The 12-hour window every sports marketer should know
Why the 12 hours after a major sporting moment is a prime window for brands to authentically engage, create, and convert in real time
Today’s newsletter is presented by Global Institute of Sport
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.
Google and YouTube became foundation partners of the WNBL and have committed to supporting the League’s expansion and the continued development of women’s sport in Australia - the partnership includes Google Search, YouTube, Pixel, and Gemini
North Melbourne announced 13cabs as its newest Platinum Partner - the 13cabs will be displayed on the club’s AFL playing guernsey and shorts across the next 2 seasons and will also have strong off-field club branding throughout the 2026 and 2027 AFLW seasons
Perth Bears signed their first major West Australian partnership with local brewery Gage Roads Brewing Co - the multi-year deal will see the brewery become a shorts sponsor, get exclusive national pourage opportunities, and deliver fan activations, beer collaborations and local community events across Perth and North Sydney
Budget Direct became a Platinum Partner of Melbourne Storm - the brand’s logo will feature on the Club’s apparel, training ball and signage
McDonald’s Australia became the inaugural Presenting Partner of Victoria Racing Club’s ‘The Elms Live Stage’ at the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival which will bring a festival atmosphere to Flemington with performances from global and local music legends including FISHER, Craig David, PNAU and ICEHOUSE
WNBL welcomed back Latina™ Fresh as a Major Partner and Official Pasta Partner for the upcoming WNBL 2025/26 season
Don Julio / Diageo is set to launch an exclusive ‘Don Julio Golden Gallop’ cocktail at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival as part of its partnership with Victoria Racing Club
Brisbane Racing Club and Moët Hennessy extended their partnership which will see Moët Hennessy continue to play a leading role in BRC’s premium hospitality experiences via its portfolio of brands such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Chandon, Hennessy, Belvedere, Glenmorangie, Cloudy Bay, and Minuty
Perth Scorchers welcomed Westside Auto as its newest Major Partner - the new deal will see the Westside Auto logo feature on the back of the Perth Scorchers’ playing shirts for the upcoming WBBL|11 and BBL|15 seasons
NSW Waratahs announced a 3-year partnership with Under Armour which is set to become the official high-performance apparel supplier for both the Waratahs men’s and women’s programs across the 2026–2028 seasons (This marks Under Armour’s first involvement with an Australian Rugby Union team)
Newcastle Jets and University of Newcastle renewed and expanded their 3-year partnership which will see the Jets and University share resources to provide hands-on learning opportunities to the next generation of students across Sports Science, Physiotherapy and the Business School
Perth Glory and Theme Group (provider of facility management, food services and cleaning solutions) renewed their major partnership for the 2025/26 A-Leagues Season
Macarthur Bulls secured a new partnership with Supplement Mart which will play a key role in supporting the A-League Men’s squad by fueling players with premium nutrition products
Aid Station became the Official Nutrition Partner of AusTriathlon which will fuel its athletes at every level, from members training for their first triathlon to High-Performance athletes competing on the world stage
Jelly bean maker, Glucojel became a new partner of Netball Australia and is launching a competition to support Netball Australia’s ‘Back the Bid’ campaign which gives fans the opportunity to pledge their support for including netball in the Olympic Games
The Athlete’s Foot took over Movie World to launch the all new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 25 with a community run and a few theme park rides
NFL announced that Australian GRAMMY-nominated superstar The Kid LAROI will headline the halftime show for the 2025 NFL Berlin game on Nov. 9
Prime Video together with TGI Sport, brought 200+ fans, influencers, and sporting legends (including Luc Longley, Lauren Jackson, and Toby Greene) together on a bespoke floating basketball court in the middle of Sydney Harbour to celebrate the tip-off of the NBA season
Melbourne’s 3v3 streetball ‘King of the Court’ tournament announced a new partnership with Stryda Brewing Co - Nick Kyrgios is a co-owner of the brand and is helping to pre-promote the event - he will also make an appearance courtside
Seven secured the rights to the Rugby League World Cup 2026 and will deliver it live, free and exclusive on Seven and 7plus Sport
