<![CDATA[Notice]]>https://www.noticesports.com.auhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5MVS!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6eb69c8-84e4-4156-9acf-2b6ccdbc11ee_350x350.pngNoticehttps://www.noticesports.com.auSubstackThu, 30 Apr 2026 06:28:08 GMT<![CDATA[The rise of the athlete arrival economy]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-rise-of-the-athlete-arrival-economyhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-rise-of-the-athlete-arrival-economyWed, 29 Apr 2026 22:00:48 GMTToday’s newsletter is presented by Victory Lap

Australia’s premier sports marketing and creative summit, Victory Lap, has revealed its lineup of international and local speakers, bringing together the creative leaders reshaping how global sport is built, marketed and experienced. Taking place 7 – 8 July 2026 at Brisbane Powerhouse, the two-day summit arrives as Brisbane enters its six-year countdown to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, reinforcing the city’s growing role as a meeting point for global sport, culture and creativity.

Check out the full agenda

Melbourne Storm welcomed Dare Iced Coffee (owned by Bega Group) to the Club as a new partner - As part of the 2-year deal, the “Dare Defensive Play of the Week” will run across the Storm’s digital channels, shining a spotlight on standout defensive moments across the NRL season

Gold Coast SUNS and SOLO Energy entered into a new multi-year partnership - Following its official launch into the energy drink market last year, SOLO Energy will now be available to purchase on match days at People First Stadium

Fremantle Dockers unveiled a new WA defence partnership - working alongside the WA Government, the partnership will underpin a range of initiatives, including joint community events, leadership and training programs, opportunities for defence industry participation at Club activities, and collaborative projects that support veterans, young people and emerging career pathways

Collingwood FC renewed its partnership with Access Covers Australia for a further 2 years - the brand will feature on Club doctor and physiotherapists’ bibs on match-day

Adelaide Crows secured a 3-year partnership extension with family-owned business Thomas Foods International which will continue to support the Club’s community programs - the TFI logo will also remain on the AFL and AFLW playing shorts

Brisbane Lions and family-owned fit out and building services company McCormack (which recently brought the new Lions Shop at the Gabba to life) announced a new partnership for the 2026 and 2027 AFL men’s seasons

Port Adelaide welcomed the Barossa Valley’s Teusner Wines to the Club as a Principal Partner on a multi-year deal - The partnership will see Teusner products served in hospitality spaces on game day, and flagship club events

GWS GIANTS welcomed Inglewood Coffee Roasters as an Official Partner for the 2026 AFL season

Adelaide 36ers and BHP extended their partnership which will see the Club continue to deliver impactful community programs (basketball clinics, educational sessions, engagement activities) across key regional centres in SA’s north and far north

Melbourne Storm welcomed leading integrated engineering, construction and urban development business BMD as an Official Partner of its Female Pathways and Women of Storm programs, as part of a 2-year agreement

Brisbane Broncos unveiled a new multi-year partnership with Westfield QLD destinations - shoppers will have the opportunity to win game day tickets & merchandise, and meet Broncos players

nib Newcastle Knights NRLW announced a 2-year back of shorts partnership with local, all female independant real estate agent Salt Property

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles announced a major partnership upgrade and 2-year extension with Solar Battery Partner VoltX Energy which will now feature on the Sea Eagles’ jerseys in the top-of-back position

Brisbane Broncos announced a new 2-year partnership with Queensland-based Coronis which became the Club’s Official Real Estate Agent

Sydney Roosters and Invictus Australia launched a collaboration that will create meaningful opportunities for veterans to connect with – and contribute to – the Roosters community via matchday initiatives, community programs and club events

Perth Bears unveiled its first-ever merchandise collection, developed in collaboration with apparel partner New Balance

Adelaide Thunderbirds and HCF extended their partnership for another 2 years

Melbourne Victory announce CLN Facility Services as a new Associate and Academy Partner - Their logo will feature on the back of both the home and away jerseys for Victory’s Academy teams

World Surf League expanded its partnership with Coastal Property Agents - the Real Estate company claimed the Naming Rights to the Coastal Real Estate Gold Coast Pro Trials event at Snapper Rocks

Under Armour announced the signing of AFL rising star Finn Callaghan, marking a major milestone as the brand’s first men’s AFL athlete in Australia

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the Essendon Football Club's President’s Lunch at the MCG for the 2026 Anzac Day match against Collingwood and met with players and coaches pre game

PUMA unveiled Josh Giddey’s First Basketball Shoe - The PUMA All-Pro Nitro 2 Josh Giddey drops on May 2

PUMA officially moved into a brand-new headquarters in Cremorne (relocating after 40 years in Moorabbin) and celebrated the move with retail partners, sporting teams and PUMA athletes such as Nedd Brockmann, Josh Giddey, Linden Hall and Emily Bates

adidas made marathon history in London as Sabastian Sawe set a world record of 1:59:30, and Tigist Assefa also set the women's record at 2:15:41 - they both wore Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 which sold out in limited Monday pre-orders within minutes and hit resale prices of $3000+

See The $500 Adidas Shoe That Finally Broke The 2-Hour Marathon Mark - Forbes Vetted
adidas’ record-breaking ‘Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3’ shoe

Media and sponsorships agency Rifle acquired specialist podcasting business SHOUT Collective

Sportsnet Holidays secured a multi-year partnership with the NFL and will offer official travel packages to the first-ever regular season NFL game in Melbourne between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers

World Fencing League held its debut event in Los Angeles with a viewership in the millions and a sell out crowd which included the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Kim Kardashian

FIFA World Cup fans are set to pay $200 for train tickets for a 15 minute trip to MetLife Stadium from Manhattan’s Penn Station, nearly 11 times the regular $18 fare for the roughly 15-minute, 14-kilometre ride

The rise of the athlete arrival economy

There was a time when the only thing that mattered about arriving at a stadium was being on time. Now, it’s increasingly become more about being seen.

Across global sport, a new layer of the spectacle is emerging—Athlete Arrivals. The tunnel is no longer an athlete entrance.

It’s a stage.

A runway.

A content engine.

And increasingly, a commercial asset hiding in plain sight.

Athlete arrivals are increasingly doubling as a fashion runway

The shift is simple but powerful: athletes arriving in their own clothes, not club-issued uniforms.

It’s a subtle change with outsized impact.

What used to be a closed, operational moment is now an open, broadcasted spectacle. Cameras are waiting. Social feeds are primed. And athletes are responding, leaning into fashion and self-expression.

International athletes, teams and leagues are leading the way

In the U.S., the athlete-arrival spectacle is already institutionalised.

Lighting, staging, photography, every detail is often engineered.

Players from major leagues have embraced it. For example:

  • NBA - Xmas day fits (below)

  • NFL - Big fits from Wild Card Sunday - here

  • NHL - Mikhail Sergachev fits - here

  • NSWL - athlete arrival examples - here

The list goes on.

Casual fits are spreading across sports…

The ATP just launched its new ‘Athlete Arrivals’ fashion concept at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where multiple athletes collaborated with former GQ Fashion Director Mobolaji Dawodu to define their individual style.

Teams & leagues are commercialising

Liverpool FC x Tommy Hilfiger

In January, Liverpool FC announced Tommy Hilfiger as its Official Global Partner - the American brand is outfitting both the men’s and women’s teams across key moment of the season, including on arrival to key events and match days.

Unrivaled x Sephora

Sephora has a high-profile partnership with breakaway women’s basketball League, Unrivaled, focused on enhancing the player experience and identifying meaningful ways to integrate beauty into the league’s daily ecosystem - a core feature of this partnership is the ‘Sephora Tunnel’.

Brand collaborations have been showing up across some of soccer’s biggest teams and leagues

  • Real Madrid arriving in Louis Vuitton - here

  • AC Milan’s x Off-White collaboration - here

  • Chelsea players wearing bespoke Nike Boreas Tech designed by Maxime Black - here

  • Manchester City’s x C.P. Company - here

The arrival moment is expanding, and every touchpoint is becoming content

It’s no longer just about the walk into the stadium. It also includes:

  • Players stepping off planes

  • Athletes arriving at hotels

  • Trade day arrivals & exits

…Even partner and celebrity entrances are being captured - e.g. Willy Chavarria and YG arrived to NBA All-Star weekend in true LA style - here.

It’s not just about fashion

Athlete arrivals aren’t purely an opportunity to showcase fashion - Athlete’s such as Devon Booker and Luka Doncic show off their luxury cars on arrival to match days.

The trend is visible when major sports events come to Australia

The F1 Paddock at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix doubles as a catwalk for drivers.

At AO26, Naomi Osaka stunned the tennis world when she entered Rod Laver Arena during prime time on Nine, wearing floating custom creations from London-based couturier Robert Wun and Nike.

The impact was immediate and global:

  • Footage was shown across traditional media channels all over the world

  • She was “trending on Twitter”

  • Social media blew up - e.g. 6m+ views on the Official Australian Open Instagram

  • The post quickly drew reactions from celebrities across fashion, music, television and sports

In Australia…

There’s been a major push from Australian athletes and media to shake up the players’ dress-code on match day

Locally, momentum is building. Broadcasters like Channel 7 and Fox Footy are actively pushing for change to take place within the AFL, recognising the storytelling upside of showcasing player personalities before the first bounce.

Players are aligned.

Figures like Jack Ginnivan and Patrick Dangerfield have been advocating for relaxed dress codes, opening the door for more expressive, casual arrivals.

…And clubs are beginning to experiment.

Melbourne Demons became first-movers

The Melbourne Demons were first to move.

The payoff wasn’t just engagement from traditional fans, but the organic crossover into fashion, influencer and lifestyle media.

Note: They’re undefeated since embracing the casuals.

Suncorp Super Netball’s Melbourne Mavericks are following closely, signalling that this isn’t confined to one code.

The opportunity for Australian sports

Currently, no Australian team or league fully “owns” the arrival moment yet. Melbourne Demons are closest. Others are circling. But the opportunity is wide open… and there’s also room for many players.

The athlete appetite and media demand already exists

NRL’s biggest stars have been organically attracting attention for their fashion choices:

AFL stars are also embracing fashion & beauty outside of match day

AFL and AFLW stars Isaac Quaynor, Cody Weightman, Changkuoth Jiath, Mon Conti, Sophie McKay and Matilda Scholz recently featured on the Melbourne Fashion Festival catwalk.

Isaac Quaynor, in particular, is rapidly building a profile beyond football by aligning himself with beauty and fashion brands. He’s recently collaborated with the likes of Armani Beauty, Mecca, Ralph Lauren, Myer, cartier, eBay, Prada, Valentino, unison etc.

The AFL have been dabbling in the concept

Athlete arrivals… A major opportunity for women’s sports?!

As women’s sport continues to rise, many traditionally feminine categories remain underrepresented in sponsorship. But that’s changing rapidly…

Matildas x Beare Park

Around the time that the above clip that was posted (a few years ago) on the Matildas’ social media featuring the players wearing luxury female designer brand BEARE PARK, it received:

  • 1.5+ million views on Instagram

  • 683k+ views on TikTok

It outperformed some other onfield/matchday related posts by as much as 1000%.

WNBL x Sephora

Recently, the WNBL announced Sephora as a partner of the League’s MVP Awards Night, and that it will join the competition as a Foundation Partner and Official Beauty Partner in the WNBL 2026/27 season. Will the ‘Sephora Tunnel’ be launched in Australia next season?

Related: New & noteworthy sports partnerships

Athlete arrivals could be a major unlock for beauty brands

Beauty brands are getting active in Australian sports.

Brands such as Mecca, Bondi Sands, Shark Beauty, Ralph Lauren, Unilever (Rexona, Dove, Lifebuoy and Lux), L’Oréal, La Roche-Posay, Maybelline, CeraVe, Cetaphil are already partnering with athletes, teams and leagues.

Related: Beauty’s growing presence in sports

Athlete arrivals and pre-game routines and rituals create an opportunity for brands within the beauty category, and particularly within women’s sport. These moments create a natural, high-attention environment for beauty integration, where product use doesn’t feel staged, it feels expected. From skincare routines pre-match to glam moments captured on arrival, these touchpoints offer brands a way to show up authentically, rather than interruptively.

When brands invest in women’s sport it can create a powerful virtuous cycle

When beauty brands invest in women’s sports, they fuel its momentum, driving better performance, greater visibility, and a growing fan base. In turn, this expanded platform delivers stronger ROI for brands, empowering them to reinvest and amplify the cycle even further.

So, what’s the hold up?

Broadcasters want more personality. Players want more freedom. Fans want more authenticity.

What’s holding it back? Governance and tradition.

Clubs and leagues traditional held a tight grip of control over players and team narratives, and they have existing commercial obligations with sponsors that need to be met. Although these factors present as current barriers, a lot of industry stakeholders are keen to keep pushing the boundaries and expose the game to new audiences, so alternative brands integration options that deliver value and visibility (such as players walking infront of LED branded signage) are currently being workshopped.

For Australian sport, the opportunity is clear - teams and leagues who are prepared to give freedom to their athletes to openly engage and express themselves in front of media as much or as little as they like will benefit greatly from the production of relatable, engaging (and sometimes controversial) content. This content will enable them better connect with new audiences and the everyday fan, which can help contribute to growth and better commercial outcomes.

Related: Premium brands are rewriting the rules of sports sponsorship

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[Sports are stepping into run culture]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/sports-are-stepping-into-run-culturehttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/sports-are-stepping-into-run-cultureWed, 22 Apr 2026 22:01:41 GMT

Commonwealth Bank was confirmed as the Founding Partner and Official Bank of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in a deal that was reported to be worth at least $200 million by the Australian Financial Review - the bank partnered with ‘Those Carter Boys’ to help roll out the announcement on social media

Victoria Racing Club announced a 7-year partnership with Asahi Beverages which will provide racegoers with its beer and cider porfolio including Carlton Draught, Asahi Super Dry, Balter XPA and Somersby’s cider, plus mid-strength offerings such as Great Northern Super Crisp

AFL secured a multi-year partnership renewal with Chemist Warehouse which is deepening its investment in umpires - Over the next 5 years, every pack of Gello Beans and Gello Snakes sold at Chemist Warehouse will contribute to a minimum $1 million investment in the AFL Umpires High Performance Pathway

AFL and Colgate extended their partnership which includes Naming Rights to the AFL Brownlow Medal Red Carpet - now known as the Colgate Red Carpet

NFL announced a new multi-year partnership with South Australian brand Y Series which became the Official Wine Sponsor of the NFL in Australia and New Zealand

Port Adelaide and Ray White extended their partnership for a further 3 years which will see the Ray White brand continue to feature across activations at Adelaide Oval and the Naming Rights of the exclusive House on the Hill hospitality experience

North Melbourne secured a 2-year partnership with Stomping Ground

Brisbane Lions welcomed Buffalo Trace Bourbon as an Official Partner of the club

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles announced a new partnership with Employment Hero (the AI-powered employment operating system is already powering the Club’s HR, payroll and employment workflows through a single, connected system)

Gold Coast Titans announced that My Holiday (Ignite Travel Group) will continue its partnership in 2026 marking the 4th consecutive year of collaboration between the pair

Brisbane Broncos secured a partnership extension with Higgins Coatings for the 2026–27 seasons - To mark the renewal, Higgins Coatings refreshed the Cyril Connell Performance Centre at Red Hill

South Australian Cricket Association announced it’s joining forces with Ambra Spirits (renowned globally for its award-winning Limoncello) - As part of the agreement, Ambra Spirits will feature prominently across SACA events

Melbourne Victory announced P3 Recovery as the Club’s Official Recovery Partner, and a new partnership with family-run Roasting Warehouse, which will help fuel players and staff at Victory

Run Nation Championship, the new impact sport that Tai ‘Bam Bam’ Tuivasa is behind, announced a new partnership with , a premium access platform designed to unlock exclusive offers from over 1000 brands

Two of Australia’s fastest athletes, Lachlan Kennedy and Torrie Lewis became Longines brand ambassadors for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

AIA Australia announced a new partnership with Lance (Buddy) and Jesinta Franklin

Los Angeles Rams teamed up with The Wiggles for a crossover moment to promote their match against the San Francisco 49ers at the MCG later this year

Netball Australia locked in a 5-year media rights partnership with Nine which will see every Suncorp Super Netball match and all Australian Diamonds matches broadcast across one or more of the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport (It also includes the Netball World Cup Sydney 2027) - Australian Diamonds star and players association president Jo Weston called for a pay increase following the announcement

NBL and Nine announced a new 2-year agreement that will see 2 x free-to-air NBL games available every week across the 9Network, including Finals games - Nine’s NBL coverage will sit alongside the WNBL which secured a new partnership with Nine last year

FIFA wrote to Anthony Albanese urging the federal government to help support the construction of a permanent home of football in Australia

The 2026 State of Origin series was launched in Melbourne at the MCG

SEN’s Tom Morris reported that Adelaide Oval is working on a plan to bring an Indian Premier League cricket match to Australia next year

NSW Government entered into a new partnership with the PGA of Australia to secure the return of the Australian PGA Championship to NSW for the first time since 1998 - The 2026 BMW Australian PGA Championship will tee off from 26th-29th November at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney

NBL announced that it will deliver another 7% increase to player payments for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 Season

Chris Kohler posted a funny take on the histroic adidas x Puma feud to promote an episode of his new ‘How we got here’ podcast

Tasmanian Government unveiled a shortlist of 2 major international contractors to deliver Hobart’s proposed new $1.13 billion AFL stadium - BESIX Watpac and the Constructure Joint Venture

Melbourne Demons held discussions with Carlton FC about staging a marquee mental health game in 2027 - this follows the hospitalisation of Elijah Hollands, and Jack Ginnivan and Bailey Smith calling for the AFL to introduce a dedicated mental health round

Melbourne Park announced global ticketing provider AXS as its new ticketing partner for year-round events (outside the Australian Open)

Invictus Games Foundation announced the launch of the Invictus Australia Sports Festival, a brand-new international adaptive sports event set to take place in Perth, Australia, in October 2026

Sports are stepping into run culture

To leverage the growing run club movement over recent years, brands have been aggressively competing to put themselves at the heart of run communities and culture, in an attempt to form connections with runners, build their brands and generate commercials returns.

Related: How brands are leveraging the rapid rise of run clubs

Sports are now following suit.

Clubs and leagues have begun rolling out running experiences designed to be accessible, catering to all abilities, from walking through to competitive running.

Why sports are leaning-in to running culture

Fan engagement – Fun runs can create or contribute to a festival-like atmosphere that extends well beyond a match day experience. They can provide new touchpoints beyond the season calendar, helping sports reach broader and younger audiences (particularly the 18–35 demographic), while deepening existing fan relationships.

Fundraising – At scale, community participation becomes a powerful fundraising engine. Multiple sports have launched running-themed events to support club & community foundations, charity partners, and important causes in a highly-engaging way.

Commercial – Each event creates a new monetisable asset that can be unlocked via sponsorship, ticketing and merchandise.

Here are some recent case studies worth noticing…👇

During Gather Round, the AFL introduced its inaugural ‘Run 4 Your Club’ fun run

The unique concept drew 700+ fans, each representing their club as they ran, jogged or walked a 4km course along the River Torrens on Saturday morning. Participation and performance fed into a leaderboard, with Hawthorn claiming the inaugural title.

Dylan Buckley was an ambassador for the event which raised more than $7,000 for the Adelaide Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Sydney Swans & Nike teamed up with the Coogee Run Club to announce its new partnership earlier this year

In the lead up to the start of the 2026 AFL season, Sydney Swans announced Nike as its Official Apparel and Footwear partner across its AFL, AFLW, VFL, QBE Sydney Swans Academy and ARA First Nations Academy teams. The ‘one club’ partnership was launched at Coogee Beach and celebrated with an event at the Coogee Pavilion.

Canberra Raiders hosted a community fun run for its members and fans

Hosted in partnership with the Stromlo Running Festival, Raiders fans took part in a 5km or 10km run or walk around Lake Burley Griffin, all while raising vital funds for Hands Across Canberra. Club sponsor Under Armour got behind the event.

Carlton Football Club hosted ‘Run for Respect’ to drive awareness and fundraising for its flagship community initiative

In February, fans joined players and staff to take part in either a 400m Junior Dash, 3km, 5km or 10km walk, jog or run around Princes Park and the club’s home, IKON Park. The event aimed to drive awareness, and support fundraising efforts of the club’s flagship community initiative, ‘Carlton Respects’ - an initiative established in 2016, designed to promote gender equality for the prevention of violence against women.

A suite of sponsors signed up to support the cause, including Bupa (Presenting Partner), Puma (Silver Partner), 13cabs, Hyundai, Ampol and Gatorade.

Running events were a popular choice for brands and teams during this year’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026

Gatorade launched its ‘Run The Track’ running event, giving 1400+ fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race on the iconic Albert Park Circuit.

Peloton joined forces with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team to transform Riviera Beach Club into a one-day-only fitness paddock – as part of the event participants hit the streets for a 5K run - here

adidas hosted community morning runs from the Audi Revolut F1 Team activation at AFLOAT on the Yarra River - here

The BWT Alpine Formula One Team joined forces with Beforeyouspeak Coffee to host a run through the streets of Melbourne and a Hyrox-style workout - here

Nedd Brockmann hosted a fun run from PUMA’s ‘Ignition Beach’ pop activation in St Kilda to help promote PUMA’s Deviate NITRO 4 shoe

Related: The ultimate Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 off-track activity wrap

Running events are being launched around marathon running events

Pre-marathon “shakeout” runs were a popular brand activation during last year’s Sydney Marathon - many brands partnered with local run clubs and community groups in the lead up to race day.

New Balance x Unofficial Run Club shakeout:

  • adidas x 440 Run Club shakeout - here

  • ASICS shakeout - here

  • ASICS x Pace Athletic shakeout - here

  • Brooks x parkrun shakeout - here

  • lululemon shakeout - here

  • LSKD x PILLAR Performance shakeout - here

  • On x Sydney Run Club shakeout - here

  • Peloton x Beyond Blue shakeout - here

  • Tracksmith x Up There Athletics shakeout - here

Related: How sports retail brands got active around the Sydney Marathon

Even sports business events are adopting the format

Last year, the Sports Tech World Series event teamed up with the Australian Corporate Games to host a relaxed 5km run around the MCG and Yarra Park, blending networking with participation.

The sports x running trend is a global one

Some of the world’s biggest sports teams have launched running-themed events and initiatives. For example:

USA

Europe / UK

Sports organisations are increasingly creating new experiences beyond matchday to generate non-traditional revenue streams, and increasingly, fun runs are part of the plan.

These running events help position sport teams and leagues as:

  • Purpose-driven

  • Community-first

  • Sponsor-friendly

The upside is material - By hosting fun run events, sports organisations can build deeper, more personal connections with participants and fans, invent more authentic ways to deliver impact for communities and causes, and build new commercial assets that can be monetised.

Are there any other sports x running partnerships worth noticing?

Leave a comment

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[AFL Gather Round keeps getting bigger and better]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/afl-gather-round-keeps-getting-biggerhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/afl-gather-round-keeps-getting-biggerWed, 15 Apr 2026 22:17:09 GMTToday’s newsletter is presented by the AI in Sport Summit

The AI in Sport Summit program is back for its second year and it’s packed with the conversations sport needs right now. On May 13th, leaders from across sport and technology will step into one room to tackle the biggest questions around AI in performance intelligence, organisational transformation, commercial growth and digital marketing.

Across the summit you’ll hear how:

  • AI agents becoming teammates in athlete support, analysis and decision-making

  • Gaming to grassroots: turning digital culture into real-world participation

  • The AI-powered athlete: building brands, reach and revenue beyond the field

  • AI governance in sport: protecting fairness, trust and athlete welfare

  • From data to fandom: hyper-personalised fan engagement at scale

  • Global AI playbooks: lessons from Ferrari and beyond

Access to this level of insight doesn’t come around often. Hearing directly from experts across sport and technology is what makes the AI in Sport Summit unique. Be in the room with the people building what comes next.

From Microsoft and IBM to Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Sport New Zealand, Deloitte and more, the speakers are the people actually building and deploying AI across the sport ecosystem.

With less than 4 weeks to go, now is the time to get your ticket and make sure you’re in the room to be part of the conversation.

Register now

NFL welcomed Qantas as its Official Airline Partner in Australia and New Zealand, and the Official Airline Partner of the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game - Qantas will operate charter flights for the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers when they play their regular season game at the MCG later this year

Australian Open welcomed BOSS as the tournament’s Official Lifestyle Outfitter from 2027 which will design and supply apparel for up to 4000 AO staff, officials, umpires, and ballkids

Commonwealth Games Australia inked a new deal with Melbourne coffee roaster ST. ALi which will set up a café in the forecourt of AUS HQ at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and deliver barista-made coffee to athletes, coaches and officials

Paralympics Australia and Bupa Optical launched a nationwide initiative to train optometrists to identify and refer people with vision impairments into Para-sport

AFL unveiled that Monster Energy expanded its partnership, joining as the Official AFLW Energy Drink Partner as part of a renewed multiyear agreement

Brisbane Lions and New Balance extended their partnership until 2030 - The ongoing partnership is delivered in conjunction with Belgravia Sports Apparel, New Balance’s Australasian elite teamwear partner

Western Bulldogs secured an expanded partnership with ASICS which will now provide official apparel for the Club’s AFLW and VFLW teams - this evolved agreement elevates the partnership to a true whole-of-club collaboration

Collingwood FC announced a 2-year extension of its partnership with Australia’s leading cyber security organisation CyberCX

West Coast Eagles inked a new partnership with Tony Barlow Menswear, which became the Club’s preferred supplier of men’s corporate uniforms

Sports Direct became the Official Sports Retailer of the Cronulla Sharks - its branding will adorn the corner posts at Ocean Protect Stadium for at least 2026 and 2027

Sydney Roosters announced JLab as the Club’s Official Audio Partner for the 2026 and 2027 NRL seasons - JLab branding will feature across the Club's digital channels and game-day activations at Allianz Stadium

Brisbane Broncos and Rio Tinto announced a landmark new sustainability partnership, ahead of its Queensland Derby clash with the North Queensland Cowboys - The partnership will see the creation and rollout of reusable drink bottles, made from Rio Tinto’s aluminium, across the Broncos’ football and business operations

URBNSURF announced a new partnership with Jeep Australia and Leapmotor Australia which will see vehicles featured prominently across its Melbourne and Sydney parks

Macarthur Bulls FC secured a new partnership with Oran Park Hotel which became the Official Club destination for away match gatherings for the 2026/27 season

NBL delivered another season of record growth across attendance, broadcast, digital and commercial performance

NFL announced plans to provide FREE Flag Football kits to every school in Australia - starting with Queensland and Victoria this year

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the League is taking a “long term” approach to its entry into Australia, hinting that September’s match in Melbourne will not be a one-off

lululemon released a golf collection with Brand Ambassador and PGA Australian golfer Min Woo Lee

On announced the addition of 5 x athletes to its ‘On Athletics Club Oceania’ Roster - Stewart McSweyn, Toby Gillen, Alex Stitt (AUS), Sam Tanner (NZL) and Sarah Tait (GBR) joined the Melbourne-based hub

LSKD set up its ‘1% Better Hub’ at the Brisbane Bullets’ high performance centre, transforming the facility and providing a training and recovery centre for some of the world’s best hybrid athletes during Hyrox Brisbane

Commonwealth Games Australia and AAMI unveiled ‘The Pursuit of Unstoppable’, a six-part Green2Gold2Great documentary series available on 7Plus and YouTube, to mark 100 days to go until Glasgow 2026

Sports Entertainment Network announced it is the Australian audio rights holder of the Indian Premier League, made possible by Henley Homes

Arsenal FC launched a new global partnership with Meta - Supporters will be able to access new and unique digital experiences across the official WhatsApp Channel and Facebook’s official page

AFL Gather Round keeps getting bigger and better

Three years in, AFL Gather Round is no longer an experiment, it’s a major sports event that’s entrenched in the AFL calendar, and the fabric of South Australia (SA).

It’s also one that continues to scale in size and attendance each year. In fact, AFL Gather Round 2026 was the biggest one ever:

By the numbers:

  • 270,018 attended the 2026 AFL Gather Round (up from 269,506 last year)

  • 6.4 million - Broadcast viewership across the nine Gather Round matches

  • 112,141 fans visited the Macca’s Footy Festival

  • 9,300 fans went through the gates of the new Next Door presented by Hard Rated

  • 18,000 fans were engaged by AFL-themed activations at Rundle Mall

  • 700 fans participated in the inaugural Run 4 Your Club - $7,000 was raised for the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation

  • 150 guests from Government, Universities, Mental Health services, along with advocates, specialists and club representatives attended the inaugural AFL Health and Wellbeing conference

  • 150 partners from across commercial, broadcast and licensing attended AFL Axiom

The fan experience was engineered to start at the border

From the moment fans entered SA, whether by road or air, their Gather Round experience began.

On the ground, fans entering regional towns, from Bordertown to Robe, were greeted with family-themed AFL-themed activations, photo moments and outdoor ad-campaigns.

In the air, clubs such as Sydney Swans activated their partnerships with Virgin Australia to treat fans to suprise and delight moments.

Adelaide Airport played host to a full AFL Gather Round takeover which included a giant inflatable Sherrin football, player cut-outs, entry archways, baggage carousel wraps, Sherrin mascots, brand ambassadors and disco dancers welcoming guests. Virgin Australia also gave fans a chance to hold the Premiership Cup.

A whole-of-state takeover

Multiple Gather Round-themed events and activations took place across the state. Some worth noticing:

  • AFL Axiom: A new conference event, attended by 150+ partners unpacking ‘The Future of Fandom’ - discussions centered around how to reach new audiences and bring more people into footy. The event featured futurist Michael McQueen and Ehrenberg-Bass Institute Professor Jenni Romaniuk

  • Welcome dinner at Penfolds Magill Estate: An exclusive dinner attended by some of the most powerful figures in football and politics including Anika Wells, Craig Drummond, Peter Malinauskas, Andrew Dillon, John Olsen, David Koch, Andrew Pridham, Sonja Hood, Andy Gowers and Robert Priestley

  • Bounce Around the Barossa: A free hop on & hop off bus service that returned for its second year, helping fans explore the Barossa

  • Barossa Park Live Site: A free site featuring big screens, appearances from AFL legends, giant Ferris wheel, and an AFL Play Zone

  • Norwood Food & Wine Festival: Held on Sunday, it featured 50+ of the Parade’s best restaurants, cafés and bars, and a free concert by The Presents

  • Run 4 Your Club: 700+ participants turned out for the inaugural Run 4 Your Club - a 4km walk/jog run along the River Torrens - Dylan Buckley was the event ambassador

  • Macca’s Footy Festival: Fans were treated to a 4-day activation site full of free activities and entertainment, including a live show with Bluey, fireworks, live music, zip line, and a suite of sponsorship activations (see below)

  • Mental Health Gathering: The inaugural Mental Health and Wellbeing Gathering took place at Adelaide University and was hosted by the AFL, in partnership with Danny Frawley Community (part of Black Dog Institute)

  • Ball in the Mall: The four-zone activation at Rundle Mall featured accessible activities such as Trickshot Arena, interactive arcade games, styling bar and music, along with a giant gold inflatable Sherrin and frequent player appearances

Player appearances

Players made appearances across the community, with 453 players making appearances around the state, including 10 footy clinics and 4 school visits.

Other notable locations that players visited included:

  • Western Bulldogs - Adelaide Central Markets

  • Carlton - Adelaide Zoo

  • Fremantle - toured the old scoreboard at Adelaide Oval

  • Geelong - RM Williams

  • Collingwood - West Beach Adventure

  • Essendon - Coles Supermarket

  • Izak Rankine entertained guests with a private gig to launch his new collaboration with Rixx Eyewear, the brand founded Tommy Sheridan and Coen Rodgers

Brands invested BIG again

  • Shell gave fans a discount of 10 cents a litre on fuel over the Gather Round weekend as petrol prices continued to surge around the globe

  • ‘The Pepsi Collective’ gave fans a premium viewing experience from level three at Adelaide Oval with DJs including Andrew Loadsman, John Coarse, Havana Brown and Cyril

  • ‘Next Door hosted by Hard Rated’, located next door to the Adelaide Oval, offered a mix of live entertainment, footy on the big screen and music across the week, including a performance from the ARIA Award-winning DMA’S

  • Macca’s Footy Festival played host to 22 x partnership activations from the likes of Telstra, AAMI, Bunnings, Pirate Life, Sportsbet, Energy Australia, Sherrin and Coles, and the site saw 112,141 fans visit here

  • Accor ran a competition and gave one lucky winner a “suite AFL weekend”, including flights, game tickets, merchandise and a stay in the Superfan Suite

  • EnergyAustralia activated its laser and light show, in partnership with KOJO here

  • SOLO teamed up with podcast trio, We Got the Chocolates (979k+ Instagram followers) to help launch its new SOLO Lime Zero Sugar flavour here

  • Chemist Warehouse gave fans seat upgrades to its VIP Deck here

  • Sherrin’s mascots were seen everywhere here

As Gather Round continues to scale year-on-year, it reflects more than just growing fan demand, it highlights a deliberate and sustained push from the AFL and SA Government to own and expand their major sporting events portfolio.

The SA Government has been deliberate in its quest to secure major sports events such as Gather Round

The Herald Sun previously reported how the SA Premier, Peter Malinauskas, was like a ‘dog with a bone’ at the AFL Grand Final in 2022 in luring Gather Round away from larger city’s such as Sydney and the NSW Government who were in the box seat and prepared to spend millions to secure the rights.

Peter Malinauskas has also previously spoken openly about the approach he’s taken to securing major sports events rights, and how he strongly pursued and secured the rights to host LIV Golf.

The SA Government has been heavily investing in the concept

It’s been showing an appetite to build its economy and global profile through major sports events and festivals, which are a significant driver for SA’s economy, generating $565 million in tourism expenditure in the year to September 2024.

Fresh off delivering another successful LIV Golf event, the SA Government recently secured the MotoGP™ Australian Grand Prix, luring it away from Victoria. This added to its expanding portfolio which already includes the likes of Santos Tour Down Under, LIV Golf Adelaide, AFL Gather Round, Adelaide International Tennis and bp Adelaide Grand Final.

AFL Gather Round expenditure:

  • The ABC has previously reported estimates that Gather Round rights costs $16m-20m a year

  • SA Government contributed $20m for a redevelopment (alongside The Barossa Council) enabling games to be played in the Barossa Valley

The SA Government continues to demonstrate strong capabilities in hosting major sports events

Hosting major sports events requires much more than meets the eye - it requires strong and precise coordination across multiple stakeholders and functions such as:

  • Venue operations

  • Government

  • Broadcast & media

  • Accommodation, hospitality & tourism

  • Security & risk management

  • Sporting bodies

  • Fans & general public

  • Local businesses

  • etc

What SA has consistently proven is its ability to align these moving parts into a cohesive operation that creates a seamless and engaging fan experience and state-wide “takeover” vibe.

