The sports betting sector has consolidated itself as the main force behind sponsorships in football championships around the world. A study revealed that, of the 100 main tournaments analyzed, 26 have companies in this sector as their ‘title sponsor’, demonstrating their growing influence on the global sporting scene.
The study took into account a diverse sample of football championships, covering 100 countries. They selected 52 of the tournaments analyzed because they had the highest revenues in 2022.
Others, in turn, entered the list based on the FIFA ranking of national teams and the rankings of clubs by continental confederation. Furthermore, four championships were chosen at random.
Among the 100 championships analyzed:
- 26 competitions are sponsored by companies in the betting sector, making it the most present segment among title sponsors.
- The financial sector appears in second place, with 13.5 sponsored championships. This number includes the sponsorship division in the Paraguayan Championship, where two companies share ownership of the tournament’s name.
- Next, the telecommunications sector appears with 12.5 sponsored competitions, again reflecting the sponsorship division.
- Other sectors are also present, although on a smaller scale: consumer goods (6), retail (5), communication (3), technology (3), automotive (2), oil and gas (2), real estate (2), and unions (1).
Football regional differences and betting brand exposure
The research also revealed that, in championships in regions such as Asia and Africa, none of the 16 Asian and 17 African tournaments are sponsored by betting companies. On these continents, sectors such as finance, automotive and telecommunications dominate sponsorships.
In Europe, the scenario is very different. With 46 championships analyzed, the betting sector dominates with 20 leagues sponsored by companies in this sector, demonstrating a more aggressive and consolidated strategy in this market.
In South America, the situation is similar to Europe. Of the 10 Conmebol tournaments analyzed, 50% have betting companies as their main partners. In North America, among the 11 championships analyzed, three receive sponsorship from financial companies, while another three do not have any betting agreement.
Trends in high revenue leagues
Among the championships that generate the most revenue, there is a tendency towards less dependence on this type of agreement. Of the 50 most profitable tournaments, only 14% do not have a sponsor naming the championship.
Interestingly, among the 10 most profitable championships, this percentage rises to 40%. This indicates that more mature leagues, such as the Premier League, choose not to sell this type of sponsorship. However, 11 of the 20 elite clubs in English football have agreements with betting companies.
