With the kickoff (pun intended) of the NFL season, coronavirus continues to threaten the health of the players and staff. Illness could interrupt the season and one of the biggest sponsorship opportunities in the country. At the collegiate level, the Big 10 and Pac-12 football conferences already canceled their seasons in August, a big blowback for regional brands.
At the same time, it’s no longer as controversial for athletes to openly speak out about social justice. In August, numerous NBA and MLB teams refused to play and games were canceled across leagues in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Canceled games further interrupted advertising opportunities, making brands nervous to invest.
However, bold advertisers can disrupt sports sponsorships.
Brands eager to experiment or push cause-driven messaging, like Nike and Coca-Cola, can use the current climate to their advantage and drive significant social change that will distance them from their competitors. And advertisers are still hungry for exposure, whether through virtualized experiences, related media channels, or 2021 event planning. We’ve compiled a list of 50 brands who spent significant advertising dollars on sports sponsorships in the past as they head into their Q4 planning quarter.
Want to access our list of 50 Sports Sponsorship Spenders Planning in Q4? Download as a PDF or Excel file