This capability hasn’t gone unnoticed - last year, LIV Golf Adelaide was awarded “World’s Best Golf Event” at the World Golf Awards for the third consecutive year, reinforcing the state’s position as a global leader in major sports event delivery.

Hosting AFL Gather round delivers a substantial economic ROI for SA

Last year, AFL Gather Round 2025 delivered a blockbuster boost to SA’s visitor economy, with record-breaking crowds, festival attendance, and the greatest ever number of rooms occupied and revenue generated for Adelaide hotels.

Key highlights:

  • $113+ million economic return for the SA economy

  • 269,506 fans attended the nine AFL football matches across the State

  • ~200,000 people flying in and out of Adelaide Airport (eclipsing previous record of 182,000 set during Gather Round 2023)

  • ~4,000 passengers transported to 45 local businesses, wineries, and townships across the region via the Bounce Around the Barossa hop-on hop-off bus service

  • 90,000+ people attended the Norwood Food and Wine Festival

  • Average occupancy of 93%, average rooms occupied of 10,587, and average revenue of $4.6 million each night (Thursday - Sunday)

Will Gather Round 2026 produce another year of economic ROI?

The non-economic impacts are equally profound

Gather Round draws extensive media coverage, enhancing the state’s image, positively shaping public perception. The mass media coverage that its major sports events portfolio attracts provides a platform to showcase to everyone what SA has to offer, and it’s helping shift Adelaide and SA’s perception from a smaller market to an international destination.

Sport = Political popularity

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas recently stormed to the biggest election victory in the state Labor Party’s history, and there’s no doubt, his ability to successfully secure, host and scale major sporting events (especially AFL Gather Round) has been one of the most politically valuable moves.

Negotiations for future hosting rights are taking place

AFL Gather Round was launched in SA in 2023, and this is the last year of the 3-year deal. The AFL and SA Government are currently negotiating its future, and it's being reported that Peter Malinauskas is looking to try and secure a 5-year deal.

Trump-style negotiating tactics have been adopted

At the Welcome dinner at Penfolds Magill Estate, Peter Malinauskas charismatically warned:

“To Craig (Drummond) and other members of the commission, I should let you know that I’m about to post to (Trump’s social media platform) Truth Social the following ... ‘so on the Gather Round extension you f***ing crazy bastards ... we’ll all be living in hell, just watch. Speak to the Jarmans, the Eberts ... thank you for your attention to this matter.

Andrew Dillon responded the next night:

“We were quite surprised at the condition in there was that he wanted to partner with us on the redevelopment of AFL House – to be renamed Malinauskas Towers,”

“And then things got really weird when he put on a baseball cap and said: ‘I made South Australia Great Again’.”

The SA Government is firmly committed to shaping the long-term future of Gather Round

It has a clear preference for a multi-year agreement, as a longer-term deal would unlock certainty for continued investment, enabling it to build on existing momentum.

SA has put itself in a strong position to maintain its hosting rights and fans don’t want it going anywhere. If the AFL shifted it to another state, they’d walk away from years of hard‑earned learnings and momentum that SA has already built.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[Premium brands are rewriting the rules of sports sponsorship]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/premium-brands-are-rewriting-thehttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/premium-brands-are-rewriting-theWed, 01 Apr 2026 21:00:50 GMT

Thank you to everyone who came along to last week’s Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event – we hope you had as much as fun as we did?!

It was awesome to see another solid turnout from across Melbourne’s sports industry, all coming together for a relaxed and social afternoon at the Royal Saxon.

📸- click above image tile to view event photos

In partnership with MEE Agency, we’d like to send a BIG thank you to all those who joined us, along with our amazing event partners, who help make this event possible! 🙌

LION - For supplying us with a selection of drinks from Hahn SuperDry, Kirin Ichiban, Kirin Hyoketsu and to celebrate the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach – Stone & Wood Pacific Ale.

Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency built to fill the gaps of modern sporting teams. The crew are bringing Victory Lap to Brisbane this July. It's Australia's new Sports Marketing & Creative summit, bringing together marketers, creative and strategists from across the world of sport. Speakers already include Dan Gorringe, Jacob Gaynor from Tassie Devils, Abigail Field from LA Lakers, Kerry McKenzie from NZ Rugby plus many more. No safe panels, generic insights or suits & ties. Join an inspired community that shares in the creativity of sport.

Tradable Bits - a leading provider of cutting-edge fan engagement, data analytics, and marketing solutions to the global sports, music, and entertainment industries, working with APAC industry sports leaders as well as national or state governing bodies in football, basketball, netball, soccer, hockey and rugby. Tradable Bits currently improves data acquisition, data analysis and data activation for 20+ Leagues and more than 50 Men’s and Women’s professional sports teams across AFL, NRL, NBL and Netball leagues, using proprietary technology & AI to help improve marketing & membership, generate revenue and foster brand loyalty.

See you at the next one!

Cheers 🍻

For those who came along, we’d love to hear what you think!

Leave a comment

Rugby Australia and Harvey Norman joined forces with the shared aim to grow grassroots rugby across the country - as part of the deal, Harvey Norman became the new Naming rights partner of Rugby Australia’s Get into Rugby program and the pair is aiming to double the number of participants by 2029

Surfing Australia and Breaka Flavoured Milk extended their partnership for a further 2 years which will see the Queensland milk brand return as the presenting partner of the Australian Interschools Surf Championships

Hawthorn FC unveiled JAGGAD as its new AFLW apparel partner which will deliver the Club’s on-field apparel, as well as an extensive off-field range, including a unique JAGGAD x HFC lifestyle range available to members and fans

Port Adelaide FC announced that Health Partners became its Official Health Insurance Partner - the health insurer will feature prominently across the Club’s game day experience and digital platforms

Sydney Swans welcomed Dreame Technology as a Premier Partner - the global technology company will be visible at the SCG on game days

Richmond Football Club secured a partnership extension with Milwaukee Tool which will continue as Richmond’s Official Power Tool Partner and Official Trade & List Management Partner

GWS GIANTS welcomed Wyatts Lawyers as an Official Partner for the 2026 season

Gold Coast Titans announced a 3-year partnership with Total Tools Burleigh Waters, appointing the brand as the club’s Official Tool Retailer through to the 2028 season

Melbourne Mavericks secured HCF as their Official Health Insurance Partner for the next two seasons, marking a significant commercial addition for the club

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys announced a new partnership with Mother Energy for the 2026 and 2027 NRL seasons, which will bring an exciting new dimension to the Cowboys’ game day experience and digital platforms

Perth Bears inked a new 3-year deal with Xpress Freight Management - the nation-wide transport and logistics specialists will feature on the Perth Bears jersey

Cronulla Sharks unveiled Carpark King and Gold Management Building & Facilities as its NRLW back-of-shorts sponsors

Dolphins welcomed Kindred Property as the club’s Official Real Estate Partner

Hoops Capital (Sydney Kings and Flames) announced a partnership extension with RWS Global, the leader in live production across sport and entertainment, to further their game day experiences

Queensland Rugby Union and Gullivers extended their partnership, and will be working together to deliver a supporter tour to Italy in November to follow the Queensland Reds when they play an Italy XV and Benetton Rugby in Treviso

Tennis Victoria announced a new partnership with Aurora Spa & Bathhouse which became its new Official Wellbeing Partner

Venues NSW welcomed HomeWorld Group as an Official Partner of Accor Stadium and CommBank Stadium

Marvel Stadium launched ‘The Pulse by Coca-Cola’ - The high-energy, social-first party zone took place during the match between Collingwood and the GWS GIANTS with Melbourne DJ duo Orkestrated delivering high-energy sets at half-time and full-time

NBA and Basketball Magic, an Australian sports management company focused on grassroots basketball development, announced that the first NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers will be held in May, in Melbourne - more here

AFL announced that Laura Kane will lead the NAB AFLW competition under a strengthened structure as it approaches its eleventh season - Emma Moore will lead the Growth stream as General Manager of AFLW Growth, while Trish Squires will lead the Operations stream as Head of AFLW Operations

AFL unveiled that Kylie Minogue will headline the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment at the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, and confirmed the 2:30pm start time for both the 2026 and 2027 Grand Finals

Banter (specialist engagement marketing & brand experience agency) launched a new, bespoke ticketing and hospitality management platform called Bantix which has been designed specifically for how marketing teams run events, partnerships and campaigns

World Surf League, Ethan Ewing and Dane Henry connected with the Geelong Cats to promote the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach event

Fitstop (Functional fitness brand,) launched a new competitive fitness event called ‘Global Games’ which is set to take place across Singapore, Los Angeles, and Brisbane in 2026

Fifa says it has sold out of global sponsorship packages for the Fifa World Cup 2026 and that its set to deliver the highest partnership revenue ever for a standalone sports event

Guest Writer: Keeva Stratton

Today we’re welcoming Keeva Stratton, Founder & Director at Quip Brands, as this week’s guest writer!

Keeva is a strategist and consultant specialising in brand and cultural intelligence across sport and consumer sectors. Through her consultancy, Quip Brands, she works with brands and sports organisations to design partnerships that prioritise relevance, authenticity and long‑term value.

Profile image

Today Keeva outlines why premium brands are rewriting the rules of sports sponsorship and why the future belongs to sports partnerships that are expressive, human and values‑led.

Enjoy the read!

Premium brands are rewriting the rules of sports sponsorship

For the past few years an interesting pattern has emerged that is reshaping how brands engage new audiences. Having seemingly run out of traditional growth levers, sport has become their most powerful cultural shortcut, especially when engaging female and high net worth fans. But, as premium consumption softens in a post‑pandemic economy, sponsorship itself has had to evolve to ensure its resonance.

Today, it is no longer about logos, naming rights, or surface‑level exposure. Instead…

Premium brands are embedding themselves into the moments, emotions, and experiences fans care about most.

They’ve recognised the extraordinary cultural capital of sports fandom—and that luxury brands (especially in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle categories) and sport, both exert an intangible, deeply emotional pull that perfectly complements one another.

Related: Beauty’s growing presence in sports

Global economic markets have pivoted since COVID. Wellness, travel, unique experiences and premium products are now front and centre, fuelled by a collective desire to live more intentionally. Yet recent reporting on LVMH’s 2024–2025 financial performance suggests…

Many luxury houses are approaching a growth plateau

To maintain momentum, they’re moving beyond traditional fashion and retail lanes—diving into sport, wellness and experience‑driven sectors to stay culturally relevant and unlock new audiences.

For sports organisations, this shift represents both an opportunity and a responsibility.

Sport as the new playground for luxury

From American Express’s Glamour on the Grid at the recent Australian F1 Grand Prix, to 21 days of festival-like entertainment at this year’s Australian Open, or the increasing popularity of high-end sports designed for luxury audiences, such as SailGP, sport isn’t just benefitting from this shift—it’s being reshaped by it. Forget old‑school sponsorship models built on signage, endorsements or category ownership, premium brands are now building holistic attributes-based ecosystems within sport, embedding themselves into culture and empowering athletes as authentic ambassadors and amplifiers of brand values.

For some, this evolution has been met with concerns that influencer culture is taking over the true essence of the sport itself. But, the popularity of influencers offers a window into, and reflection of, the needs and desires of various sub cultures within society. They are, after all, only influential because they set an aspiration many seek.

This evolution matters because sport partnerships have always carried risk, that of fans fiercely protecting their sporting experience. Brands are welcomed when they enable (for example, supporting grassroots or feeder leagues) or enhance the experience (food, beverage, sun protection or wellbeing moments), but when they overreach, they’re quickly rejected.

What we are seeing currently is that the most successful premium partnerships understand this balance, and are able to curate enriching moments that serve to make sporting experiences more versatile and engaging in different ways. They know their audience, and they are creating moments inside sports that speak deeply to their needs.

How LVMH reimagined sports sponsorship

The Paris Olympic Games marked a defining moment for this new model. LVMH didn’t simply sponsor the event—it curated an immersive brand world around it. As observed by cultural commentators including featured prominently in medal ceremonies, Team France wore Berluti, Chaumet crafted the medals themselves, and Dior dressed global performers at the opening ceremony.

This wasn’t sponsorship in the traditional sense, it was the Olympics viewed through an LVMH lens

With a reported investment of approximately USD $160 million, as detailed by CNBC, LVMH demonstrated that luxury brands are betting heavily on sport fandom and global cultural exposure as their next growth engine.

Crucially, each brand played to its heritage

Vuitton encasing trophies, Chaumet marking life’s pinnacle moments, Berluti defining national style.

It’s a trend that is accelerating.

And, the LVMH group is far from the only luxury group recognising sport’s pull

Since testing the waters with its popular collaboration with Adidas in 2022, Gucci has partnered with sports stars, including tennis player Aryna Sablenka, who came second at this year’s Australian Open, along with last year’s winner Jannik Sinner, who carries this prestige—quite literally—in the form of a Gucci duffle bag.

Gucci has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to cultural capital, with fans of the brand understanding its ability to intersect beautifully with key cultural moments and figures. Sinner’s ‘Gucci is a Feeling’ campaign adds to a rich heritage of exceptional cultural collaborations (both paid and inspired), from Jackie Kennedy Onassis (whose name is the reference for the Jackie bag), to Grace Kelly wearing their scarves and even Liz Taylor making hobo chic. That a sports figure should find himself in this legacy would have, not long ago, been thought impossible.

But, with even the AFL now featuring in fashion and the players themselves now taking the runway, it’s a clear signal that these worlds aren’t just colliding—they’re redefining each other’s currency.

Image: AFL.com.au

Luxury, wellness and the evolving sports audience

Premium brands have also recognised a convergence: high‑net‑worth consumers, premium experiences, wellness and performance culture increasingly overlap. Wellness today extends beyond fitness—it encompasses longevity, travel, recovery and high‑performance living, aligning naturally with sport‑minded, affluent audiences.

This convergence is particularly powerful (yet largely untapped) in women’s sport

When Caitlin Clark wore Prada to the WNBA Draft, it dismantled the outdated idea that sport and fashion cannot coexist for female athletes. Both industries have fought for cultural legitimacy, and their intersection is finally being recognised.

As women’s sport continues to rise, many traditionally feminine categories remain underrepresented in sponsorship

But that’s changing rapidly, including notable examples like MECCA’s partnership with the Australian Open, Sephora being named the Foundation Partner of the WNBL, and the “Official Partner” and “Official Beauty Retail Partner” of F1 Academy. This closing gap represents one of the most underutilised opportunities in the Australian sports landscape, and the brands that leap early will surely win over time.

You don’t need to be a premium brand to compete

In fact, in Australia, positioning too exclusively can be a disadvantage.

It’s a myth that only premium brands can succeed in this evolving sponsorship landscape. The real advantage lies in cultural insight—identifying moments, values and behaviours that genuinely align with your audience. Premium status has cachet, but so do authenticity, relevance and trust.

Nike demonstrated this at the Australian Open when Naomi Osaka’s centre‑court entrance became a global fashion moment. Nike didn’t over‑engineer the activation; it allowed Osaka’s powerful, independent personal brand to speak for itself. This is modern brand alignment in action. And to extend the moment, in January Vogue featured the story behind the look, giving fashion-lovers and sports fans a deeper insight into its design story. This confluence of brand, sports star, and traditional fashion press marks a powerful shift towards intersectional strategies.

It’s even shaping products. If premium brands are writing the new rules on sports sponsorship, I’ve little doubt they studied one of the masters of brand productisation—Kim Kardashian. I do an annual lecture on how the Kardashians unlocked traditional media as the mechanism by which to launch their largely digital and social empire, and the new Nike Skims Collection is yet another lesson in a master class of reading the zeitgeist and productising, collaborating and dominating it.

Above: NikeSKIMS launches in Australia with an activation in Sydney Harbour

Attaching to an accessible brand like Nike is a smart way to capture mass appeal. Australian leagues and clubs should take note. Our sporting culture purports to be deeply inclusive, spanning class, gender and background. Partnerships that skew too heavily toward exclusivity risk alienating core fans—and undermining the very emotional equity sponsorship seeks to leverage.

Lessons for local brands and leagues

For Australian brands and rights‑holders, the lesson is clear: success in sponsorship today isn’t about budget size, it’s about cultural intelligence. Women’s sport remains the most overlooked opportunity, offering an abundance of cultural capital that our old system measures are ill equipped to capture.

Sports fandom is emotional and deeply sociocultural. Brands are either embraced as genuine supporters or dismissed as outsiders. The deciding factor is authentic alignment between brand values, athlete expression and fan experience. Essentially, make a great thing better, and it’s a win, win.

Consumer brands now operate in an emotive space shaped by aspiration, visibility and influence. Live sport is responding through premium experiences—from spritz gardens (such as the Aperol Terazza at the AO) to pop‑ups (like the Red Bull Fan Zone at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix) and hospitality zones (such as The Victorian Racing Carnival’s ever evolving offering at The Birdcage)—but these must complement and enhance, not compete with, the core fan experience.

The most effective partnerships build ecosystems rather than campaigns. They give athletes room to be genuine co‑creators, not billboards. When brands relinquish some control, cultural impact follows.

What Australian sports brands can learn next

Australian sport must move beyond tired category ownerships like “the proud insurer of [club name]”.

The future belongs to partnerships that are expressive, human and values‑led

The gap between sport and fashion has closed. From Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open appearances to NBA tunnel walks, athletes are now cultural platforms in their own right. Yet Australian leagues remain relatively conservative, prioritising risk management over expression.

As social media elevates athletes into influential storytellers, fans increasingly crave authenticity. Finding the balance between sensible governance and creative freedom will define the next era of Australian sports partnerships.

Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan, for example, has pushed for more casual game‑day attire. For clubs, this requires relinquishing some image control; for brands, it opens new avenues for relevance. If compromise can be found, Australia’s per‑capita sponsorship potential is unmatched.

Clubs are starting to respond - last weekend, Melbourne Demons players ditched their uniform’s for some more stylish looks.

A new sponsorship era

Australia is already health‑conscious, sport‑obsessed and culturally engaged. LVMH’s Olympic strategy offers a blueprint—not to copy luxury, but to apply the same discipline: authenticity, brand essence and values alignment, and cultural fluency.

For Australian sport, the opportunity is abundantly clear. Those bold enough to prioritise culture over control—who can think deeply about how different elements of their own brand’s story could be enhanced and told through partnerships, and who are willing to leverage athlete personalities rather than restrict them—will define what sponsorship becomes next.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[A new major grassroots & talent pathway partnership opportunity has emerged in Australia]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/a-new-major-grassroots-and-talenthttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/a-new-major-grassroots-and-talentTue, 31 Mar 2026 21:01:21 GMTToday’s newsletter is presented by the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers

A new opportunity for brands to back elite youth basketball talent and connect with Australia’s pathway to the NBA

The NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifier will bring together Australia’s top high school basketball talent at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne from 8–10 May 2026, with 16 elite boys’ and girls’ teams competing for a place at the NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore.

Brought to you by NBA Basketball School Australia and promoted by Basketball Magic Pty Ltd, the event marks a major step forward for elite and grassroots youth basketball in Australia. With broadcast and live streaming, NBA digital amplification, and direct connection to a basketball ecosystem spanning players, families, schools and a wider community of more than 1.3 million registered participants nationally, the event offers brands a rare opportunity to align with one of sport’s most powerful cultural platforms.

A limited number of partnership opportunities are now available across various sponsorship tiers.

Register your interest now to learn more

A new major grassroots partnership opportunity has emerged in Australia

Sport has become one of the most powerful platforms in modern marketing, not just because of its scale, but because of its ability to connect.

Many of Australia’s biggest companies have grassroots-themed sports partnerships

From junior participation programs and community club initiatives to full talent-pathway sponsorships, brands such as Telstra, Woolworths, Coles, NAB, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Bunnings, McDonald’s and Toyota are all investing heavily in the grassroots level of sport.

Why? Because grassroots sport offers something few channels can: direct, sustained access to families, young participants, volunteers and local communities. It’s not just reach, it’s proximity and credibility. Brands aren’t just seen, they’re experienced.

That’s what makes grassroots sports such a powerful lever for brand and reputation building. It enables organisations to demonstrate genuine, tangible support at a community level, something that resonates far more deeply than traditional advertising.

Related: Why brands invest in sports from grassroots to the elite level

A new major new grassroots & talent pathway sports partnership opportunity has emerged in Australia

As the world’s sports marketplace becomes more fragmented, globalised and competitive, disruption of the traditional sports landscape is taking place.

Australian sports organisations such as the Australian Open and the NRL are exporting themselves, and America’s biggest leagues such as the NHL and NFL are planting flags here.

Related: How international forces are shaping sport in Australia

The common theme among the above sports expansion plans? Grassroots engagement and talent development pathways have underpinned their international growth strategies.

Introducing the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers

As part of this new trend, a new major opportunity for brands to connect with grassroots basketball and elite talent pathways simultaneously is the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australia Qualifiers – a high-school basketball tournament that will determine the boys’ and girls’ teams that will represent Australia in the second annual NBA Rising Stars Invitational in Singapore this June – connected to the NBA Basketball School network.

The event is quickly positioning itself as a major youth development platform in the region, bringing together top boys’ and girls’ teams from across the Asia-Pacific.

For Australian brands, it represents a rare opportunity to align with the NBA at the grassroots level while engaging the next generation of basketball talent, fans and families.

Why does the NBA Rising Stars Invitational present as a unique and attractive property for brands?

1. Basketball is experiencing unprecedented growth in Australia

Key stakeholders across the sport, including the NBA, NBL, WNBL, national and state bodies, and community leagues, are all playing key roles in driving this momentum.

AusPlay, an annual national survey conducted by the Australian Sports Commission shows that:

  • 1.3+ million Australians are actively playing basketball

  • Basketball is the 2nd most popular team sport in Australia, and the most popular team sport (alongside soccer) for 15 to 24-year-olds

  • The Hungry Jack’s NBL26 regular season delivered record results across attendance, broadcast and digital - more here

2. NBA brand power

The NBA’s boasts a robust portfolio of digital assets including NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass - and has cultivated one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across all leagues, team and player platforms

As one of the biggest League’s in the world, it boasts:

  • 2.5+ billion social media followers global

  • 214 countries and territories reached

  • 1.5+ billion video views annually on NBA digital

  • 440+ million fans across Asia-Pacific

The NBA’s partnership proposition for brands:

Brand Association: It’s one of the world’s most culturally influential sports leagues

Cultural Currency: NBA transcends sport into music, fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment

Asia-Pacific Gateway: The NBA Rising Stars Invitational connects Australian brands to the NBA’s fastest-growing region

Content Engine: Access NBA’s world-class storytelling and content production

3. NBA strength in Australia

Australia is one of the NBA’s most passionate markets, with strong engagement across key areas.

Australian NBA Talent: Australia is the third most-represented country outside the U.S. with a record-tying 13 players from Australia on opening-night rosters for the 2025-26 NBA season.

NBA League Pass: Outside of the US, Australia is the NBA’s largest market for subscribers on NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service.

Merchandise: Australians are among the world’s biggest buyers of official NBA merchandise, turning apparel into a walking advertisement for the league.

Related: NBA apparel doubles as advertising in Australia

The NBA is experiencing unprecedented momentum in Australia as it continues to build its presence in this market. Last October, the New Orleans Pelicans played two preseason games against NBL teams in Melbourne, which marked the first NBA games in Australia.

It has also just announced that NBA House, one of the league’s signature fan events, will debut in Australia at The Timber Yard in Melbourne from Thursday, 14 May to Sunday, 17 May. This immersive basketball experience will feature more than 6,000 square metres of interactive basketball and pop culture experiences for fans of all ages.

4. Youth Participation – sport is more important than ever

For youth participants, the benefits of playing sport are significant.

Sport helps build physical health, confidence, friendships and life skills. It creates social connections, supports mental wellbeing and strengthens community identity.

In an increasingly digital and disconnected world, grassroots sport remains one of the few places where communities regularly come together.

Grassroots sport remains one of the most powerful platforms in sponsorship

The continued investment from brands across participation programs, community initiatives and elite talent pathways highlights just how valuable grassroots sport remains in Australia.

For companies, it provides something increasingly difficult to achieve through traditional marketing channels - genuine community connection.

Want to know more about the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Australian Qualifiers?

A limited number of partnership opportunities are now available across various sponsorship tiers.

Register your interest now to learn more

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[Why brands invest in sports from grassroots to the elite level]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-brands-invest-in-sports-fromhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-brands-invest-in-sports-fromWed, 25 Mar 2026 21:00:08 GMTLast chance to purchase your tickets!

We have some exciting news!

We’d like to welcome TWO new event partners:

Lion - We’re excited to welcome Hahn. As part of the partnership, Lion will be shouting a selection of drinks including Hahn SuperDry, Kirin Ichiban, Kirin Hyoketsu and to celebrate the upcoming Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach – Stone & Wood Pacific Ale. If you’re coming along, it definitely pays to get there early. Good people, great conversations, and now… a very solid drinks lineup!

Tradable Bits - a leading provider of cutting-edge fan engagement, data analytics, and marketing solutions to the global sports, music, and entertainment industries, working with APAC industry sports leaders as well as national or state governing bodies in football, basketball, netball, soccer, hockey and rugby. Tradable Bits currently improves data acquisition, data analysis and data activation for 20+ Leagues and more than 50 Men’s and Women’s professional sports teams across AFL, NRL, NBL and Netball leagues, using proprietary technology & AI to help improve marketing & membership, generate revenue and foster brand loyalty.

Have you purchased your tickets yet?

Event details:

A big thank you also to our existing partners who are helping to make this event possible:

Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency built to fill the gaps of modern sporting teams. They’re experts in brand, design, content and creative support for sport, trusted by top local & global sports organisations such as the NFL, Paramount+, Cricket Victoria, NZ Rugby and more. They focus on work that builds brand, engages fans and increases revenue, with a keen eye for top quality work. Check out their Instagram here. Looking for creative support? Reach out to Ryan.

Royal Saxon Hotel - Our venue partner and the perfect setting for a fun afternoon with the sports industry.

We’re looking forward to connecting with everyone coming along – here’s a sample of who’s coming so far:

MKTG Sports & Entertainment, Rinnai Australia, Visit Victoria, MEE Agency, Freelance, Bursty , North Melbourne FC, Australian Football League, Lion, Twenty First Group, Cricket Australia, Entry Place, Studio Messa, FT Events, Two Circles, Wicket, Australian Sports Foundation, Medibank, Westpac, Sport Design Australia, Vic Health, Australian Sports Technology Network, lululemon, Tennis Australia, Deakin University, Essendon FC, Newscorp, Australian Cricket Association, Richmond FC, National Basketball League, EDFL, FAANZO, Gemba, Golf Australia, TGI Sport/Wildcard, Melbourne City FC, PLYMKR, Melbourne Park, KOJO, iReel, SportsGrad ...and we’re expecting MANY more!

Come help make this our biggest event yet!

Cheers 🍻 🥂

🤝 Happy Hour is delivered in partnership with MEE Agency.

Australian Commonwealth Games Team welcomed AAMI as a Proud Partner ahead of Glasgow 2026 - the national insurer will leverage its partnership using their award-winning Athletes in the Making campaign, where small mishaps at home have no impact on young people chasing their dreams of representing Australia

Surfing Australia and Ford Australia entered into a new partnership which will see the automotive brand support Surfing Australia’s entire national events calendar - Ford Australia also became the Official Major Partner of the Surfing Australia High Performance Centre

Sydney Swans announced a 3-year partnership with V Energy - the partnership will centre around the brand’s Activate brand platform, featuring across Sydney’s content, social channels, and match day activations

West Coast Eagles welcomed WA‑based organisation Grounded Construction Group as an Official Partner of the Club’s AFL and AFLW programs

North Melbourne FC inked a new deal with Red Hill Estate which will see the acclaimed Mornington Peninsula winery’s wines served across the Club’s major AFL and AFLW events

Adelaide Crows secured a 2-year partnership extension with Health Partners, the largest South Australian-based not-for-profit health fund - Max Michalanney has been appointed player ambassador

WA Football unveiled ATCO as the Naming Rights partner of the Western Australian Football League Women’s (WAFLW) competition ahead of the new season this month - The partnership represents one of the most significant commercial agreements in the history of women’s State League football in WA

nib Newcastle Knights announced a landmark new partnership with leading fashion and lifestyle platform THE ICONIC, ahead of the 2026 NRLW season - The partnership will see THE ICONIC feature on the team’s playing kit, while also designing the squad’s off-field uniforms - more here

logo, company name

Sydney Roosters and Coinstash extended their partnership for the 2026 NRL season - The Cryptocurrency brand will once again carry prominent brand exposure across the Club's official NRL Media Polo,with the Coinstash logo featured on both sleeves

Sydney Roosters secured a partnership with SBS Fence & Toilet Hire, marking a 9th consecutive year of collaboration

Melbourne Mavericks welcomed High Sierra as a partner, which will support Mavs athletes and travelling staff with dependable, high‑performance bags and accessories for training, match days and interstate travel

World Surf League and Boost Mobile renewed their partnership for 2026, which will see the telecommunications brand integrated across all four major WSL events in the country, including CT stops in VIC, WA, and QLD, as well as the Challenger Series event in Newcastle, NSW

Melbourne Vixens and Australia’s largest not for profit health fund HCF extended their Premier Partnership for 3-years which will see the organisations work together to strengthen the wellbeing of Victorian netballers across all levels of the game

Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 appointed Sports Event Merchandising (SEM) as its Official Licensing Partner which will see SEM design and develop the Official NWC2027 merchandise range

Champion Data announced its partnering with Supercars to deliver a fully integrated broadcast graphics package across the Supercars Championship, bringing data-driven storytelling to full throttle in 2026

AFL launched ‘Next Door hosted by Hard Rated’ - a live site located next door to the Adelaide Oval during Gather Round, offering a mix of live entertainment, footy on the big screen and music across the week, including ARIA Award-winning DMA’S as the headline entertainment

AFL also launched ‘Run 4 Your Club’ alongside Dylan Buckley - a mass participation running and walking event that will see supporters from every AFL club compete for off-field bragging rights in a 4km kilometres club-versus-club battle during the 2026 Gather Round

Australian Steelers secured a new partnership with Australian hydration soda startup Posca Hydrate - this is the first partnership its secured since running its cut-through ‘Officially Unsponsored’ campaign

Australian Athletics and Little Athletics Australia signed final contracts to complete the process of national unification

lululemon unveiled its 2026 Run collection, fronted globally by Australian athlete and model Montana Farrah Seaton

Nike launched its first-ever country-led TikTok channel ‘@nikeaustralia’ - the country-led move is a global first for the brand

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ final between Australia and Japan was witnessed by 74,397 fans at Stadium Australia, the highest ever turnout for the tournament - total tournament attendance hit a record breaking 350,046

Football Australia, alongside Football NSW and Northern NSW Football called for a $343m long-term infrastructure investment to support the continued growth of women’s football in NSW, following the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026

NRL opened Expressions of Interest for its 2026 Magic Round tech showcase - an initiative that it hosts in partnership with Advance Queensland

FIFA announced a partnership with YouTube ahead of the 2026 World Cup to change how the tournament reaches a digital-first audience - rights-holding broadcasters will be able to stream game action live on the video platform

Why brands invest in sports from grassroots to the elite level

Many of Australia’s biggest companies have grassroots-themed sports partnerships

From junior participation programs and community club initiatives to full talent-pathway sponsorships, brands are investing heavily in the grassroots level of sport.

Why? Because grassroots sport remains one of the most powerful connection points between brands and consumers. It offers direct access to families, young participants, fans and volunteers while also allowing companies to demonstrate tangible support for local communities.

Across Australia, thousands of brands are involved in community sport in some form, whether through participation programs, local club sponsorships or broader community initiatives.

At the national level, some of the country’s biggest company’s have built major brand platforms around sports participation and talent development.

High-profile sports participation program partnerships

Many of Australia’s biggest brands have high-profile Naming Rights Partnerships with junior participation programs.

Examples include:

  • NAB AFL Auskick

  • Coles MiniRoos (Football Australia)

  • Coles Little Athletics Australia

  • Coles Healthy Kicks (AFL)

  • Woolworths NetSetGo (Netball Australia)

  • Ford Aussie Hoops (Basketball Australia)

Other notable grassroots-themed sponsorships include:

  • Medibank presents parkrun

  • DoorDash NRL Touch Football

These programs reach hundreds of thousands of participants every year and provide brands with meaningful touchpoints at the earliest stages of the sporting journey.

One of the most enduring examples is NAB AFL Auskick, which recently launched its 2026 season with NAB celebrating 20 years as naming rights partner of Australia’s largest and most recognised junior participation program.

20 years of partnership with NAB AFL Auskick

The longevity of partnerships like this demonstrates how participation programs can deliver both community impact and long-term brand value.

Sponsorship across the entire talent pathway

While junior participation programs are important entry points, many of sports’ largest partnerships now extend across the entire athlete development pathway, from grassroots to elite competition.

These integrated partnerships allow brands to support athletes from their first experience in sport through to the professional stage.

For example:

  • In 2022, NAB renewed its contract as the Naming Rights Partner of the NAB AFL Women’s competition and NAB AFL Auskick, along with its major partnership with AFL Men’s as part of a 6-year deal

  • In 2025, Commonwealth Bank became the largest supporter of soccer in Australia’s history thanks to a new 6-year deal with Football Australia, which is seeing the bank sponsoring the game at all levels and abilities

  • In 2025, Westpac signed a major deal with Cricket Australia that includes support for local clubs and communities, support for women, support for inclusion cricket teams and tournaments, support for First Nations Talent. It also has made a significant investment into participation and development pathways (especially women’s) via its partnerships with the NRL, NRLW, NSW Rugby League and QLD Rugby

  • Ford’s partnership with Basketball Australia includes support across all under-age national championship events and ensuring coverage across the entire development pathway, in addition to Australia’s elite Olympic and Paralympic teams

  • Foot Locker has key basketball partnerships across all levels of basketball – from local courts to the national stage. These include, Australian Boomers, NBL, WNBL & NBL1, Summer Jam, Australian Junior Championships, Schools Championships, U18s Club Championships

Related: Foot Locker has been getting active in Australia and basketball has been part of the plan

New grassroots-themed partnership continue to emerge

So far in 2026:

Football Australia announced a multi-year partnership with Isuzu UTE Australia, encompassing the entire national team pathway, including the CommBank Socceroos, CommBank Matildas, the men’s and women’s youth squads (U17s, U20s and U23s) as well as the CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas

Netball Victoria just welcomed Roll’d as a new partner in a 3-year agreement that will see the Australian fast, fresh Vietnamese food brand come on board as an Official Partner of the State Titles, Association Championships and School Championships

Queensland Rugby Union announced a new 3-year partnership with wealth management firm Morgans, aimed at supporting the state’s rugby pathways

Melbourne Victory welcomed back Zaparas Lawyers which rejoined the Club - the Associate Partnership will have a particular focus on Melbourne Victory’s Academy

AirTouch entered into a new partnership with the Western Sydney Wanderers FC Girls Academy

Credit Union SA extended its partnership with Port Adelaide across the club’s AFL and AFLW programs - it will also continue its support of the club’s not-for-profit arm, Power Community Limited, and continue as the naming-rights partner of the club’s Community Footy Raffle

McDonald’s became an Official Partner of Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds as part of a multi-year deal which will have a strong community focus on delivering great experiences from the grassroots to the elite stage

The list goes on…

While some brands focus on sponsorship of participation programs, others activate their partnerships through community campaigns and initiatives

These initiatives often celebrate volunteers, support local clubs, or provide direct funding to grassroots organisations.

