Europe’s total sponsorship by volume rose 1.9% last year, to a record €30.69 billion, new research from the European Sponsorship Association and Nielsen Sports has revealed.
The 2020 ESA Sponsorship Market Overview has found that sponsorship volume has grown in Europe for the seventh straight year.
The figure represents a slower rate of growth than in 2018, explained by the absence of major global events from the sporting calendar in the last twelve months. In 2018, events such as the men’s FIFA World Cup in Russia and the Olympic Winter Games saw sponsorship rise 8.7%.
The annual report, produced in partnership with Nielsen Sports exclusively for ESA Members, can be accessed by members HERE. It includes further insights on the breakdown between sport and non-sport sponsorship revenue, sponsorship growth and fluctuations across national markets, and which industry sectors are spending the most on sponsorship.
The continent’s top three markets by volume were unchanged from 2018, with Germany leading the way (€6.26 billion, up +4%), followed by the United Kingdom €4.56 billion (+6%) and Italy €1.94 billion (+15%).
Of the fourteen individual markets captured in the report, twelve countries saw either steady volume or year-on-year increases, with only two countries recording a decline.
Football continues to make up the biggest share of sponsorship, with major growth in the Italian and Spanish markets underpinned by the sponsorship strategy of localised and region-based sponsorship from leading football teams, which has continued to bear fruit.
ESA Chairman, Andy Westlake, said:
“This report indicates that the sponsorship industry continues to thrive, rising almost 2% even without the major sporting events that propelled growth in previous years.
“The sponsorship sector also continues to grow more sophisticated and diverse, with much of the growth being driven by non-sport sponsorship, which rose at twice the rate of sporting deals in 2019.
“While the unfolding Coronavirus pandemic will undoubtedly take a toll in the short to mid-term, particularly as a host of major events are postponed and rescheduled, I believe that our innovative and resilient industry can emerge from the current emergency stronger than before. 2021 is going to be a huge year for our industry – sport will provide a big catalyst for the world’s bounce back to normality.”
ESA Members can access the full 2020 Sponsorship Market Overview report in the Resources section at www.sponsorship.org. Historic ESA Sponsorship Market Overview reports dating back to 2008 are also available for Members to download.
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For media queries, please contact:
Max Weber
Marketing Communications and Events Manager – ESA
Email: maxweber@sponsorship.org / Phone: +44 (0)20 8390 3311
