Multidimensional sports x education partnerships
Multidimensional sports x education partnerships
There are so many ways that sports x education partnerships can create a mutually beneficial value exchange
Not yet a subscriber? 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.
Nike celebrated Emma McKeon’s feat of becoming Australia’s most prolific gold medalist with the below OOH projection on the Woolongong Lighthouse
Marathon Food Industries extended their partnership of the Geelong Cats AFLW team and will feature prominently on the sleeve of the media polo
Brisbane Roar announced Elite Supplements as their new official Silver Partner and match day playing kit sleeve sponsor for the Liberty A-League Womens
Lance Franklin was announced as the official ambassador of NAB AFL Superkick, a new participation program for 8-12 yo’s
A $6b privately funded proposal to reimagine Brisbane’s Northshore has been launched by Brisbane Design Alliance that includes a new 60,000-seat waterfront stadium for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics
The AFL is anticipating the all-time attendance record of 7,475,146 will be broken at Friday night's MCG match between Melbourne and Collingwood
Stan Sport subscribers increased 50+% during the Paris 2024 Olympics
TBWA teamed up with James Magnussen to develop a short documentary called ‘The Doping Divide’ which sets out to disrupt the widely held cultural belief that doping only results in unfair sport
Cricket Australia confirmed the allocation of men’s international Test match hosting rights for the next seven 7 years which includes the Boxing Day and New Year’s Test matches remaining at the MCG and SCG respectively
The LA Clippers officially opened their new $2 billion, 18,000-seat stadium - the Intuit Dome
There are so many ways that sports x education partnerships can create a mutually beneficial value exchange
Many of Australia’s professional sports teams have partnerships with education providers. Below are some partnership exchange benefits worth noticing.
1. Athlete education
Torrens University partners with the AFL Players Association and offers a range of educational opportunities tailored to past and present AFL and AFLW players.
The Australian Institute of Sport set up the ‘Elite Athlete Education Network’ that supports elite athletes for the duration of their course study through partnered Universities, TAFE’s and other education providers.
2. Brand sponsorship
Deakin University showcases their commitment to women’s sport through their naming rights partnership of the ‘Deakin Melbourne Boomers’.
*Data from Scout shows that Education is one of the biggest investors in women’s sports.
Many universities have brand-led sponsorships with high-profile sports teams within their geographical region:
Edith Cowan University = West Coast Eagles
Flinders University = Port Adelaide FC, Adelaide United, Adelaide Strikers
Victoria University = Western Bulldogs, Western United
Western Sydney University = Western Sydney Wanderers, GWS GIANTS, CommBank Stadium
3. Shared facilities
The $42m 'Home of The Matildas' is located at La Trobe University’s Sports Park.
Macquarie University’s new $30m Centre of Excellence is the home of Sydney FC who feature the university's logo on their front of jumper.
4. Research & innovation
La Trobe University researchers are working with the AFLW to better understand injuries among female athletes - from ACLs to concussion.
Griffith University partners with Surfing Australia and uses its research excellence in areas like wave modelling, sports engineering and wearable technologies to assist with high performance.
Queensland University of Technology recently partnered with the Brisbane Bullets to apply their expertise in digital innovation and education to create more immersive and engaging experiences for fans.
5. Acquisition
Netball South Australia & Adelaide Thunderbirds recently announced a partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board to empower women to explore a career in construction.
6. Community engagement
17 x pre-services teachers from Victoria University helped deliver the Western Bulldogs’ Friendly Schools Program to 9 schools in 2023.
7. Student education & professional development
Most sports teams offer student placements across a range of areas within high-performance and administration.
In addition…
Australian sports x education have been launching new ventures and sports-related courses
The Australian sports industry is estimated to support 128k FTE jobs and contributes $14b annually to GDP and with major events such as the Brisbane 2032 Olympics on the horizon it's well placed to grow.
Recognising this, the sports industry is looking to help fulfill its own demand for jobs by offering diplomas and certificates via Academies, Colleges and Institutes that create the next generation of sports admin professionals.
