Sponsorship 'tsunami' brewing
Sports Business Journal reports a 'sponsorship tsunami' that could see sponsorship investments in the U.S. and Canada double by 2033, and says more than half of 149 surveyed brands plan World Cup 2026 activations. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) Local examples include the Game of Thrones Studio Tour sponsoring three Northern Ireland sports clubs after visitor numbers jumped 94% in January and ticket revenue rose 61% year‑over‑year. (northernirelandchamber.com)
Sports sponsorship spending in the United States and Canada could double by 2033, with brands already lining up around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) Sports Business Journal reported Monday that more than half of 149 surveyed brands said they plan activations tied to the 2026 tournament. The event runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada and Mexico. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) (fifa.com) The 2026 World Cup is larger than any previous men’s edition: 48 teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities. FIFA has set the opening match for Mexico City and the final for New York New Jersey. (fifa.com) That scale gives brands more places to buy visibility, from tournament-wide deals to city programs, venue takeovers and local fan events. FIFA’s host-city model has already produced city-level sponsor rosters in places including Atlanta, Houston, Seattle and Toronto. (fifa.com) (wc2026.io) The push is not limited to global companies. In Banbridge, Northern Ireland, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour said on April 13 that it will sponsor Banbridge Hockey Club for three years and Banbridge Tennis Club and Banbridge Football Club for two years each. (nitravelnews.com) The attraction moved after a sharp rebound in foot traffic. It said visitor numbers rose 94 percent in January 2026 from a year earlier and ticket revenue increased 61 percent, with 47.6 percent of visitors coming from outside the United Kingdom and Ireland from more than 64 countries. (northernirelandchamber.com) That local deal shows how sponsorship money now reaches well beyond shirt logos and stadium naming rights. Operators use it to tie tourism, live events and community sports together, especially when a venue has a clear visitor surge to monetize. (northernirelandchamber.com) (gameofthronesstudiotour.com) Outside the World Cup, the broader sports business has been expanding too. Nielsen said in June 2025 that women’s sports audiences were growing quickly, including a 31 percent increase in the Women’s National Basketball Association fan base in two years, giving sponsors more inventory to buy across the calendar. (nielsen.com) The next test is whether brands turn plans into campaigns as the tournament gets closer. By June, the market will move from forecasts and surveys to ticketed events, host-city promotions and the first wave of World Cup activations on the ground. (sportsbusinessjournal.com) (fifa.com)