Paramount and UFC announced an expansion of their 7-year partnership in which Paramount+ subscribers in Australia will have access to all live UFC Fight Nights and the prelims for marquee numbered events as part of their subscription beginning in Jan 2026 - Fans will also be able to watch select UFC events on FTA TV on Network 10
Code Sports reported that NRL State of Origin Game 2 will take place at Eden Park, Auckland and that the New Zealand Government is paying $5m to secure the rights to host it
NRL is considering plans for a global round at the start of the 2027 season according to the Sydney Morning Herald - London, Dubai and Hong Kong, Miami and Paris are among the potential host cities (in addition to Las Vegas)
AFL and Fanatics announced the return of the Junior and Youth Girls Uniform Grants Program, making $250,000 of funding available nationally to help eligible participants replace traditional white shorts with more suitable alternatives, or to purchase playing and umpiring uniforms specifically designed for girls – practical changes to ensure junior and youth girls feel supported to stay in the game
Cricket Australia announced ‘The Christmas Test Festival’ (in partnership with SACA, Adelaide Oval and SA Government) which will offer fans a mix of entertainment, family-friendly activities and live cricket coverage from 17-20 Dec 2025
Cricket Australia launched Smash Series Cricket, presented by Gatorade, a 60 minute six-a-side game played with a soft ball - It includes flexible formats for juniors, youths and seniors inspired by the love of backyard cricket
SE Group acquired leading immersive tech company FutureLabs which will now operate alongside Seeker Agency (events & experiential agency) & Solution Entertainment (entertainment booking agency)
The man behind GWS Giants’ highly popular social media channels and memes, Jacob Gaynor, was announced as the new Head of Content at Tasmania FC
Saudi Arabia unveiled plans for NEOM Stadium — the first-ever stadium to be built high in the sky, elevated 350 metres above the desert in the futuristic city project, The Line
Scholarships available to study a sport’s master’s degree inside the SCG and Allianz Stadium
We’re excited to partner with Global Institute of Sport (GIS), the world’s leading provider of sports education, for this week’s newsletter.
GIS, who also have stadium campuses in London’s Wembley Stadium, Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium in Florida and RSC Anderlecht’s Lotto Park in Brussels, have teamed up with the University of Newcastle and Venues NSW to deliver unique sports master’s degrees in Sydney.
From January 2026 you can study a Master of International Sports Business or Master of Sports Analytics full-time or part-time, including teaching inside the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground and Allianz Stadium as well as the University of Newcastle’s Sydney CBD campus.
GIS also has a range of scholarships to apply for, including an Elite Athlete, Women in Sport, Indigenous Changemaker and Future Leaders in Sport Scholarship. To be eligible for a scholarship you must apply by 9th November.
Guest Writer: Ryan Bodger
Ryan Bodger is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Now We Collide, a Sydney-based creative and digital agency helping shape the future of sports marketing. With over two decades of experience leading creative innovation across leading brands, leagues and codes, Ryan sits at the intersection of sport, culture, technology and AI - helping brands connect with fans through data-driven storytelling and immersive brand experiences.
Today Ryan explains why the 12 hours after a major sporting moment is a prime window for brands to authentically engage, create, and convert in real time.
Enjoy the read!
The 12-Hour window every sports marketer should know
When the whistle sounds, the rush hits. Living rooms, pubs, and group chats light up. That hit of dopamine - part adrenaline, part emotion - fuels more than just celebration; it sparks connection.
It’s why TikTok clips blow up in minutes, merch sells out overnight, and the brands that show up in those moments often come out on top.
In sport, timing is everything…
Those few seconds after a goal, a try, or the final buzzer aren’t just highlights - they’re openings for stories, signals and shared emotion. The brands that understand it are the ones winning in real time.
What makes sport such a potent marketing arena isn’t just passion - it’s biology.
Neuroscience shows that fans don’t just watch a game; their brains light up as if they’re playing it. When watching a game, a fan’s dopamine, adrenaline and oxytocin surge, mirroring the same chemical cocktail that the athletes themselves experience on the field - like when Josh Giddey nails a buzzer-beater to win the game from half court.
When the final whistle blows, those effects don’t fade - they linger. Research suggests that fans remain on this emotional high for up to 12 hours after a win, a period neuroscientists call the “euphoric afterglow.”
