Netball's off-court success, Sports apparel brands leveraging the Olympics
Netball's off-court success, Sports apparel brands leveraging the Olympics
Today’s lineup:
Netball’s off-court success
Sports apparel brands leveraging the Olympics
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The Sydney Swans announced a new partnership with the Australian Graduate School of Management at UNSW Business School to deliver a short course in Leading for High Performance
Fiji Airways became a major sponsor of the ACT Brumbies for next year's 2025 Super Rugby Season, returning after sponsoring the club for the 2023 season
Queensland University of Technology and the Brisbane Bullets announced a new partnership that will be focused on enhancing the fan experience and game day
Leading family-owned equipment hire group Kennards Hire agreed to a new 3-year deal with Sydney FC that will extend their partnership to 10 years
Toyota became the Official Disability Inclusion Partner of AFL Victoria which includes backing of the Victorian Wheelchair Football League and Victorian Blind Football League
The Fremantle Dockers and Pirate Life launched a new Fremantle Lager (their 3rd collaboration together) which pays homage to club’s 30th anniversary in the AFL
To celebrate the start of the 2024-25 season the NFL announced a new ‘Kickoff Festival’ event at Bondi Beach where fans can watch the Philadelphia Eagles vs Green Bay Packers (live from Brazil)
The NBL announced that Hayden James will perform at HoopsFest on an epic 30-meter courtside Boombox at RAC Arena
A study by the Australian Sports Technologies Network found that the Australian sports technology sector has risen by 10% and is now worth $4.69b
Nick Hockley announced he will stand down as Cricket Australia’s CEO after the upcoming summer, ending his 5-year stint in the role
IMG is relocating its APAC operations from Singapore to Sydney
Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans for the 2034 FIFA World Cup were unveiled, which includes plans to build 11 new stadiums, one of which will be located 350m above ground level
Snoop Dogg is reportedly making $500k per day (+ expenses) for his appearances at the Paris Olympics
Netball has had a great season off the court, especially in South Australia where it’s being well supported by the SA Government who know how to get behind sports teams and major sports events
The 2024 Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) season became the most attended season of any Australian women’s sports and has shattered all previous records.
Key stats:
Biggest season in the league’s history with 366,222 attendees
Ave attendance per round - 23,703 (+30% YoY)
Individual round attendance record of 34,726 in Round 14
SSN Club memberships increased by 8%
*Stats via Casey Price, GM - Suncorp Super Netball League & Events - Netball Australia
Recognising its potential, the South Australian Government is investing heavily in netball
Last year the SA Government secured hosting rights to the 2024 SSN Grand Final that was played between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens last Saturday. This was part of a deal with Netball Australia that reported to be worth $650k in previous years.
As part of the deal a new home for the Thunderbirds was also provided at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre which increased potential crowd capacity.
The move paid-off for the Thunderbirds:
56,000+ fans attended their 7 x home games (+115% in 2023)
Membership increased to 4,300 (+85% in 2023)
Over recent years SA has been showing a strong appetite to build its economy and profile through a growing major sports event portfolio and netball has formed part of the plan.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas has previously spoken openly on the ‘Dyl & Friends’ podcast about how he strongly pursued and secured the rights to host AFL Gather Round and LIV Golf, and how major sports events have delivered a strong return on many fronts.
Although the economic benefits are noteworthy, the SA Premier has been quick to acknowledge the importance of the positive impact hosting major sports events has on the ‘perception’ of the state.
The impact on public perception can vary pending the sports event, but by investing in a game that is predominantly played by females…
SA are sending a message that it values gender equality.
This message gets amplified by tactics such as outdoor advertising campaigns that create a ‘city takeover vibe’ and via the broader media coverage and exposure that Saturday’s Grand Final received.
This has flow-on effects for the 35k+ girls and women among the broader community who play netball in SA, as it helps positively shift attitudes towards women's sports and encourages participation.
Hosting major sports events is often tied to infrastructure development, which also forms part of SA’s plan.
To facilitate participation growth the SA Government has announced plans to deliver a new $92m multi-sport facility by 2028 featuring:
A 3,000-seat indoor show court
More indoor courts
26 outdoor courts with better shelter, lighting and playing surfaces
New changerooms
Improved F&B facilities
Sports apparel brands are leveraging the Olympics by setting up physical footprints in prime locations around Paris.
To engage with the massive influx of visitors and media from around the world, brands are using varying tactics to fill their physical spaces and a number of them have launched pop-up Exhibitions and Hubs that serve as a ‘home base’ throughout July & August.