Some recent & notable examples include:

Budget Direct just launched the ‘Footy Charity Championship’ competition that leverages its sponsorships of the Dolphins, Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs - The initiative will see Budget Direct inject a total of $205,000 into vital community charities

Dulux just renewed its partnership with North Melbourne FC which will see it work with the community arm (The Huddle), and deliver support initiatives such as ‘Colour Your Club’, which helps refresh and reinvigorate local football and netball clubs

Vegemite recently unveiled a new partnership with Australian sprint sensation, Gout Gout- the announcement took place in Gout’s hometown community of Ipswich, and on the same oval where he first ran

Bunnings leverages its AFL partnership through its ‘Legend of the Tongs’ initiative - a nationwide search to find, recognise, and reward the local community legends who fire up the BBQ every weekend, serving up snags in bread to raise much-needed funds for their clubs

Toyota has helped clubs raise over $6 million since 2008 through its Good for Footy program - Over 500 local clubs from every state and territory have benefitted

Telstra supports local AFL footy clubs nationally. Launched in 2024 with an $8 million investment over 4 years, Telstra Footy Grants gives junior and senior AFL clubs the opportunity to apply for funding of up to $20,000 for direct support where they need it most. It also has partnerships with the NRL and NRLW, which champions rugby league from grassroots to the elite game.

Etc.

The top brands powering community sport in Australia are…

  1. RSL

  2. Ray White

  3. McDonald’s

  4. Mortgage Choice

  5. Toyota

  6. Bendigo Bank

Related: The top brands powering community sport in Australia

Why brands sponsor grassroots sport

There are several strategic reasons why companies invest in grassroots sport.

For brands:

Transfer of brand value: Aligning with a major sports team, league or athlete, or a sport that people play and are passionate about can create a transfer of brand equity.

Reputation: Many companies position themselves as community supporters as part of their marketing communications and external affairs to help build and reinforce a positive reputation, and drive brand preference and consideration.

Positioning: Sports sponsorships can help position a brand in a particular way within the minds of consumers e.g. NIB x Newcastle Knights partnership reinforces NIB as a Newcastle centric brand

Direct consumer engagement: Grassroots sport provides direct access to participants, families and volunteers, offering opportunities for product sampling & sales, activations and the delivery of brand messaging.

ESG: Many of Australia’s biggest brands position sports partnerships as “supporting the community” on their websites

Long-term brand advocacy: Engaging participants early can create lifelong brand associations

New grassroots properties are emerging

As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented, globalised and competitive, disruption of the traditional sports landscape is taking place.

Related: Sports landscape is shifting

Australian sports are exporting themselves:

  • The Australian Open is building its global brand

  • The NRL has global plans

America’s biggest leagues such as the NHL and NFL are planting flags here.

The common theme among the above sports expansion plans? Grassroots engagement and talent development pathways have underpinned their international growth strategies.

A new major new grassroots & talent pathway partnership opportunity is set to emerge in Australia

Stay tuned…

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[Why sport has an analogue advantage over artificial intelligence]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-sport-has-an-analogue-advantagehttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-sport-has-an-analogue-advantageWed, 18 Mar 2026 21:01:55 GMT1 week to go - Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event!

We’re one week away from our first Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event for 2026 in Melbourne, in partnership with MEE Agency, and it’s shaping up to be another BIG one! Don’s miss out!

What to expect

An afternoon/evening of post-work casual drinks in a fun, informal and welcoming setting.

Who should come?

If you work in or around sport, you’ll fit right in!

The invite is open to those from agencies, rights-holders, brands, athletes, media, suppliers, recruitment, government, startups, education, or anyone else that has a passion for the industry and would like to connect.

For information on past events and who attends, visit here

Why come along?

Because the industry runs on relationships, and this is the easiest, most relaxed way to build them. No panels, no formalities. Just good people, and good conversations.

Have you purchased your tickets yet?

Event details:

  • Date: Thursday 26 March

  • Time: 3:00pm - 6.30pm

  • Venue: Royal Saxon, Richmond

  • Tickets: $27

Purchase tickets here

Thanks to our amazing event partners 🤝

Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency built to fill the gaps of modern sporting teams. They’re experts in brand, design, content and creative support for sport, trusted by top local & global sports organisations such as the NFL, Paramount+, Cricket Victoria, NZ Rugby and more. They focus on work that builds brand, engages fans and increases revenue, with a keen eye for top quality work. Check out their Instagram here. Looking for creative support? Reach out to Ryan.

Royal Saxon Hotel - Our venue partner and the perfect setting for a fun afternoon with the sports industry.

See you there?! 🍻 🥂

AFL unveiled a landmark 5-year partnership with EnergyAustralia, with the leading energy retailer joining as the Official Energy Partner of the AFL, AFLW and Marvel Stadium

AFL announced cyber security organisation CyberCX will become the Official Cyber Security Partner of the AFL and AFLW - as part of the deal, it will also become Naming Partner of the AFL Review Centre (ARC) for the next 2 years

AFL entered into a new 5-year licensing agreement with Gello Beans and Gello Snakes - the confectionery brand will feature the AFL logo on their packaging and AFL-licensed Gello products will be distributed through Chemist Warehouse and other prominent pharmacies, such as Amcal and Discount Drug Stores

Sydney Swans secured a new 3-year partnership with Virgin Australia - The partnership will tap into AFL fan travel, with more than half a million supporters travelling to watch their teams in 2025, and double-digit growth expected in the coming years

Sydney Swans and realestate.com.au extended their partnership until at least the end of the 2029 AFL and AFLW seasons - The new agreement will see realestate.com.au retain prime real estate on the back of the Swans guernsey and it’s branding across LED signage at the SCG

Adelaide Crows welcomed V Energy as the Club’s Official Energy Drink Partner for the next 3 years - members and fans will see V Energy feature across the Club’s digital channels, activations and at home games

Brisbane Lions inked a new deal with Keri Juice which will be visible on the Club’s game day and training shorts this season - Keri Juice products will also be stocked around the Gabba and at Brighton Homes Arena for AFLW fixtures

Essendon FC announced a new partnership with MOVA which joined the Club as its Official Home Cleaning Appliance, Outdoor Lawnmowing and Personal Care Products Partner for 2026

Essendon FC welcomed Ring as its Official Home Security Partner in 2026

North Melbourne FC announced a new partnership with Latrobe Health Services which became an Official Partner of The Huddle and the Official Health Insurance Partner of the Club

Port Adelaide FC welcomed Mayfield Childcare as a Principal Partner across its AFL and AFLW programs, which secured the Naming Rights to the popular ‘Kids Zone’ on game day

Helloworld Travel signed a 5-year agreement to become the Naming Rights Partner for Penrith’s new 25,000-seat venue currently under construction in western Sydney

Artists impression of Helloworld Stadium. Image: Supplied

Venues NSW inked a new 3-year deal with Totality (formerly known as Saxo Australia) which became the Official Online Trading Partner of Allianz Stadium - the move forms part of a move to kick-start the multi-asset investment broker’s launch in the Australian market

Netball Australia and Suncorp Super Netball League renewed their partnership with not-for-profit health fund HCF through to the end of 2027

Gold Coast Titans announced the 2nd year of its partnership with the Aged & Disability Expo Australia which will see Titans players attend the event in May, giving attendees the chance to meet players in person

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and ShoeGrab extended their partnership for the 2026 NRL season (for a sixth season)

Penrith Panthers and Zenn Ability renewed their partnership for the 2026 season (entering the fourth year of the relationship)

Sydney FC announced a new partnership with Sports Direct which will see the leading global retailer engage directly with Sydney FC’s passionate fanbase through a range of in-stadium, digital and experience based activations

Basketball Australia unveiled Gold Coast founded company Dritimes as a partner of Australia’s national teams - Boomers and Opals

Basketball Queensland confirmed the extension of its partnership with CarCoop which is continuing as the Official Naming Rights Partner of the Queensland State League and Queensland State League Youth competitions through to 2028

Sydney Kings teamed up with Snap Fitness for the Hungry Jacks NBL Finals Series, giving the Australian fitness provider a strong feature at Sydney Kings home games, across LED and court signage, plus ownership of the 3-point moments in-game

Brisbane Bullets announced that WNBA global basketball icon and entrepreneur Angel Reese has invested in Brisbane’s effort to bring a WNBL franchise to the city by joining the bid for the league’s 10th license - the news follows Reese’s recent visit to Australia with Reebok to unveil her signature shoe and announce the brand’s Official Footwear Partnership with the WNBL for the 2027 season

After more than 40 years in Moorabbin, PUMA Oceania moved its headquarters to Cremorne – right in the heart of Melbourne’s sporting precinct

Sports Direct Australia opened a brand new store in Sydney Chatswood Chase, this follows the leading global retailer’s first store opening in Melbourne late last year

Stan Sport welcomed Arsenal legend Theo Walcott to Australia who joined The Premier League Trophy Tour which is undertaking a 10-day tour across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - The launch was marked by an official press conference at Sydney’s Toronga Zoo

GWS GIANTS CEO, Dave Matthews reconfirmed the club’s interest in hosting a match for premiership points in the United States on SEN’s ‘Crunch Time’

VFL secured new broadcast deals, which will see at least 53 Smithy’s VFL matches broadcast across Kayo Sports, ABC, Seven Network and SEN throughout the 2026 season

World Surf League and Rip Curl pro teamed up with ‘Schoonerscorer’ to promote the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2026

Hawthorn FC players Will Day, James Sicily, Emily Bates and Eliza West were among those to greet Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark on their royal visit to the MCG

Nike announced the return of its ‘After Dark Tour’ which is returning in 2026 to Sydney - the global tour ‘built for Women, Powered by Nike’ is see a series of unforgettable nighttime running experiences which take place across 7 x major cities: Shanghai, Sydney, Mexico City, London, Los Angeles, Manila, and Mumbai

Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival announced that Eliud Kipchoge is coming to Melbourne to race alongside tens of thousands of runners in October

Seattle Seahawks announced the ‘Seahawks Australia Tour, presented by The Pass’ - an event on the Gold Coast giving fans an opportunity to see the Lombardi Trophy

NBA announced that NBA House, an immersive basketball experience and fan event, will debut in Australia at The Timber Yard in Melbourne this May - Operated by Seeker Agency, it will feature 6,000+ square meters of interactive basketball and pop culture experiences for fans of all ages

McLaren, known for its Formula 1 and supercar engineering, announced it’s launching a new venture called McLaren Golf, a standalone golf equipment business which aims to leverage its elite motorsport and supercar engineering to deliver a new benchmark for golf equipment

Guest Writer: Tom Meredith

Today we’re welcoming Tom Meredith, Director & Principal Consultant at PLYMKR, as this week’s guest writer!

Tom is a freelance sport marketing and fandom consultant who supports agencies, brands and governing bodies in unlocking growth by connecting with fans in more meaningful and memorable ways.

Guided by a deep passion for sport, and his beloved Swansea City Football Club, Tom has carved a 15-year career in the sport marketing industry, at agencies in London and Melbourne - IMG, Synergy Sponsorship, Bastion Collective, TLA Worldwide and TGI Sport Wildcard.

Today he explores why sport holds a powerful ‘analogue advantage’ in an increasingly AI-generated world.

Enjoy the read!

Why sport has an analogue advantage over artificial intelligence

Right now, if we’re honest, we’re all a bit…uneasy. Aren’t we?

It feels like the marketing industry has been handed a magic wand. Type a sentence into a box and an image appears. Ask a question and a strategy forms. Feed in a prompt and an entire creative ecosystem is conjured seemingly out of thin air.

For anyone, like me, who has spent a career wrestling with blank pages, tight client deadlines and complex creative challenges, it’s difficult not to think - AI is amazing and yet truly terrifying all at the same time.

How are we supposed to compete with magic?!

Is the creative craft as we know it dead? And should we all just pack up now and start a new career selling Pokémon cards?

Not just yet guys, stick with me…

It’s OK to feel anxious about what’s next, we all are. But I believe there’s a real recalibration happening.

When machines can generate endless content, what becomes valuable?

For those of us working in sport and entertainment, the answer might be surprisingly simple: We compete with magic by remembering that sport has always been magic.

Not the algorithmic kind, the human kind.

The beautiful irrationality of fandom.

The kind that sees you hugging complete strangers because in that moment you’re feeling exactly the same thing.

Tribal, emotional and unscripted.

Sport, it’s magic too.

Artificial intelligence can simulate almost anything, but it can’t manufacture genuine human connection or tangible experiences

  • The sights, sounds and smells of a packed stadium

  • The feeling of pulling your favourite player’s trading card

  • The tension of a record-breaking moment

These are powerful analogue experiences; physical, emotional and shared. And in a world becoming ever more automated and synthetic, they’re becoming increasingly valuable.

The future of our careers shouldn’t be about competing with AI’s magic. It should be about harnessing the magic sport already has and creating the conditions for fandom to thrive by capitalising on our analogue advantage.

The Pillars of our Analogue Advantage

1. Shared Moments

Modern media is increasingly solitary - designed to keep you scrolling. You only need to look at rising loneliness rates (one in three Australians feel lonely today) to see the impact on mental and physical health. Sport remains one of the last cultural arenas where millions experience the same emotional moment simultaneously, and the ability to understand a moment in time as an opportunity to connect emotionally to the masses has the power to fuel fandom and engagement with brands on a deeper level.

Just look at the celebrations marking South Sydney’s Alex Johnson breaking the NRL try-scoring record at Allianz Stadium, described as ‘pure humanity’ by ABC News as thousands of fans stormed the pitch in a spontaneous, joyful expression of togetherness. A shared moment that will be remembered forever. And gold for all brands involved with South Sydney.

From a brand perspective, Gatorade’s ‘Run The Track’ experience at the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix stood out. They understood the significance of track access during Grand Prix weekend and gave 2,400 fans the chance to run the circuit together - a once-in-a-lifetime shared experience that authentically put the product in the hands of fans at the right moment.

2. Tangible Nostalgia

Sport is built on nostalgia. Fandom is passed down through generations, and the great victories, moments and players live long in the memory, they are wrapped in emotion and identity. Sporting nostalgia has a unique ability to transport you back in time and make you feel exactly what you felt in that moment. The value of this is rising fast.

Take trading cards and collectibles. This industry is experiencing its biggest ever boom; astronomical sale prices, record participation and mainstream cultural relevance:

  • Logan Paul recently sold his PSA10 Pikachu Illustrator Pokémon card for a world record $16.49m

  • The ‘Holy Grail’ T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is believed to be worth $30–50m

  • And its big business here too - PAX Aus collectibles convention drew 85,000 people this year

  • Australia’s collectibles market is forecast to hit USD $20b+ by 2033

Image :T206 Honus Wagner in the highest grade in world - PSA6

In this hobby, fans can physically hold something that transports them to a time, place or moment in their life. That’s where the value lives.

Contrast this with the collapse of the NFT market, where 90%+ of total value has been wiped out. A completely digital product with no nostalgic relevance, devoid of meaning, authenticity or emotional connection. Back in 2021, Justin Bieber paid $1.3m for a digital image of a monkey. Today it’s worth almost nothing. Of course it crashed.

3. Real Voices

As AI floods every platform with generated content, the voices that feel genuinely human are becoming increasingly valuable. I’m personally more conscious than ever of content that feels manufactured, or that carries an undercurrent of agenda. It turns me off straight away, and I’m not alone.

Trust in traditional media is eroding. Audiences are sceptical of polished, agenda-driven commentary and they’re voting with their attention. What’s filling the void is fascinating.

The Grade Cricketer podcast is a perfect example. What started as a few grade cricketers taking the mickey out of club cricket culture has grown into one of Australia’s most listened-to sports podcasts, landing mainstream media and sponsorship deals with a genuine cultural footprint. They didn’t get there by sounding like traditional cricket journalists. They got there by sounding exactly like themselves.

Sky Sports’ ‘The Overlap Fan Debate’ series in the UK tells a similar story - real supporters from every Premier League club, passionate, partisan and unscripted, debating the big topics with each other. The format generated compelling long and short-form content that actually sparked conversation, and many of those fans have since become established creators in their own right.

Authenticity isn’t just a brand value anymore. It’s a competitive advantage in sport marketing. There is room for more real voices, so get out there and share your opinion!

4. Live Atmosphere & Experiential

The atmosphere of live sport can’t be captured through digital or artificial mediums and that gives our industry enormous enduring value. It’s sensory: the noise when the players run out, the smell of hot pies, the energy of a critical moment. This is what stays with you forever as a fan.

And appetite for live sport is seemingly unwavering. In 2026 alone we’ve seen the Australian Open welcome its largest ever attendance (1.4m), the Melbourne Grand Prix break its own record (484,000) and the Ashes set a new attendance high (860,000) across just 18 days of cricket. Live is as powerful as ever.

These events are becoming more than sport, they’re cultural festivals. The Australian Open is now a three-week celebration built around tennis; a blended ecosystem of sport, culture, business and entertainment where Melbourne and the world choose to spend their summer. Its focus on innovation, world-class experiential and authentic brand partnerships makes it better every year.

If you work in events, be excited. Live experience is only going to become more valuable as the world gets more digital.

Summary

None of this is an argument against adopting AI, far from it. AI will revolutionise the way we work, and we’re already seeing great examples of AI-enabled fan engagement through personalised content, real-time data, stadium entertainment and accessibility.

The future of sports marketing won’t be about choosing between AI and human experience. It will belong to those who combine both, using technology to enhance the magic of the real world, not replace it.

The most successful sports, brands and professionals in the AI era will be those who use technology to amplify analogue experiences; deepening nostalgia, extending shared moments, promoting real voices and enhancing atmosphere.

Technology alone will not differentiate our work. Emotion will, as it always has done.

So, stay true to your craft and believe in your role in this industry - because sport is still one of the most powerful, and most human, magical forces in culture.

And don’t read too many AI related LinkedIn posts or Instagram reels, they’ll just scare you!

Still managing event signage with spreadsheets and group chats?

If you’ve ever arrived at a venue to find signs missing, installed in the wrong spot, or sitting in a loading dock with no photo proof — you know the pain.

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Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[The ultimate Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 off-track activity wrap]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-ultimate-formula-1-australianhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-ultimate-formula-1-australianWed, 11 Mar 2026 21:01:30 GMTHappy Hour Sports Industry Networking Event

Back by popular demand - We’re excited to be teaming up with MEE Agency again to host our first Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event for 2026 in Melbourne.

Melbourne, have you purchased your tickets yet?

Event details:

  • Date: Thursday 26 March

  • Time: 3:00pm - 6.30pm

  • Venue: Royal Saxon, Richmond

  • Tickets: $27

Purchase tickets here

Welcome back our amazing event partners 🤝

Sport Design Australia - A top-tier sports creative agency built to fill the gaps of modern sporting teams. They’re experts in brand, design, content and creative support for sport, trusted by top local & global sports organisations such as the NFL, Paramount+, Cricket Victoria, NZ Rugby and more. They focus on work that builds brand, engages fans and increases revenue, with a keen eye for top quality work. Check out their Instagram here. Looking for creative support? Reach out to Ryan.

Royal Saxon Hotel - Our venue partner and the perfect setting for a fun afternoon with the sports industry.

What to expect?

Check out previous events here.

Cant wait to connect over a drink! Cheers 🍻 🥂

Geelong Cats announced Mitre 10 as its Official Hardware Partner for both its AFL and AFLW programs, and as the Presenting Partner of the AFL and AFLW Trade and Draft period - Mitre 10 branding and activations will feature across match days, digital content, key calendar moments, and in-store events at Geelong locations

North Melbourne FC and Dulux renewed their partnership for a further 3 seasons, which will see the paint brand continue to feature on Club training footballs, work with the community arm (The Huddle), and deliver support initiatives such as ‘Colour Your Club’, which helps refresh and reinvigorate local football and netball clubs

Carlton FC welcomed law firm Maurice Blackburn as a Platinum Partner which is aiming to build brand awareness across the elite sporting landscape - it will feature across the Club’s training footballs, media banner and signage at IKON Park

Adelaide Crows entered into a new 3-year partnership with law firm Thomson Geer which will have naming rights to the Club’s Chairman’s events

Collingwood FC announced that Niterra (leading automotive supplier) has joined the Club as a Platinum Partner and the Coaches’ Partner for the AFL and VFL teams in 2026

Collingwood FC and Breitling launched a limited-edition timepiece that captures the spirit, tradition and contemporary edge of the two brands - Brietling also recently entered into a new partnership with the World Surf League

Hawthorn FC unveiled a new partnership with V Energy which will have a presence across the Club’s social media channels and game days

Western Bulldogs secured a new partnership with sustainable battery-powered outdoor equipment brand, Greenworks - this comes at a similar time the brand also entered into a new partnership with the Cronulla Sharks

South Sydney Rabbitohs added City Fertility to its sponsorship roster - the partnership will help build awareness around men’s reproductive health and the role men play in conception

Dolphins welcomed leading global brand Linglong Tire as its Official Tyre Partner for the 2026 season - Linglong Tire’s sporting portfolio also includes high-profile partnerships with Chelsea FC and Real Madrid

Gold Coast Titans announced Easi as a new Official Partner of the club for the next 2 years - the industry leader in novated leasing and salary packaging will become the Official Presenting Partner of the ‘Titans in Business’ program

Wests Tigers unveiled GSA Insurance Brokers as the Naming Rights Partner of the Wests Tigers Business Club

Parramatta Eels announced MTC FutureReady as the Club’s first-ever Official Community Partner - the two organisations will co-design programs for the community, ensuring individuals can access education and employment support that fits real life

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles confirmed New Age Veneers and Zantac as its Back of Shorts Partners for the 2026 NRL Season

World Surf League and Fatboy Bikes expanded their partnership in 2026 - Fatboy will now be the ‘Official E-Bike Partner’ for WSL Australia and WSL Portugal, activating across four CT events and a singular Challenger Series stop

World Surf League announced the continuation of its partnership with mophie for the 2026 season, which returns as the ‘Official Portable Charger’ for events in Tahiti, Gold Coast and Bells Beach

Netball Victoria welcomed Roll’d as a new partner in a 3-year agreement that will see the Australian fast, fresh Vietnamese food brand come on board as an Official Partner of the State Titles, Association Championships and School Championships

GIANTS Netball and Netball NSW unveiled High Sierra as the Official Away Day Partner of both the Netball NSW Pathways U17 and U19 teams and GIANTS Netball - it will provide Composite V4 Wheeled Duffle Bags to all athletes and High-Performance staff

Volleyball Australia and Mahindra Australia extended their partnership through to LA 2028 - the automotive company will become the Naming Rights sponsor of the Australian Beach Tour and the National Super League

HCLTech became a partner of Hockey Victoria and will support the launch of the Melbourne Cobras, the newest team joining Australia’s Hockey One League this season - As part of the partnership, HCLTech will develop a digital fan engagement platform featuring live match insights, interactive content and personalisation to connect fans across Australia and India

Adelaide United announced global fintech Ebury as its Front of Shorts Partner

Queensland Rugby Union announced a new 3-year partnership with wealth management firm Morgans, aimed at supporting the state’s rugby pathways

Basketball Queensland entered into a new 2-year partnership with Snap Fitness which will give BQ members access to exclusive offers

Commonwealth Games Australia secured a new partnership with Zoomlite, which will provide high-performance luggage to 420+ athletes and officials of The Australian Commonwealth Games Team

Cricket Australia launched a branded hot air balloon to mark one year to go until the 150th Anniversary Test Match between Australia and England

Australian Sports Commission and CSIRO launched two pioneering guidelines to help everyone involved in sport – from grassroots to high performance – use artificial intelligence responsibly and effectively

AFL confirmed the line-up for the 2026 Pepsi Collective, the elevated match day offering at Adelaide Oval at the upcoming AFL Gather Round which includes Andy Murphy, DJ Piero, John Course, SGT Slick, Andrew Loadsman, Cyril and DJ Havana Brown

US Rapper Swae Lea paid a visit to the MCG and appeared on Channel 7’s post match coverage of the AFL in the Collingwood FC rooms

Collingwood FC player Pat Lipinski unveiled his first collaboration with streetwear brand Push Pull

Budget Direct launched the ‘Footy Charity Championship’ competition that leverages its sponsorships of the Dolphins, Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs - The initiative will see Budget Direct inject a total of $205,000 into vital community charities

Seven Network revealed its partners and sponsors for the 2026 AFL Premiership Season which include Toyota, McDonald’s, AAMI, Harvey Norman, Coles, Telstra, Sportsbet, Bunnings, Chemist Warehouse, Industry Super Funds, Hostplus, CBUS, NAB, Asahi Beverages, BWS, Colgate-Palmolive, Uber Eats, SEEK, OMO Ultimate, Disney, Bupa, Gulf Western Oil, Jim Beam, Betr, Equip Super and view.com.au

Seven Network’s Front Bar also secured partnerships with Lion (Premier Partner), Youi, BWS, Hyundai and Sportsbet

Formula 1 announced an extended multi-year broadcast deal with Kayo Sports, which will cover every race, qualifying session and practice for the 2027 season and beyond

Fresh off securing the NBL minor premiership and the launch of its “Banners Aren’t Raised Alone” campaign (a call for Sydney to get behind its team as they chase another championship) the Sydney Kings installed a pop-up custom half court at Bondi Beach, giving fans and families an opportunity to shoot hoops, win prizes and meet Sydney Kings players

AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ hit a major milestone, surpassing 250,000 tickets sold across the tournament

AFL launched its new ‘If you feel it, you’re in on it’ brand campaign (via TBWA) to celebrate the start of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

UFC GYM and ClassPass launched a new collaboration that enables ClassPass users to use credits to book gym time at a UFC GYM

Nick Kyrgios joined the The Picklr (North American indoor pickleball brand) as an equity partner and athlete ambassador

The waitlist for the NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and San Fransisco 49ers at the MCG later this year was reported to be approaching 200,000

The ultimate Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 off-track activity wrap

The brand activity around the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix was impossible to ignore.

Events, activations, advertising, stunts, celebrity appearances etc… Fresh off another remarkable Australian Open festival, Melbourne was yet again flooded with so much marketing activity tied to one of its major sports events.

The challenge? Keeping track of it all.

To make it easier, below is your one-stop snapshot of the commercial activity surrounding last weekend’s race…

The Formula 1 atmosphere wasn’t purely experienced at the track

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC), teams and brands launched pop up events, activations and advertising campaigns that could be seen across all Melbourne’s key locations:

  • Melbourne Central and Caledonian Lane - here and here

  • Fan Festival at Fed Square - here

  • Merchandise stores at Yarra Promenade here

  • Fan activation at Eastland Shopping Centre - here

  • Red Bull Fan Zone at Crown Riverwalk - here

  • Advertising from the AGPC and sponsors across trams, shopfronts, lifts large format OOH billboards, laneway murals, etc - here

  • Atlassian Williams F1 Fan Zone in the Atrium, Fed Square here

  • Cadillac F1 x Tommy Hilfiger Fan Pop-Up at the Emporium here

etc.

A number of sports-crossovers took place to build hype

Athletes, teams and sports often partner with one another in the form of a meet and great, jersey-swap or some other PR-themed exercise to create a value exchange, and achieve a common goal. The media activity this generates helps generate hype, expand audience reach, and create shareable moments that drive new, and deeper fan engagement. Some of last week’s cross-code promotion activity worth noticing:

Sports partnering with sports

Many of Australia’s biggest sports teams and athletes took part in F1 crossovers:

  • World Surf League at AusGP here

  • Oracle Red Bull Racing x Scotty James here

  • Audi Revolut F1 Team x Pat Cummins here

  • Atlassian Williams F1 Team x Western Bulldogs here

  • BWT Alpine F1 Team x Australian Men’s Cricket team here

  • TGR Haas F1 Team x Australian Wallabies here

  • BWT Alpine F1 Team x Carlton FC here

  • NFL x AusGP here

  • Max Gawn x Lewis Hamilton here

  • Glenn Maxwell x Oscar Paistri here

  • Supercars x AusGP here

  • Essendon FC x BWT Alpine Formula One Team here

  • Essendon FC x McLaren below

Related: Formula 1-themed events and cross-code collaborations (2025), Sports promoting... sports?

Audi Revolut F1 Team at AFLOAT

One of the more eye-catching brand activations across this year’s Australian Grand Prix was the Audi Revolut F1 Team’s on-water transformation of Melbourne’s Afloat bar.

The venue gave fans the opportunity to:

  • Watch all of the race sessions live on big screens

  • Explore pop-up activations (including driving simulators and immersive video experiences)

  • Get up close with the Audi Revolut F1 Team R26 show car

Here’s what it took to build the site.

*Afloat Melbourne is becoming a popular destination for large scale brand activations - During the Australian Open, Lacoste launched ‘Le Club Lacoste’.

Related: How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 2)

Sports apparel brands got active

PUMA and the McLaren Mastercard F1 Team united to bring together ‘Ignition Beach’ in St Kilda which featured:

  • McLaren Racing experience zone

  • MCL40 show car

  • Racing simulators

  • Hospitality zone to watch the race

  • Photo moments

*Mastercard was the Official Event Partner

Oscar Piastri made and appearance alongside Nedd Brockmann and Joanna Wietrzyk here

Lewis Hamilton appeared at lululemon’s store at the Emporium in Melbourne to launch his curated capsule collection, “The Lewis Hamilton Edit”.

Pop up stores and in-store activations delivered surprise & delight moments

Daniel Ricciardo’s Enchanté returned to Melbourne to celebrate the release of its newest Australian ‘Backyard Grand Prix’ collection, with a 4-day pop-up presented by Square.

Quad Lock’s brand ambassador, Oscar Piastri officially unveiled Quad Lock’s OP Pop-Up store in front of thousands of fans.

Quadrant, the gaming and lifestyle brand founded by Lando Norris, launched its first global pop-up store which featured exclusive apparel, custom heat-press services, and in-person experiences.

Culture Kings welcomed an Atlassian Williams F1 car into its Melbourne store

Running events were a popular choice for F1 teams and brands

Gatorade launched its ‘Run The Track’ running event, giving fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race on the iconic Albert Park Circuit.

Nedd Brockmann hosted a fun run from PUMA’s ‘Ignition Beach’ pop activation in St Kilda to help promote PUMA’s Deviate NITRO 4 shoe.

Peloton joined forces with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team to transform Riviera Beach Club into a one-day-only fitness paddock, blending performance, community and recovery. The event opened with a Formation Lap Yoga Flow session, led by Peloton Instructor, Kirra Michel, before participants hit the streets for a 5K run guided by Jon Hosking, Erik Jager and Australian Guest Instructor, Tim Robards.

adidas hosted community morning runs from the Audi Revolut F1 Team activation at AFLOAT on the Yarra River.

The BWT Alpine Formula One Team joined forces with with Beforeyouspeak Coffee to host a run through the streets of Melbourne and a Hyrox-style workout… followed by coffee.

Red Bull Drift Kart Challenge… a different type of race

Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson took part in a ‘drift kart challenge’ alongside DJ Fisher, Supercars driver, Will Brown and drifting sensation, Mad Mike on a Melbourne rooftop.

FMCG, QSR and Alcohol brands created F1-themed products to leverage their partnerships and drive sales

Doritos activated its Loaded Food truck at Albert Park and gave fans the opportunity to eat them at its 15-metres-high Doritos Altitude tower which gave fans one of the best views of the track.

KitKat created a number of custom products to leverage its partnership as the Official Chocolate Bar of Formula 1, including a KitKat F1 Chocolate Car - a KitKat in the shape of an F1 car, the first of its kind globally.

Grill’d unveiled its new Oscar Piastri Chicken Burger and pack.

Tim Tam paid tribute to Oscar Piastri with a custom ‘Oscar’s’ branded pack - In the lead up to race day, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were signing packets of Tim Tam’s for fans here.

Pepsi served Pepsi-fueled cocktails and mocktails, inspired by some of the most iconic tracks, from its Planet Pepsi Bar.

Other brand activity worth noticing…

American Express expanded its partnership with the Australian Grand Prix to become the presenting partner of both the Lakeside Festival and Glamour on the Grid.

Airwallex commissioned a giant hand-painted mural of Oscar Piastri and hosted its ‘Airwallex Garage’ event that welcomed 200+ more than 200 customers and partners - here

RMIT were recently announced as an Event Supporter of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026 - The partnership connects RMIT students with a range of opportunities, including internships, that support career pathways in motorsport with a focus on STEM. As part of the partnership, it set up an activation space in Pit Stop Park.

MECCA returned with it’s ‘Beauty Pit Stop’ - a trackside beauty garage offering fast, race-ready touch-ups inspired by the speed of an F1 pit stop.

Jack Daniel’s created a fully branded bus that served cocktail tastings by day and acted as shuttle bus to its ‘Jack’s Street Party’ pop up at the Middle Park Hotel where it offered 4 days of racing, food, drinks, and entertainment.

In addition, St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade (The Espy) played host to ‘Jack’s Karaoke at The Espy’ and ‘Jack’s Garage at The Espy’ which had a stacked lineup of Australian artists across 4 nights: Keli Holiday, Anna Lunoe, Slowly Slowly and The Presents.

Formula 1 fever continues to grow in Melbourne YoY

The Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026 set a new benchmark in 2026, attracting a record 483,934 spectators across the 4-day weekend, eclipsing the previous record of 465,498 in 2025. According to Meltwater analysis of conversations surrounding the 2026 major sports event between 2–8 March, the excitement was mirrored online see here.

This, combined with the massive brand investment above, are strong signals that major sporting events are becoming increasingly valuable platforms for cities, governments, teams, brands and athletes looking to capture attention at scale.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[The NRL’s remarkable growth and diversification]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-nrls-remarkable-growth-and-diversificationhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-nrls-remarkable-growth-and-diversificationWed, 04 Mar 2026 21:02:00 GMTOur first Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking event for 2026 is officially locked in!

Back by popular demand - We’re excited to announce that we’re teaming up again with MEE Agency to host our first sports industry networking event for 2026 in Melbourne.

Event details:

  • Date: Thursday 26 March

  • Time: 3:00pm - 6.30pm

  • Venue: Royal Saxon, Richmond

  • Tickets: $27

Purchase tickets here

What to expect?

A late afternoon of post-work casual drinks in a fun and informal setting. No formalities. Drinks will be at Happy Hour bar prices.

Who should come?