These types of courses are currently common among Australia’s largest sports, and especially within the AFL where some of the league’s most supported teams already have established partnerships:
Carlton College of Sport (Carlton Football Club x La Trobe University)
Essendon Education Academy (Essendon Football Club x RMIT University)
Port Adelaide Institute of Sport (Port Adelaide FC x Flinders University)
West Coast Eagles Academy of Sport Business (West Coast Eagles x Edith Cowan University)
Richmond Institute (Richmond Football Club x Swinburne University of Technology)
Multiple TAFE's are also seeing opportunity in this new offering and have formed partnerships with sports to launch new courses and ventures.
Some worth noticing among NRL clubs include:
Brisbane Broncos Sports Business Institute (Brisbane Broncos x TAFE Queensland)
Wynnum Manly Seagulls TAFE at School Program (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles x TAFE Queensland)
Panthers Sport & Business Program (Penrith Panthers x SEDA)
Rabbitohs Institute of Sports Management (South Sydney Rabbitohs x TAFE NSW)
TAFE Queensland is worth noticing because they have created a large portfolio of partnerships and courses with Queensland's biggest sports which includes:
Brisbane Bullets
Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Lions
Gold Coast SUNS
Queensland Cricket
SEDA is another key player who also has a large national portfolio of sports partnerships and courses.
The full (and growing) list is featured below.
Why are these types of partnerships and new ventures becoming popular?
Because they deliver value for all parties involved:
Education provider: Program extension, creates a new and unique value proposition
Sports: Creation of a new ‘own-able’ commercial property and revenue stream, talent recruitment tool
Student: Better access and industry insights, hands-on experience and a gateway into the sports industry
Are there any other sports x education partnerships worth noticing? Tell us about them here.
adidas - Brand Activation Specialist
Amer Sports - Salomon Digital Marketing Manager
Bastion - Associate Creative Director
Bastion - Integrated Account Manager
Chery - Sponsorship & Events Specialist
Cricket NSW - Communications Coordinator
Destination NSW - Associate Director, Event Investment - Sport
EA SPORTS - Senior Manager, FC Franchise Activation - Markets (Middle East & APAC)
Football Victoria - Media and Communications Manager
Future Golf - Head of Marketing
Gemba - Operations Coordinator
Golf Australia - PR & Communications Manager
KOJO - Senior Account Manager
KOJO - Sports Presentation Producer
Lion - Business Development Executive (Sponsorship & Events)
Lumen8 Media - Client Implementation Executive
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - Sport & Entertainment - PR & Communications Lead
Melbourne & Olympic Parks - Business Development Executive
Melbourne City FC - Match Day & Operations Lead
Melbourne Victory - Multimedia Producer
MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia - Marketing and Social Media Manager
MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia - Scheduling Specialist
Netball Australia - Head of Fundraising - Confident Girls Foundation
Netball Australia - Head of Participation
Netball NSW - General Manager - Venue Operations
New Balance - Strategic Key Account Manager - Lifestyle
News Corp Australia - Head of Vision - Sports
News Corp Australia - Marketing Executive Sport
North Queensland Cowboys - Head of Corporate Partnerships
Octagon - Managing Director, Australia
Rugby Australia - Senior Marketing Manager - British & Irish Lions Tour
Sportsbet - Business Analyst
Sportsbet - Digital Product Manager
Sportsbet - Senior Commercial Manager - Premium
Sports Entertainment Network - Consumer Business Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - Strategy and Solutions Coordinator
St. George Illawarra - Content & Social Media Manager
Surfing Victoria - Major Events Manager
Sydney FC - Senior Marketing Manager
Table Tennis Australia - Head of Strategic Projects and Commercial
Tennis Australia - Event Execution Sales Support
Tennis Australia - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Product Operations Coordinator (Partner Activations)
TGI Sport - Account Executive
TGI Sport - Public Relations Executive
TGI Sport - Sales Account Manager
WA Cricket - Marketing Coordinator
Western Bulldogs - WBCF Head of Partnerships, Marketing & Communications
WorkSafe Victoria - Director Marketing and Sponsorship
Victoria Racing Club - Community and Social Responsibility Executive
Volkswagen - Brand Communication and Sponsorship Specialist
YouGov - Senior Research Manager (Sport)
Not yet a subscriber? 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.