Cannes Lions for Sport 2025 Review
The numbers tell a compelling story of rising global standards — and offer a sharp warning for Australian brands and agencies struggling to keep pace.
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.
Cricket Australia announced New Balance as the new Apparel Partner of The Big Bash for at least the next 5 seasons, replacing Nike
New Balance also became the Newcastle Jets’ Apparel Partner as part of a 3-year deal which will see it supply all on-field playing kits, training wear, and off-field apparel for both the men’s and women’s A-League teams, as well as the entire Newcastle Jets Academy
Primo deepened its support for Collingwood FC women’s team and will feature on the playing and training shorts
Dodo extended its Principal Partnership with Melbourne Stars for the next 2 years and will remain on the front of both the BBL and WBBL playing kits
Storm Group announced a new 2-year partnership with international shipping specialists Send My Bag, which became an Official Partner of Melbourne Storm and a Premium Partner of Sunshine Coast Lightning
Parramatta Eels secured a new partnership with solar and battery solutions provider SipEnergy which will provide exclusive solar offers to Eels fans
Liquorland became an Official Supplier of the 2025 British & Irish Lions Tour and the Wallabies
The British & Irish Lions unveiled WHOOP as its Official Supplier for the Tour to Australia, which will see all players, coaches, and backroom staff equipped with WHOOP’s wearable technology
Royal Caribbean signed on as the Official Holiday Partner and Membership Partner of the Brisbane Heat for the 2025-26 season
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles entered into a strategic multi-year partnership with Westfield Warringah Mall which will be underpinned by in-centre events and activations
Central Coast Stadium will now be known as polytec Stadium thanks to a long-term agreement with Australian decorative surfaces brand polytec
IT specialists Comwire IT extended its partnership with Adelaide 36ers for 3 more years, taking the long-standing relationship to 10 years
All 12 captains fronted the media for the NRLW’s season launch on Monday, ahead of the competition’s start this week
Football Australia confirmed interest in bidding to host the FIFA Club World Cup alongside New Zealand Football
NRL fans raised $3.5 million for the Mark Hughes Foundation across Brain Cancer Round, with 130,000+ beanies sold
The Macquarie Point Development Corporation unveiled a virtual walkthrough of Hobart’s planned $945 million waterfront stadium which was shared widely online among AFL stakeholders and the broader community
Nine secured the exclusive Australian rights to the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup as part of a deal with Optus, which shut down its Optus Sport streaming service - All matches will stream live and on-demand on Stan Sport starting from the 2025/26 season
Seven Network secured exclusive rights to the Esports World Cup 2025, a 7-week tournament in Saudi Arabia involving 2,000+ players competing across 24 games for a share of $70 million
Collingwood FC midfielder Jordan De Goey gave a tour of his house in a branded segment in partnership with real estate company Ray White
News Corp acquired Vapormedia (company behind SuperCoach) which currently runs games across AFL, NRL, BBL and NBL
Val Morgan Cinema confirmed a suite of pre-show partners for the F1 The Movie including American Express, Qatar Airways, IWC Schaffhausen, Heineken®, Honda, Samsung Electronics Australia, Kayo Sports, AAMI, GIO and Audible
Faith Kipyegon ran a mile faster than any other woman in history — finishing in 4:06.42 (1.22 faster than her world record) as part of an attempt to become the first women to break a 4-minute mile, and after months of preparation in partnership with Nike
Roger Federer was named as a billionaire - His net worth is about $1.3 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly agreed to a super-max 4-year, $285 million extension through the 2030-31 season
Guest Writer: Adam Hodge
Today we’re thrilled to welcome veteran sports and entertainment marketer Adam Hodge as a regular contributor.
Well-known across the Australian sports industry, “Hodgie” brings a wealth of experience from leading roles at some of the country’s top agencies, including Head of Marketing & Commercial Strategy (APAC) at Octagon, and more recently, Head of Marketing Strategy at Gemba.
With his sharp perspective and deep industry insight, you can expect his ongoing commentary on the trends shaping sport.
In his first guest column, Hodgie casts an eye on the global sports marketing landscape and shares insight on what Aussie practitioners might learn.
Enjoy the read!
Cannes Lions for Sport 2025 Review
Widely regarded as the global benchmark for creativity in sport marketing, the Entertainment Lions for Sport Awards were announced last week at Cannes. The numbers tell a compelling story of rising global standards — and offer a sharp warning for Australian brands and agencies struggling to keep pace.
How The Lions are Judged
The Entertainment Lions for Sport celebrate creativity that taps into fan culture and leverages the power of sports and esports in connecting people to brands.
Winning work must demonstrate excellence in breakthrough creativity within the sports and esports ecosystem using effective strategic planning, sponsorship, brand management, media, entertainment and/or talent.
Judging is based on a weighted scorecard consisting;
Strategy and Insight (20%)
Creative Idea (30%)
Craft & Execution (30%)
Results (20%)
By The Numbers
In 2024, 661 campaigns were entered. Just 44 made the shortlist, a 6% success rate.
Fast forward to 2025: 762 entries. 87 shortlisted. That’s an 11% strike rate, nearly double.
While that’s a healthy year-on-year improvement, it still lags other Cannes categories where shortlist rates can hit 20%. The question lingers: is sport marketing still trailing traditional advertising in creative performance?
Award conversion rates also climbed. In 2025, 26 campaigns won Lions, marking a 30% success rate from the shortlist. In 2024, it was 23%. Encouraging, but not in line as the number of shortlisted campaigns nearly doubled, but the number of winners rose by just 30%.