The invite is open to those from agencies, rights-holders, brands, athletes, media, suppliers, recruitment, government, startups, education, or anyone else that has a passion for the industry and would like to connect.

*For information on past events and who attends, visit here

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📢 Spread the word!

Help us bring as many people from the sports industry together by sharing this with peers who may be interested in connecting.

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See you there?! 🍻 🥂

Essendon FC announced a new multi-year Co-Major partnership with global financial platform, Airwallex whose logo will feature prominently on the front of the Club’s playing and training guernseys, as well as across the Club’s digital, match-day, and community assets

Hawthorn FC and Anker SOLIX joined forces, with the global home battery leader joining the Club as a Premier Partner of its AFL and AFLW sides - the collaboration will be activated via player ambassadors, and it will be spread across digital marketing campaigns and AFL match-day signage

Hawthorn FC announced a new partnership with CorePlus, which will ensure the Club’s specialised purpose-built Pilates studio at Hawthorn's Dingley headquarters, the Kennedy Community Centre, is fitted with CorePlus premium reformer beds, mats, and mobility equipment

Gold Coast SUNS unveiled a multi-year partnership with Fiji Airways - The announcement comes as Fiji Airways prepares to launch its landmark first direct service from Gold Coast to Nadi in June 2026

GWS GIANTS launched a new partnership with Unibet with a creative, and attention-grabbing headline “GIANTS Sign Curnow*”, the announcement -revealed that Ed Curnow (brother of new Sydney Swans high-profile recruit, Charlie Curnow) had come out of retirement not as a player, but as the club’s newly created ‘Chief Unibet Sign On’ (Ed played 221 AFL Games)

Sydney Swans welcomed Tooheys as the Official Beer of its AFL and AFLW teams for seasons 2026 and 2027 - Tooheys Ultra Zero Carb will be poured at Sydney Swans HQ and at club events, and Toohey’s branding will feature at the SCG on match days and across the Club’s digital channels

Sydney Swans joined forces with IREN, which became the Club’s Official AI Cloud Partner for the 2026 AFL season

Melbourne Demons announced a 2-year partnership with St Andrews Beach Brewery which will see its range being offered at all club functions - The brewery also signed-on as the Co-Presenting Partner of both the AFL and AFLW Best and Fairest events

Western Bulldogs announced that Footscray’s own Hop Nation Brewing Co. will be its Official Beer Partner for at least the next 2 seasons - Hop Nation products will be available at Mission Whitten Oval during home matchdays, and its branding will feature across Club digital channels and content

St Kilda FC secured a partnership extension across its AFL and AFLW programs with German technology pioneer LOEWE, which will continue to feature prominently across the Saints’ assets, match-day experiences and on-field apparel

Supercars and Boost Mobile confirmed an expanded 3-year partnership which will help to power Supercars operations, teams, broadcast, and communications, complementing its established brand presence across the championship

Netball Australia unveiled a new 2-year partnership with Priceline Pharmacy - The partnership will come to life across Suncorp Super Netball matches, digital and content integrations, community engagement opportunities and online and in-store activations and promotions

Football Queensland announced Gatorade, and its parent company Asahi Beverages, as its Official Beverage Partner, which will see FQ-affiliated clubs receive exclusive discounts on non-alcohol products such as Cool Ridge water, Schweppes, Solo, Allpress Espresso, Sunkist, Pepsi and Gatorade

Melbourne Storm announced a new partnership with Brick Lane Brewing - To mark the launch of the partnership, Brick Lane Brewing unveiled Storm Lager, a new co-branded beer that will be available throughout the 2026 season

Storm partners with Brick Lane Brewing | Storm

Parramatta Eels announced challenger brand, Betfocus as its new Official Wagering Partner which will deliver a more convenient, rewarding and responsible wagering experience for Eels fans

Cronulla Sharks secured a 2-year deal with battery-powered tool specialist Greenworks, which became the Club’s NRL shorts sponsor

Wests Tigers secured a 3-year partnership extension with McDonald’s Australia - The upgraded partnership will now see the famous golden arches featured on the back of the Wests Tigers’ NRL playing shorts

Dolphins resigned BallyCara as the club’s official Lifestyle Partner for a further 2 years

South Sydney Rabbitohs welcomed Strata Republic as its Official Strata Management Partner

Surfing NSW and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles renewed their partnership, extending the collaboration into its 9th year

Gemba was reappointed as the Melbourne Cricket Club’s customer research provider to help ensure member and fan experience remains at the heart of its decision-making

Football Australia and the ABC announced a partnership that will see the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026™ broadcast via live audio, including all CommBank Matildas and knockout matches

Basketball Victoria formed a new partnership with VicHealth to tackle racism and strengthen culturally safe, inclusive and welcoming communities across the state

The Hungry Jack’s NBL26 regular season delivered record results - more here

Port Adelaide FC unveiled ‘Alberton Square’ - a landmark property development project set to deliver a world-class precinct encompassing commercial, health and wellness, community, and residential offerings - directly connected to the elite high-performance and community sport facilities at Alberton Oval

Prime Video hosted an event at the MCG to premiere its new AFL docuseries, ‘Final Siren: Inside the AFL’, with stars including Max Gawn, Marcus Bontempelli, Nat Fyfe and Toby Greene in attendance

NRL wants to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary series (similar to Formula’s Drive to Survive on Netflix) with global distribution as part of its vision to build a worldwide audience and attract new fans, as revealed by The Daily Telegraph

World Surf League, in partnership with Visit Victoria, announced that Spiderbait and Wolfmother will be playing a free, live show on site at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach presented by Bonsoy

Melbourne Victory’s Juan Mata, and South East Melbourne Phoenix’s Jordan Hunter, linked up with Ed Sheeran for a meet & greet

Melbourne Victory launched a matchday collaboration with Melbourne DJ duo Orkestrated - who pumped anthems pregame and at half time of Melbourne Victory’s ‘Original Rivalry’ clash with Adelaide United - more here

The NRL’s remarkable growth and diversification

Record revenues. Strengthening balance sheets. Expanding global ambitions.

The National Rugby League (NRL) has entered a new phase of existence. Not long ago, the League was fighting for stability. Today, it’s building for scale.

This is the story of how the NRL has grown remarkably over recent years, diversified its revenue streams, and positioned itself for the next era…

The NRL’s fan base is growing, and more people are watching, attending and engaging online

In 2025, the League recorded:

  • 12.1m NRL fans (+10.0% YoY)

  • 224.2m cumulative average viewers across Australia and NZ (+9.5% YoY)

  • 4.98m attendees across 2025 (+3.6% YoY)

  • 1.12m total participants across Rugby League programs (+7.5% YoY)

  • 4.55m average viewers for the NRL Grand Final (+34.7% YoY)

  • 9.6m social media followers (+13% YoY)

Source: NRL.com

The NRL is in the best financial position it’s ever been in

The League’s revenue has been growing steadily YOY:

  • 2019 - $555m

  • 2025 - $846m ($101m+ increase from 2024)

It’s aiming to surpass $1 billion in revenue in the coming years, the next TV rights deal will be key to achieving this.

Thanks to its healthy financial performance, Peter V’landys has stated that the code’s first $2 million player is now a genuine possibility.

Annual profits are helping deliver a strong balance sheet

In 2025, the league recorded a $64.8m profit - its 5th consecutive year of a positive surplus, with cumulative surpluses over that period totalling $291.3m.

These profit surplus’ have contributed to it reaching a record financial position, with net assets now $387.3m (+20% YoY) and up $329.8m or 573% since 2016.

The NRL’s mega property purchases are providing financial stability

The League has implemented a strategy to develop its strong, stable balance sheet, which has been underpinned by multiple investments in hotels and investment properties.

A building with a red sky AI-generated content may be incorrect.

In 2024, the League invested over $35m to acquire two new hotels:

  • Ibis Styles Hotel, Port Macquarie ($15.5m)

  • Mantra Hotel, Brisbane ($22m)

At the time that brought its property portfolio to five hotels collectively valued at over $100m - Other investments also included:

  • Mercure Kawana Waters, Sunshine Coast ($20m)

  • Quest Hotel, Sydney ($20m)

  • Gambaro Hotel, Brisbane ($30

The League appears set to continue viewing property as a key to strengthen its financial position, evident by the current “Group Revenue Manager” role it’s advertising.

A screenshot of a computer AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Government partnerships – the (sometimes subtle) key revenue driver

Traditional revenues such as broadcast, ticketing, hospitality and sponsorship remain foundational to the League’s growth, and Government partnerships have become an increasingly material growth lever.

Major events such as Magic Round, State of Origin and the Pacific Championships, and community initiatives and programs, are underpinned by state and federal support.

NRL 2025 Annual Report

Although the financial growth over recent years has been remarkable, the league is looking forward, and is exploring bold plans to help continue its momentum.

The League’s expansion plans are multifaceted and ambitious

Although broadcast revenue has been a key revenue driver for the NRL (like it is with most sports), NRL CEO, Andrew Abdo has stated that the League is eager to diversify its revenue streams.

The NRL has gone all-in in Las Vegas

Last weekend, the NRL opened its season in Las Vegas, for the third year in a row, as part of a five-year deal with the Nevada Tourism Commission.

The league has been marketing itself as “Australia’s biggest sport” and although this is often debated, partnerships and initiatives with some of the world’s biggest sports leagues (Nascar, WWE, UFC etc), teams (LA Rams, Las Vegas Raiders and personalities (e.g. Rob Gronkowski), has helped build/reinforce this positioning at home and abroad. Playing in one of the world’s most reputable sports and entertainment capitals, and at the prestigious $2 billion-dollar, 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium also helps.

Crossover initiatives with the above partners has supported the League’s expansion agenda - By leveraging established audiences and cultural capital in the US, the code has been able to introduce itself to American sports fans without incurring the significant customer acquisition costs typically associated with large-scale market-entry advertising campaigns.

The League’s Las Vegas venture has been built into a multi-day experience that has something for everyone:

  • Fans - NRL Fan Fest, Fan Fun Zone, NRL OzFest

  • Community - NRL Nines, School gala day

  • Business – NRL Business of Sport Conference

Match day: 45,719 fans flocked to Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on match day - an estimated 20,000 travelled from Australia, 10,000 were from England and 5,000 came from other countries overseas.

Viewership: In Australia, 2.1 million viewers tuned in, up 7% from last year.

Related: Everything you need to know about the NRL’s Las Vegas expansion (2024), Can the NRL’s Vegas Gamble Pay Off? (2025)

Expansion within the USA and beyond

The League has big plans to continue with its global expansion and multiple paths are being considered:

  • USA: Its 5-year Vegas deal at Allegiant Stadium expires at the end of 2028 but Peter V’landys has stated that the League wants to stay in America for 2029 and beyond – it’s exploring a potential 10-year presence in Vegas with the Nevada government, and Miami has also recently been floated as another potential destination

  • Global Round: It’s considering plans for a Global Round - London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Japan, Miami and Paris have been listed among the potential host cities (in addition to Las Vegas). London’s Wembley Stadium has been flagged as a potential location for a match, potentially as early as next year

  • State of Origin in New Zealand: It recently confirmed that New Zealand will host its first-ever State of Origin match next year at Eden Park, Auckland - The Australian Rugby League Commission made the announcement alongside the NZ Government and Auckland Council

Related: How international forces are shaping sport in Australia

Closer to home…

The Australian Government made a large investment commitment to help the league unveil the Papua New Guinea Chiefs

The Australian Government has played a significant financial and strategic role (to support security and trade) in supporting Papua New Guinea’s (‘PNG Chiefs’) entry into the NRL - committing $600m over 10 years.

The rise of the Rugby League Pacific Championships

The Rugby League Pacific Championships used to be little more than a placeholder. Once the NRL Grand Final wrapped, the calendar quietened, and attention turned to pre-season speculation. International fixtures were space fillers, not showpieces. But not anymore. What once filled the quiet between seasons has become the game’s most powerful growth window.

Related: How the Pacific Championships became Rugby League’s new growth engine

Perth Bears

The Perth Bears are entering the NRL as the competition’s 18th team in 2027, largely thanks to the support of an $85m investment from the WA Government.

Since being announced, the Club has been busy building a strong foundation, backed by experienced leadership under CEO Anthony De Ceglie.

Although the Club’s first match is still a while away, the Bears have secured major commercial partners, which include:

  • Cash Converters (front of jersey)

  • Budget Direct (sleeve)

  • McDonald’s

  • IBM

  • Southern Cross Austereo

  • New Balance

  • Gage Roads

  • Atlas Building

The League’s upcoming broadcast negotiations are a key factor in its WA growth ambitions

WA is an AFL fortress. Seven West Media controls the dominant newspaper, TV network, and AFL rights. But the NRL’s 2027 entry shifts the media equation, giving Nine prime-time content in a fresh market and time zone just as the league’s $2 billion broadcast deal comes up for renegotiation.

The Perth Bears haven’t played a game, but the business case is already doing the talking.

Related: Perth Bears: An $85M government investment for a projected $200M return

The global and domestic sports landscape is competitive, and the NRL will continue to face fierce competition

The threat of R360 has been neutralised… for now

One recent challenge emerged in the form of proposed breakaway competition R360, which targeted the NRL’s elite players with the promise of significantly inflated contracts. While that threat has been neutralised, it sharpened the NRL’s focus on financial competitiveness.

In response, Peter V’Landys has been quick to highlight the league’s strong 2025 financial performance and that the NRL is now better-positioned to increase the salary cap and elevate top-tier player payments, making the code’s first $2 million-per-season player a genuine possibility.

The battle in the pacific

It’s been reported that the Australian Government is considering a proposal from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to receive a total $150m over five years to fund their rugby programs – this is in response to rugby league’s growing presence in the region, and follows the Federal Government’s $600m package for the NRL’s Papua New Guinea team.

The AFL continues to set the benchmark with revenue generation and it’s using its strong financial position to fuel growth

In 2025, the AFL recorded $1.2 billion in revenue (It announced a YOY increase of $164m), largely driven by the contracted increase in broadcast and media revenues in line with the first year of the new broadcast agreement. It also reported an underlying operating surplus of $67.9 million in 2025 (+$22.5m YOY).

The revenue gap between the AFL and NRL is currently bigger than ever

The widened gap is partly thanks to the AFL’s new TV deal commencing. As shown in the graph below from ‘@footyindustryAU’ on X.

  • NRL revenue as a % of AFL revenue dropped from 72% to 70% as a result

  • Since 2014, the AFL has outearned the NRL by $3.156 billion'

@footyindustryAU: AFL vs NRL revenue

With its deep pockets, the AFL is investing heavily in the NRL heartland, and it’s delivering unprecendented growth in the northern markets

Whilst the NRL focused their efforts in Las Vegas, and overseas, the AFL has launched its opening round in the NRL’s NSW and QLD heartland’s.

The AFL has previously announced that it’s investing $1 billion in game development and community initiatives to reach 1 million registered participants by 2033 - A significant proportion of this funding will be focused on growing the game in NSW and QLD. The League’s investment is paying dividends in the Northern markets - More here.

In addition:

  • The AFL’s broadcast partner, Seven Network has also been extending coverage further in NSW and QLD.

  • Opening Round has also played a pivotal role in accelerating growth across the northern markets - This week, the AFL launched the 2026 AFL Opening Round in Sydney.

The AFL has paused its international expansion plans up until recently, when AFL CEO Andrew Dillon travelled to India to hold meetings with a range of sports commissioners and business leaders.

International sports are expanding into Australia

Globalisation isn’t new to sport, but the pace, scale and ambition we’re seeing today is unprecedented.

Australian codes (such as the NRL) are pushing beyond traditional borders, expanding into new markets through overseas fixtures, international brand launches and diplomatic partnerships.

Related: Why China is key to the Australian Open’s international growth strategy

Meanwhile, the world’s most powerful leagues and investors are planting deeper roots here, reshaping the commercial landscape and redefining who plays where, who watches, and who profits.

The NFL has a plan to grow its international business over a 10-year period and Australia is part of the plan – later this year the Los Angeles Rams and the San Fransisco 49ers will play a regular season NFL game at the MCG.

As Australia becomes both an exporter and importer across the spectrum of sports, the industry faces a new era of opportunity, and competition, on a global stage.

Related: How international forces are shaping sport in Australia

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[The most valuable sports partnerships are built outside the live window]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-most-valuable-sports-partnershipshttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-most-valuable-sports-partnershipsWed, 25 Feb 2026 21:01:32 GMT

Football Australia announced a multi-year partnership with Isuzu UTE Australia, encompassing the entire national team pathway, including the CommBank Socceroos, CommBank Matildas, the men’s and women’s youth squads (U17s, U20s and U23s) as well as the CommBank Pararoos and CommBank ParaMatildas

Hawthorn FC unveiled a new collaboration with global financial technology company Revolut which joined the Club as a Gold Partner - The business will be integrated into the Club’s internal financial infrastructure, and the brand will feature in player content, marketing, digital campaigns, and match day signage

Hawthorn FC strengthened its partnership with the City of Launceston - As part of the extended collaboration, the City of Launceston’s logo will feature on the sleeves of Hawthorn’s coaches' polos, as well as across match-day LED signage, the Club’s media walls and within player changerooms

Melbourne FC secured a new 3-year Co-Principal Partnership with AI-native fintech platform DriversDepot - the partnership will also support the Casey Demons VFL and VFLW teams

St Kilda FC announced AUCyber as its newest Platinum Partner, which will feature on the AFL and VFL playing shorts

St Kilda FC and Original Mattress & Furniture signed a 3-year agreement through to the end of the 2028 season

Sydney Swans announced it’s teaming up with MUFG Pension & Market Services thanks to a partnership extending across Sydney’s AFL and AFLW programs -MUFG branding to be visible on the AFLW coaches’ apparel, in the changerooms on AFLW game days, and at the SCG via LED displays

Western Bulldogs welcomed Nostra Homes as a Platinum Partner of the Club - its branding will feature across Bulldogs AFL and AFLW matchdays, on key membership collateral, and across digital assets and content

Australian Steelers wheelchair rugby team (currently ranked no 2 in the world) launched a new campaign, in partnership with Ogilvy, called ‘Officially Unsponsored’ - The team’s green and gold uniform has been replaced with an all white kit representing a blank canvas (devoid of sponsorship) and a new QR code logo has been added, directing potential sponsors to a ‘SponsorSHOP’

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Perth Bears secured a new partnership with Atlas Building, which signed on to become the Club’s sponsor for its bottom back of jersey

South Sydney Rabbitohs announced a new 2-year partnership with Australian property developer, Deicorp, which will be integrated across the Rabbitohs’ commercial and community platforms

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys welcomed Ingenia Holiday Parks as a Gold Partner - it will become the presenting partner of the Club’s ‘Laurie Spina Shield’ junior rugby league carnival

Australian Grand Prix Corporation and RMIT agreed to a new 3-year partnership to bring more students into the world of STEM via the motorsports industry

MECCA MAX announced its return to the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2026, marking its 3rd consecutive year as a partner of the event - the brand is set to expand its signature 'Beauty Pit Stop' at the track to meet the accelerating demand from the motorsport community

Melbourne Vixens and Netball Victoria announced a new multi-year partnership with Jellis Craig, whose branding will feature on Melbourne Vixens on-court apparel, with the Major Partner logo positioned on the bottom back right of the Vixens’ dress

Netball Queensland / Queensland Firebirds and the University of Queensland renewed its Premier Partnership with for a further 3 years, extending a collaboration that will reach 13 years by the conclusion of the new term in 2028

nib appointed Mary Fowler as its ‘Chief Health & Wellbeing Officer’ who will work with nib to promote health literacy, inspire Australians to prioritise their health, and contribute to initiatives that champion diversity, equity and inclusion

Supercars announced a 2-year renewal of it’s partnership with Thrifty Australia, which will continue to enhance the fan experience, and offer fans access to 15% off select car rentals

Sydney FC secured a renewal of its partnership with SIP Energy, which builds on SIP Energy’s installation of solar panels at Sky Park, Sydney FC’s state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Macquarie Park

Western Sydney Wanderers FC announced a new 2-year partnership with HELI, which joined the club as the Official Senior Partner and Official Forklift Partner

After a soft launch last year, Adam Gilchrist was featured on 7NEWS promoting his new tequila, El Arquero (spanish for ‘the keeper’)

AFL and AFLW stars Isaac Quaynor, Cody Weightman, Changkuoth Jiath, Mon Conti, Sophie McKay and Matilda Scholz featured on the Melbourne Fashion Festival catwalk

St George Illawarra transformed the 4-storey country bar Ole Red Las Vegas into a home base for its fans in the lead up to the NRL’s season opener

SA Government confirmed the Australian MotoGP will move to South Australia from 2027 - this year’s race will be the last one to be held at Philip Island

NSW Government launched a new campaign (featuring Junior Matilda Annabelle Croll, Olympian skateboarder Chloe Covell, NSW Swifts Netballer Grace Nweke and NRLW captain Tiana Penitani-Gray) to support a world record attempt for the most simultaneous selfies, taking place on International Women’s Day

To celebrate one week to go until the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ kicks off, a 500-drone spectacular took place in Sydney’s Darling Harbour

Super Bowl champion and Seattle Seahawks punter Michael Dickson returned home to celebrate his championship success, and one of his first stops was dropping by The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines - King Street Wharf to satisfy that long-awaited chicken parma craving

AFL and Telstra announced a 2-year partnership with Champion Data to trial cutting-edge Optical Tracking Technology at Marvel Stadium

The NRL HOGS National Tour, presented by Westpac and led by Brad Fittler, kicked off in Penrith - it will travel through regional NSW, QLD, and VIC to celebrate rugby league in local communities, and promote junior participation

Future Golf, Australia’s largest and fastest-growing golf membership platform, and Golf Australia announced the expansion of a 3-year strategic partnership, aimed at driving participation and accessibility across the sport

World Surf League announced Seven Network will continue as its official free-to-air broadcaster - The Challenger Series and Championship Tour events will be broadcast live and free on 7plus thanks to the new agreement

Guest Writer: Louise Hands Dunn

Today we’re welcoming Louise Hands Dunn, Partnerships Manager at News Corp Australia, as this week’s guest writer!

Profile image

Based in Melbourne, Louise has spent more than 14 years working across rights holders, brands and national media, including IMG, Melbourne Renegades, Sports Entertainment Network, shaping and commercialising partnerships in sport and major events. In today’s article, she explores why the commercial value of sport is increasingly defined by what happens around the moment, not just during it.

Enjoy the read!

The most valuable sports partnerships are built outside the live window

Live sport creates the moment, but what happens around it is where partnerships really deliver. Why surrounding media, timing and cultural relevance matter more than ever.

The broadcast is the spark, not the strategy

Live sport still delivers something few platforms can: scale, emotion and cultural relevance. Increasingly, the commercial return for brands, whether official partners or not, is shaped by more than the broadcast itself.

Visibility does not equal value

Too many partnerships still stop at logo visibility and seconds on screen. In practice, that’s rarely where the real commercial impact comes from. The upside lies in how moments are supported, amplified and extended through media before, during and after key days.

Broadcast delivers scale. It creates the spike. But spikes fade quickly. The brands extracting long-term value are the ones who build weight around that spike through PR presence, high-impact placements, social extensions and consistent messaging in the days when attention is at its highest.

In a crowded, fragmented media environment, a single match, no matter how big, usually can’t carry a campaign on its own. What cuts through is consistency around the moment: the headlines on the morning of the game, high-impact placements that frame the narrative, and repeated presence in the days when audiences are most engaged.

The strongest sports-led campaigns focus less on being always on, and more on being unavoidable on the days that matter

That can mean planned narrative-building before the first serve. Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open entrance was amplified by Nike through custom kit storytelling and coordinated social distribution, generating conversation before the match itself even began. It’s not just exposure during play. It becomes cultural framing ahead of the live action. When brand, athlete and occasion align in real time, the impact travels far beyond the court.

Related: How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 2)

Opening rounds, finals, rivalry matches and major announcements are moments when sport naturally dominates the public conversation. AFL Finals are a clear example, where engagement across media environments spikes dramatically in the 48 hours surrounding matches and Grand Final Week. Within this window, homepage takeovers intensify, editorial integrations expand and social creative becomes more reactive as the narrative unfolds. The broadcast delivers scale, but the surrounding media builds momentum. It’s not about being always on. It’s about being dominant when it counts.

Above: AAMI is building an iconic pre-game AFL Grand Final tradition

What some refer to as the “12-Hour Window” after major sporting moments is often where the real value lies. Emotional energy is high, attention is concentrated and brands that move quickly in that window tend to have a greater impact.

Related: The 12-hour window every sports marketer should know

Supporting the live moment with surrounding media turns passive exposure into something more meaningful. It’s the difference between being briefly seen and actually remembered. This is where even the most sophisticated sporting environments still leave room for growth.

Above: To celebrate the trio of Brisbane Premiership wins last year, XXX launched two limited-edition XXXX can designs
Events like the Australian Open set a global benchmark. The event is commercially sophisticated, culturally relevant and supported by an ecosystem designed to help brands show up well. Many official partners lead the way, building integrated campaigns that extend far beyond the courts.

But even in these best-in-class environments, value is still often left on the table.

Owning assets is not the same as owning impact

Brands secure powerful assets, media rights, lock-up logos, talent access and content opportunities, yet don’t always fully leverage them outside the live window. The moments happen, but they aren’t always supported in a way that maximises impact across the broader media landscape. Importantly, you do not have to be an official partner to benefit from the moment. Brands that understand fandom can build creative and media presence around the cultural energy of a major event without infringing on rights.

When Australian player Maddison Inglis joked during the tournament that she would buy Smeg appliances with her prize money, Smeg quickly leaned in and delivered. It was timely participation in a moment that had already captured national attention.

During the Australian Open, Melbourne effectively becomes a tennis themed city. For example, Lacoste created a branded floating tennis court during the tournament, leveraging player appearances and content capture, ensuring the moment went beyond the court and into social feeds and PR coverage. Done well, this approach taps into the same attention spike, but through relevance rather than ownership.

There’s also a shared responsibility at play. Once a deal is signed, activation is often left largely to the brand. But without deep audience insight or operational alignment, even well-intentioned ideas can underdeliver.

The strongest partnerships are co-engineered

Rights holders who guide how and where a brand shows up, grounded in real fan behaviour and what is realistically deliverable, protect both sides from wasted opportunity.

Major sporting events generate cultural energy that extends well beyond the broadcast and beyond formal sponsorships. Brands that understand fandom, and respect the boundaries, can theme campaigns, creative and messaging around the event itself, tapping into the mood, the rituals and the conversation as it unfolds. It’s not about hijacking the moment. It’s about contributing to the conversation in a way that feels timely and culturally aware.

Above: Nike OOH, in close proximity to the Nike Melbourne Marathon

For official partners, assets like lock-up logos and talent access add depth and credibility. But the underlying principle is the same for everyone: sport works best when it’s treated as a moment in culture, not just a media buy.

Having worked across rights holders, brands and media, I have seen partnerships quietly underdeliver. It is rarely a lack of ambition. More often, it is the absence of a deliberate plan for what happens beyond the live window.

The brands getting the most value from sport treat it as a launchpad rather than an endpoint. They start with the live moment, but build campaigns designed to travel, reinforcing their message across media when audiences are most receptive.

Because sport on its own is a moment.

Support it with deliberate media weight and cultural alignment, and that moment becomes sustained consideration.

And that is where partnerships start to compound, not just perform.

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]]><![CDATA[New & noteworthy sports partnerships]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/new-and-noteworthy-sports-partnershipshttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/new-and-noteworthy-sports-partnershipsWed, 18 Feb 2026 21:01:06 GMT

AFR reported that Commonwealth Bank is set to be unveiled as the first major sponsor of the Brisbane Olympics, in a deal expected to be worth $200 million

North Melbourne FC announced a new 2-year partnership with global footwear brand HOKA, which signed on as the club’s Official Athletic and Lifestyle Footwear Partner, and the official partner of The Huddle (the club’s community arm)

Sydney Swans announced Nike as the club’s official apparel and footwear partner across its AFL, AFLW, VFL, QBE Sydney Swans Academy and ARA First Nations Academy teams - The ‘one club’ partnership was launched at Coogee Beach and celebrated with an event at the Coogee Pavilion

Gold Coast SUNS welcomed Australian brand PILLAR Performance as the club’s new Official Sports Nutrition Partner

Hawthorn FC has teamed up with Kiva Wellness, which became the Club’s Official High-Performance Partner - As part of the collaboration, Kiva Wellness’ branding will feature on the apparel of Hawthorn’s high-performance staff, as well as across LED signage at UTAS Stadium

Collingwood FC secured a 2-year partnership extension with Bowens across its AFL and AFLW programs

Melbourne Storm and Hostplus extended its long-standing partnership through to the end of the 2028 NRL season, which will take the partnership to a remarkable 23 years

Chemist Warehouse unveiled a major new partnership with LIV Golf Adelaide, signing on as the Official Pharmacy for the next 2 years

Geelong Cats announced a 6-year partnership extension with SC Technology Group, continuing a collaboration that has spanned over 12 years - Under the new agreement, the Geelong-based business will continue its support for the team’s operations and community initiatives

Vegemite unveiled a new partnership with Australian sprint sensation, Gout Gout- the announcement took place in Gout’s hometown of Ipswich, and on the same oval where he first ran

Port Adelaide and co-major partner KFC extended their longstanding relationship which will take it to a decade - The 5-year extension will see KFC remain across the back of the club’s AFL and AFLW guernseys, as well as on training shorts, game-day activations and Port Adelaide’s digital platforms

Sydney FC signed a new Premium Partnership with Mega Rewards, which will see the rewards platform become the back-of-shorts partner for both the Sky Blues A-League Men’s and Women’s teams for the remainder of the 2025–26 season

GIANTS Netball announced a new 2-year major partnership with Specsavers, whose branding will feature prominently on the back of the GIANTS’ dress, alongside match‑day activations and community and game day engagement initiatives focused on eye health awareness

Formula 1® Australian Grand Prix welcomed Campos Coffee as an Official Event Supporter which will serve its specialty coffee across the 4-day race weekend

World Surf League announced a new 3-year partnership with Breitling, which will become the Official Timing Partner of the WSL Australia for the upcoming Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro at Snapper Rocks

World Surf League secured a 2-year partnership extension with Bioglan, which will continue to support across the Australian leg of the competition

NSW Waratahs announced a new 3-year partnership with Guinness through to the end of 2028 - Guinness will feature prominently across Waratahs matchdays, and fans will be able to enjoy Guinness at Allianz Stadium and across key venues alongside the Waratahs official pub, the Woollahra Hotel

Western Force welcomed Snap Fitness as an official partner - the brand will be seen on the coaches’ polos and within the coaches’ box throughout the 2026 season

SportsLink Travel was appointed as the official sports travel provider for Water Polo Australia which will see it manage travel logistics for all Water Polo Australia teams and events through to the LA 2028 Olympic Games

HART Sport will continue as the naming rights partner of the HART Premier Netball League for a further 4 years after the sporting equipment company renewed its partnership with Netball Queensland through to 2029

bp Adelaide Grand Final announced Valvoline Global as an Official Partner of Australia’s largest domestic motorsport event and the REPCO Supercars Championship Grand Final - This 4-year partnership puts Valvoline at the heart of the on-track and fan experience, including naming rights to the iconic Chicane Grandstand

Collingwood FC’s Nick Daicos was announced as Musashi’s newest ambassador

Adelaide 36ers secured a new 2-year extension with Foodland through to the end of the NBL28 season, which will continue to be the club’s Official Supermarket Partner as well as being a Club Community Support Partner

Husqvarna signed on as an Official Partner of the upcoming Australian women’s golf majors that will feature major championship winner Minjee Lee and Grace Kim

South Sydney Rabbitoh, Cameron Murray met up with skaters Sean Malto, Chloe Covell and Paige Heyn for a jumper / deck swap, ahead of SLS Sydney

NRL confirmed that New Zealand will host its first-ever State of Origin match next year at Eden Park, Auckland - The Australian Rugby League Commission made the announcement alongside the NZ Government and Auckland Council

Kane Cornes completed an 18km run from Scarborough to Optus Stadium as part of Channel 7’s State of Origin Countdown and to raise money for Telethon - Revo Fitness donated $50k which will go towards helping sick kids across the state

LIV Golf Adelaide drew more than 115,000 fans across the week - the highest attendance of any golf event in the nation, and the largest crowd for a LIV Golf tournament anywhere in the world

NAB AFL Auskick launched its season at Balloon Story, where 3100+ balloons were constructed (taking 60+ hours to create) to bring a larger than life NAB AFL Auskick display - the event celebrated 20 years for NAB as the naming rights partner

SANFL extended its long-standing partnership with the Seven Network securing a new long-term broadcast agreement that ensures live and free coverage

ABC secured the rights to the VFL following Seven Network’s decision not to renew

ESPN announced a multi-year agreement with ONE Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organization, which will make ONE events available exclusively via ESPN in Australia and New Zealand

AFL, in collaboration with the WA Government and WA Football, announced that all profits from ticket sales of AAMI AFL Origin will be allocated into a new initiative - the Origin Community Fund which will see more than $1 million invested into grassroots football and regional development

The Australian revealed that Global management consulting firm McKinsey has been commissioned by the ICC to conduct wide-ranging review into the future of cricket

Today’s poll 👇

New & noteworthy sports partnerships

The Australian sports partnership landscape is constantly evolving, and brands are entering into new, deeper, more integrated collaborations built around culture, data & AI, audience engagement and experiences.

This article takes a look at some of the new, noteworthy and unexpected brand, strategic, media and commercial partnerships in Australian sports…

The WNBL’s new partnership with SEPHORA points to some new trends in women’s sport, and who is choosing to invest

Last week, the WNBL announced Sephora as a partner of the League’s MVP Awards Night, and that it will join the competition as a Foundation Partner and Official Beauty Partner in the WNBL 2026/27 season.

Some broader context…

1. Basketball appears to be a strategic global platform for Sephora

Sephora’s has a high-profile partnership witk breakaway women’s basketball League, Unrivaled, focused on enhancing the player experience and identifying meaningful ways to integrate beauty into the league’s daily ecosystem - Signature activations include:

  • Sephora Glam Room

  • Sephora Tunnel (below)

  • Glam support for players

2. The WNBL’s commercial profile is strengthening

The WNBL is proving to have an increasing ability to attract major, category-leading brands that see real value in women’s sport - Sephora’s new partnership with the WNBL marks the brand’s first-ever entry into Australian sport.

Since Wollemi Capital Group and the NBL acquired a majority interest in the League in 2025, it has attracted new and renewed deals with major partners, including:

  • Hungry Jack’s

  • Latina™ Fresh

  • AAMI

  • Ford

  • Minor Hotels

  • Paywise

  • Sephora

  • Reebok

Last week, two-time WNBA All-Star and global Reebok ambassador, Angel Reese, travelled to Sydney and Melbourne to promote her signature “Angel Reese 1” sneaker line -Coinciding with this, the WNBL announced a new partnership with Reebok which became the league’s Official Footwear Partner.