These spaces provide brands with the opportunity to:
Launch and showcase new & innovative products
Activate marketing activities, including social media campaigns & influencer partnerships that amplify reach (e.g. trickshot video's)
Host events such as:
Press conferences - where global media can engage with sponsored athletes
Panels discussions - where brands can engage with customers & niche communities such as run clubs
Celebration parties - to strengthen relationships between athletes & brand
Brand activation examples worth noticing
PUMA opened ‘PUMA House’ which features a basketball court, football pitch, swimming pool, premium outdoor broadcast viewing experience and the NITRO LAB which showcases PUMA’s latest innovations and technological advancements.
Nike partnered with the Centre Pompidou to create the ‘Art of Victory’ exhibition which celebrates Nike Air innovation, and transformed the venue’s iconic façade into a canvas that showcases groundbreaking stories of sport.
On launched “On Labs Paris” which they’re labelling as a “Home of innovation” during the Olympics. The exhibition showcases their epic new robotic ‘LightSpray’ production process.
ASICS created the ‘ASICS House’ to serve as a home base for its athletes and guests.
Other brands have used more traditional experiential brand activation tactics.
Adidas transformed a major shopping centre into the ‘Adidas GroundParis’ – an activation space featuring a branded soccer pitch, basketball court, and stage.
The free event showcased:
3x3 basketball
Skate
Parkour
Bike
Hip hop dance
3x3 street soccer
Parasport
Live music
Decathlon activated their official sponsorship of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games by launching the ‘Decathlon Playground’ – a 6000m2 activation space that has everything including sports shows from the Decathlon team, DJ sets, immersive installations and a fan zone with live giants screens to watch the Olympics broadcast.
Brands aren’t purely pursuing a ‘pop-up’ approach to maximise their visibility in Paris
Speaking on a recent episode of the Uncensored CMO podcast, Gymshark’s Chief Brand Officer, Noel Mack discussed how retail stores can double as advertising, and how street-facing window-space can deliver the same outcomes as an expensive billboard.
Recognising this, many brands opened new retail stores in Paris in the lead up to the Olympics as part of a plan to increase their reach & exposure, drive engagement and fuel demand.
Among the multiple brands who are activating a retail store strategy in Paris:
HOKA opened its first store in Paris in May - the 140-square-metre Flagship store showcases the brand’s full range of footwear, apparel and accessories
On stores are serving as hubs for the running community to connect with company-sponsored athletes
AFL - Social Media Executive
Australian Sports Commission - Business Analyst
Bastion - Associate Creative Director
Bastion - Head of Strategic Partnerships
Bastion - Integrated Account Manager
Brisbane 2032 - Head of Business Technology
Brisbane 2032 - Head of Workforce Planning
Brisbane Bullets - Marketing and Media Specialist
Cricket Australia - Content Producer - Big Bash Leagues
Cricket Australia - Social Media Producer - Big Bash Leagues
Cricket NSW - Team Communications & PR Manager - Sydney Thunder
Cricket Tasmania - Events & Fan Experience Coordinator
Cricket Victoria - Foundation Manager
ESPN - Digital Advertising Operations Executive - 12 month contract
Football Australia - General Manager - Strategy and Planning, AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 LOC Office
Football Australia - Head of Workforce Management, AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 LOC Office
Gemba - Operations Coordinator
JD Sports Australia & New Zealand - Store Communications & Operation Manager
KOJO - Account Director
KOJO - Sports Presentation Producer
Lumen8 Media - Client Implementation Executive
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - Integrated Designer
Melbourne & Olympic Parks - Operations Manager - Australian Open
Melbourne Storm - Senior Multimedia and Video Producer
Melbourne Victory - Multimedia Producer
MKTG Sports + Entertainment Australia - Marketing and Social Media Manager
Motorcycling Australia - Marketing Manager
Netball Australia - General Manager, Corporate Affairs
Netball Australia - Head of Fundraising - Confident Girls Foundation
Netball Australia - Head of Participation
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
Nine - Sports Reporter
Nine - Sport Sales Executive
Octagon - Managing Director, Australia
Queensland Cricket - Marketing Executive - Participation
South Sydney Rabbitohs - Strategic Business Executive
Sportsbet - Digital Product Manager
Sportsbet - Head of Partnerships
Sportsbet - Social Media Executive
Sports Entertainment Network - Consumer Business Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Events & Sales Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - Events Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Marketing Partnerships Coordinator
Sports Entertainment Network - PR & Media Manager
Suncorp Group - Sponsorship Lead - Brand & Customer Experience
Sunshine Coast Lightning - Marketing Coordinator
Tennis Australia - Content Producer
Tennis Australia - E-commerce coordinator
Tennis Australia - Event Operations Lead
Tennis Australia - Media Services Assistant
Tennis Australia - Product Operations Coordinator (Partner Activations)
Tennis Australia - Senior Content Producer
TGI Sport - Graphic Designer
Volleyball SA - Events and Marketing Manager
West Coast Eagles - Education Program Manager
Wests Tigers - Head of Corporate Partnerships
YouGov - Research Executive, Sport
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.