October 31, 2007: Overseas marketing efforts, nontraditional categories drive growth
For More Information Contact:
William Chipps, IEG, LLC, Tel: 312/944-1727
william.chipps@sponsorship.com
www.sponsorship.com
Chicago, Ill. —The four major U.S. pro sports leagues and their teams will generate a 15 percent increase in sponsorship revenue this year to $2.07 billion, according to IEG Sponsorship Report, the world’s leading authority on sponsorship.
That increase exceeds the 11.7 percent IEG SR forecasts for the overall sponsorship industry, reflecting the continued popularity of sports among corporate marketers.
IEG SR senior editor William Chipps attributes the growth to two main factors: international marketing efforts and the leagues’ ability to secure new partners in previously untapped categories. “That one-two punch has lifted pro sports sponsorship spending to a new level,” Chipps said.
On the overseas front, the NBA nearly doubled its roster of partners for October’s China Games over the series’ 2004 debut. New partners include adidas AG; Lenovo Group Ltd.; and Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.
Domestically, the NBA earlier this summer signed a new partnership with the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.
In football, the NFL signed deals in two new categories: Bank of America Corp. came on board as the league’s official bank, while Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC inked official tire status. The league also signed a new partnership with The Home Depot, Inc.
Other recent deals in the pro sports space include MLB’s new partnerships with KPMG L.L.P. and State Farm Insurance Cos., and the NHL’s Canadian deal with The Bank of Nova Scotia’s Scotiabank.
The NHL also signed Pepsi-Cola North America’s Amp brand as title sponsor of the inaugural Winter Classic outdoor game on January 1. PepsiCo, Inc. is an existing NHL sponsor.
About IEG, LLC
IEG is the world’s leading provider of independent research, consulting, training and analysis on sponsorship. Founded in 1981, IEG provides corporations and properties with the strategies and tools to harness the sales and marketing power of sports, arts, entertainment and cause marketing.
IEG offers services that include sponsorship consulting, competitive intelligence and valuation. IEG also publishes IEG Sponsorship Report, the international biweekly newsletter on sponsorship; the IEG Sponsorship Sourcebook, the definitive guide to sponsors, properties and agencies; and other industry publications and sources.
IEG also is the leader in sponsorship training. Its internationally renowned Sponsorship Conference, now in its 25th year, attracts a capacity crowd of delegates each year. Through its conferences, seminars and webinars, IEG has trained more than 45,000 sponsorship executives worldwide.
For more information about IEG and the sponsorship industry, please visit www.sponsorship.com or call 800/834-4850 (outside the U.S. and Canada, 312/944-1727).