3. Beauty’s integration into sport is accelerating

As the Official Beauty Partner and the Official SPF, MECCA recently went big at the Australian Open - activating multiple activations sites across Melbourne Park - this included a custom-built, three-storey MECCA Pro Shop.

Related: How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 2)

From sponsorships & endorsements, broadcast integrations & advertisements, product development & sampling, matchday integrations and experiential activations, beauty brands are carving out a powerful.

Related: Beauty’s growing presence in sports

AI partnerships are emerging in Australian sports e.g. IBM and Salesforce

Technology is being increasingly injected into sports via partnerships with startups, and tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Google, IBM and Salesforce.

At the heart of many of these partnerships are common drivers - data and artificial intelligence. Why? Because sport generates a remarkable amount of data (onfield, at the game, across screens) and sports and their partners in Australia and across the globe are becoming more sophisticated in how they capture it, and extract value from it.

Related: Advancing sports with data and artificial intelligence

Perth Bears x IBM

In late 2025, the Perth Bears and IBM announced a landmark Australian-sporting first collaboration where the NRL club and global technology giant will work together on AI and digital innovation.

Under the collaboration, IBM will work with the new NRL franchise to deploy cutting-edge technology and build tailored AI-powered solutions ahead of the team’s 2027 kick-off.

For 30+ years, IBM has partnered with some of the world’s most iconic sports to help deliver world-class digital experiences.

IBM’s AI capabilities are enhancing digital & broadcast fan experiences, and streamlining the operations of some of the world’s biggest sports.

Related: IBM’s AI capabilities

LIV Golf x Salesforce

In mid-2025, LIV Golf and Salesforce entered into a new strategic partnership underpinned by ‘Agentforce’ (Salesforce’s digital labor platform) and AI - the partnership is helping the League:

  • Supercharge fan engagement via the ‘Fan Caddie’ - delivering dynamic, real-time LIV Golf updates tailored to each fan’s journey - curating content, highlights, and tournament experiences based on location, preferences, and behaviors

  • Enhance golf broadcasts and digital content in real time - delivering predictive shot outcomes, optimal golf strategies, contextual stats, and narrative cues directly in LIV Golf broadcasts

  • Optimise tournament operations and sponsorship - e.g. Equipment logistics to staff coordination, unlocking new commercial opportunities through advanced audience segmentation, smarter sponsorship alignment, and real-time impact reporting

  • Elevate global expansion efforts - Coordinating international operations, localising fan engagement, and surfacing insights to drive global growth

  • Empower player experience on and off the course - assisting with personalised wellness tracking, and providing real-time performance insights and recommendations

Athlete-creator-led partnerships and brand activations

The line between athlete and creator is increasingly blurred. Today’s athletes (and former ones) aren’t just competing on the field, they’re producing content, building audiences, and monetising their personal brands across digital platforms.

Related: The rise of the athlete creator

Brands and rights-holders are increasingly recognising the power of athletes. For example…

Gatorade unveiled a new event in the lead up to Formula 1, with Dan Gorringe

After becoming the official partner of Formula 1’s sprint races in a wide-ranging new 5-year deal with PepsiCo, Gatorade unveiled ‘Gatorade Run The Track’ - A first-of-its-kind running event set to take place during Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026 race week. The event will give everyday runners the chance to run the iconic Albert Park Circuit, alongside creator’s and athlete’s including the brand’s ambassador and “Chief Hydration Officer”, Dan Gorringe.

AI generated image of Dan Gorringe as Chief Hydration Officer of Gatorade running a motorsport track.

Some other recent athlete-creator activations worth noticing include:

Travis Head and The Inspired Unemployed’s Matt ‘Falcon’ Ford teamed up to produce a skit to promote Better Beer and Liquorland

Pat Cummins teamed up with the ‘schoonerscorer’ to promote his Mountain Culture Beer Co brand at a pub in Sydney’s Surry Hills

Athlete-owned brands are sponsoring sport

Athletes are no longer purely acting as ambassador’s for sponsors, they’re owning them.

Tennis player-owned brands leveraged the Australian Open 2026

  • Dash Diamonds - In the lead up to AO26, Croatian tennis star Donna Vekic launched DASH a luxury jewellery brand positioned as “diamonds that play.” Coinciding with the launch, she also opened an official on-site store at the tournament and launched an AO x DASH collection that includes 3 x tennis bracelet designs.

  • Waterdrop - Is owned by the likes of Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Elina Svitolina, Sebastian Korda, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Cameron Norrie, many of whom act as both brand ambassadors and investors. In 2024, The Australian Open (Tennis Australia) announced a multi-year partnership with Waterdrop.

  • On - In 2019, Roger Federer invested $50m for a 3% stake in the company (now worth ~$500m) and it sponsors elite players who competed at the AO such as Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton and Joao Fonseca

This theme is spreading across other sports…

Barry’s has entered into sports sponsorship

Barry’s, a low-carb alcoholic beverage brand founded by Bailey Smith, Charlie Curnow, Nick Daicos and Josh Daicos:

  • Partnered with the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide

  • Became the Official Vodka and Agave Partner of Supercars for the 2025 and 2026 seasons

Oakley Car Park Climb - a unique event with a suite of well-aligned brand partners

The Oakley Car Park Climb is a festival-style cycling event staged inside a multi-storey Wilson Parking facility in Adelaide as part of the Santos Tour Down Under.

The event, which has been labeled on social media as “The most ridiculous race in the world 🤯” and “The most raring race of the season” transforms an everyday car park into a high-energy race venue where participants sprint up multiple levels under lights, music and a party atmosphere.

The event has become a staple of Santos Tour Down Under summer nights, and has attracted a variety of partners which includes:

  • Oakley

  • Red Bull

  • Wilson Parking Australia

  • Rapha

  • Knog

Wilson Parking Australia is not only a sponsor, it hosts the event.

Rexona is flipping the traditional sponsorship model on its head

In 2026, Rexona, (Unilever) is taking a a different approach to sports partnerships by producing its own sporting property ‘RIVALS’ - a new 8-part sports entertainment series launching March 1st on Kayo and Fox Sports, that brings together elite players from Rugby League, AFL and Rugby Union (e.g. Reece Walsh, Scott Pendlebury, Monique Conti and Joseph Suaalii) to compete for their respective sports in a battle to determine which is the ultimate code.

Developed from the ground up as a fully-branded production, RIVALS represents a major evolution in how Unilever engages with Australian sport, shifting from traditional sponsorship into original entertainment creation that spans broadcast, social and retail (via Woolworths nationally).

Instead of leaning-in to its individual athlete sponsorships with the likes of Nathan Cleary, Max Gawn, Dylan Alcott and Sam Kerr, or sponsoring an existing property, Unilever has taken a bold step by creating its own sports entertainment platform, in partnership with a suite of well-respected agencies:

  • Octagon (creative, concept development, event and activation, talent management)

  • WPP Motion Entertainment (audience and distribution platform)

  • Ronde Media (production)

  • Foxtel Group (platform, streaming and social)

  • Mindshare (media strategy)

  • Thinkerbell (earned)

  • Wonder (event execution of launch press conference)

Sports are partnering with outdoor media

Sports are increasingly turning to out-of-home media to extend audience reach beyond broadcast and owned channels, with partnerships.

QMS’ alignment with the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, and oOh!media’s relationship with the Australian Open (which has spanned 4 years so far) are some recent examples that shows how premium sporting IP is being amplified across high-traffic urban environments.

QMS x Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games

Following the success of its Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games network, where it delivered:

  • An audience reach of 11.5 million Australians

  • 81,478 pieces of real time breaking news content during across both Games

…QMS is building on its official partnerships with the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Its out-of-home network has played an active role throughout the Winter Olympic Games by:

  • Showcasing Australian medal moments in real time

  • Reinforcing broadcast schedules to daily commuters

  • Creating timely, high-impact environments for brands to activate and extend the value of their official Olympic partnerships e.g. Allianz

In late 2025, QMS announced its Winter Games Network inventory was sold out with Nine advertisers getting on board. More recently, Nine, the official broadcast partner of the Winter Olympics, announced that it was acquiring QMS. This is set to help Nine create a more unified commercial and distribution proposition for sponsors to activate official sports rights, extending campaign reach and frequency, and building stronger brand associations.

Sports partnerships in Australia are becoming more strategic and sophisticated

Although the above examples appear different on the surface, the common theme’s are that they’re focused on aligning to, and leveraging sports, maximising fan engagement and delivering shared value creation.

Related: New & noteworthy sport partnerships (previous article)

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[The 99% problem: How Australian sport ignores its biggest audience]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-99-problem-how-australian-sporthttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-99-problem-how-australian-sportWed, 11 Feb 2026 21:00:41 GMT

AFL and AAMI extended their partnership for 3-years across the AFL and AFLW, which will see AAMI continue as the AAMI Community Series Premier, the continuation of ‘Clangers for Good’, and Dreamtime at the ‘G Community Ticketing Scheme - AAMI also has Naming Rights to the 2026 AAMI AFL Origin which will take place this Saturday in front of a sold-out Optus Stadium

AFL and Virgin Australia announced a new partnership, extending across the Toyota AFL and NAB AFLW Premiership Seasons for 2026 and beyond - it will see AFL and AFLW players, coaches and support staff continue to travel exclusively on Virgin Australia

GWS GIANTS secured a new partnership with Planet Fitness which will support the club in promoting fitness and active lifestyles for fans and the community, including through collaborative programs, events, and digital initiatives

Penrite Oil signed a 2-year deal with Melbourne FC - the Australian-owned oil company will feature prominently on the top front and back of the red and blue guernsey

Port Adelaide FC welcomed KEF as a new Principal Partner - As part of the 2-year partnership, KEF will provide high-performance speakers for the club’s AFL and AFLW program

Richmond FC unveiled Silverwood’s Resort by Lotus Living as the Presenting Partner of the Punt Road Collective (the club’s new business network)

Tasmania Devils announced a new partnership with Blundstone - The multi-year agreement (2026 to 2032) will see the brand feature on the front chest and top-back of the Club’s guernseys beginning with the Devils’ VFL and VFLW foundations and evolving into the AFL and AFLW competitions from 2028

North Melbourne secured a 2-year extension of its partnership with the Tasmanian Government - the Kangaroos AFLW team will continue to play for premiership points in Tasmania across the 2026 and 2027 NAB AFLW seasons

Wests Tigers announced that Formbay joined the Club as a Platinum Partner for the 2026 NRL season - its logo will feature on the back of the Wests Tigers NRL playing jersey throughout 2026

KenoGO extended its partnership with the Wests Tigers, which committed to the Club until the end of the 2026 NRL season

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles welcomed VoltX Energy as its exclusive Solar Battery Partner ahead of the 2026 Season

North Queensland Toyota Cowboys announced an expanded partnership with Maurice Blackburn Lawyers through the 2026 and 2027 NRL and NRLW seasons, the firm’s logo will feature on the back left of the playing shorts for both the NRL and NRLW squads

Canberra Raiders and Supaglass Industries joined forces ahead of the 2026 NRL Season - The new partnership gives Supaglass the Naming Rights to the ‘Supaglass Raiders Centre’ in Braddon

Brisbane Roar announced a new 3-year partnership with Kelme, which will become the Club’s Official Apparel Partner for the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 A-Leagues seasons

Hytro became the Official Blood Flow Restriction Performance and Recovery Partner of Perth Glory FC

SIXT re-signed for another 2 years as a major partner of GIANTS Netball and will continue to supply a fleet of vehicles for the team, while also offering exclusive discounts and benefits for GIANTS members and Netball NSW participants

NSW Waratahs unveiled Suitor as the Club’s new formal wear partner until the end of 2027

BYD extended its partnership with LIV Golf Adelaide and will return as the Official Automotive Partner - it will expand on its on-site presence, which will be centred around the debut of the new SEALION 8

WNBL announced Sephora as a partner of the League’s MVP Awards Night, and that it will join the competition as a Foundation Partner and Official Beauty Partner in the WNBL 2026/27 season

Netball Queensland and the Queensland Firebirds announced a new partnership with Fulton Hogan aimed at encouraging more women and girls to consider careers in construction

URBNSURF welcomed Stone & Wood as its exclusive beer partner across both locations (Melb & Syd) - included in the deal is the relaunch of ‘The Stone & Wood Loft’ at URBNSURF Sydney, a premium licensed space overlooking the lagoon, for post-surf drinks, events and venue hire

Harvey Norman became URBNSURF’s Official Lifestyle and Outdoor Furniture Partner - it will see Harvey Norman elevate guest spaces outside of the lagoon, across both of its surfparks

Johnnie Walker Black Ruby was named as the Official Whisky of LIV Golf Adelaide - it will activate across the tournament with bespoke drinks, immersive fan experiences and premium hospitality moments

Penfolds became a partner of the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026 - Penfolds wines will be poured in premium hospitality venues on-track and in the American Express Lounge

Valour Sport became the Official Apparel Partner of Water Polo Australia across all national squads and teams

Visit Victoria teamed up with Robert Irwin to reveal that the San Francisco 49ers will be the team playing against the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster clash at the MCG in 2026

To celebrate the above announcement, Visit Victoria employed US-based, Australian-inspired coffee brand Bluestone Lane to serve coffee at the Super Bowl Radio Row event in San Fransisco

Tennis Victoria announced a 2-year partnership with UNCLOUD, a peer-to-peer platform that empowers young people to say no to vapes

Two-time WNBA All-Star and global Reebok ambassador, Angel Reese, travelled to Sydney and Melbourne to promote her signature “Angel Reese 1” sneaker line, making appearances at Foot Locker and CourtSide

Coinciding with the above, WNBL announced a new partnership with Reebok which became the league’s Official Footwear Partner

Unilever’s Rexona announced RIVALS, a new 8-part sports entertainment series on Kayo and Fox Sports - co-created with Octagon and in partnership with WPP Media’s Motion Entertainment, the series brings together elite athletes from Rugby League, Australian Rules and Rugby Union to compete for their respective sports in a battle to determine which is the ultimate code

Pepsi launched a 200 square metre floating football field, ‘The Pepsi Pitch’, on the Yarra at The Wharf Hotel in Melbourne - giving fans a unique Super Bowl LX experience

Collingwood FC’s Nick Daicos teamed up with Tourism Western Australia to film a content piece, exploring WA’s Margaret River Region ahead of 2026 AAMI AFL Origin

NikeSKIMS launched a pop-up activation in Sydney Harbour to mark its arrival in Australia

Australian Grand Prix Corporation unveiled international stars Rita Ora, Duke Dumont and Basement Jaxx (DJ Set) as headline acts at the Lakeside Festival Presented by American Express at the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026

NBA legends Metta World Peace and Lance Stephenson were announced to headline the Summer Jam Championship 2026, a 3-day Championship taking place in St Kilda, powered by Jordan Brand and Foot Locker

Guest Writer: Pete Starr

Today we’re welcoming Pete Starr, Global Head of Comms at FANZO, as this week’s guest writer!

Profile image

Based in London, he’s spent 14 years overthinking fan engagement, social viewing and how to reach the 99% of supporters who aren’t sat in the stadium.

In today’s article, he lays out the case for Australia’s rights holders, brands and broadcasters to lead the way on a global revenue opportunity no one else has yet cracked.

Enjoy the read!

The 99% Problem: How Australian Sport Ignores Its Biggest Audience

Despite working on Australian sports activations every day for the last five years, I finally made my first-ever trip down under this summer. The chance to spend some quality time with colleagues and the foolish assumption of some competitive cricket finally tipping me over the edge.

Five glorious weeks later, reflecting on my experiences vs British, European and US sports markets, two things struck me:

  1. The Australian sports industry’s biggest blind spot is consistent with global ones

  2. Of all the territories I’ve worked in, Australia is best placed to address it and capitalise on it

Australia’s blind spot

Despite Australia’s enormous appetite for attending games in the flesh, boasting the world’s 2nd highest rate of sports attendance per capita, the fact remains that for any game across the country’s major codes, 99% of fans watching won’t be in the stadium.

Even if the MCG’s recent record-breaking Ashes crowd of 94,199 was solely comprised of Aussies, that would equate to just 1.17% of the estimated 8 million Australian cricket fans. The 99% will be watching either at home or in pubs and bars.

The former group are served light-touch, at scale and monetised through broadcast rights. The latter - a social audience we call the out-of-home - is consistently undervalued across the globe.

Historically difficult to reach and track, improvements in technology and the maxing out of traditional revenue streams mean the out-of-home represents a rare growth opportunity for rights holders, brands and broadcasters.

The typical Australian model - where rights holders focus on broadcast revenue and clubs on shifting tickets/memberships - means out-of-home audiences have been largely ignored.

The fact that there’s no commercial deal in place for pubs to show the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup, or the sheer number of Super Bowl watch parties across Australia that didn’t have any formal brand involvement, are cases in point.

The fragmentation problem

After decades of growth, global broadcast revenues are in flux. The twin forces of plateauing broadcast deals and rights being fragmented across new streaming players are buffeting some of the world’s biggest leagues.

Whilst the former hasn’t quite hit Australian sport yet, the latter clearly has.

A big clue lies in what sports people search for in pubs. Australia’s big three - cricket, footy and rugby league - don’t make the top 5. Instead, it’s sports spread across streaming or PPV channels that drive people to stop and ask - ‘where can I actually watch this?’

Rights fragmentation ekes out short-term revenue, but fans, venues and rights holders all lose in the long term.

Consider: an A-League fan who also follows Italian soccer and UEFA competitions, pays $640 AUD annually to Stan, Paramount+ and beIN. That’s before you’ve even considered watching any AFL, NRL or cricket at home.

Fans priced out of stadiums now pay more for less at home. Venues struggle with subscription costs. Rights holders can’t reach scattered audiences.

Innovation DNA - Australia’s global advantage

Despite these global pain points, I don’t think any country’s better placed to tackle them than Australia. Key to that is an enviable innovative streak and a willingness to experiment.

Examples that spring to mind include the Australian Open’s evolution from a tennis tournament to a three-week, mass-participation cultural event. See also, the wider festival experience at each Ashes Test this winter - dunked on the English equivalent by some margin.

In terms of broadcast strategy and a fresh approach to building a challenger league, the NBL’s use of the Ignite Cup also stands out. In creating a new midseason format, they’ve launched a strategic raid on Wednesday nights when competition for eyeballs is low and pubs are natural partners.

Finally, there’s the way brands embrace technology and commit to doing difficult things at scale. My first project in Australia was working with Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter to maximise the value of their AFL/NRL sponsorships.

They did it by digitising footy tipping nationally - a transformative project with significant brand ramifications if the promise of frictionless digital activation jarred with the messy reality of human habit.

As that campaign gears up for its 5th consecutive season, having driven 300,000 confirmed visits into pubs, the leadership CUB showed as Covid wound down isn’t lost on me.

Australia has the opportunity to channel that spirit into the out-of-home in 2026 and lead on a global problem.

What’s on the table? Some concrete ideas

Key problems out-of-home strategies can solve:

  • For Fans - Ensuring they can watch key fixtures live in the best environments. And the chance to create sporting memories that will endure through genuine community, shared experiences in real-world locations. Think that sounds fluffy? Think of your greatest sporting memory now. I guarantee you’ll be able to tell me where you experienced it and who you shared it with.

  • For Pubs - Greater footfall, increased revenue and a competitive advantage over local rivals.

  • For Rights Holders/Brands - The ability to reach the fans that can’t come to the stadium, who aren’t members or home subscribers but live every minute of your team or sport. The most effective marketing pushes on an open door - the prize here is talking to an engaged audience during the moments that matter the most to them, whilst benefiting from the heightened social effects that come from shared experience.

Guinness’ approach to engaging Australian Premier League fans in 2024 demonstrates what success across all three audiences looks like. Via a sponsored venue finder and a 2-for-1 offer during games, they solved a fan problem whilst driving 44% sales uplift in hundreds of participating venues.

Guinness 0.0 EPL Microsite 2.jpeg
Case Study: How Guinness brought their new Premier League sponsorship to life in pubs and bars around the world

So what does progress look like?

  • Rights holders: Build strategies for engaging out-of-home audiences into broadcast and sponsorship negotiations.

  • Brands: Carve out an activation budget for out-of-home and experiment with activating in the places where fan communities already exist.

  • Venues: Demand inclusion in activation strategies - every best-in-class out-of-home activation I’ve witnessed has a super-engaged venue at the heart of it.

  • Broadcasters: Partner with venues rather than seeing them as competitors. We’re increasingly seeing major players, such as TNT Sports and Canal+ in Europe, invest in their relationships with pubs. The result is better engagement with sport, higher ROI for the venue and lower churn.

2026 - A rare opportunity

I see Australia as uniquely placed to grasp the nettle:

  1. Your modern, dynamic hospitality industry

  2. The existing culture of social sports viewing

  3. Widespread adoption of technology that exists to activate at scale

The real kicker, however, is a once-in-a-generation calendar in 2026.

On top of domestic competitions, fans can look forward to watching the Socceroos at a sociable time during the FIFA Men’s World Cup, as well as hosting the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, Rugby League World Cups and the first-ever NFL game outside of the Americas or Europe.

Throw in the final acts of Alex Volkanovski’s legendary career, plus the prospect of a first homegrown F1 champ for 46 years and the opportunity facing Australia’s sports industry to lead the conversation on a genuine growth area globally is significant.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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]]><![CDATA[Which sports team in Australia and New Zealand has the most loyal fans?]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/which-sports-team-in-australia-andhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/which-sports-team-in-australia-andWed, 04 Feb 2026 21:00:57 GMT

Collingwood FC and KFC extended their partnership across the Club’s AFL and AFLW programs for a further 5 years

Essendon FC announced a new partnership with AutoGrab which will see AutoGrab’s branding featured across Essendon’s training and warm-up balls, along with match-day signage and digital integration - AutoGrab will also become a Premium Business Member of the EFC Network

Western Bulldogs welcomed BSc as the Club’s Official Sports Nutrition Supplement Partner - it will supply sports nutrition supplements to both the AFL and AFLW programs for the next 2 seasons

West Coast Eagles confirmed Elastroplast resigned as its Official Tape Supplier for the 2026 AFL season

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles secured a new partnership with Flip Insurance which will provide insurance policies for all Sea Eagles Pathways players

Perth Bears announced McDonald’s as its newest Major Partner under a 3-year deal that will also see the Ronald McDonald House Charities become the Official Charity Partner of the NRL’s newest franchise

Queensland Rugby League welcomed National Storage as an Official Partner for the 2026 to 2028 seasons - National Storage will become the Presenting Partner of QPlus subscriptions, giving fans enhanced access to exclusive content and experiences across the game

Under Armour extended its partnership with Sydney FC for 3 more years, reaffirming its position as the Official Premium Partner, Apparel Supplier and Footwear Partner across all Sydney FC teams, including the A-League Men, A-League Women and the full boys’ and girls’ Academy pathway

Adelaide United announced SA not-for-profit health fund, Health Partners, as an Official Silver Partner for the remainder of the 2025/26 season

NBL announced a new partnership with hospitality loyalty program, The Pass, which will give NBL+ members exclusive access to special deals and perks at more than 200 iconic bars, restaurants, pubs and event spaces nationwide through The Pass app

NBA teamed up with Gillette in Australia which will see the release of bespoke NBA-branded Gillette grooming packs, alongside a retail promotion offering fans the chance to win tickets to the NBA Playoffs in the U.S

LIV Golf announced Rolex as an Official Partner - The partnership will focus on delivering an exclusive and elevated hospitality programme for the Swiss watchmaker’s guests

Asian Football Confederation announced McDonald’s as an Official Regional Partner of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™

World Rugby announced LIQUI MOLY as the Official Motor Lubricants Partner of Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029, both to be hosted in Australia

Bunnings and QSport launched a strategic partnership that aims to “add value and boost commercial support for more than 70 member state sporting organisations”

Hahn entered into a new partnership with Ripper GC, becoming an official sponsor of one of golf’s most electric teams, led by Captain Cameron Smith

AFL announced a new 4-year partnership with Vinarchy, which became the Official Wine Partner of the AFL, AFLW and Marvel Stadium

The match schedule and ticket prices for Men’s Rugby World Cup Australia 2027 were revealed - To mark the moment, former Wallaby captain John Eales together with Australia's Joseph Suaalii took the Webb Ellis Cup to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, alongside 24 young people from local rugby communities representing the 24 teams involved in the tournament

Carlton FC captain and Brownlow Medalist, Patrick Cripps, launched a new start up, ALIVIA, which “delivers premium, science-backed supplements designed for strength, recovery, balance and longevity”

Australian Open 2026 delivered new all-time attendance highs, with 1,150,044 fans through the gates for the main draw, breaking the previous record set last year of 1,102,303

WNBL reported that Han Xu has helped drive a 60% growth in Perth Lynx club memberships since arriving at the club, and that her jerseys account for 33% of all club jersey sales - At a league-wide level, Xu’s arrival has helped drive a remarkable 53% YoY increase in attendance

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Sam Mostyn, hosted a Women in Sport & Business Leadership Celebration at Admiralty House marking one month to go until the kick-off of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™

Optus Stadium announced that it’ll serve full-strength beer to footy fans - available from round 2 of the regular AFL season

Seattle Seahawks hosted an NFC Championship watch party at Sydney’s The Golden Sheaf Hotel

Guest Writer: Oliver Trenchard

Today we’re welcoming back Ollie Trenchard, Growth Director at Engage Digital Partners, as this week’s guest writer!

Profile photo of Oliver Trenchard

Ollie is passionate about engaging new and local audiences, having spent a decade working across different continents in the sports industry with rights-holders, sponsors and broadcasters on fan engagement strategies. He currently is Growth Director at Engage Digital Partners, where he leads clients’ growth and fan engagement strategies across the APAC region.

In today’s article, Ollie unveils which teams in Australia and New Zealand have the most loyal fan bases.

Enjoy the read!

Which sports team in Australia and New Zealand has the most loyal fans?

Winning builds attention. Losing tests devotion. Somewhere in the space between those two ideas sits the true measure of a sporting fanbase.

For decades, clubs across Australia and New Zealand have claimed the loudest supporters, the most passionate members, the most loyal faithful.

Those claims are usually backed by attendance figures, membership totals, TV ratings or a highlight reel of finals appearances. Each of those metrics captures a slice of the truth. None of them isolate loyalty in a way that accounts for context, competition and performance cycles.

The Loyal Fans Index, developed by fan engagement specialists Engage Digital Partners, is an attempt to do exactly that. It is the first index of its kind across Australia and New Zealand men’s sport, built to measure not just how big a fanbase is, but how it behaves relative to its environment.

The model blends attendance strength, social engagement, on-field success, competition context and market pressure into a single ranking designed to answer one question:

Which clubs are supported by communities that keep choosing them, even when the conditions are not ideal?

The answers are flattering for some teams, confronting for others, and revealing for the entire sporting landscape.

How it all works

The framework behind the Loyal Fans Index is built around relative performance rather than raw scale.

A 15,000 average crowd means something very different in the AFL compared to the A-League or Super Netball.

Digital engagement in cricket sits inside a different ecosystem to NRL in terms of the global audiences reached. The index corrects for those realities.

Teams across the men’s competitions of AFL, NRL, NBL, BBL, Super Rugby Pacific, A-League, in addition to Suncorp Super Netball were benchmarked for this initial index - with deeper dives into women’s fandom on the horizon.

Attendance is measured both in terms of pure numbers in addition to as an index inside each competition. A team is assessed based on how strongly it performs compared to its peers, not just a universal benchmark. This prevents major leagues from swallowing the ranking simply through size. A SSN or NBL team that dominates its own environment earns credit for that dominance.

The same logic applies to social engagement. Activity across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube is measured through engagement behaviour, not just follower counts. Commenting, sharing, watching and interacting carry more weight than passive subscription. Again, teams are judged both in sheer numbers and in relative to their competition.

On-field success is included as context. Recent win rates, finals appearances and historical achievements over the past decade are factored into the model, but success is not treated as a reward in this ranking. Instead, it acts as a lens through which fan behaviour is interpreted. A fanbase that maintains high engagement during a poor season is telling a stronger loyalty story than one that spikes only when silverware is available.

Competition adjustments recognise that not all leagues receive equal media oxygen. Teams operating in codes with less mainstream exposure (e.g. SSN, Super Rugby Pacific) receive additional credit when they generate meaningful engagement. There is also a city leveller that accounts for crowded sporting markets. Clubs fighting for attention in multi-team cities with an abundance of options for casual fans are operating in a harsher environment than one-team towns.

The result is a ranking that values effort. It highlights supporters who choose to show up rather than simply drifting toward whoever is winning.

Interpreting the index

The Loyal Fans Index reframes how loyalty is discussed in Australian and New Zealand men’s sport. It shifts the conversation away from trophy cabinets and toward behavioural patterns. Attendance habits, digital engagement, cultural embedding and resilience during downturns become the central metrics.

The teams at the top are not simply the biggest brands. They carry their teams through losing seasons and amplify them during winning ones.

In an era where sporting attention is fragmented across streaming platforms, global leagues and constant digital distraction, that kind of loyalty is becoming rarer and more valuable. It represents a relationship that cannot be bought through marketing alone. It has to be built over time.

This index does not deliver a final verdict on which fans are ‘best.’ It offers a structured way to examine how devotion manifests across different environments. It invites debate, which is part of its purpose.

Supporters will argue their club deserves to be higher. That argument itself is evidence of attachment.

The clubs that rank highly here are supported by people who keep choosing them, week after week, year after year, regardless of the scoreboard.

The TOP 10

What the top of the table reveals

The first thing that stands out in the top 10 is variety. AFL giants sit alongside rugby union traditionalists, an emerging A-League presence. one of the NRL’s largest clubs and a Super Netball franchise. There is no single blueprint for loyalty. There are multiple pathways that lead to it.

Three AFL teams make up the top three, all enduring pretty miserable on-field campaigns in 2025 but their fanbase have continued to turn up in the stands and digitally.

Carlton and Essendon in the top three reinforces the power of legacy.

The Blues draw one of the strongest average crowds in the AFL and remain a constant talking point in football conversation - for right or wrong reasons. Their recent success on the pitch has been mixed but has not diluted fans’ match-going habits.

Essendon landing just behind Carlton strengthens the same theme. Few clubs generate as much discussion, debate and emotional investment. Essendon supporters still show up in large numbers on the whole and maintain incredible digital engagement, especially on platforms such as TikTok where they have developed a content output that does not hinge on on-field success.

West Coast’s position between the Blues and Bombers might be the purest loyalty signal in the entire dataset.

A brutal season (again) on the field did not produce a collapse in attendance. Perth remains one of the most reliable matchday markets in the country, and West Coast supporters treated a poor year as something to endure together rather than abandon.

Super Rugby Pacific operates in a somewhat fragmented media landscape between Australia & New Zealand and has seen years of structural change in formats. Yet the Waratahs continue to command a matchday presence that ranks at the top of their SRP, paired with a social footprint that holds its ground despite patchy on-field results.

Their 2025 season was far from a success story - coming into the campaign off the back of a wooden spoon 2024 - but their supporters behaved as though the jersey still carries institutional weight, aided by the arrival of Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii and some tight wins in front of their home faithful at Allianz Stadium.

In a city as crowded as Sydney - with no fewer than 20 professional sports teams - that matters. The ranking suggests the Waratahs are supported by a base that views the club as identity when it comes to rugby union in NSW, not entertainment.

Collingwood round out the top five to highlight the strength of the Magpie Army even when on-field success is accounted for in this index.

They have the highest success index (2025 and recent historical results) of any team in the top 40 in this index, meaning it would take some incredible fan engagement to get anywhere near the top 10 in the loyalty index.

However, they top matchday attendance across the AFL and sit near the top of social engagement rankings. Love them or loathe them; the Magpie Army do not watch passively.

The Highlanders’ appearance inside the top six is a reminder that loyalty does not require a mega-market. Dunedin is a smaller environment, yet the club pulls impressive relative crowds thanks in part to being a strong university town. The Landers maintain an active online presence despite a challenging on-field record in 2025.

Auckland FC’s rapid ascent inside the top 10 signals the emergence of a new football community. Strong crowds and a high social engagement ranking in a lower-coverage league suggest the club has connected quickly with its audience.

Hawthorn’s ranking is powered by a remarkable digital presence. They hold the strongest social engagement profile in the dataset, paired with healthy attendance fuelled by a new wave of fandom.

Similar to Collingwood, Brisbane Broncos’ inclusion in the top 10 highlights the sheer fandom of the 2025 NRL Premiers. Even when on-field success and the weight of the NRL competition is accounted for, their digital engagement and match attendance at Suncorp is too strong to keep them out of the top 10.

Suncorp Super Netball also sees a franchise make the top 10 in the form of Queensland Firebirds, making Brisbane the only other city alongside Melbourne to see more than one team feature in the top 10.

Competition patterns

AFL clubs form the backbone of the ranking, which reflects their structural dominance in the Australian sports economy, particularly evident through a state-level with 4 x Melbourne-based teams making the top 10 with mammoth home crowds at the MCG a significant factor.

Large media coverage, historical reach and embedded membership cultures provide a strong foundation. However, the index adjustments prevent those codes from monopolising the narrative.

Super Rugby Pacific teams that appear high in the table are doing so through effort and limited resource. They operate with less mainstream exposure than the likes of AFL and NRL, yet still generate meaningful engagement - signalling fanbases driven by legacy.

A-League representation inside the top tier is noteworthy, with football in Australia and New Zealand existing inside a volatile media environment. Auckland FC’s inclusion comes at a slight caveat being their first season in the competition, yet leading the way in the competition from a match attendance and digital engagement perspective.

Overall, five different codes are represented in the top 10 in addition to six separate cities.

Across competitions, the index suggests that media scale influences awareness, but not necessarily devotion. Smaller ecosystems often produce supporters who operate with higher intentionality. They choose their club. They sustain it.

Cities as loyalty laboratories

City context plays a quiet but powerful role in the ranking.

Melbourne dominates the top 25 by sheer volume of clubs, yet the internal spread is wide. The city contains mega-brands, mid-sized institutions and smaller teams with fiercely protective communities. Melbourne’s sporting culture encourages tribalism. Multiple teams coexist inside a dense ecosystem, forcing supporters to define themselves through allegiance.

Sydney is a different battleground. The city’s sporting menu is fragmented across rugby league, union, cricket and football, with constant competition from entertainment alternatives. Teams that perform well in the index out of Sydney are winning a harder attention fight. The Waratahs and Bulldogs ranking near the top highlights how intentional fandom becomes in crowded markets.

Perth operates with concentration. Fewer major teams share the spotlight, but matchday reliability is extremely high. West Coast’s placement demonstrates how a city can rally around a flagship property even during lean years.

Auckland sits in an intriguing middle ground. When a team captures momentum, engagement spikes quickly. The presence of Auckland FC high in the ranking suggests the city is capable of forming new sporting identities at speed when the product resonates.