In that state, people are more impulsive, optimistic, and socially connected - which is why they share highlights, post memes, and buy merch before the confetti even settles.
It’s also the time that they’re most open to brand messages that feel authentic and aligned with the emotion of the moment. Miss that window, and the emotional charge fades fast. Brand recall can drop by more than 25% just a day later.
For marketers, that means the real opportunity lies not in the scoreboard, but in the seconds that follow - when emotion, identity and attention are at their peak.
Nowadays, over 85% of fans watch live sport with a second screen in hand - scrolling, sharing and reacting in real time. TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have become the new grandstands, where highlights, hot takes and memes travel faster than the final score. A single clip of a clutch play can rack up millions of views in hours, sometimes even minutes, often reaching audiences who never even saw the broadcast.
This isn’t just a Gen Z trend - it’s a complete rewiring of how fandom works. The stadium might seat 40,000 people, but a viral post can rally millions within minutes. That means the “moment” doesn’t end when the whistle blows. Instead, it multiplies across screens, feeds, and time zones.
Platforms like TikTok are turning casual scrollers into lifelong fans, with nearly one in three users saying they’ve discovered a new sport through short-form video. This is proof that the path to fandom now starts in the feed. For marketers that’s not a threat to traditional broadcast, it’s simply an invitation to extend it. The real game now plays out on both screens, and attention belongs to whoever moves the fastest.
In an age where attention lasts seconds, sport still commands it for hours - and that’s a marketer’s dream. The trick is knowing how to harness it in the moment.
Every big play, heartbreak, or victory triggers a wave of fan emotion that’s already spilling across social feeds. The smartest brands are learning to meet that emotion in real time, not with generic creative, but with context that fits the feeling.
When the underdog wins, celebrate with fans.
When heartbreak hits, commiserate with them.
When the story writes itself, amplify it.
This isn’t about hijacking the conversation - it’s about adding to it.
Oreo’s famous “Dunk in the Dark” moment during the Super Bowl blackout showed how a single well-timed tweet could outshine multimillion-dollar TV spots.
Gatorade’s tribute to Serena Williams during her U.S. Open farewell did the same - empathy and timing over hard sell.
The brands that get it right treat live sport like a live conversation.
They plan for different outcomes, whether that be a win, loss, controversy, or milestone. They have the creative ready to go within minutes. It’s not about perfection; it’s about presence. Because when fans are riding the dopamine high of a big moment, their defences are down, their loyalty is up, and they’re actively looking to connect.
Show up then, with the right message and the right tone, and you’re no longer interrupting the experience - you’re part of it.
The numbers back it up….
Campaigns that align with emotional peaks in sport routinely outperform those that don’t.
At Now We Collide, we’ve run real–time marketing campaigns, dispatching live-highlights as paid brand moments during the game itself, to measure how emotion drives digital performance.
Across this activity, we’ve seen up to 57% higher return on investment (ROI) compared to always-on digital activity, while nearly 60% of conversions tied to a game moment occur within the first 24 hours - clear proof that emotion shortens the path to action.
In one recent televised basketball game, we delivered more than half a million impressions and generated six-figure video views across Meta, TikTok, and YouTube - all within a six-hour window and a modest media budget. The closer we got to the moment, the greater the impact.
The takeaway is clear: when you align creative timing with emotional peaks, ROI skyrockets.
This short-form, highlight-led content consistently outperformed more brand-heavy assets - proving that authenticity and agility drive stronger engagement than polish or spend. TikTok and Meta both delivered cost-per-view figures that undercut traditional awareness benchmarks, reinforcing just how far a dollar can go when it rides the wave of live emotion.
In other words…
When timing, relevance and emotion align, fans don’t just notice brands - they reward them.
Real-time sports marketing is no longer just a media channel; it’s a performance engine for brands. The brands that activate around live moments aren’t just building awareness. They’re also generating measurable engagement, clicks and conversions in real time.
In an age where every brand is fighting for attention, sport offers something rare - a captive, emotionally charged audience that wants to feel something.
