Report: NFL, Team Sponsorship Revenue Reached Record $2.7B In 2022
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 08:21PM By Barry Janoff
February 7, 2023: Led by alcohol, technology and food categories, NFL team sponsorship revenue reached $2.05 billion across the 32 NFL teams during the 2022 season, a 14% increase year-over-year.
When combined with the league as a whole, total sponsorship revenue was $2.7 billion, both new league records, according to the just-released NFL 2022 Marketing Partnerships Report from global sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited.
The figure includes in-person and digital marketing, corporate sponsorship sales, fan events and activations, youth football activities, merchandise sales and co-marketing relationships with other sports and entertainment properties in the market.
By comparison, the sponsorship revenue last season for the NBA was $1.64 billion, MLB was $1.19 billion, NHL at $753 million and MLS $677 million, according to sponsorship insights, intelligence and consulting firm IEG, Chicago.
Ticketing, Insurance and Healthcare were the leading brand categories in terms of NFL revenue growth this past season, while “emergent categories like Sports Betting and Wine and Spirits are expected to increase their spend in the years ahead,” according to SponsorUnited.
“Sports betting has become a key revenue stream.”
Strong growth drivers include the Apple Music Halftime Show and new sponsors such as Socios and regional Healthcare brands.
In addition, the league's “ambitious strategy to grow its international footprint granting teams access to foreign territories for marketing and fan engagement” is giving the NFL a major global sponsorship boost.
"Rather than relying on a handful of household brands to grow revenues, NFL teams are driving exponential growth by diversifying their brand partners," Bob Lynch, SponsorUnited founder and CEO, said via the firm.
“(And) the NFL's sponsor portfolio isn't slowing down anytime soon.”
Alcohol topped the category list for brand spend, with 333 sponsorships across NFL teams and the league as a whole, according to the NFL 2022 Marketing Partnerships Report.
Technology brands came in second with 218 sponsorships, and Food Products brands third with 177 deals.
While the Alcohol category led by number of deals across the league and teams, it was second in revenue for team-only deals with $170 million trailing the first-place Finance category with $210M, with Healthcare third at $145 million.
Sports Betting related to the NFL, increased 40% across teams, according to SponsorUnited.
“Sports Betting deals have quadrupled in the last four years (2019-2022), while gambling companies accelerated their ad spend last year. More than 25 NFL teams now have at least one Sports Betting or Daily Fantasy Sport sponsor.”
"Rather than relying on a handful of household brands to grow revenues, NFL teams are driving exponential growth by diversifying their brand partners."
The league's tactic to grow its international footprint took a big step forward with the launch of its International Home Marketing Areas initiative in January 2022, granting teams access to foreign territories for marketing and fan engagement.
Currently, 19 teams have access to 30 IMHA's across ten countries, including the Los Angeles Rams (4), Miami Dolphins (3) and the Philadelphia Eagles (3).
Today, NFL and DAZN Group unveiled a ten-year partnership to deliver NFL Game Pass International (NFL GPI) to people around the world beginning with the 2023 season.
The NFL said it plans to grow its fan base by 26% to 240 million worldwide, and “focusing on key international markets such as the U.K. and Germany.,” according to the NFL 2022 Marketing Partnerships Report.
“By hosting games and sponsored events and investing in youth football programs overseas, the NFL is actively cultivating its next generation of fans.”
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