're seeing is that players are almost becoming teams themselves in the number of sponsorship deals they have," said Lynch. Initially, star players and their massive social media followings were considered a threat to overall league and team sponsorship revenue. Instead, they've provided a boost, said Lynch. "It's created a larger ecosystem for brands to enter into the NBA space, sort of dip their toe in the water," he said. Athletes often ink endorsement deals that can last just a few months, as opposed to team sponsorships that are longer-term. The exception is generational players, like Steph Curry and LeBron James, who have the leverage for long-term deals. This season the Philadelphia 76ers' Jared McCain inked 30 endorsement deals, the most by a player in a single season in NBA history, according to SponsorUnited. Other top NBA athletes who led in endorsement deals include three New York Knicks players — Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson — who powered the team to the Eastern Conference Finals this season. Golden State Warriors' Curry was also among the top-endorsed NBA players. Curry saw his business career trajectory change when he inked a deal with Under Armour in 2013, which was worth about $4 million per year, CNBC recently reported. In 2023 Curry extended the deal and received 8.8 million Under Armour shares, valued at $75 million at the time. As a whole, the Warriors ranked alongside the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a handful of U.S. teams with the most lucrative sponsorships businesses.
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Report: UNC's RJ Davis, USC's JuJu Watkins have most NIL deals
College basketball continues to be the go-to sport for name, image and likeness deals, according to a new report from sponsorship data company SponsorUnited. North Carolina's RJ Davis and USC's JuJu Watkins led all male and female athletes, respectively, in total endorsements over the past year, according to the report. Davis, third on the ACC's all-time scoring list, garnered 25 NIL deals over the last 12 months, finishing ahead of Arizona punter Cash Peterman (21), 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (19) and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and LSU basketball's Trace Young (17 each) for the men. In women's college sports, the top five athletes with the most NIL deals over the past year are all basketball players. Watkins -- the Big Ten Player of the Year who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second round of the Women's NCAA Tournament -- had 20 NIL agreements, topping the combined 18 deals between basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder from the University of Miami. UConn's Paige Bueckers and Oregon's Deja Kelly had 16 apiece, according to the report, while LSU's Flau'jae Johnson landed 15. Per SponsorUnited, NIL has evolved into a $1 billion business since launching nearly four years ago. Basketball has certainly played a major role in that growth. "Basketball consistently dominates NIL deals because it perfectly combines visibility, personality and cultural impact," SponsorUnited CEO Bob Lynch told ESPN, saying the sport "resonates on a massive scale." In addition, the new report showed the ever-growing marketability of female athletes, especially in basketball, as they perform better than their male counterparts on social media in terms of follower count and engagement. Bueckers, for example, has added around 3 million followers on social media within the past year, one million more than any male athlete. According to the report, eight of the top 10 athletes in terms of audience engagement were women. "Businesses are realizing that investing in women's sports is a good business decision," Shannon Scovel, a former Division I swimmer and professor who studies sports and media at the University of Tennessee, told ESPN. "There's been this perception that the only sports that can make money for businesses are certain men's sports. And women's sports have now shown that if you invest in them, you'll get a return on investment." Tracked NIL deals have increased by just 1% compared to the previous year, with technology and nonalcoholic beverages' deals driving the most growth in the past year and retail and apparel brands seeing a decrease. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