Who Took Home the Trophies?
This rise in creativity wasn’t evenly distributed.
USA dominated with 8 of the 26 Lions - a commanding 30% share
France and Saudi Arabia followed with three Lions each
France’s strong showing was expected, with the Paris Olympics offering a rich canvas for creative excellence
Saudi Arabia’s success may seem surprising, but it’s the product of a government investing billions into sport the past decade, and that investment is beginning to translate to creative results
South America remained a hotbed of ideas:
Brazil (2), Colombia (2), Venezuela (1)
Canada earned two Lions for a single campaign: Paid Through Parents by Molson
*My personal favourite, cleverly navigating IOC restrictions to deliver standout impact for both the brand and woefully underpaid athletes. In my view, a Grand Prix snub.
Other winners included the UK, Mexico, Italy, India, and Argentina, each picking up a Lion.
See a full list of all awarded campaigns and the brands and agencies who created them here.
Where Was Australia?
Bluntly — missing in action.
Only one Australian campaign was shortlisted: yet another Uber Eats entry at the Australian Open.
Despite past glory, this third instalment felt more like a brand who has gone back to the same well rather than a bold creative leap. Once again, it points to a broader concern: are Australian brands and agencies quietly slipping behind in the global creative race?
The Grand Prix Winner
This year’s Grand Prix went to Supercell, the mobile game publisher behind Clash of Clans. Their collaboration with Manchester City and Norwegian International footballer Erling Haaland was a masterclass in channeling fan rivalry and passion — delivering a 150% surge in players. An audacious and beautifully executed campaign.
Hodgie’s Final Take
Globally, sport marketing is growing up fast — braver ideas, bigger investments, and sharper cultural relevance. But Australia’s absence from the winners' list is telling. If we want to stay relevant in this global arena – especially on the runway to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games - we can’t rely on recycling old playbooks. The world is watching.
Accent Group - Marketing Manager - Sports Direct
ACT Brumbies - Graphic Designer & Brand Coordinator
Adelaide 36ers - Digital Marketing Manager
Adelaide FC - Insights Analyst
AFL - Head of Consumer Product
AFL - Media Rights Lead
AFL - Special Event Manager
Amer Sports - Senior Marketing Manager - Wilson
Amer Sports - Social Media & CRM Specialistn - Wilson
Australian Sports Commission - Assistant Director, Platform Services
Australian Sport Commission - Engagement and Content Lead
Australian Sports Foundation - Fundraising Support Executive
Australian Turf Club - Marketing Manager - Media & Brand
BlueBet - Events & Partnerships Coordinator
Brisbane Broncos - Multimedia Designer
Carlton FC - Hyundai Facilitation Manager
Cotton On Group - Digital Marketing Manager - Upstate Sport
Cricket Australia - Videographer - Big Bash Leagues
Cricket NSW - Head of Content & Strategic Communications
Dabble - Acquisition Marketing Specialist
Diageo - Events & Sponsorships Manager QLD/NT
Fremantle FC - Head of Partnerships
Gold Coast SUNS - Commercial Partnerships Executive
Golf Australia - Fundraising & Events Manager - Australian Golf Foundation
Golf Australia - Marketing Lead - Participation
HOKA Australia - Marketing Lead - HOKA
Hoops Capital - Chief Executive Officer
IRONMAN, Oceania - Marketing Coordinator
JD Sports - Retail Marketing Coordinator
KOJO - Content Producer
lululemon - Community Programs Lead
M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment - Earned Creative Director
Melbourne Racing Club - Sponsorship Manager
Moshtix - Business Development Manager - Events, Attractions & Sport
Netball Australia - General Manager - Tournament Revenue & Experience (Netball World Cup)
Newscorp Australia - Sponsorship Manager
NSW Touch Association - Chief Executive Officer
Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites - Business Development Manager - Golf & Sporting Groups
Octagon - Event Director
Octagon - Executive Creative Director
Octagon - Project Director - No2ndPlace (12 months fixed-term contract)
Queensland Cricket - Commercial Operations Coordinator
Racing Victoria - General Manager - Content & Broadcast
Red Bull - Field Marketing Specialist, Sport
South Australian Cricket Association - Communications, PR and Media Manager
South Australian Cricket Association - Marketing Manager
Southern Cross Austereo - Social Media Content Producer - LiSTNR Sport
SPEAK Communications - Public Relations Assistant
Sports Cloud Australia - Marketing and Business Manager
Sportsbet - Marketing Insights Analyst
Sportsbet - Mass Media Coordinator
Sportsbet - Strategy Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Partnership Coordinator
Surfing Australia - Events Specialist
Surfing Australia - Head of Participation & Community
Surfing Australia - Marketing Specialist
Surfing Tasmania - Chief Executive Officer
Transport Accident Commission - Partnerships Program Advisor
Tennis Australia - Patron Communications Manager
Tennis Australia - Partnership Activations & Event Manager
Tennis Australia - Tournament Space Delivery Lead
TGI Sport - Account Manager
TGI Sport - Creative Strategist
TGI Sport - Senior Communications Manager
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
Touch Football Australia - General Manager, Growth & Innovation
Touch Football Australia - Senior Marketing Manager
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Manager
Victoria Racing Club - New Business Development Executive
WA Cricket - Marketing Manager
World Rugby - Event Services Project Lead
World Rugby - Media & Communications Manager (Men's RWC 2027)
World Rugby - Senior Marketing Manager
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..