Then there are the one-team cities: Dunedin, Cairns and Christchurch being the key call-outs, where home support is embedded into the fabric of the town or city.

Social engagement leaders

The social engagement rankings reveal which fanbases treat online spaces as extensions of the terrace.

Hawthorn sits at the top of that list. Their unique content output across vertical formats especially has become the envy of many content teams as they engage new generations of casual footy fans.

Manly Sea Eagles have enjoyed an incredible 2025, powered by several ‘viral’ player-led outputs that have resonated not only on TikTok, but across other platforms such as Instagram and YouTube Shorts.

Auckland FC’s debut A-League campaign coincided with a minor Premiership (coupled with light-hearted engagement around Auckland City’s FIFA Club World Cup appearance in July), while the Broncos’ rollercoaster season delivered headline moments until their trophy lift in mid-October.

Moana Pasifika’s presence in the list below is also particularly significant. Their digital engagement suggests a community-driven identity that transcends win-loss cycles. Cultural connection fuels participation.

Sydney Sixers and Brisbane Heat both rank near the top, driven by big marquee signings for the 2025-26 season.

Adelaide’s basketball and netball teams also rate strongly. Their supporters operate inside tighter ecosystems, which often encourages deeper involvement. Smaller communities can produce louder relative voices.

Mini ladder: Social engagement leaders

Success and the loyalty paradox

One of the most provocative aspects of the Loyal Fans Index is how it treats dynasties.

Several teams with extraordinary recent success sit surprisingly low. That does not mean their supporters lack passion. It suggests their engagement is more closely tied to on-pitch performance cycles.

Teams such as Melbourne City (A-League), Penrith Panthers (NRL) and Brisbane Lions (AFL) have enjoyed considerable on-field success in recent years. However, the level of engagement from a social perspective compared to their competition benchmarks does not reflect that success.

Clubs like West Coast and Essendon score highly because of their supporters’ maintained presence during poor seasons. That behaviour carries more weight than success spikes.

Conversely, strong winners who also rank highly show something impressive.

The Broncos are a good example. A chaotic season featuring downturns in form, comebacks galore and eventual premiership created a perfect storm of emotion - add in Reece Walsh drinking toilet water and you’ve inadvertently got fan engagement for years. Their supporters stayed loud throughout and were rewarded with an outpouring of engagement in October.

The ranking raises a difficult question for successful teams:How much of your support is structural, and how much is transactional?

The AU-NZ sports fandom is splitting into two fandom styles.

One group treats sport like content. They appear when it is trending and drift when it cools.

The other group treats sport like identity and defend it online and in the stands. They attend through losing season upon season. They inherit it and pass it on to their thankless children to endure the same.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 2) ]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-are-leveraging-ao26-part-d35https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-are-leveraging-ao26-part-d35Wed, 28 Jan 2026 21:01:04 GMT

Adelaide Crows announced that Hungry Jack’s re-signed for a further 5 years and that it will continue to support the Club’s AFL, AFLW and SANFL teams

Western Bulldogs welcomed Rokeby as a new partner of both its AFL and AFLW teams in 2026 - As part of the new partnership, Rokeby products will be available for all players as part of their dietary program

Rugby Australia and Castore announced a multi-year partnership with the premium sportswear brand to become the Official Technical Kit Partner for all Teams in Gold and the wider Australian Rugby system until at least the end of 2030

ACT Brumbies secured Gallagher as a new Principal Partner as part of a 3-year agreement which will see it become the premier supporter of the ACT Brumbies Swyftx Super Rugby Pacific and Women's teams

Melbourne Victory welcomed back Zaparas Lawyers which rejoined the Club - the Associate Partnership will have a particular focus on Melbourne Victory’s Academy, and the brand will feature on the back of the home jersey for all Academy teams during the 2026 season

Special Olympics Australia secured a new 5-year partnership with Belgravia Apparel,(the Australasian elite teamwear partner of New Balance), which will provide uniforms and apparel for athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and supporters across national programs and major events, includes the upcoming 2026 Special Olympics Australia National Games and the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games

Baseball Australia and Four’N Twenty renewed their partnership which will see see the Four’N Twenty logo feature on Team Australia’s uniform during the 2026 World Baseball Classic, beginning March 4 in Tokyo

Basketball Victoria launched a new 3-year partnership with AUSA Hoops which is aimed at strengthening opportunities for Victorian athletes aspiring to play college basketball in the US

AirTouch entered into a new partnership with the Western Sydney Wanderers FC Girls Academy

Ash Barty became an investor and ambassador of one-year-old Australian tennis apparel brand, Rallee, joining fellow tennis legend Pat Rafter

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon travelled to India to hold meetings with a range of sports commissioners and business leaders, as part of the league’s long-term strategy to expand its international presence - the AFL’s head of strategy Walter Lee also on the trip

Travis Head and The Inspired Unemployed’s Matt ‘Falcon’ Ford teamed up to produce a skit to promote Better Beer and Liquorland

The 2025/26 KFC Big Bash League season delivered the most watched BBL season of all time across Kayo Sports and the wider Foxtel Group platforms - driven by streaming growth, the season recorded 1.1 billion minutes streamed, up 9% year-on-year

Softball Australia announced that the Softball Australia Cup will be broadcast live on Kayo Sports

Prime Video dropped its new “Go Full Cricket” campaign for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, featuring Australian captain Pat Cummins flexing his talents in different careers (or at least attempting to) such as stand-up comedy, being a chef and playing golf

The Herald Sun reported that Channel 7 is set to walk away from VFL broadcasting, ending over five decades of free-to-air television tradition

ESPN launched its Super Bowl LX campaign, fronted by Stephen A Smith, encouraging fans to take the day off (with the blessing of their employer, of course) to enjoy a ‘siiiick day’

The Australian reported that New Balance is closing in on $10bn in revenue and positioning itself as the world’s third-largest sportswear brand, behind Nike and Adidas

Reebok hosted ‘The Answer Invitational’ at CourtSide in Melbourne, which brought together young talent and featured an appearance by Allen Iverson

Under Armour turned Las Vegas’ Sphere into Paddy Pimblett’s iconic bowl-cut-to-braids look on fight night

Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 unveiled the 8 x world-class stadiums that will host matches across seven Australian cities during the tournament - Adelaide Oval, Brisbane Stadium, Docklands Stadium, Newcastle Stadium, Perth Stadium, Stadium Australia, Sydney Football Stadium, North Queensland Stadium

Gold Coast SUNS launched ‘SUNS Headstart’ - an innovative holistic health program in partnership with Playbk Sports, designed to empower young athletes with the knowledge and skills to take control of their mental and physical wellbeing

World Surf League announced that it’s joining forces with Here Comes The Sun to deliver three shows alongside the Australian Championship Tour events in 2026 featuring Lime Cordiale, The Jungle Giants, Young Franco, Sycco, Eliza & The Delusionals and Mariae Cassandra (more artists yet to be announced)

Asian Football Confederation confirmed KPop Demon Hunters star Audrey Nuna as the headline act at the Opening Ceremony of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ at Perth Stadium

How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 2)

*Today’s newsletter is part two of a two-part series that showcases how brands are leveraging the Australian Open - Visit here to view part one. Enjoy the read!

Brands from many categories are investing millions of dollars into campaigns that leverage official AO rights, athlete ambassador partnerships and broader tennis associations.

Tennis-themed brand activations and trends worth noticing…

New Balance activated its Official AO Partnership in multiple ways

New Balance unveiled its 2026 collection which is available at its on-site retail activation in Melbourne Park. For the first time, it’s also available around the world, via New Balance flagship stores and online, as well as the Tennis Australia store at australianopenshop.com.

New Balance has also been busy leveraging its roster of athletes and ambassadors across running, baseball, skating, cricket, etc.

  • In the lead up to the tournament, New Balanced captured two skaters (Liv Lovelace & Brian Reid) skateboarding through Melbourne Park

  • American tennis stars Coco Gauff and Tommy Paul have been starring in off-court storytelling moments, offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at their AO journey’s

  • Coco Gauff introduced her new Signature Collection which she wore during the tournament

  • Gamer Sydeon has been sharing her AO experience across social platforms, bringing fresh perspectives to global audiences

  • Amine performed at the AO Precinct

  • Australian’s men’s cricket captain Pat Cummins, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, former Canadian tennis player Genie Bouchard, actress Storm Reid, and pro Numeric skateboarders have featured in bespoke content and events

  • Actress Storm Reid made an appearance to help showcase the range available at its pop up store in Melbourne Park

  • Pat Cummins visited the New Balance Brand House at Federation Square

New Balance has also celebrated the AO with curated collections, and product launches with brands like Paperboy and Numeric.

In addition to product launches and experiential activity, New Balanced-branded out-of-home advertising has blanketed Melbourne with tram wraps, rail signage, rotating digital screens, and a five-story LED display.

Ralph Lauren returned as the official outfitter of the Australian Open in 2026 for the 6th consecutive year

The brand has outfitted up to 4,000 staff across the tournament including ball kids, on-court officials and ground crew. It’s also continuing as the official sunglasses of the Australian Open for the second year in a row.

Ralph Lauren has also partnered with Alexander de Minaur and it recently unveiled a giant street mural in Melbourne to celebrate its renewed partnership.

Naomi Osaka’s iconic walk-on was a major earned media moment for Nike

ICYMI - Naomi Osaka entered Rod Laver Arena during prime time on Nine, wearing floating custom creations from London-based couturier Robert Wun and Nike.

The impact was immediate and global:

  • Footage was shown across traditional media channels all over the world

  • She was “trending on Twitter”

  • Social media blew up - e.g. 6m+ views on the Official Australian Open Instagram

  • The post quickly drew reactions from celebrities across fashion, music, television and sports

“AND THEN SHE WON !!!! 🔥🔥😍😍 creative expression while mothering in several ways 💁🏾🧚🏾‍♀️👏🏾🤌🏾”

SZA (23M Instagram followers)

The following day, Osaka featured in Vogue, the CEO of Melbourne Fashion Festival was discussing it on radio - the fashion world took note.

adidas used cgi to launch a tennis court into the Melbourne sky

A coordinated storyline unfolded across multiple social accounts, with ‘adidastennis’, ‘adidasau Australia’ Instagram handle’s activating in sync with ambassadors Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daria Kasatkina who featured in the footage which created an optical illusion.

Big and bold builds have been a key feature in Melbourne Park

Over the years, Tennis Australia has transformed an event that used to be the poor cousin of the four grand slams into an innovative juggernaut that offers as much off the court as on it, and brand activations have been key to this.

Brand consultant Ricardo Fort, describes the AO experience similar to going to Disneyland, and this is thanks to the many brands that’ve made major investments into brand activation-sites within Melbourne Park.

MECCA’s 3-storey Pro Shop

As the Official Beauty Partner and the Official SPF of AO26, MECCA has gone bigger and bolder than ever with multiple activation sites across Melbourne Park, including a custom-built, three-storey MECCA Pro Shop.

Related: Beauty’s growing presence in sports

Chemist Warehouse built an entire store

The flagship store on Rod Laver Arena Terrace, gives tennis fans convenient access to tennis wellness essentials, exclusive offers, photo moments and a refresh station to help beat the summer heat. In addition, an on-site pharmacist has been available throughout the tournament.

Brands have gone big with corporate hospitality

The corporate hospitality marquees on Riverside Terrace are on another level this year — with several spanning two storeys and featuring genuinely glamorous, statement-making entrances.

Sports apparel brands have looked beyond Melbourne Park to engage tennis fans

Third spaces, aka spaces beyond Melbourne Park, provide brands with additional opportunities to leverage their official AO rights, athlete ambassador partnerships and broader tennis associations.

Many brands have seized the opportunity to activate their brands via tennis-themed pop-ups, events, experiential zones and interactive installations.

New Balance Brand House

The pop-up activation space has given fans the opportunity to do things like:

  • Enjoy Melbourne’s best coffee

  • Meet Australian cricketer Pat Cummins

  • Have your nails done with designs inspired by American tennis star and nail flare icon Coco Gauff

  • Get a mullet, like Australian tennis player Jordan Thompson

No alternative text description for this image

adidas Racquet Club Block Party

The brand hosted a free VIP event on one of Melbourne’s best rooftops with views of the Yarra River and Olympic Park which featured:

  • DJs

  • Food & Bev

  • tennis player appearances

  • Exclusive prizes & giveaways

Le Club Lacoste

Partnering with Afloat Melbourne, Lacoste launched ‘Le Club Lacoste’ - a floating, sun-soaked tennis-charged oasis on the Yarra that includes, a bookable floating tennis court, gig screens to watch the AO live, bespoke food & drink, DJs, ambassador appearances, a pop-up retail store.

Important to note, Lacoste isn’t an official AO apparel partner. Yet some of the biggest names in the game such as Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov and Eva Lys all wear the brand - all of which showed up for its unveiling and A VIP launch party in the lead up to the start of AO26.

Wilson Tennis Club

Wilson launched a pop-up site at the Melbourne Emporium that includes an AI photo booth and claw machine that gives tennis fans the opportunity to win prize such as signed rackets, autographed balls, pickleball paddles, Wilson sportswear, footwear, accessories, and more.

On ‘Thanks for Playing’

Iga Swiatek headlined an On pop-up activation featuring a custom-built blue court atop Crown, where she took part in a live hit.

This formed part of the Swiss sportswear brand’s ‘Thanks for Playing’ series which celebrates the spirit of grassroots tennis.

Reebox x THE ICONIC Sip & Serve

To celebrate the iconic return of the Reebok Club C collection, Reebok and THE ICONIC teamed up to host its ‘Sip & Serve’ event.

The Asics House

One of Melbourne’s luxury event spaces, Le Ciel, was transformed into ‘The Asics House’ - An immersive brand installation overlooking Melbourne Park.

It wasn’t only sports apparel brands getting active

1 Hotels Open

In partnership with Rodd & Gunn, the inaugural 1 Hotels Open brought together Jannik sinner and Naomi Osaka for a head-to-head game of pickleball – all under the watchful eye of referee, Clint Stanaway.

Crown Racquet Club, served by Grey Goose

Upstream from Le Club Lacoste, Crown has partnered with Racquet Club and Grey Goose to launch two state-of-the-art panoramic padel courts on the Yarra River, next to Melbourne’s iconic Riverwalk promenade.

QT Rooftop Racquet Club

QT Melbourne launched its Rooftop Racquet Club which has been serving Altos Tequilla’s ‘Match Point Palomas’ and features DJs, a pop up pickleball court and limited edition merchandise.

Chinese brands are sponsoring the Australian Open

The AO’s growing popularity is attracting sponsorships from major Chinese brands.

  • Luzhou Laojiao – The Chinese alcohol brand which makes baijiu (a strong liquor made from grain) was reported to be the AO’s largest Chinese sponsorship deal in history, valued at tens of millions of dollars. While the brand has minimal recognition among Australian consumers, its highly-visibile perimeter court placements at Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena have prompted widespread curiosity among local fans. In contrast, Luzhou Laojiao is a household name in China, and is the world’s most consumed spirit due to the sheer amount it’s drunk in the country. In 2023, Luzhou Laojiao signed a 5-year deal as the Official Baijiu Partner of the tournament.

  • Luckin Coffee - In 2024, Tennis Australia announced a new multi-year partnership with Luckin Coffee which will become the AO’s Official Coffee Partner in China and South East Asia. Luckin is a leading retail coffee company and at the time the deal was done, it had over 13,000 stores across more than 300 cities in China. Luckin has leveraged virtual signage at the AO to activate its sponsorship in China and across South East Asia.

  • Haier - The Chinese Consumer electronics company entered into a new 3-year deal as the Official TV and Appliance Partner of the AO and Summer of Tennis events.

Brands are sponsoring the Australian Open to tap into the Chinese market

For global and Australian brands alike, the AO has become more than a sporting event, it’s a trusted gateway into one of the world’s most complex and valuable consumer markets.

  • EZZ Life Science: Australian genomic life science company EZZ Life Science, signed a 3-year regional sponsorship deal with the AO in 2024 with the goal of expanding its brand presence in China. It’s leveraged digital advertising on AO platforms, social media takeovers, and influencer collaborations to engage Chinese tennis fans, and other key markets across APAC such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam - home to 550 million people.

  • Piper-Heidsieck - The official sponsor and champagne supplier of the Australian Open, views China as being at the center of the company’s ambitions, and that the Australian Open provides a valuable platform for brands like Piper-Heidsieck to connect with Chinese audiences.

“The Australian Open is a credible brand in China… That gives you an extra story to tell Chinese distributors, suppliers, and restaurants, because you’ve kind of got that stamp of extra credibility.”

- Piper-Heidsieck chief executive Damien Lafaurie

‘Regionalisation of advertising’

Tennis Australia has adopted a regionally tailored approach to sponsorship and advertising, selling rights by market rather than applying a single global partner model.

For example, in Melbourne the official Australian Open beers are Asahi and Balter (Mick Fanning’s brand) while in China the category is held by Tsingtao.

As Tennis Australia’s director of partnerships and international business, Roddy Campbell explains in The Age:

“Viewers watching TV in China see the official brand on their television [in the form of] on-court advertising, which is Tsingtao beer, which runs amateur tournaments in China”

Many other brands have been leveraging their AO partnerships across China - including Kia, Waterdrop, Dunlop, ANZ and Ralph Lauren.

Related: Why China is key to the Australian Open’s international growth strategy

Other AO-themed brand activations worth noticing

*Today’s newsletter is part two of a two-part series that showcases how brands are leveraging the Australian Open - Visit here to view part one.

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 1)]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-are-leveraging-ao26-parthttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-are-leveraging-ao26-partWed, 21 Jan 2026 21:00:32 GMT

Melbourne Storm secured a new partnership with Australian video game developer Big Ant Studios (the developers behind the Rugby League 26 video game) for the next 4 seasons

Brisbane Bullets announced Motor Scout as the club’s Major Jersey Partner for HoopsFest, whose branding was featured on the front of the Bullets’ playing jersey throughout HoopsFest

South East Melbourne Phoenix welcomed an expanded partnership with Wilson Security for the remainder of the NBL26 season - the brand will occupy the lower back position on both the home and away playing jersey

Adelaide United and Cara announced a 3-year agreement which saw the trusted organisation in the disability sector become the Exclusive Disability Charity Partner for both the Adelaide United Men’s and Women’s teams until 2028

Newcastle Jets announced a partnership with Alpha Elite Gear which will provide both A-League Men’s and Women’s training accessories and equipment

Melbourne City FC extended its partnership with Advara HeartCare for a further year, which will see the leading cardiology provider play an integral role in supporting the health and wellbeing of Melbourne City players and staff

Newcastle Knights and The GPT Group/Charlestown Square announced an Official Partnership for 2026

Brisbane Racing Club and Ladbrokes entered into a strengthened partnership -Under the expanded multi-year agreement, Ladbrokes will become the major sponsor of the next four Stradbroke Racedays, while also continuing as a major partner of Brisbane Racing Club’s Stradbroke Season through to 2029

Brisbane Racing Club and Ticketmaster announced a new multi-year partnership, bringing world-class racing and ticketing platforms together to create a seamless end-to-end customer journey

NBL and WNBL delivered a standout 2nd edition of Hoopsfest Perth, partnering with the WA Government, Tourism WA, Venues West, Basketball WA and the City of Perth to smash attendance records (25% YoY increase), sell-out crowds at RAC Arena, a vibrant Fan Festival, and the return of Sneakerland

Cricket Australia announced that Australian indie rockers The Jungle Giants will will headline entertainment at the KFC BBL|15 Final

SailGP confirmed the renewal of its broadcast offering for Australian viewers, announcing renewed partnerships with Foxtel Group and SBS for the 2026 season

The City of Adelaide Tour Village was launched at the Santos Tour Down Under which includes a team zone, bike expo, family activities, bars, recovery zone, DJ’s, music and entertainment

As part of its expansion into Australia, global sports, music, and entertainment company, Wasserman, launched a new headquarters in Sydney which will bring together its brands, talent representation, and live events capabilities in one integrated hub

Football Australia appointed ex-Stan boss Martin Kugeler as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an 8-month-long global search

NSW Government released designs for the $40m upgrade of Sydney’s historic Leichhardt Oval which is aimed at delivering modern facilities for the NRL’s Wests Tigers, as well as junior community, and club competitions across multiple codes

How brands are leveraging AO26 (part 1)

*Today’s newsletter is part one of a two-part series that showcases how brands are leveraging the Australian Open - Enjoy the read!

The Australian Open’s scale and reach explains exactly why brands continue to invest heavily in sponsorship and activation around the tournament

In 2025, the Australian Open (AO) welcomed a record-breaking 1.22 million attendees, reinforcing its status as one of the most attended major sports events in the country.

The momentum has carried into 2026. Opening Week alone attracted more than 217,000 fans (80% YoY increase) highlighting the tournament’s growing ability to draw audiences earlier and for longer.

Beyond the gates of Melbourne Park, the broadcast footprint is equally compelling - Last year, Nine’s ecosystem reached 88% of Australians, including 13.1 million viewers across Total TV.

Nine’s broader sport media platform also includes:

  • A sport audience across print and digital of over 4.7 million

  • An audio portfolio that reaches 1.9 million listeners every month across talk radio and podcasts

Source: Nine for Brands

Digitally, the Australian Open commands a global audience at scale through its official social channels:

  • Instagram - 3.7 million

  • Facebook - 3.5 million

  • TikTok - 2.8 million

  • YouTube - 2.9 million

Beyond official channels, millions of fans, brands, influencers, athletes and celebrities amplify their AO experiences and brand moments organically, engaging with AO-themed brand activations at Melbourne Park and across the city.

Put simply, the AO can be seen everywhere, both online and offline.

The Australian Open is one of the most significant events on the Australian sports calendar and a commercial powerhouse

Each January, Melbourne becomes an extension of the tournament. AO-themed activity takes over the city via:

  • Pop-up events

  • Integrated campaigns

  • Experiential activations

  • Product launches

  • PR stunts

For brands, these expanded footprints and off-court experiences provide multiple touch points to engage audiences.

Building an association with the AO is a proven way to drive brand awareness and elevate brand perception. As a result, brands from many categories are investing millions of dollars into campaigns that leverage official AO rights, athlete ambassador partnerships and broader tennis associations.

The global popularity of the Australian Open makes it attractive to major global brands

This is evident by some of the brands that feature most prominently on the broadcast around the court:

  • The AO has a 5-year, $107 million sponsorship with Kia until 2028

  • The AO’s “Luzhou Laojiao Guojiao 1573” sponsorship is among its most lucrative. Though the brand and product (it’s a strong liquor) is unfamiliar to many Australians, it’s the world’s most consumed spirit, largely due to Chinese consumption. The AO sponsorship targets the Asian market and aims to elevate its premium image.

  • It’s been estimated that the “Melbourne” sign on the court is worth $1 billion in advertising value (Craig Tiley admits no sponsor is likely to pay this amount though)

The tournament’s rising popularity is also evident through the high demand official partnerships, and the long list of new and renewed partnerships that Tennis Australia has secured in the lead up to the tournament.

AO new and renewed official partnerships

New Partnerships: Nexo, Bupa, Altos Tequila, YoPRO, a2 Milk, DiDi, Lipton Ice Tea, realestate.com.au, De Cecco

Renewed Partnerships: Chemist Warehouse, ANZ, Chubb, Jacob’s Creek, MECCA

Nine’s AO26 broadcast partners & sponsors

Nine has also just unveiled a long list of blue-chip partners and sponsors for its Australian Open 2026 broadcast.

Brands that’ve signed-on include: Qantas, Amazon Prime, Uber Eats, Chemist Warehouse, ANZ, Bupa, Chubb Insurance, Peters Ice Cream, Google, Haier, Journey Beyond, Kia, L’Oreal and Visit Victoria.

Nine Serves up a Grand Slam Line-up of Partners and Sponsors for Broadcast of 2026 Australian Open

Tennis-themed brand activations and trends worth noticing…

*Note: Not all of the following brands are official partners of the Australian Open.

Floating courts are proving to be popular during this summer of tennis…

Le Club Lacoste

Partnering with Afloat Melbourne, Lacoste launched ‘Le Club Lacoste’ - a floating, sun-soaked tennis-charged oasis on the Yarra that includes:

  • A bookable floating tennis court

  • Big screens to watch the AO live

  • Bespoke food & drink

  • DJs

  • Ambassador appearances

  • A pop-up retail store

Important to note, Lacoste isn’t an official AO apparel partner. Yet some of the biggest names in the game such as Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Grigor Dimitrov and Eva Lys all wear the brand - all of which showed up for its unveiling and A VIP launch party in the lead up to the start of AO26. Le Club Lacoste is a strategic move that allows the brand to authentically insert itself into the AO conversation without relying on official tournament rights.

Upstream…

Crown Racquet Club, served by Grey Goose

Crown has partnered with Racquet Club and Grey Goose to launch two state-of-the-art panoramic padel courts on the Yarra River, next to Melbourne’s iconic Riverwalk promenade.

In addition to the 2 x courts, it features:

  • DJ booth

  • Beverage offering anchored by Grey Goose

  • A food menu curated with Marmont and Bistro Guillaume

  • Coffee Truck

  • Expansive outdoor setting

Tennis player-owned brands are leveraging the Australian Open

1. Dash Diamonds

In the lead up to AO26, Croatian tennis star Donna Vekic launched DASH, a luxury jewellery brand positioned as “diamonds that play.”

Coinciding with the launch, it also opened an official on-site store at the tournament and launched an AO x DASH collection that includes 3 x tennis bracelet designs:

  • The Royal Blue: $2,500

  • Midnight in Melbourne: $2,500

  • Court Royale: $4,500

Reinforcing scarcity and exclusivity:

  • The range is being marketed as “worn by champions”

  • Only 150 pieces in total have been produced

Assuming 50 of each of the above bracelets are all sold throughout the tournament, the total revenue generated via this collaboration alone would be: $475,000.

Vekic has been busy promoting her new AO x DASH line of bracelets:

  • Social media: A dedicated DASH Instagram account has been launched, with audience growth being driven through Vekic’s own profile (317k followers) and collaborator posts

  • Broadcast exposure (earned): DASH received a prominent on-air mention during Vekić’s interview on Nine’s Australian Open 1 Point Slam coverage

  • Peer endorsement: Fellow players are backing the brand, with Maria Sakkari spotted wearing the ‘Court Royale’ bracelet around Melbourne

Vekic is not only a star tennis player but an established entrepreneur. In 2021, she also founded DNNA, a lifestyle brand focused on candles and home fragrances.

2. waterdrop®

Since its launch in 2016, tennis has played a central role in waterdrop’s global growth strategy.

The brand has built strong credibility within the sport by partnering with, and securing investment from, a roster of elite, globally ranked players. These include Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Elina Svitolina, Sebastian Korda, Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Cameron Norrie, many of whom act as both brand ambassadors and investors.

In 2024, The Australian Open (Tennis Australia) announced a multi-year partnership with waterdrop, and once again, it’s supplying reusable stainless-steel bottles to players, their teams, and Australian Open staff, reinforcing its sustainability credentials.

Waterdrop also has a strong on-site presence, offering:

  • Personalised reusable bottles for fans

  • Samples of its water cubes

  • Water bottle refill stations

  • Experiential moments, including meet & greets with its ambassadors

3. On

In 2019, Roger Federer invested $50m in Swiss performance On for a 3% stake in the company - this stake is now worth nearly $500m as the company’s market cap sits at ~$15b.

Although On isn’t an official partner of the AO (New Balance and Ralph Lauren have these rights), the brand maintains a strong on-court presence through its sponsorship of elite players, such as Iga Swiatek, Ben Shelton and Joao Fonseca, all of whom wear On apparel.

Off-court, On has also leaned into experiential marketing - Iga Świątek recently appeared at an On pop-up activation on a Melbourne rooftop.

The rise of signature cocktail at sporting events continues

In October, Altos Tequila became the Official Tequila of the AO, and to leverage this partnership it’s created a bespoke serve for the tournament - the ‘Match Point Paloma’

The drink is being poured from the brand’s Casa Altos bar on Grand Slam Oval at Melbourne Park and served in a reusable cup inspired by the architecture of Altos’ brand home in Jalisco, Mexico (blending product, place and storytelling).

This isn’t the first drink crafted especially for the AO

In 2024, Tennis Australia announced a new partnership with Grey Goose which became the Official Vodka Partner of the Australian Open. As part of the activation, Grey Goose launched the Lemon Ace cocktail for AO25.

Meet The Lemon Ace, The Australian Open's Signature Sipper

The results:

  • 100,000+ Lemon Ace’s were sold in its inaugural year

  • At AO26, it has returned as both a freshly mixed cocktail and a ready-to-drink option, now available from the revamped Courtside Bar

Related: Why and how signature cocktails are showing up in Australian Sports

Athletes, musicians, celebrities and influencers have been used extensively to generate earned media

To celebrate the summer of tennis, Grey Goose unveiled its Courtside Bar with an exclusive invite-only party that included attendees such as Nadia Bartel, Josh Daicos & Annalise Dalins, Dylan Alcott, Clint Stanaway and a DJ set from Flight Facilities.

Altos unveiled a 2.5-metre tribute to its campaign Ambassador, Thanasi Kokkinakis

Delta Goodrem fronted the media at Piper Heidsieck’s Champagne Bar.

FISHER made a surprise appearance at Red Bull BassLine.

YoPro brought together the Melbourne Demons with its ‘Global Chief Progress Officer’, Carlos Alcaraz.

As Australia’s sports calendar becomes more crowded and increasingly innovative, brands aren’t pulling back, they’re leaning in.

Today’s newsletter is part one of a two-part series that showcases how brands are leveraging the Australian Open - stay tuned for part two next week!

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

Subscribe now

]]><![CDATA[SailGP’s high-speed growth story]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/sailgps-high-speed-growth-storyhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/sailgps-high-speed-growth-storyWed, 14 Jan 2026 21:01:32 GMTKey Announcements for 2026

After a successful 2025 (and a brief reset) we’re looking ahead and turning our focus to growth…

New Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking Events

To help us continue to bring the Australian sports industry together in real life, we’re launching new networking events in Melbourne and Sydney, and new networking events in new cities across Australia. Dates and locations will be released soon — keep an eye on our Happy Hour Sports Industry Networking Events landing page for updates.

Seeking new partnerships - advertising, sponsorship, strategic

We’re looking to grow alongside the right partners. If you’re a brand or organisation interested in collaborating through advertising, sponsorship, events or something else, we’d love to explore how we can collaborate.

📩 Interested in any of the above? Get in touch now with Matthew Hughes via DM on LinkedIn or email: matthew.hughes@noticesports.com.au

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ANZ expanded its partnership with Tennis Australia, becoming the Official Bank of the Australian Open - Under the renewed multi-year partnership, ‘ANZ Arena’ was unveiled at Melbourne Park (formerly known as Show Court 3) and ANZ served as Presenting Partner of the Brisbane International

DiDi became the Official Rideshare Partner of the Australian Open and will play a key role in helping fans and the AO workforce get to and from Melbourne Park throughout the tournament

Lipton Ice Tea was announced as the Australian Open’s Official Ice Tea in 2026 - it will be available at all bars across the precinct

realestate.com.au was unveiled as the Official Real Estate Partner of the Australian Open as part of a new multi-year deal - REA launched a bespoke campaign (including 2 x TVCs featuring Pat Rafter) which is set to feature across broadcast, print, digital, Melbourne Park and OOH/high-traffic areas across Melbourne

Altos Tequila, the first-ever Official Tequila of the Australian Open crafted a new drink especially for the tournament - the ‘Match Point Paloma’ - it’s served in a reusable cup, and its design is inspired by the architecture of Altos’ brand home in Jalisco, Mexico

Tangerine announced a new partnership with Australia’s highest ranked women’s single tennis player, Maya Joint - Tangerine’s commitment to supporting female athletes is an important focus for the Australian internet and mobile data challenger brand which also extended its partnership with Olympic swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan last year, and recently announced its sponsorship of WNBL team, Bendigo Spirit

Brisbane Heat and Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads announced the renewal of its longstanding (since 2016) partnership for a further 2 years - the pair will contunue to promote safe driving practices via the ‘StreetSmarts’ road safety public education program

Brisbane Heat secured a new partnership with La Roche-Posay which became the club’s Official Sunscreen and Skincare Partner - Roaming staff handed out products and shared skincare tips at the Heat’s recent game vs the Thunder at the Gabba

Perth Glory announced a major 3-year partnership with energy wholesaler Renewables Warehouse which will see their flagship energy storage brand, ESY, displayed on the front of the Men’s playing shorts

Melbourne Victory confirmed it’s working with Areto Labs and its AI-powered tools to target social media toxicity

Gold Coast Titans welcomed Formcom as a new Major Partner - As part of the 2-year deal Formcom’s brand will appear on the lower back of the Titans’ NRL away jersey

Revo Fitness entered into a new partnership with Optus Stadium, becoming the Stadium’s first Official Fitness Partner - the partnership opens exciting new opportunities to deliver large-scale fitness experiences

New Balance activated its sponsorship of the Australian Open by capturing two skaters skateboarding through Melbourne Park

Transport Accident Commission (TAC) announced new partnerships with Basketball Victoria, Cricket Victoria and Football Victoria at the MCG and the launch of a new campaign which will see Victoria’s grassroots and elite sportspeople spread critical road safety messages across the state

Hockey Australia announced Kookaburra Sport as its Official Apparel Partner which will design all on-field and off-field apparel across all Hockey Australia programs, in partnership with athletes from across the Kookaburras, Hockeyroos and national pathway programs

Melbourne Stars experienced an outdoor advertising mishap… but rather than burying it, they leaned into the moment - By openly showcasing the mistake on Instagram, the club turned a potential negative into a positive, with the below clip achieving strong performance (126k+ views)

Dan Gorringe teamed up with the Melbourne Renegades and Melbourne Stars to help promote the recent Big Bash League’s Melbourne Derby’s via social media activity and gameday appearances

Pat Cummins teamed up with the ‘schoonerscorer’ to promote his Mountain Culture Beer Co brand at a pub in Sydney’s Surry Hills - the clip has had ~350k views on Instagram

AFL and Prime Video announced the global release of its new docuseries, Final Siren: Inside the AFL, premiering on the eve of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season on February 27 on Prime Video in 240 countries and territories worldwide

Perth Bears unveiled their new logo in anticipation of their inaugural 2027 NRL season - it was created by a longtime passionate North Sydney Bears supporter and pays homage and respect to the North Sydney Bears while embracing the club’s future in Western Australia

RunNation, a new Australian full-speed collision sport concept (based off the Run it Straight and RunIt Championship league) that is being promoted by UFC Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa, announced its second event at Sydney’s Hordern Pavillion

Macarthur Bulls unveiled its 25/26 Sony Foundation Pink Jersey - the club’s major partner SipEnergy generously donated its front-of-jersey position to the charity for last week’s match

Brisbane revealed new $3.6B Olympic stadium designs for Victoria Park, and the Queensland Government announced Australian architecture firm COX and Hassell as the designers (Their portfolio includes Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval redevelopment)

Australian Open and NEXO launched the AO26 $10 Million Bracket Challenge - tennis fans across Australia have the chance to win $10 million by correctly predicting the winner of every match in either the men’s or women’s singles draw – a total of 127 matches – before the tournament begins

*Australian Open sponsors have been highly active - Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter, where we’ll share a comprehensive overview of the tournament’s standout activations

SailGP’s high-speed growth story

As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented and competitive, niche sports, leagues and teams are emerging, and disruption of the traditional sports landscape is taking place.

