iSportconnect Insights: Gambling The Most Dominant Area Of Sponsorship, Says Sports Industry
March 26, 2020
Gambling has been named as by far the most dominant area of sports sponsorship, according to those working within the sports industry.
A massive 64% of people who took part in the latest edition of our iSportconnect Insights survey, centred around sponsorship in sport, placed it in their top three most dominant sectors.
That figure then rises even further, to 75%, when looking at responses from UK participants, but could a drastic change in terms of gambling’s relationship with sport soon be on the horizon?
While gambling is becoming legalised more and more on a regular basis in the USA, it is no secret that the British government, as well as others, is looking at reducing the ability of gambling companies to so blatantly sponsor sport on a number of levels and it remains to be seen how big of an impact this will have on sport sponsorship as a whole.
Gambling in sport is also taking a large hit financially during the coronavirus pandemic, with betting sites losing out on most of their offerings, and it may be interesting to see if, following the culmination of this crisis, whether gambling organisations will be more or less inclined to sponsor sport.
iSportconnect’s latest Insights survey was completed in accordance with Goodform, who collated the results from professionals working in sports business.
Interestingly, direct communication with fans has been named as the biggest key to sponsorship within sport for brands.
68% of people told us that the ability to communicate directly with fans was in their three most valuable points for a sponsorship package.
Interestingly, influencer engagement was revealed as one of the least important factors when considering sponsor activation, possibly surprising considering its popularity in 2020.
53% of those who completed the survey believe access to players/athletes for promotional activities is one of the three most important factors in sponsorship packages for brands.
However, that number rises up to a huge 73% when focussing on answers provided by those working with rights holders and clubs, indicating that people working outside of these organisations do not see this as such a key factor.
You can receive a download of the full survey to find out even more interesting details by emailing Alexandra.kyrke-smith@goodformgroup.co.uk