By Marla Saret, EVP, Sports and Earned Media
Last week, the Golin Sports team joined industry leaders at PRWeek’s Sports Conference in NYC, engaging alongside communicators, brand leaders, athletes, media and sports executives to tackle one defining question: What is the future of sports marketing?
Here’s some takeaways we left the conference with that we are taking back to our clients:
There is no ceiling in sports right now. According to Monumental Sports and Entertainment EVP AJ Jones, $70 billion in sports sponsorship was spent last year alone, with $90 billion projected by 2030. But the bigger story isn’t just the numbers. It’s how sports are turning everything we know about culture on its head. Sports are where identity, community and shared experiences collide in real time. It’s one of the last places where culture moves together instead of fracturing apart. As AJ Jones put it: “In sports, we are able to move the zeitgeist of culture in an instant.” The brands that understand they’re investing in cultural relevance and not just sports are the ones that will win.
Fans have changed the channel on how they are consuming sports content. We need to meet them where they are. One panelist referred to sports as the original “reality TV.” But now, sports consumption has been unbundled from how we have traditionally watched games, and it’s not coming back together. Streaming, podcasts, substacks and of course social media are allowing younger fans to build their own media diets on their own terms. As The Athletic’s Claudio Cabrera put it, “A lot more individuals are able to create media now.” Brands don’t decide where and when fans consume content. But they do decide whether they show up there. A strategy that doesn’t account for all the places fans are watching and, most importantly, engaging with sports content is leaving real opportunity on the table.
Creators aren’t a trend. They’re the new sports media. The tunnel walk is the new runway. Player personalities are driving fandom even more than team loyalty. Sports influencer SportsGirlNYC framed it perfectly: “I’m a bridge between brands and fans.” That bridge only holds if brands are willing to show up as real partners. They need to collaborate with and allow creators the space to tell authentic stories rather than scripting every post. The brands building genuine, ongoing creator relationships are the ones that are going to see their sports investments pay off the most.
Values alignment isn’t a nice-to-have anymore. It’s the price of entry for brands engaging with women’s sports. Breanna Stewart opened the conference talking about how early in her career she wasn’t selective about brand partnerships. But, now she only works with brands whose products she genuinely uses and whose company culture actively supports women and women’s sports. The PWHL’s Mandy Gutmann echoed it from the league side: the partnerships that work for them are rooted in shared values around women’s equality and social justice. Fans can tell the difference between a brand that believes in something and one that’s just chasing a moment. So can athletes and leagues. And they’re choosing their sponsorships accordingly.
Sports have always unlocked something bigger than the game itself. It’s about culture, community, identity, belonging, fandom and the stories that bind it all together. The brands and communicators who understand that have never had a bigger stage. . . or field. . . to work with.
If you are interested in learning more about Golin Sports, please contact us at [email protected].