The lesson for marketers is simple: creativity still matters, but timing now defines it. The window for connection opens and closes in seconds - during the highlight, the heartbreak, the celebration. Miss it and you risk being invisible.
The future of sports marketing belongs to those who move at the speed of fandom - brands that read the room, join the conversation, and make the moment theirs. Because in sport, as in life, timing isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.
To learn more about how brands can capitalise on real-time content and turn fleeting fan moments into lasting brand impact, check out Now We Collide’s latest white paper “Capturing the Moment: How Sports Marketing Wins in Real Time”.
About Now We Collide
For over a decade, Now We Collide has been at the forefront of sports marketing innovation, partnering with ESPN to grow its brand, audience and partnerships across ANZ. Now We Collide’s collaborations span global sports properties including the NBA, NFL, NBL, WNBA, FIBA and UFC, as well as major brand integration projects across AFL, Toyota, Carlton Draught, Hahn, BMW, Tour De France, Kayo Sports, Amazon and Nine. We also proudly helped launch the NBA Basketball School in Australia — deepening our commitment to shaping the future of sport, fandom and culture.
Adelaide Crows - Program Coordinator, Adelaide Crows Institute of Sports Business
A-Leagues - Senior Business Development Manager
A-Leagues - Senior Partnership Manager
adidas - Senior Manager, Digital Activation
Amer Sports - Digital Marketing Executive
Amer Sports - Head of Marketing
Badminton Australia - Events & Communications Manager
BlueBet - Senior Digital Marketing Specialist
Canberra Raiders - Marketing Coordinator
Carlton FC - Partnerships Account Manager
ClassPass - Field Account Executive - Brisbane
Cowboys Leagues Club Limited - Marketing and Loyalty Manager
Cowboys Leagues Club Limited - Marketing Executive
Cricket Australia - Digital Producer (6 months fixed-term)
Cricket Australia - Event Specialist, Premium Guest Management
Cricket Australia - National Event Operations Coordinator
Dabble - Campaign Manager (Partnerships)
dentsu creative - Social Media Manager - NFL
Easygo - Esports Sponsorships Lead
Engage Digital Partners - Social Media Manager - Sports
Fanatics - VP and GM
Foxtel Group - PR Manager - Sport
Futures Sport & Entertainment - Senior Analyst
Geelong Cats - Media & Communications Manager
Gemba - Analyst
Gemba - Senior Event Producer
Gold Coast SUNS - Commercial Sales Executive
Gold Coast Titans - Head of Marketing and Content
Hudl - Senior Account Executive
IRONMAN Oceania - Signage and Activation Manager
lululemon - Area Community Specialist
lululemon - Manager, Digital Marketing, AUNZ
M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment - PR & Influencer Senior Account Manager
Melbourne FC - Digital Marketing Coordinator
Melbourne FC - Head of PR & Corporate Affairs
Melbourne Racing Club - Foundation Manager
Melbourne Racing Club - Public Relations Coordinator
Moreton Hire - Marketing Coordinator
NBL - Commercial Partnerships Coordinator - Media & Marketing
Netball ACT - Chief Executive Officer
Netball Australia - Schools Engagement Manager (12 month fixed-term)
Netball Australia - Senior Manager - Marketing & Communications (Netball World Cup)
Netball WA - Marketing Lead
Netball World Cup Sydney 2027 - Sponsorship Manager
NRL Touch Football - Digital Services Coordinator
Octagon - Senior Analyst
O’Neills Sportswear - Digital & Social Media Manager
Queensland Cricket - General Manager Community Cricket and Infrastructure
Publicis Sport & Entertainment - Senior Partnerships Director - Sports Marketing & Sponsorship
Reebok - Category Manager (Buyer)
Reebok - Marketing Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager
Stadiums Queensland - Digital Media Advisor
Swimming Australia - Event Coordinator
Tabcorp - Digital Platforms and Content Lead
TaylorMade Golf - Marketing Manager
Tennis Australia - Programs Lead
TGI Sport - Account Manager
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Lead
Viva Leisure - Franchising Marketing Manager
Western Sydney Wanderers FC - Event Specialist
West Coast Eagles - Partnerships Account Manager
WNBL - Commercial Manager
WNBL - General Manager Operations
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.