Related: Sports landscape is shifting

One of the clearest examples of this new era is SailGP, a league co-founded in 2018 by Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison (who is Chief Technology Officer, and the world’s third richest person with a $245B net worth according to the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List) and championship sailor Russell Coutts (SailGP CEO).

The League is a fast-growing sports property that blends elite sailing competition, cutting-edge technology, global destinations, environmental sustaintability and a premium entertainment experience.

‘Formula 1 on water’

Often described as “Formula 1 on water”, the Rolex SailGP Championship sees national teams battling it out in identical high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans (that can reach up to 100 km/h) at iconic venues around the world such as New York City, Dubai, Sydney, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, and Abu Dhabi.

Teams compete as national squads, creating instant fandom - those currently represented include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, France, Germany, Brazil, New Zealand, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. *Sweden is entering the Championship in 2026 and others are set to follow.

Powered by technology

Technology sits at SailGP’s core.

Each F50 catamaran is fitted with 800+ sensors, streaming over 30,000 data points per second per boat into Oracle’s cloud infrastructure. Over a season, this equates to roughly 80 billion data points, powering everything from broadcast graphics to performance analytics.

Critically, SailGP operates an open data policy - Every team has access to the same data and tools — ensuring competitiveness, and constant innovation.

SailGP’s 2025 season was a breakout one

  • 12 x grand Prix events delivered in iconic locations across the globe

  • 4 x new venues added - Sassnitz (Germany), Geneva (Switzerland), Portsmouth (UK), Auckland (New Zealand)

  • 12 x teams on the start line (The league’s largest fleet - it’s inaugural season had 6 teams)

  • 2 x new teams debuted (Red Bull Italy & Mubadala Brazil SailGP teams)

Last year, the competition was recognised by Fast Company as one the most innovative and fastest growing sports properties in the world - a reflection of both its on-water product and off-water strategy.

The popularity of the league is accelerating

SailGP’s growth story is backed by hard numbers.

In 2025, the league’s broadcast viewership surged:

  • 215 million total audience

  • 18 million average viewers per event

  • Broke its own single-event viewership record twice - Sydney: 21.2 million viewers, Cádiz: 23 million viewers

Digital engagement followed suit:

  • 2.75 million social followers

  • 1.6 billion social views

  • 1 million YouTube subscribers, up 52% year-on-year

SailGP’s long-term approach to its broadcast strategy (prioritising growth) has helped underpin its growth

In its early stages, SailGP adopted an unconventional approach to media rights by offering them for free. This strategy aimed to maximise global exposure and rapidly build a fan base. By removing financial barriers for broadcasters, SailGP ensured widespread coverage across various platforms and regions, which was crucial for establishing its presence in the competitive sports market.

Over time, as the league’s popularity is growing, SailGP is transitioning to more traditional media rights agreements, securing major financial deals with major broadcasters which is proving pivotal to enhancing the league’s commercial viability. *Similar tactics have historically been adopted by Formula 1.

The festival-like event is giving fans a positive experience

Fans want more than just a game or race. They want spectacle. To meet these changing consumer demands, major sports events and leagues are evolving, with rights holders creating entertainment-first live event experiences, and large-scale festival-like experiences that live beyond the competitive arena.

Australia’s biggest sports events all have launched festival experiences - e.g. Australian Open, Spring Racing Carnival, NBL Hoopfest, LIV Golf, Formula 1, AFL Gather Round, NRL Magic Round, AFL & NRL Grand Finals etc.

Related: The festivalisation of sports

Across the 2025 SailGP season:

  • 112,000 spectators attended in person

  • 10,000 guests experienced premium hospitality

  • 68% of attendees travelled from outside host regions

Fans who attend enjoyed their experience, signaled by:

  • +58 average NPS score

  • 43% repeat attendees

*Auckland and Sassnitz delivered standout experiences with +80 and +72 NPS scores respectively.

Sail GP is set to deliver a festival-like experience of its own in Australia in 2026

SailGP is doubling down on Australia:

  • The Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG is kicking-off season 6 at Fremantle’s Bathers Beach this weekend

  • The KPMG Sydney SailGP 2026 takes place in Sydney Harbour in February, and in its seventh edition it’ll debut an all-new twilight racing format

The Perth event marks SailGP’s West Coast debut and the start of a 3-year partnership with the WA Government. It’s expected to inject millions into the local economy while delivering global broadcast exposure.

Hype has been building for the beginning of the 2026 SailGP season in Australia

Nic Natanui, the legendary West Coast Eagles AFL star, helped with the launch of the inaugural Perth SailGP event in December 2025, appearing in front of media alongside Tourism Minister Reece Whitby and Tom Slingsby from the Bonds Flying Roos team.

Launch parties were also hosted in their respective cities:

  • Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG launch party- here

  • KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix launch party (below)

In Sydney, VIP guests were welcomed aboard the LANCE Super Yacht for an exclusive sunset celebration. Alongside Tom Slingsby’s BONDS Flying Roos, guests enjoyed a rare behind-the-scenes preview of the sport, from course insights to details on the new twilight racing format, capturing the electricity, energy and spectacle SailGP is known for.

The hype has delivered…

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The league’s popularity is being commercialised effectively

In 2025, SailGP’s league-wide revenue topped $200 million - 68% YoY growth, and roughly 20x’ed since the inaugural season in 2019.

Revenue streams include:

  • Broadcast - 200+ deals in countries and territories worldwide

  • Ticketing - 112,000 ticketed spectators attended its races in person across the 2025 season

  • Hospitality - The Adrenaline Lounge hosted ~10,000 VIP guests in 2025 which included sponsors, corporate clients, and wealthy fans

  • Merchandise & licensing agreements

  • Sponsorships - The league & teams have secured partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands

  • Investment & ownership - Celebrities, high-profile tech entrepreneurs, and major financial institutions have invested in teams

In addition, top-performing teams are approaching $10 million in annual revenue - the league implements a $10 million team cost cap so multiple teams are approaching profitability, some may’ve already achieved this.

SailGP has a compelling proposition for partners:

  • Global reach

  • Affluent audience with disposable income

  • Innovation / cutting edge technology

  • Clean racing with a strong focus on sustainability

Its commercial performance accelerated in 2025, driven by the expansion of the relationship with Rolex as new Title Partner of the Championship, alongside the entry of new multi-season global league partnerships including DP World, Emirates, Accor, KPMG and Fever.

New or expanded global partnerships in 2025

  • ROLEX - Title Partner

  • Emirates - Global Airline Partner

  • DP World - Global Smart Logistics Partner

  • Accor Hotels - Official Hotel Partner

  • Fever - Official Ticketing Partner

  • KPMG - Official Digital Transformation Partner

Other blue chip League partners include:

  • Mubadala - Official Global Partner

  • Oracle - Global Data Patner

  • Apex - Official financial solutions partner

Team partnerships

In 2025, SailGP teams welcomed new title partners:

  • Australia - BONDS

  • Italy - Red Bull

  • Brazil - Mubadala

The launch of the ‘BONDS Flying Roos’

In June, Australia’s SailGP team rebranded to the ‘BONDS Flying Roos’ as part of a new multimillion dollar deal that saw actors Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds join the team as co-owners.

More recently, the Bonds Flying Roos unveiled two new major partners, with monday.com and Blueberry joining Title Partner Bonds in multi-year deals commencing at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Final - To mark the ocassion, it released a video with it’s co-owners.

Investment has been a key revenue driver for the League

In 2020, after only 16 months of operation, SailGP sold a minority stake to global entertainment, sports and content company, Endeavor, valuing the league at $200 million following its highly successful first season.

The League not only benefited from the cash injection, it also benefited from its capabilities across content production, media rights distribution, creative services, licensing, sponsorships and consumer marketing.

Teams have become a magnet for investment and their valuations are growing rapidly

The league initially owned most teams but it’s been transitioning to private ownership via franchise licenses, and valuations have surged.

High-profile investors in SailGP teams include celebrities and tech entrepreneurs:

  • Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman (Australia)

  • Kylian Mbappé (France)

  • Anne Hathaway (Italy)

  • Sebastian Vettel (Germany)

  • Marc Lasry, Gary Vaynerchuk, Issa Rae, Deontay Wilder, Gryffin, DeAndre Hopkins, Malik Jackson, Roquan Smith and Kayvon Thibodeaux and others (USA)

Much like Endeavor’s investment in the league in 2020, the above owners act as more than investors, they are media channels, ambassadors, and cultural amplifiers.

For example, since becoming owners of Australia’s SailGP team, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been active in driving online engagement - creating content and injecting humour and storytelling into it’s owned channels to help drive awareness, and attract new audiences to the sport. The reach generated via their owned and earned channels would equate to millions of $ in media value.

Institutional Capital is also involved - Firms like Ares Management and Avenue Capital have recognised the League’s growth and are invested.

To help drive team valuations, the league has created scarcity by capping total team licenses at 20 globally (13 are currently taken).

In 2025, Deloitte was hired to run a tender process for new teams to enter the League — 35 parties expressed interest, and Sweden secured the 13th slot to start racing in 2026. Bidding continues for future teams.

With Formula 1 (and other sports) valuations hitting record territory (e.g. Mercedes F1 team’s reported $6bn valuation) SailGP may be well positioned to benefit from that momentum and investor appetite.

Host city rights

Like Formula 1, SailGP generates revenue by charging host cities to stage events, with governments and tourism bodies investing for tourism and media exposure.

Host fee’s have reportedly been within “six figures” historically, but much like the valuations of the league and teams, demand is growing and host fees are rising too - Auckland reportedly committed over $1 million for last year’s Grand Prix in New Zealand.

SailGP CEO, Sir Russell Coutts:

“We’ve had unprecedented interest from cities around the world”

Host city ROI

In 2025, the league staged 12 events across five continents, delivering more than $230 million in combined economic impact - 68% of fans travelled from outside the host region, helping to generate over $230 million in regional economic impact.

In addition to the economic impact each Grand Prix delivers, the global broadcast which reaches 200+ territories helps turn SailGP into a high-impact tourism advertisement that showcases iconic waterfronts and skylines around the world.

Related: The overlooked benefits of major sports events

For Australia, last year’s Grand Prix event beamed images of the Sydney Harbour to 21.2 million viewers around the world.

SailGP’s event operations are core to its success

Its lightweight event model (temporary infrastructure, rapid setup and teardown, no stadium requirement) makes it attractive to cities and scalable globally, especially compared to other major sports events, such as Formula 1.

The League is transforming into a global powerhouse, but…

Despite crossing $200 million in revenue, SailGP is not yet profitable - but it’s by design.

In 2025 the league recorded $200M+ but Larry Ellison and his partners have opted to reinvest in growth.

  • $10m investment in new global innovation HQ, SailGP technologies

  • 115+ technical experts now based at the facility

  • Its broadcast deals have prioritised growth (mass coverage in exchange for free access to broadcast rights) and are transitioning to commercial deals as the League grows in popularity

SailGP’s high-speed growth is a case study in modern sports strategy worth noticing

It’s the result of deliberate strategic choices - prioritising audience growth over short-term revenue, launching teams that are tied to national identity to create immediate fandom, building a technology-first product, creating scarcity through franchise licences, ensuring a lean and sustainable operation, and delivering a live experience that goes well beyond the race itself. Add in global city partnerships, blue-chip sponsors and celebrity-backed ownership groups and the league begins to look less like a niche sport, and more like a next-generation global powerhouse.

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]]><![CDATA[Why China is key to the Australian Open’s international growth strategy ]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-china-is-key-to-the-australianhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/why-china-is-key-to-the-australianWed, 17 Dec 2025 21:17:35 GMT

Today’s newsletter is presented by Global Institute of Sport

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Thank you for reading Notice in 2025!

Today marks the last e-newsletter of the year so I wanted to say a big thank you for subscribing to Notice.

As the audience continues to organically grow, it reinforces the intent of Notice - to create genuinely valuable content for the Australian sports industry community.

I’d like to send a big shout out to:

  • Guest writers - who have contributed thoughtful, high-quality feature articles throughout the year - your insights have helped elevate the publication

  • Sponsors - whose support has enabled Notice to continue delivering free content while making our sports industry networking events sustainable

While producing each edition requires a significant amount of time, effort, and discipline, it’s something I genuinely enjoy - If you’ve found value in what you’ve read, I’d greatly appreciate you sharing it with your network to help grow the audience :)

Have an idea, would like to get involved, explore partnerships, or have a general chat? - I’ll be online intermittently throughout the Christmas and New Year break, and would encourage you to reach out on LinkedIn here.

Notice will return in January :)

Thanks,

Matt - Founder/Writer

Australian Open welcomed YoPRO as an Official Partner for 2026 which will deliver interactive activations across AO26 - The announcement also marks a major moment for World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, making his debut at the AO as YoPRO’s Global Chief Progress Officer

Hydration brand, Liquid I.V., signed on as the Official Hydration Supplement Partner of the United Cup, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart Internationals - The collaboration marks Liquid I.V.’s first major foray into Australian sport

General Motors Specialty Vehicles became the official automotive partner for the LA Rams in Australia and NZ throughout this season and next, including the first ever regular season NFL game to be played at the MCG in 2026

Sydney Thunder inked a new deal with RSEA which became the Club’s Official Workwear & Safety Equipment Partner

Perth Bears announced a mega-deal with second-hand retailer and personal finance provider Cash Converters which became the club’s front-of-jersey sponsor for its inaugural 2027 NRL season, and the following 2 years

Perth Bears and Southern Cross Austereo WA announced a new 3-year media partnership which will see SCA deliver dedicated airtime and promotional support each year across Mix94.5, 92.9 Triple M, 34 regional stations and LiSTNR, to help build the Perth Bears’ brand presence across WA

Melbourne City FC welcomed Gumbuya World as the Club’s Official Theme Park Partner - As part of the collaboration, all Melbourne City members and fans will receive discounted entry to Gumbuya World - the theme park will also have a presence on match days at City Square

Credit Union SA extended its partnership with Port Adelaide across the club’s AFL and AFLW programs - it will also continue its support of the club’s not-for-profit arm, Power Community Limited, and continue as the naming-rights partner of the club’s Community Footy Raffle

Gold Coast SUNS and Mackay Regional Council announced a partnership extension which will see Mackay continue to be the home-away-from-home for the Club’s AFLW team

South Sydney Rabbitohs announced a new high-performance partnership with American Football Australia which will see Australia’s top flag football athletes train out of the world class USANA Rabbitohs Centre in Maroubra

Hockey Australia secured a 1-year partnership extension with Kumho Tyre Australia which will continue to support hockey at all levels — from grassroots clubs and community competitions to elite national teams such as the Kookaburras and the Hockeyroos

Adelaide Strikers and the South Australian Cricket Association welcomed Jones Radiology as an official partner which will support SACA and the Strikers’ high-performance program, ensuring players have access to world-class diagnostic imaging and medical expertise

Adelaide Lightning and Sports College SA announced a new partnership that will give SCSA students – particularly girls pursuing basketball and broader sporting pathways – meaningful access to Adelaide Lightning athletes, coaches, and professional staff

Ringers Western extended its partnership with Queensland Rugby Union as the Official Formal Wear Partner

Football Victoria inked a new 4-year partnership with New Balance, and Belgravia Apparel which will see FV’s staff, Academy teams/programs and representative squads wear New Balance uniforms and playing kits from 2026

PUMA hosted a shakeout run before last week’s HYROX event in Melbourne, and launched its ‘Hype Zone’ at the event which gave attendees a chance to get inked at the onsite tattoo shop, Trial the PUMA’s NITRO™ footwear range, win a stack of PUMA prizes, and get a first look at the first-of-its-kind shoe built for HYROX

WNBL and Beyond Blue announced a new partnership that will shine a nation-wide spotlight on the power of connection with the launch of Mental Health Takes a Team – Know Your Starting 5 Mental Health Round, to be held during Round 10 19-23 December

South Sydney Rabbitohs and New Zealand Warriors struck a unique agreement, allowing player sharing between their NRLW pathways

Western United received a legal lifeline to help it avoid being wound up by the ATO, helping its chances of a return to the A-Leagues

Australian Golf announced the launch of GOLF360, a year-round digital media platform that unifies the full strength of Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia’s digital ecosystems

Nielsen research indicated that the Canberra Raiders NRL and NRLW matches contributed $27M+ stimulus to the local economy, with more than 50% coming from interstate and overseas visitors

The Village Green returned to the Adelaide Oval for the Third Test, and it features a number of pop-up bar and brand activations

Foot Locker expanded its footprint across Australia with three new ‘Reimagined’ store openings in Robina (QLD), Watergardens (VIC) and Maroochydore (QLD)

SportsBox, maker of self-serve lockers with free access to sports equipment, installed lockers in 2 x new locations in Victoria - Portland and Casterton

Revo Fitness opened a new site in Richmond with a sunrise DJ set from Collingwood FC Captain, Darcy Moore

A Melbourne-based data analytics company, Data Driven Sports Analytics (used by World Number One Aryna Sabalenka) was acquired by sports tech firm Orreco (which has been backed by billionaire Mark Cuban)

Cameron Green became the highest-priced overseas player in Indian Premier League history, bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for 252 million rupees ($4.17 million)

A new fencing league called World Fencing League (WFL) has been launched by 3-time Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson in the hope of dragging the “ancient Olympic sport” into the modern entertainment age

Lionel Messi’s tour of India kicked off chaotically after his scheduled for a 45-minute visit to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium only lasted 20 minutes - fans threw objects, ripped up seats and invaded the pitch

Following his AFL Grand Final headline performance earlier this year, Snoop Dogg announced he has teamed up with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee as “Coach Snoop, Team USA,” a volunteer role focused on supporting and uplifting American Olympians and Paralympians away from competition

GIS Sydney campus to kick off with Australian Summit

Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is opening its latest global campus in Sydney next month, launching a Master of International Sports Business and Master of Sports Analytics in partnership with the University of Newcastle, with classrooms inside the Allianz Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground.

To celebrate the campus launch, all students enrolling onto a degree starting in January 2026 will get free access to the annual GIS Australian Sports Summit to Melbourne and Sydney. This will include guest speakers from AFL, Football Australia, NRL, Cricket Australia, Tennis Australia, Paralympics Australia and the Australian Sports Technologies Network. Students will also get behind the scenes access to the Australian Open, A League and NBL.

If you’re interested in studying a unique industry-led master’s degree in 2026, you can learn more and apply here.

Learn more & apply

Why China is key to the Australian Open’s international growth strategy

Australian sports organisations are accelerating their push beyond domestic borders, and the Australian Open’s (AO) international growth strategy is worth noticing.

Related: How international forces are shaping sport in Australia

The Australian Open is building its global brand

The Australian Open holds a unique position in global sport. It’s the world’s premier tennis tournament in the southern hemisphere and the only Grand Slam played in Asia-Pacific time zones - this factor, has been a big contributor to its global success.

The rise of superstars like Japan’s Naomi Osaka and China’s Zheng Qinwen have boosted what are already enormous tennis fanbases and AO broadcast markets across APAC, and this Asian audience is set to grow further thanks to the rise of many other upcoming stars from across APAC.

As tennis Grand Slams increasingly face the possibility of disruption, and more intense competition, Tennis Australia is actively defending and extending its brand positioning as the “Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific” (which it’s held since 2003), and China is key to this.

China is core to the Australian Open’s plans within the Asia Pacific

Why?

  • 1.4+ billion population

  • The world’s 2nd largest economy

Within China:

  • 330m tennis fans - 220m of whom are AO fans (Craig Tiley estimated this in 2018, but it’s likely more now - refer to 400m broadcast statistic below)

  • 25m tennis enthusiasts (Nearly one in every 50 people in China is a hardcore tennis fan)

*“China is now the fastest-growing tennis market globally and the depth of talent across Asia-Pacific is extraordinary” - John Fitzgerald

China’s tennis boom began 15 years ago thanks to Li Na

In 2011, China’s Li Na became the first Asian tennis player to win a grand slam title - the 2011 French Open. She later took the AO in 2014 which sent China’s tennis boom into overdrive.

The baton has now been passed to Zheng Qinwen, who reached the final at AO 2024 before claiming singles gold for China at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Now one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes, her return to the court at AO 2026 is highly anticipated after she suffered an elbow injury in the back half of 2025.

The Australian Open broadcast in China delivers massive reach

China consistently provides one of the highest viewerships of the AO around the world, reaching over 400 million households according to Tennis Australia Chief Commercial Officer, Cedric Cornelis.

In 2024, Tennis Australia and China Media Group (CMG) announced an extension of their long-term broadcast partnership that is seeing CMG’s CCTV Sports platforms continue to broadcast the Australian Open in China on free to air television until 2026.

The coverage across CMG’s multiple platforms is core to boosting the popularity and influence of the Australian Open in China.

The Australian Open’s social media presence across China has surged

  • Nearly 40% of its overall broadcast and social media audiences are located in China

  • The AO has experienced double-digit growth every year for seven years across its social media

  • Contributing to this growth, and ensuring the momentum continues, a dedicated team produces content all year round for popular Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, WeChat, RedNote

Tennis Australia is exploring cooperative projects to improve the overall levels of Chinese tennis.

“It’s in our interest to see a healthy tennis business in China”

- Roddy Campbell, Director of Partnerships and International Business, Tennis Australia

Tennis Australia has:

  • Opened offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong

  • Organised large-scale launch events in China, which has included China AO retail collection unveiling’s, partnership activations and high-profile media events

    • 2025 - AO Launch in Shanghai (below)

    • 2024 - AO Launch in Aranya (see here)

  • Launched the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off tournament which sees top players from the Asia-Pacific region compete for a coveted AO main draw wildcard – earlier this year Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Tennis legend John Fitzgerald in China to announce the will return to Chengdu this year.

Chinese brands are sponsoring the Australian Open

The AO’s growing popularity is attracting sponsorships from major Chinese brands.

Luzhou Laojiao – The Chinese alcohol brand which makes baijiu (a strong liquor made from grain) was reported to be the AO’s largest Chinese sponsorship deal in history, valued at tens of millions of dollars. While the brand has minimal recognition among Australian consumers, its highly-visibile perimeter court placements at Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena have prompted widespread curiosity among local fans.

What is 1573? Chinese distillery continues sponsorship at Australian Open 2025 image

In contrast, Luzhou Laojiao is a household name in China, and is the world’s most consumed spirit due to the sheer amount it’s drunk in the country. In 2023, Luzhou Laojiao signed a 5-year deal as the Official Baijiu Partner of the tournament.

Luckin Coffee - In 2024, Tennis Australia announced a new multi-year partnership with Luckin Coffee which will become the AO’s Official Coffee Partner in China and South East Asia. Luckin is a leading retail coffee company and at the time the deal was done, it had over 13,000 stores across more than 300 cities in China. Luckin has leveraged virtual signage at the AO to activate its sponsorship in China and across South East Asia.

Haier - The Chinese Consumer electronics company entered into a new 3-year deal as the Official TV and Appliance Partner of the AO and Summer of Tennis events.

Brands are sponsoring the Australian Open to tap into the Chinese market

For global and Australian brands alike, the AO has become more than a sporting event, it’s a trusted gateway into one of the world’s most complex and valuable consumer markets.

EZZ Life Science: Australian genomic life science company EZZ Life Science, signed a 3-year regional sponsorship deal with the AO in 2024 with the goal of expanding its brand presence in China. It’s leveraged digital advertising on AO platforms, social media takeovers, and influencer collaborations to engage Chinese tennis fans, and other key markets across APAC such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam - home to 550 million people.

Piper-Heidsieck - The official sponsor and champagne supplier of the Australian Open, views China as being at the center of the company’s ambitions, and that the Australian Open provides a valuable platform for brands like Piper-Heidsieck to connect with Chinese audiences.

“The Australian Open is a credible brand in China… That gives you an extra story to tell Chinese distributors, suppliers, and restaurants, because you’ve kind of got that stamp of extra credibility.”

- Piper-Heidsieck chief executive Damien Lafaurie

Many other brands have been leveraging there AO partnerships across China - including Kia, Waterdrop, Dunlop, ANZ and Ralph Lauren.

The Australian Open is creating a virtuous cycle in the Chinese market

Where deeper engagement drives greater fan interest, which in turn amplifies broadcast reach and social media exposure, unlocking increased commercialisation through partnerships (commercial, media, government) that can be reinvested to further strengthen its presence and relevance in China.

What the Australian Open is building in China is not a short-term activation play, but a compounding growth engine - a self-reinforcing ecosystem where Chinese fandom, visibility and commercial value continuously feed each other.

Related: A look inside Australian Open partnerships, The humble beginnings of the $500+ Australian Open, A look inside the business of the Australian Open

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]]><![CDATA[How international forces are shaping sport in Australia]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-international-forces-are-shapinghttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-international-forces-are-shapingWed, 10 Dec 2025 21:01:15 GMT

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Altos Tequila celebrated its Grand Slam debut as the first-ever official tequila of the Australian Open and announced Thanasi Kokkinakis as its Ambassador - A suite of sports stars were attended the media event including Briana Throssell, Tayleb Willis, Cam Munster, Matt Guelfi and Zac Williams

Geelong Cats announced a new partnership with JD Sports, which joins the Club as an Elite Partner ahead of the 2026 AFL season - The JD logo will feature on playing shorts, training gear, and travel apparel, and the Cats become the first AFL club to wear the JD Roundel, joining some of the largest clubs and codes in the world, including those from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and the UFC, among others

Sydney Roosters announced Adept Fire Protection Services as an Official Platinum Partner commencing in 2026 - its logo will feature on the Roosters’ home and away NRL jersey in 2026 and beyond

Richmond FC welcomed Punt Road Wines as an Official Wine Partner of the club, and an partnership extension with its current IT Partner Comwire IT for 3 more years

People First Bank renewed its major partnership with Adelaide Strikers for the WBBL and BBL seasons - As part of the renewed deal, the bank is introducing a new innings-break activation called ‘First Past the Post’ - a fast-paced, cricket-inspired relay race that will see two local cricket clubs compete head-to-head to win $5,000 in prize money

South Sydney Rabbitohs inked a new deal with Dina Uniforms which became the club’s new Official Suiting Partner (This new partnerships builds on the existing relationship with Classic Sportswear, Dina’s sister brand)

Parramatta Eels unveiled a new ‘Supertee’ - a new children’s medical garment designed in its Club colours - Supertee garments are gifted free of charge to children in hospitals locally and across Australia, and this marks the first time a Supertee has featured an official professional sports design

Gold Coast Titans and Village Roadshow Theme Parks announced the extension of their partnership until the end of the 2027 season - As the official host of the Titans’ iconic Superhero Round, VRTP will continue to help transform Cbus Super Stadium into a celebration of heroes

Golf Australia secured a new deal Tabcorp (TAB) which became an Official Partner for its flagship events - from the Crown Australian Open, through to the VIC Open and the women’s Australian Open in March

Basketball Australia announced a 3-year partnership extension with Experience Gold Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland that will see the Foot Locker Australian School Championships continue on the Gold Coast

KFC activated its Official Partnership of Cricket Australia by rolling out ‘Whinge Wipes’ (limited-edition refresher towels designed to gently wipe your face to remove salty English tears) and temporarily replaced the Colonel in select in-stadium visuals with Travis Head’s face following his standout performance in the opening Test

@fakenewsleagueHAS THIS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE?! #ashes #cricket #travishead #kfc
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Melbourne Vixens and Netball Victoria announced a partnership with Latrobe City Council and the Victorian Government which will see the reigning Suncorp Super Netball champions visit 100’s of local students in the region, and the Victorian Netball League open its season in Traralgon

NSW Waratahs confirmed Everything Fleet extended its Platinum Partnership as the Club’s Official Fleet Rental Partner until the end of 2026 - the partnership spans the Men’s, Women’s and Academy programs, and the Everything Fleet logo will again feature on the front of the Waratahs Men’s playing shorts next season

Western Force welcomed Theme Group as the Club’s Official Catering Partner - after coming on board last season to assist with the men’s and women’s nutrition needs it’s now extending to be a Major Partner for the next 3 seasons

Brisbane Bullets welcomed Rydges South Bank as its Official Accommodation Partner for the remainder of the season

Swimming Australia announced a new partnership with Australian-owned franchise Bakers Delight

Aitken Partners became the Official Legal Services Partner of Melbourne FC until at least 2027

Melbourne FC extended its partnership with LEGO Australia which will continue as the Club’s Official Toy Partner for another 2 years

Coinciding with last week’s Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, Min Woo Lee launched a limited-edition ‘Let Him Cook’ collection with Lululemon

TEG Sport and NSW Government announced that Sydney will play host to two of the biggest teams in world football next year, with Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur confirmed as the headline clubs for the Sydney Super Cup 2026 - The EPL giants will take on Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers FC, before facing off against each other in a blockbuster ‘London Derby’

NBL in partnership with City of Perth announced the HoopsFest Fan Zone - a free 4-day pop-up event in January that will take place in Forrest Place featuring DJs, food trucks, giveaways, merchandise, sponsor activations, and family-friendly activities

The official launch party’s of the Oracle Perth SailGP and KPMG Sydney SailGP took place on Bathers Beach and Sydney Harbour respectively - in addition Nic Natanui, Tom Slingsby and WA Minister Reece Whitby also held a meet and greet in front of media to officially welcome the Bonds Flying Ross to WA for the upcoming major event

Tennis Australia and National Pickleball League (NPL) announced a new partnership which will support clubs, coaches and communities across Australia to expand access to both social and competitive play, focusing on venue integration, innovative events and inclusive participation programs

TGI Sport entered into a new commercial partnership with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) which will support the growth of football across the Pacific and the launch of the OFC Pro League in January 2026

How international forces are shaping sport in Australia

Globalisation isn’t new to sport, but the pace, scale and ambition we’re seeing today is unprecedented.

Australian codes are pushing beyond traditional borders, expanding into new markets through overseas fixtures, international brand launches and diplomatic partnerships.

Meanwhile, the world’s most powerful leagues and investors are planting deeper roots here, reshaping the commercial landscape and redefining who plays where, who watches, and who profits.

As Australia becomes both an exporter and importer across the spectrum of sports, the industry faces a new era of opportunity, and competition, on a global stage.

Below are some of the international forces and plays that are impacting, and showing up in Australian sport worth noticing…

Leveraging global sports events for tourism marketing

Australia continues to tap into the international spotlight created by major sporting events, turning global fandom into real-world visitation and economic impact.

David Warner and Stuart Broad (897k and 10.5m Instagram followers respectively) have been employed to feature in a 3-part content series as part of the Come and Say G’day campaign.

The UK remains a crucial tourism market for Australia — currently our 4th largest source of international visitors, which collectively contributed over $5 billion to the economy in the 12 months to June 2025.

Tourism Australia is looking to keep that momentum…

Tourism Australia is also rolling out a new installment of its ‘Come and Say G’day’ campaign featuring Pat Cummins and Ruby the Kangaroo across UK TV and digital channels.

This is not the first time Tourism Australia has capitalised on the international spotlight generated by hosting a major sports event. It took a similar approach with:

  • FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023

  • British & Irish Lions tour earlier this year

A version of ‘Howzat for a holiday?’ also ran in India throughout the last Summer of Cricket, when the Indian cricket team toured, generating ~100m views.

Cricket isn’t the only platform being used to for tourism tourism marketing…

TGI Wildcard in partnership with Visit Victoria and NFL launched a creative content piece featuring the face of NFL Redzone – Scott Hanson which showcases what makes Melbourne and Victoria every bit different (ahead of the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game)

Australian sports are actively exporting themselves overseas

The NRL has global plans

Las Vegas: The League’s Las Vegas season opener is a bold play to unlock new revenue streams via broadcast, sponsorships, subscriptions and gambling partnerships.

Related: Everything you need to know about the NRL’s Las Vegas expansion, Can the NRL’s Vegas Gamble Pay Off?

Global Round: The NRL is considering plans for a global round at the start of the 2027 season according to the Sydney Morning Herald - London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Miami and Paris are among the potential host cities (in addition to Las Vegas).

Papua New Guinea: The NRL is expanding its Pacific presence with a new Papua New Guinea franchise (PNG Chiefs) — backed by a $600 million, 10-year agreement with the Federal Government aimed at strengthening regional ties.

In addition:

Brisbane Broncos in the Middle East: The Courier Mail reported the Brisbane Broncos were invited by Arabian Government officials to play Super League Champions Hull KR in the Middle East for $1.5m - the deal fell over due to logistical issues but the club remains open to the idea of playing games in the region.

Pacific Championships: The Pacific Championships (which features many of the NRL’s biggest stars) started as a diplomatic experiment and has transformed into a tournament that’s competitive, commercially potent, culturally driven, and that’s fueling Rugby League’s growth across the region.

Related: How the Pacific Championships became Rugby League’s new growth engine

The Australian Open is building its global brand

As tennis grand slams face the possibility of disruption, and more intense competition for talent, viewership and partners, Tennis Australia is making sure the AO remains the “Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific” in multiple ways.

International launch events have been key to this:

  • AO26 Shanghai Launch event - here

  • AO26 Japan Launch event - here

*More to come next week

While Australian sports export themselves, America’s biggest leagues are planting flags here

NHL - Nine and the NHL announced a new broadcast partnership that is seeing 9GO! broadcast a live NHL game every Saturday morning throughout the 2025/26 regular season (delivering 21 regular-season games in total).

NFL - The NFL has set ambitious goals for its international growth over a 10-year period, targeting $1 billion in new annual revenue and 50 million new fans, and Australia is a part of the plan. The expansion into Australia forms part of the league’s “Global Markets Program” which gives NFL clubs access to global markets for fan engagement initiatives - LA Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders have been granted rights to engage Australia and New Zealand. The NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia will be played at the MCG in 2026, with the LA Rams as the designated team.

2026 NFL Melbourne Game: American Football in Australia and New Zealand – NFL.com

Related: NFL growth tactics in Australia, NFL growth in Australia

NBA - Australia continues to rank among the top international markets for NBA League Pass, and this may be thanks to the growing number of Australia players on NBA rosters, including Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.

NBA x NBL - In October, Melbourne hosted the New Orleans Pelicans who faced off against Melbourne United & SEM Phoenix in front of sell-out crowds at Rod Laver Arena. Flinders St Station was lit up with projections to mark the event.

