The National Football League (NFL) and its 32 franchises accrued more than US$1.47 billion in sponsorship revenue during the 2019/20 season, according to sponsorship consultancy IEG.
The figure is up nearly six per cent on the US$1.39 billion generated last year, with more than 350 new sponsorship deals signed over the course of the season, adding to close to 1,500 existing partnerships.
According to IEG’s study, the NFL once again received a significant boost from the gambling industry as both the league and its franchises continued to take advantage of the relaxed sports betting laws in the US.
The NFL agreed in August 2018 to allow teams to have sponsorship deals with casino companies before signing its first league-wide casino partnership in the US with Caesars Entertainment at the start of 2019, followed by a similar arrangement in Canada with Gateways Casinos.
The NFL also named DraftKings as its official daily fantasy partner in September, while FanDuel, another fantasy sports and betting provider, came onboard as a partner of several franchises including the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.
All told, casinos, daily fantasy sports, online betting and lotteries accounted for 21 new deals in the lottery and gaming category during the 2019/20 season as sponsorship spend from the gambling sector grew by 34 per cent year-on-year.
Other top categories for new sponsorship deals included insurance, apparel, wine, technology, investment services, retail, spiked seltzer, spirits, and building and home improvement.
“Interesting newcomers trying out NFL sponsorship as a marketing platform include meal kit companies, cryptocurrency and meat substitutes,” noted Peter Laatz, global managing director at IEG. “The gambling, retail, technology and wine categories are expanding through key league and team partnerships.”
IEG’s study said that drink and brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev once again spent the most on promoting its Babe, Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer, Corona and Labatt Blue labels, as well as its Bud Light and Budweiser beer brands.
Food and beverage firm PepsiCo held the most partnerships in the league, activating with its Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi, Quaker Oats and Tostitos brands.
In terms of new league-wide sponsorship deals, the 2019/20 season saw the NFL partner with the likes of eyewear manufacturer Oakley, fashion retailer H&M and financial services provider Rocket Mortgage.
“The NFL is getting better at seamless integration of products into on-field play and game broadcasts,” added Brian Gordon, chief executive and founder of Engine Shop, which acquired IEG in July 2018. “This season, Oakley came on board with official visors for the players, becoming just as much as part of the game as the Bose headsets and Microsoft Surface tablets. It will be interesting to see how this trend grows.”
IEG noted that two new stadium naming rights deals coming into effect this year will have a significant impact on the financial services and airline sponsorship category spending in the 2020/21 season.
San Francisco-based Social Finance will pay a reported US$30 million per year to put its name to the new US$5 billion home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers for the next 20 years. Meanwhile, discount airline Allegiant is reportedly parting with up to US$25 million annually for the naming rights to the Raiders new home in Las Vegas.
The National Football League (NFL) and its 32 franchises accrued more than US$1.47 billion in sponsorship revenue during the 2019/20 season, according to sponsorship consultancy IEG.
The figure is up nearly six per cent on the US$1.39 billion generated last year, with more than 350 new sponsorship deals signed over the course of the season, adding to close to 1,500 existing partnerships.
According to IEG’s study, the NFL once again received a significant boost from the gambling industry as both the league and its franchises continued to take advantage of the relaxed sports betting laws in the US.
The NFL agreed in August 2018 to allow teams to have sponsorship deals with casino companies before signing its first league-wide casino partnership in the US with Caesars Entertainment at the start of 2019, followed by a similar arrangement in Canada with Gateways Casinos.
The NFL also named DraftKings as its official daily fantasy partner in September, while FanDuel, another fantasy sports and betting provider, came onboard as a partner of several franchises including the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans.
All told, casinos, daily fantasy sports, online betting and lotteries accounted for 21 new deals in the lottery and gaming category during the 2019/20 season as sponsorship spend from the gambling sector grew by 34 per cent year-on-year.
Other top categories for new sponsorship deals included insurance, apparel, wine, technology, investment services, retail, spiked seltzer, spirits, and building and home improvement.
“Interesting newcomers trying out NFL sponsorship as a marketing platform include meal kit companies, cryptocurrency and meat substitutes,” noted Peter Laatz, global managing director at IEG. “The gambling, retail, technology and wine categories are expanding through key league and team partnerships.”
IEG’s study said that drink and brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev once again spent the most on promoting its Babe, Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer, Corona and Labatt Blue labels, as well as its Bud Light and Budweiser beer brands.
Food and beverage firm PepsiCo held the most partnerships in the league, activating with its Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi, Quaker Oats and Tostitos brands.
In terms of new league-wide sponsorship deals, the 2019/20 season saw the NFL partner with the likes of eyewear manufacturer Oakley, fashion retailer H&M and financial services provider Rocket Mortgage.
“The NFL is getting better at seamless integration of products into on-field play and game broadcasts,” added Brian Gordon, chief executive and founder of Engine Shop, which acquired IEG in July 2018. “This season, Oakley came on board with official visors for the players, becoming just as much as part of the game as the Bose headsets and Microsoft Surface tablets. It will be interesting to see how this trend grows.”
IEG noted that two new stadium naming rights deals coming into effect this year will have a significant impact on the financial services and airline sponsorship category spending in the 2020/21 season.
San Francisco-based Social Finance will pay a reported US$30 million per year to put its name to the new US$5 billion home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers for the next 20 years. Meanwhile, discount airline Allegiant is reportedly parting with up to US$25 million annually for the naming rights to the Raiders new home in Las Vegas.
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