Global Partnerships That Caught Our Eye
Here are a few deals and happenings that caught the eye of the SponsorshipX team over the past few days.
You must love the Duke Mayo Bowl and its endless activations, from the broadcast team trying every food under the sun with mayo to the bucket of mayo shower the winning coach enjoys. However, we wonder how the Duke Blue Devils (52-20 losers to Ole Miss in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl) were not automatically invited to play in their namesake bowl.
Responding to requests from the corporate community, the Japanese Olympic Committee and Japanese Paralympic Committee plan to allow companies to sign a single joint sponsorship contract with both bodies from 2025. This outcome has been expected for over a decade since Japan was first awarded the right to host the 2020 Games, but given conflicting policies, the two bodies have been unable to make it happen until now. Ironically, one of the most loved customs for participating athletes is a parade of Paralympians and Olympians in Tokyo to celebrate the Games. It was held in 2016 and again this past Fall. It's nice to see the collaboration go beyond symbolism, and this new relationship should increase the number of companies who associate with both bodies from the existing five.
Women’s sports are on a surge, and the proof is in the 2025 Women’s Basketball Championship rates, which have risen 250% for premium placements over 2024. This reflects the 285% rise in viewership since 2022. This rate increase is driven by viewership growth and advertiser demand, as ESPN has reported its earliest sellout ever. To put it in perspective, these rates are on par with the NBA Finals!
Speaking of women’s sports, the PWHL Takeover Tour™, which launched January 5th, seems ripe for a title sponsor to take it over. The tour features nine neutral-site regular-season games that will be played outside the League’s current complement of cities. The tour allows the PWHL to build its market reach, engage new fans, expand its media footprint, and test out possible expansion markets. The league launched neutral site regular season games in its inaugural season. It was rewarded with events such as the game at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, home to a PWHL contest on March 16 and housed a U.S. professional women’s hockey attendance record of 13,736. It seems like a logical next step to integrate brand champions looking for a North American-wide presence with the fastest women’s sports in the world.
F1 star Lewis Hamilton is switching more than his ride for the upcoming season. He is also moving from Monster Energy Drink to Celsius. Hamilton had a reported $10 million annual deal with Monster, who had left Mercdeds to join MacLaren, while Hamilton jumped to Ferrari. Celsius and Feerair have partnered since 2023, so the realignment of wheels and beverages makes sense.