English Football also views Australia as an important market

TEG Sport and NSW Government just announced that Sydney will play host to two of the biggest teams in world football next year, with Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur confirmed as the headline clubs for the Sydney Super Cup 2026 - The EPL giants will take on Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers FC, before facing off against each other in a blockbuster ‘London Derby’.

The English Football League has become the new playground for the Australian Socceroos - 16 current or recently-called up Socceroos squad members in 2025 are plying their trade.

Earlier this year, Wrexham used matches against Melbourne Victory at Marvel Stadium and Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium as crucial pre-season clashes.

Related: Why the rise of the English Football League is worth paying attention to

A new wave of investment is creating disruption and delivering new propositions

LIV Golf Adelaide has quickly become the most exciting and successful event on the global golf event calendar - it was recently named the World’s Best Golf Event by the World Golf Awards for a third consecutive year.

Related: The world’s best golf event (literally), LIV Golf Adelaide 2025 unpacked LIV Golf takes over town

SailGP is a fast-growing league which was co-founded by Larry Ellison who has a net worth of $250+ billion USD (he was recently crowned the world’s richest person). In 2026, the Rolex SailGP Championship is making its debut in Perth on 17-18 January and a seventh return to Sydney Harbour on 28 February and 1 March.

Earlier this year, Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were unveiled as owners of the Australian team - the ‘BONDS Flying Roos’. The pair have recently just signed Monday.com and Blueberry as partners.

Big Bash is exploring privatisation

There are reports that Australian cricket is moving towards a landmark move - opening the Big Bash League to private investment, much of it is expected to come from overseas.

According to The Age, selling 49% stakes in six clubs, along with full ownership rights for one Sydney and Melbourne team, could unlock between $600 million and $800 million in fresh capital. The proposed funding injection would help stabilise Cricket Australia’s financial position while driving reinvestment into grassroots cricket nationwide.

This trend isn’t limited to leagues and events, the commercial ecosystem around sport in Australia is evolving too…

Sports Direct, Britain’s biggest sporting goods retailer, which has 700+ outlets around the world, just opened its first Australian store in Melbourne’s Fountain Gate shopping centre.

Australians are investing overseas

Global Sports Fund Management Group, the firm owned by former Wests Tigers powerbrokers Justin Pascoe and Lee Hagipantelis bought a Canadian basketball franchise - The Ottawa BlackJacks.

Former Broncos legend Darren Lockyer has teamed up with businessman Grant Wechsel to acquire a 90% stake in the UK-based London Broncos. Their vision is to elevate the club back into the Super League and build a commercially successful powerhouse.

A new media order

Streaming is democratising access to sport - fans can follow leagues from anywhere in the world and leagues can monetise global audiences. This shift is allowing sports to grow beyond their traditional heartlands, but it comes with disruption.

Sports rights are fragmented and dedicated sports fans needs to subscribe to multiple platforms in order to watch all their favourite sports… or as Now We Collide put it “Build their own stacks” with personalised combinations of: Kayo, Disney+, Stan Sport, Paramount+, Free-to-air, YouTube and even TikTok!

In Australia:

  • The NRL is preparing to land a new broadcast rights deal that’s bigger than the $4.5 billion agreement signed by the AFL in 2022 - Peter V’landys has previously flagged that the League is considering carving up its broadcast rights with streamers such as DAZN, Netflix and Amazon

  • The Age recently reported that Foxtel’s new foreign owner, streaming giant DAZN, believed it was paying too much for its AFL rights and that it could seek to renegotiate it - The following week, The Australian published an article which ‘categorically dismissed’ this

  • The closure of Optus Sport and the transfer of its major rights (notably to the English Premier League) to Stan Sport reflects a broad shake-up of sports streaming in Australia

  • In March, ESPN officially launched on Disney+ across Australia and New Zealand giving subscribers access to sports such as NBA, NFL, NBL, WNBL, WNBA, NHL, NCAA, UFC

  • YouTube is giving rise to a new viewing experience - Dan Gorringe’s collaboration with the AFL for a live watchalong stream marked one of Dan Does Footy’s biggest ventures to date - more here

Sports are finding new creative distribution channels

Recently, the NBL announced that games and content will be made available on the NBA App and NBA TV - fans from the U.S. and Canada will be able to watch NBL games throughout the season.

Middle East momentum

Australian sport is forging deeper connections across the Middle East, with startups, agencies, clubs, and government bodies all playing a role in expanding commercial opportunities and global influence.

Illawarra Hawks just entered into a new partnership with global sports consultancy STOIC 360 that’s aimed at expanding the club’s commercial and cultural footprint across the Middle East in the lead-up to the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027.

Collingwood FC players Darcy Moore, Josh & Nick Daicos and Isaac Quaynor embarked on a week-long trip to Dubai in partnership with club sponsor Emirates.

Global Victoria recently led a group of delegates from the State’s sports ecosystem across to the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to engage with partners, as part of its second “Sports Economy Trade Mission to the Gulf”.

Aus Sports Law is working with the Israel Trade and Economic Commission Australia and the Israel Export Institute to support a group of 15-20 Israeli sports tech companies that are looking to enter the Australian market.

Australian-founded PMY Group announced it’s expanding into Saudi Arabia after signing a joint venture with local technology company Tahreez - the pair will deploy PMY’s technology solutions and expand its fan experience capabilities including laser shows, pre-game and half-time entertainment and trophy presentations throughout the Kingdom’s major events

Sports as a vehicle for political diplomacy

Finally, sports’ global expansion isn’t always purely about money and fans, it can also be about influence, soft power, and international diplomacy.

Sport can become a bridge between cultures, nations, economies, and it can strengthen diplomatic relationships and open new markets.

Earlier this year:

  • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined tennis legend John Fitzgerald in China to announce the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off will return to Chengdu this year

  • Football Australia proudly joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Jakarta as part of his first official bilateral meeting, since his re-election, with the President of Indonesia, H.E. Prabowo Subianto

Anthony Albanese with Indonesia PM

Sport has become one of Australia’s most compelling international assets - a platform for economic growth, cultural exchange, and soft power diplomacy.

But with globalisation comes disruption: new competitors, fragmented audiences, shifting consumer expectations, and attention and capital that can just as easily flow out as it flows in.

Watch this space.

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]]><![CDATA[The top brands powering community sport in Australia]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-top-brands-powering-communityhttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/the-top-brands-powering-communityWed, 03 Dec 2025 21:01:09 GMTNot a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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The Australian Open welcomed MECCA back for 2026 as Official Beauty Partner - the MECCA Pro Shop, a stunning three-storey beauty hub in The Village, will deliver express touch-ups, skincare education and exclusive product activations to fans

St Kilda FC welcomed RIO Sound & Vision as its newest partner ahead of the 2026 season whose logo will feature across all coaching sleeves

Richmond FC announced a new partnership with Urban Caravans which will be represented across match days, social media activity and digital content, including the Club’s Talking Tigers podcast, hosted by Matthew Richardson

Perth Bears announced a new partnership New Balance which became the Club’s Official Team Apparel Partner - the 4-year deal will see New Balance design the on-field kit for the Bears’ 2027 inaugural NRL season along with official teamwear

Brisbane Broncos announced that National Storage extended its partnership for another 3 years which will see the company’s logo feature on the back of the Broncos’ NRL and NRLW home & away playing jerseys

Sydney FC welcomed Australian beverage company South Ave who join the Sky Blues as the Official Seltzer and Vodka Partner - the brand will have a presence on the Men’s and Women’s sleeves for the Isuzu-UTE and Ninja A-Leagues 2025-26 season

Budget Car & Truck Rentals became an Official Partner of the Parramatta Eels which will see its logo appear on the back right of the NRLW playing shorts and across NRL and NRLW game days

Accor extended its partnership with Qudos Bank Arena for 3 years giving access to enhanced in-venue advertising, eDM campaigns, and broader fan engagement opportunities

Penrith Panthers and Australian energy retailer Nectr inked a new 3-year expanded deal which saw the The Panthers Rugby League Academy officially renamed to the Nectr Rugby League Academy

Commbank was named as the Official Regional Partner of the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ - As part of the partnership, CommBank will have the exclusive opportunity to run a promotion to select kids who will have the exciting prospect of accompanying players during the march-in

Cricket Victoria secured a new partnership with ISLA Vodka which is set to elevate the match-day experience at the CitiPower Centre and across the 2025/26 summer of cricket

Hockey Australia announced a 3-year strategic partnership with Musco Sports Lighting (global leader in sports lighting solutions) - the pair will collaborate to deliver upgrades across hockey facilities nationally

Illawarra Hawks entered into a new partnership with global sports consultancy STOIC360 that’s aimed at expanding the club’s commercial and cultural footprint across the Middle East in the lead-up to the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027

The respective Tom Rogers from the Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades fronted the media alongside a Melbourne Derby-branded tram ahead of the start of the BBL15 season

SA Government secured Supercars’ bp Adelaide Grand Final until 2034 - Since its debut in 1999 more than 6.1m fans having attended the event and last year it delivered a $72.6 million economic benefit for the state

Lacoste announced plans to transform the iconic Afloat Melbourne into a 20m+ floating tennis court that includes an exclusive pop-up apparel store, coinciding with the Australian Open

The Formula 1 Exhibition opened at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - Brought to Melbourne by Sony Music and TEG Experiences, and produced by Round Room Live, it spans 22,000+ square feet across 7 purpose-built immersive rooms, it features 5 iconic F1 cars including Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship winners, 60+ helmets, 25+ race suits, 100 exclusive interviews, and 10 racing simulators

WNBL unveiled the Tasmania Jewels as the competition’s ninth team who are set to hit the court in the 2026/27 WNBL season - The club’s new logo features a similar ant motif to that of the Tasmania JackJumpers

Netball Australia launched an Expressions of Interest campaign targeting qualified organisations and consortia interested in securing a new team owner licence in the Suncorp Super Netball League

Premier Jacinta Allan, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams joined AFLW North Melbourne players at Metro Tunnel’s Arden Station ahead of its opening

LIV Golf Adelaide unveiled a four day lineup of world class live music which includes Peking Duk (Thursday) Royel Otis (Friday) John Summit (Saturday) and FISHER (Sunday)

UFC president Dana White announced via Instagram Live that Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena will host UFC 325 on February 1 with featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski headlining the event against Diego Lopes

HiTZ Cricket, the world’s first operator-less, AI-powered cricket training experience, is launching a new site at Melbourne’s CitiPower Centre, thanks to a new partnership with Cricket Victoria

NFL Australia hosted a thanksgiving Brunch at the W Hotels Melbourne - via Seeker Agency

Summer Jam, Australia’s biggest celebration of basketball culture, announced its return for its 14th edition with a major national expansion that will see the streetball phenomenon travel to four major cities - Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney

Breakaway league, R360 announced the delay of the launch of its global franchise league by 2 years amid doubts over its ability to recruit players and the viability of its commercial model

India’s Ahmedabad was officially confirmed as the host city for the Commonwealth Games 2030

Guest Writer: Robert Honan

Profile photo of Robert Honan

Robert Honan is an experienced sport industry professional who struggled to find sponsors due to a lack of transparency. He founded The Community & Club Collective, to unlock the sport industry’s biggest network - sponsorship volunteers, and uncover where other volunteers were finding sponsors. In fact, the data-driven approach is reducing volunteer (or employee) workload whilst diversifying and growing sponsorship revenue across the sport industry.

Today Robert unveils the top brands powering community sport in Australia.

Enjoy the read!

The top brands powering community sport in Australia

It’s time to celebrate those who have climbed to the top!

Please join The Community & Club Collective in delivering a virtual round of applause to brands who have shown commitment, dedication and effort to invest in the community sport industry.

From the 80,698 x brands that are known to invest in community sport sponsorship, six have emerged as the top performing brands.

Let’s uncover what makes these brands great.

The community sport sponsorship industry is the heart and soul of the sports industry

It is the industries, brands and businesses who invest via cash or contra into volunteer-led community sport organisations.

Sponsorship volunteers are the backbone, the people who are proactively networking to source and secure funding to reduce participation costs, purchase new equipment or upgrade infrastructure.

Whilst sponsorship professionals in peak sport organisations and professional sport organisations can invest hours, days and even weeks into leveraging data, fostering relationships and networks, volunteers, like they have for the last 100 years, they still primarily rely upon their personal network to identify and secure sponsors.

The Community Sport Sponsorship Model, illustrates that the most participants, most volunteers and most sponsorships in the sport industry all reside within community sport.

Data-consolidation can deliver benefits to community sports sponsorship

By consolidating community sport sponsorship industry data, transparency is delivered to volunteers (and employees) who choose to implement a data-driven approach to (1) reduce workload; and (2) increase sponsorship revenue.

From metro ovals to remote regional courts, sponsorship touches every corner of the country.

TCACC’s has generated insights from:

  • 158,421 x sponsor records

  • 24,154 x community sport organisations reviewed

  • 12 x sports

What TCACC has found:

  • 11,134 x community sport organisations with no sponsors

  • 241 x industries investing in community sport sponsorship

  • 559 x brands investing in 15 or more community sport sponsorships

  • 80,698 x brands investing in community sport sponsorship

  • National average is 12.15 sponsors per organisation, when organisations with no sponsor data is excluded

  • National average is 6.56 sponsors per organisation, when all data is included

Top performers

  • South Australia has the highest sponsor average per organisation; 15.90 when organisations with organisations with no sponsor data is excluded

  • Victoria has the highest sponsor average per organisation; 8.41 when all data is included

  • AFL has the highest sponsor average per organisation

  • 100% x postcodes reviewed had at least one sponsor

Under performers

  • New South Wales is the lowest performing region

  • Pickleball (4.34), Gymnastics (5.31), Hockey (7.21), Swimming (7.47) and Cricket (8.56) are the sports where the national sport average is under 10 sponsors per organisation

*Brands looking to maximise ROI can find major opportunities in sports and regions with lower competition and far less noise.

Fun Facts on market dominance by #1 ranked brands

Top Performing Brands By Industry

Restaurant - RSL

The Restaurant industry has beaten 240 rival industries to 1st spot. The Restaurant industry invests in more community sport sponsorships than all other industries.

RSL is the driving brand behind the dominance of the Restaurant industry. 11 out of 100 sponsorships from the Restaurant industry are funded by RSL’s.

The RSL dominance extends across sports. 12 x sports have the RSL as their #1 Restaurant industry brand.

And the RSL dominance isn’t limited to sports. The number 1 Restaurant brand in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania is RSL.

Meanwhile, the RSL is #2 in South Australia behind Fasta Pasta, and #6 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Western Australia is the outlier with no representation inside the top 100 Restaurant brands investing in sponsorship. Alongside Western Australia with no RSL representation is the Northern Territory.

One in three RSL sponsorship investments are made into Cricket, the most invested sport.

The Hervey Bay 4655 postcode in Queensland and Sutherland Shire postcode 2233 in New South Wales are the joint leaders for most RSL sponsorship investments. Regional locations can match their metropolitan counterparts.

Real Estate - Ray White

In 2024, Ray White dropped a $1.5M investment into media spend aligned to professional sport.

In 2025, Ray White extend their investment in profession sport by sponsoring 5 x AFL teams across 4 states.

Meanwhile, Ray White continue to be the #1 Real Estate brand investing in community sport, holding a 9% market share.

AFL, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Swimming all receive more Real Estate sponsorships from Ray White than any other Real Estate Brand.

Volunteers within Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia who are looking for a Real Estate sponsor, should not hesitate before approaching Ray White as Ray White is the #1 Real Estate brand in each of the regions.

Despite being knocked off the top spot in Western Australia, Ray White sits in #2 position and remains a solid option for volunteers to explore.

Meanwhile in Tasmania, there are 9 x Real Estate brands ahead of Ray White who sit in #10 and don’t seem to have the same capacity to invest as their mainland counterparts.

Fast Food - McDonald’s

One in five Fast Food industry sponsorships are aligned to McDonalds.

With a plethora of sponsorships across professional teams, competitions and codes it is not a surprise to see McDonald’s as the #1 Fast Food industry sponsor of every sport.

The McDonald’s dominance is almost replicated across all regions, except McDonald’s has fallen to the #2 ranked Fast Food brand in Tasmania, behind Red Grasshopper Pizza.

McDonald’s most invested sport is AFL with the Sunbury postcode 3429 generating the most sponsorships from McDondald’s.

Financial Services - Mortgage Choice

Mortgage Choice made their move in September 2025, entering the professional sport sponsorship with an investment in the NBL.

The Financial Services industry is a highly competitive space, with Mortgage Choice market share only sitting at 3%.

Despite the low industry market share, Mortgage Choice is the #1 brand for 6 x sports; AFL, Basketball, Cricket, Golf, Netball and Rugby League.

The absence of 6 x sports highlights the opportunity available to sports, but also to Mortgage Choice.

Furthermore, Mortgage Choice has acquired #1 Financial Services brand in all mainland States. For Tasmania and the Territories - Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory finding an alternative Financial Service brand will lead to greatest success.

Cricket is the most important sport for Mortgage Choice with a 25% gap to the number 2 sport; AFL.

The Northern Gold Coast (postcode 4208), Strathmore (postcode 3041) and the Central Coast (postcode 2261) are joint leaders for most investments from Mortgage Choice.

The lack of a regional postcode is an opportunity that Mortgage Choice, or their competitors, may wish to explore.

Motor Vehicle - Toyota

Oh what a feeling! One in five Motor Vehicle industry sponsorships are aligned to Toyota.

3 out of 4 sports have Toyota as the #1 Motor Vehicle industry brand.

Meanwhile, a national Basketball Australia partnership with Ford Australia that connects Ford’s dealer network with community Basketball associations sees Toyota lose its top billing in Basketball. Even more surprising is that Toyota falls to #3 brand for Basketball as Mitsubishi slips into the #2 spot.

Toyota has proven its willingness to invest in community sport. However there are two sports that miss out on sponsorship. From a combined 736 x community sport Gymnastics and Pickleball organisations were able to generate 1 x Toyota sponsorship.

Is this merely a matter that Gymnastics and Pickleball are not approaching Toyota or has Toyota made a business decision to not invest in these two sports?

It will be interesting to see if Gymnastics and Pickleball are able to engage Toyota or if another Motor Vehicle brand sees an opportunity to align to an audience that has limited to no competitors.

Toyota’s most invested postcode is Colac’s 3250, proving that sponsorship opportunities are not limited to metropolitan locations.

Special mention

To the Financial Industry, which doesn’t sit in the Top 10 industries that sponsor community sport, but does have the national #1 ranked brand - Bendigo Bank

Financial - Bendigo Bank

As banks continue to close branches, 155 in the last 12 months, so too does the investment in community sport sponsorship.

In 2025, there’s been a 19% drop in the total number of investments made by banks in community sport sponsorship compared to 2024.

The financial industry is being propped up by one brand; Bendigo Bank. A 72% market share, provides Bendigo Bank a unique connection with communities across Australia.

Alarm bells should be ringing for AFL and Cricket clubs as they receive 57% of sponsorships from the financial industry. They are most at risk should the financial industry sponsorship investment continue to decline.

Whilst investment is rapidly dropping from the financial industry, banks are continuing to post record profits. Banks have the cash to invest, but without community connections via branches, it is too administrative heavy to manage community sport sponsorships.

Within community sport, Bendigo Bank bucks the trend as the #1 brand for 100% sports and 100% regions.

Even more incredible is that Bendigo Bank’s subsidiary brand; Community Bank is the #2 ranked brand within the Financial industry - Combined they own a whopping 68% industry market share.

It is vital for volunteers to invest their time and effort chasing opportunities with the highest likelihood of success. If the Financial industry is the industry of choice, volunteers should go straight to Bendigo Bank.

The easiest way to commence a relationship that may result in a sponsorship may be to open a bank account with Bendigo Bank.

Any sport that isn’t proactively advising volunteers to open an account with Bendigo Bank are making revenue generation harder for volunteers. Note, opening an account doesn’t mean that current accounts need to be closed.

Note* The challenges facing community sport are not reflected with National Sport Organisations or professional sport

These organisations have sponsorships with Australia’s biggest banks that have an emphasis on grassroots:

In Summary

To the following brands, congratulations on being the #1 ranked brand within your respective industries:

  1. RSL

  2. Ray White

  3. McDonald’s

  4. Mortgage Choice

  5. Toyota

  6. Bendigo Bank

The sport industry, in particular the community sport industry is better off from your commitment, dedication and investment in sponsorship.

]]><![CDATA[How brands got active around the Ashes]]>https://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-got-active-around-thehttps://www.noticesports.com.au/p/how-brands-got-active-around-theWed, 26 Nov 2025 21:00:30 GMTNot a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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Sports conferences suck.

For too long, the sports industry has been serving up sub-par experiences for the majority of those that work alongside sports teams, leagues, brands, agencies and athletes.

The industry wants more than polite panels that deliver generic insights the audience is already acutely aware of.

They deserve more than being talked down to by those who refer to best-practice but don’t actually know what’s involved in doing it.

That’s why Sport Design Australia is launching Victory Lap in 2026.

Victory Lap is a new sports marketing and creative gathering, for the industry’s most curious minds. We’re bringing together the best sports marketing and creative talent from all over the world, to showcase their work, in-person, right here in Australia.

No generic ‘fireside chats’. No suit and tie handshakes. No hypnotic hotel ballroom carpet.

Just top-tier work presented by the people who actually make it happen.

Debuting in 2026, Victory Lap is a first-of-it’s-kind gathering built for creatives, marketers and thinkers at the cutting edge of sports culture, creativity and strategy. A place to learn, challenge, inspire and connect.

It’s more sports industry collab, than conference.

With more info to come over the next 5 weeks, make sure you drop your details on the waitlist.

Find out more

Bonds Flying Roos unveiled two major new partners, with monday.com and Blueberry joining Title Partner Bonds in multi-year deals commencing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Final of SailGP, sailing’s premiere racing league - To celebrate it released a video with co-owners Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds

SailGP announced a new global partnership with KPMG, with the firm joining as the league’s first Official Digital Transformation Partner - The expanded global relationship with the leading professional services firm will supercharge SailGP’s fan acquisition and engagement strategy

NFL Australia welcomed Hellmann’s as an Official Sponsor, as well as an Official Sponsor of the first-ever 2026 NFL Melbourne Game at the MCG

Melbourne Stars announced a new Premier Partnership with leader in sustainable battery-powered outdoor equipment, Greenworks Australia, which will see its logo feature on the players’ helmets and caps during the BBL this summer

Cronulla Sharks secured a landmark 3-year stadium Naming Rights Partnership with Ocean Protect, an organisation dedicated to stopping storm water pollution from entering Australia’s oceans and waterways

KuCoin, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, signed on as an Official Partner and exclusive crypto exchange partner of the 2025 BMW Australian PGA Championship

Sydney Swans and International Sport College Australia joined forces to launch the Diploma of Sports Management (High Performance)

North Melbourne FC welcomed Casa Spirits as its new spirit and ready-to-drink partner, making it the exclusive supplier of spirits and RTDs at all AFLW home games, the North Melbourne Breakfast on AFL Grand Final Day, and the AFL and AFLW best and fairest events

Brisbane Roar renewed its partnership with long-time supporter Luxury Paints for the remainder of the 2025/26 Isuzu UTE A-League Men season which will see its logo feature on the back of the Roar’s playing shorts

Richmond FC’s recently launched sports industry network program ‘Punt Road Collective’ announced private equity firm Straight Bat as its inaugural Premium Partner

NBL and WNBL alongside Basketball Australia announced a new partnership with Social Protect, an online safety platform helping athletes, teams and organisations protect themselves from social media abuse and harmful online interactions

Anytime Fitness became an Official Regional Partner of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026

Westbridge Funds Management became the Naming Rights Partner for the 2026 AusCycling Road National Championships 

Perth Lynx welcomed Metro Petroleium and Mr Whippy as the club’s Official Fuel & Convenience Partner for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 WNBL seasons

Hockey Australia announced a new 3-year major partnership with BildGroup - a wholly Australian-owned construction company - which will join as the Official Construction Partner and feature on the playing kit of both the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos

A number of high-profile sports stars and guests took part in the 2nd annual Mick Fanning Charity Golf Day in Melbourne (presented by Balter) which raised $335,000 for CureEB Foundation, The Reach Foundation and Yarra Yarra–affiliated local charities

Nine confirmed a suite of broadcast partners for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games - NRMA Insurance, Harvey Norman, Chemist Warehouse, Bupa and GWM

NBL recorded a strong period of broadcast audience growth - overall viewership for regular season games on ESPN’s primary platforms is up 20%, and Network 10’s primary channel is up almost 50%

Peking Duk is set to perform pre-game at the AFLW Grand Final between North Melbourne and Brisbane at Ikon Park

AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026™ marked 100 days to go with a celebration in Sydney CBD’s Martin Place

Construction officially began on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ High Performance Centre which is being jointly funded by the NSW Government ($40m investment) and the Bulldogs - NSW Premier Chris Minns was on hand for the official groundbreaking ceremony

Sports Direct, Britain’s biggest sporting goods retailer, which has 700+ outlets around the world, opened its first Australian store in Melbourne’s Fountain Gate shopping centre

Collingwood FC players Darcy Moore, Josh & Nick Daicos and Isaac Quaynor embarked on a week-long trip to Dubai in partnership with club sponsor Emirates

The Courier Mail reported the Brisbane Broncos were invited by Arabian Government officials to play Super League Champions Hull KR in the Middle East for $1.5m - the deal fell over due to logistical issues but the club remains open to the idea of playing games in the region

Netball Australia launched ‘Made in Netball’, a 10-year strategic plan to grow its netball family to 2 million by 2035 - it was launched alongside Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC at Admiralty House in Sydney

Global Victoria (Victorian Government) led a group of delegates from the State’s sports ecosystem across to the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to engage with partners, as part of its second “Sports Economy Trade Mission to the Gulf”

Australian-founded PMY Group announced it’s expanding into Saudi Arabia after signing a joint venture with local technology company Tahreez - the pair will deploy PMY’s technology solutions and expand its fan experience capabilities including laser shows, pre-game and half-time entertainment and trophy presentations throughout the Kingdom’s major events

WA Government released the first designs for planned new facilities at Perth Park, a new sports and entertainment precinct that features a new multipurpose building, a racetrack and an outdoor amphitheatre, and encompassing the existing Optus Stadium

Manchester United is reportedly set to make a move into basketball by joining the upcoming NBA Europe League

How brands got active around the Ashes

Few sporting events command national attention quite like the Ashes — and this year, Cricket Australia (CA) and a suite of major brands made sure the anticipation hit fever pitch before the first ball was bowled.

While the cricket itself delivered a short, sharp result, the commercial energy around the series showed how brands can turn a sporting moment into a marketing phenomenon.

CA set the tone with its 100-day and 50-day activations, and brands followed with a coordinated blend of media campaigns, PR stunts, experiential pop-ups and headline-grabbing brand collaborations.

Here are some of the highlights 👇

Cricket Australia built hype via 100 and 50-days-to-go PR activations

100-days-to-go:

  • Unveiled a 100-day countdown clock in Yagan Square, Perth

  • Launched a pop-up cricket demo in Queensbridge Square, Melbourne with Scott Boland in attendance

*Via MEE Agency - see here for behind the scenes

50-days-to-go - Merv Hughes, Todd Greenberg, and members of the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne celebrated the 50 days to go milestone, and announced the return of the Boxing Day Summer Festival at Yarra Park.

The 50-days-to-go reminder stretched across to London…

Major brands got active

In the lead up to the first ball, major brands announced long-term partnerships, and launched nationwide creative campaigns to activate around the Ashes and capture mass attention.

Brands didn’t just sponsor the event, they shaped the narrative, fuelled the hype, and helped drive record-breaking fan interest.

Westpac and Origin: A new-look uniform for the Aussies

Australia unveiled a fresh new look for the Ashes, with the men’s team debuting redesigned uniforms (from Asics) shaped by major new sponsorships from Westpac and Origin.

  • Westpac’s bold front-of-shirt branding is thanks to a new 4-year Principal Partnership reportedly worth $40m (it replaced Commonwealth Bank)

  • Origin was recently announced as a Platinum Partner giving it a prominent position on the sleeve (this new partnership comes 2 years after CA’s $40m deal with fellow energy provider Alinta came to an end)

These new logo placements on the uniforms are premium advertising real-estate which generate huge media value across broadcast and media.

Origin partnership unveiling:

Westpac debuted its first advertising campaign, leveraging its new partnership with Cricket Australia - Outdoor advertising was a key feature.

Chemist Warehouse also ‘hit the ground running at the cricket for the first time’

In September, CA announced Chemist Warehouse as the Official Pharmacy Partner of the Australian Men’s and Women’s teams as part of a new 3-year deal.

To activate its partnership, the renowned pharmacy retailer teamed up with a number of its supplier brands to deliver a range of fan activations outside the stadium.

Many of CA’s partners launched activations at the Fan Festival outside the stadium in Perth, including:

  • Kayo

  • Toyota

  • Westpac

  • Aussie Broadband

  • Qantas

  • Gatorade

See here for more.

NRMA Insurance delivered the Ashes trophy to Steve Waugh at the SCG via helicopter

The stunt marked the launch of CA and NRMA Insurance’s Ashes Trophy Tour which visited locations such as Cootamundra (birthplace of Sir Donald Bradman), and Harrow (home of Johnny Mullagh and the pioneering 1868 Aboriginal cricket team), with the support of TGI Sport Ausralia.

TGI Sport Australia also supported NRMA Insurance to activate the “NRMA Insurance West Test Hill” - a section of Optus Stadium where seating was replaced by a three-tiered grassed area to help recreate the nostalgia associated with the hill at the WACA.

Mike Hussey turned the WACA Ground into an Airbnb

Airbnb teamed up with the WACA Ground and ‘Mr Cricket’ to offer cricket fans an exclusive experience - a group of 4 lucky guests were given the chance to sleep on the hallowed field, play a game of backyard cricket and attend Day 2 of the West Test.

Victoria Bitter teamed up with Merv Hughes to serve up a cheeky campaign

VB paid homage to the infamous 2023 Ashes series, by reminding England of the “Laws of Cricket”.

What they did:

  • Limited edition beer cans with the Laws of Cricket printed on them, exclusively available at Liquorland (CA partner)

  • Full-page reminder in London’s Daily Mirror newspaper

  • OOH greeting the English cricket team and fans at the airport

  • Merv Hughes appeared on TV, The Grade Cricketer podcast, and handed out cans to the English barmy Army

  • Social and OOH campaigns

Players fronted brand campaigns:

Pat Cummins, Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, Alana King, Sam Konstas and Nathan Lyon feature in Westpac’s “It takes a little Westpac’ cricket campaign which was created in partnership with BMF.

Pat Cummins fronted multiple campaigns:

Mitch Starc is the face of Aussie Broadband’s “Legendary Speed and Support” campaign for the summer, which celebrates reliable, lightning-fast internet and award-winning Aussie support.

Alex Carey, Woolworths’ cricket ambassador, fronted the supermarket’s summer cricket TVC, created in partnership with M+C Saatchi

Mitch Starc, Alex Carey and Sam Konstas teamed up with Asics to launch the Official Ashes range

Proud South Australian and First test-match winner, Travis Head teamed up with Twenty Third Street to promote his new watermelon & apple gin drink collaboration which will be served at Adelaide Oval. He joined Channel 7 to help promote the third test as the ‘Party test match of the summer’.

Brands got active via media partnerships

Out of Home

Last month it was announced that oOh!media signed an agreement with CA to deliver news, highlights and scores across 6 of its Out of Home environments for the 2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes Series, giving brands a powerful way to connect with millions of fans  across its Airport, Billboard, Retail, Street, Rail, and Office digital network.

CA’s partners such as Toyota, NRMA Insurance and Liquorland leveraged Ooh!’’’s national network to activate their sponsorships.

Seven secured a suite of new and returning partners for the summer of cricket

After last season’s cricket coverage reached 17.65 million Australians across Seven and 7plus, brands have been lining up to leverage the huge national reach delivered by the summer of cricket — spanning the Ashes, BBL and WBBL.

  • Returning major partners include: KFC, Toyota, Harvey Norman and Woolworths

  • Westpac joined as a broadcast partner after coming onboard as a Principal Partner of CA

  • The Ashes broadcast is also backed by NRMA Insurance, Lion, Bunnings and Chemist Warehouse

  • BBL and WBBL partners: Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Youi Insurance, Anaconda and Weber, with major integrated packages from Liquorland, Mitsubishi Electric Australia, BKT, Cancer Council Australia, REA Group, bet365, Drummond Golf and Aussie Beef

Brands also piled on for Foxtel Media’s summer of cricket

  • Returning sponsors across all formats: Toyota, McDonalds, Harvey Norman, Chemist Warehouse and Bunnings - Ashley & Martin, Daikin also returned to sponsor test matches, HostPlus for The Ashes, and Youi and CBUS for the BBL

  • New sponsors for all formats: BetR, Canadian Club and Westpac

  • New sponsors for the Ashes test matches: Aussie Broadband and IG Markets

  • New WBBL sponsors: Westpac and CBUS

  • Returning sponsors for WBBL: Toyota, McDonald’s, Harvey Norman and Chemist Warehouse

The Guardian x Qantas

Sponsored by Qantas, the Guardian launched Ashes Weekly - a brand new special edition podcast to deepen Guardian Sport’s commitment to covering the 2025/26 Test series.

Non-Cricket Australia partners also got active…

Sportsbet unveiled a gigantic 4.5-metre-high box of tissues in honour of “whingeing Poms”

The surprise activation was unveiled in the Perth CBD to welcome the English Cricket Team, and to celebrate the tradition of the Poms whingeing about everything - from the pitch, umpires, weather etc. Graeme Swann and Brad Haddin fronted the media to help amplify things.

Sportsbet’s ‘The Grubs’ cricket team also:

  • Roamed the streets to stir English fans - here

  • Created a new clean energy solution - powering the summer of cricket using the energy of whingeing Poms - here

Although The Ashes opened with a thrilling bang, the rapid 2-day victory made it challenging for the business of cricket

As Andrew Condon, Managing Director at Gemba explains…

In addition, multiple media outlets are reporting that CA is headed for an estimated loss of more than $3m from ticket revenue for days three and four.

The silver-lining…

Hundreds of kilos of fresh food has been donated to Western Australians in need

OzHarvest partnered with two other local organisations, SecondBite and Foodbank WA to distribute the products to charities, schools, women’s refuges and individuals in need across Perth.

While a 2-day finish has made it tough for fans, brands, broadcasters and stadium operators hoping for a longer run, the cricket season is only just getting started

With the remaining Test matches and the BBL & WBBL still to come, there’s plenty more cricket to be played, and plenty more opportunities for brands to connect, activate and ride the wave of momentum that the Ashes has already ignited.

If this opening Test proved anything, it’s that Australian cricket’s commercial ecosystem is firing!

Not a subscriber yet? Discover specialised sports marketing insights, tailored for sports industry professionals within Australia and across the globe. If you work in sports for an agency, brand or rights-holder then this is for you.

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