The festivalisation of sports
How the festivalisation of sports is winning over a new wave of fans, powering commercial returns and delivering economic impact
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.
Collingwood FC welcomed Jameson Irish Whiskey (Pernod Ricard) as a Major Partner as part of a 2-year deal - to celebrate, fans have the opportunity to win a signed Collingwood guernsey and a Jameson Irish Whiskey pack in an exclusive prize giveaway
Commonwealth Bank became the official Naming Rights Partner of the Socceroos and men’s youth national teams, joining the CommBank Matildas, women’s youth national teams and Para teams in an expanded, 6-year partnership with Football Australia (making it the largest supporter of football in Australia’s history)
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs announced Wattyl Paint as the Inaugural Major Partner of the NRLW Jersey for the next 2 years
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs also secured a new partnership with Kogan.com (Official NRLW Head Coach Partner) and a renewal with Jaycar (Official Pathways Partner and Women’s Pathways)
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles welcomed MANN Group as its Official Demolition Partner for the next 3 years -the MANN Group logo will be placed on the back of the team’s playing shorts for the remainder of this season, as well as 2026 and 2027
The Dolphins welcomed Brisbane based business IT solutions provider Centra Networks as its official Cyber Protection Partner
Victoria Racing Club launched a new 3-year partnership with Australian winemaker De Bortoli Wines which will see the family-owned producer take a prominent position on the dining tables and bars across Flemington Racecourse
Perth Scorchers and mining and construction equipment company Komatsu extended its partnership for a 5th consecutive year which will see Komatsu feature on the playing pants and training shorts of both Scorchers Big Bash League teams across the Weber WBBL|11 and KFC BBL|15 seasons
Melbourne Renegades extended its partnership with compare & connect as the club’s Official Coaches Partner for the upcoming WBBL|11 and BBL|15 seasons.
Sydney FC announced Under Armour as the Naming Rights Partner of the 2025 Under Armour Sydney FC Cup
Elastoplast extended its partnership with Melbourne City FC for another 2 years
Melbourne Victory extended its long-standing partnership with Checkpoint Building Surveyors which will continue to feature on the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s, Ninja A-League Women’s and Academy teams playing shorts for the next 2 seasons
The Lottery Office brought the Gold Coast Titans and Gold Coast SUNS together for the first-ever NRL vs AFL cross-code clash
Brisbane Broncos donated more than $200,000 to its Charity Partner, Black Dog Institute, from proceeds raised throughout its Black Jersey initiative
Sherrin teamed up with Western Bulldogs star and talented artist Cody Weightman to design his very own Sherrin
AFL and Telstra announced the introduction of game-changing Telstra Touch and Track technology at Marvel Stadium for blind and low-vision Australians
Queensland Government and Queensland Rugby League joined forces to tackle sports betting, launching their joint ‘Forget the bet. Enjoy the game’ campaign
Golf Australia unveiled ‘Connecting Women in Golf’ - a new initiative with the WPGA of Australasia and PGA of Australia, designed to connect, support and elevate women working across the golf industry
Netball Australia entered a groundbreaking 3-year broadcast partnership with Whoopi Goldberg’s newly launched All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) which will bring Suncorp Super Netball to over 65 new countries
AFL purchased Waverley Park from the Hawthorn FC
NRL announced the inaugural board members of the PNG franchise, to be chaired by Ray Dib
A new immersive pop-up store (Founded by Laura Youngson of IDA Sports and Jaime Bivona of Octagon) dedicated entirely to women's sport called Style Of Our Own opened its doors in London with support from Mastercard
The Buss family announced it’s selling its majority stake in the LA Lakers for approximately $10 billion (it acquired the team for $67 million in 1979) to businessman Mark Walter, marking the largest sale ever of a US pro sports franchise
Kevin Durant purchased a minority stake in Paris Saint-Germain as part of a larger strategic partnership between Qatar Sports Investments and Boardroom Sports Holdings (Durant’s investment arm)
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The festivalisation of sports
Sport is no longer just about what happens in the arena, it's also about everything surrounding it.
The "festivalisation" of sports is accelerating, blending live sport with things like music, food, culture, fashion and brand activations that offer richer, more immersive experiences designed to attract the next generation of fans and deliver commercial returns.
Just in the past fortnight, two major announcements in Western Australia reinforced this trend:
Cricket Australia announced “West Fest 2025” - Bringing together three of WA’s most iconic events – the NRMA Insurance West Test Ashes, a Perth Scorchers Weber WBBL match, and the WA Day Festival, alongside a program of music, food, fan experiences, and cultural moments
NBL CEO David Stevenson and Australian basketball legend Luc Longley joined player representatives from the WNBL & Hungry Jack's NBL to announce the return of HoopsFest in 2026 - not familiar with the concept? Check it out below:
Australia’s biggest sports have their own, established versions of Hoopsfest:
AFL – Gather Round
NRL – Magic Round
A-Leagues – Unite Round
The above event announcements are part of a broader trend where elite sports are crafting multi-day festivals that engage fans well beyond play.
Fan zones, gourmet food trucks, live entertainment, sponsor activations, merchandise pop-ups, and curated hospitality experiences are becoming standard features.
Why the major sports festival model works
Broader audience appeal
Today’s fans want more than just the game. They want spectacle.
Not everyone at a sports event is a die-hard fan. Festival-style programming gives casual attendees more reasons to attend and stay longer.
Younger audiences, particularly Gen Z, are drawn to experiences that intersect sport, music, fashion, and food.
A recent report from MKTG Sports + Entertainment found that social status is a major sports attendance driver among Gen Z, and that this cohort attend live events to elevate their social status.
Extended experiences = revenue growth
Sports matches are time-bound, but festivals extend the engagement. By building entertainment before and after the main event, organisers turn a 2–3 hour game into a full-day/night experience, increasing on-site revenue and dwell time.
Revenue diversification for rights-holders
Festival events enable sports organisations to generate new revenue streams via:
Incremental ticket sales
Merchandise pop-ups
Food vendors
New sponsorship inventory
Hospitality experiences
Government partnerships
The Australian Open sets the benchmark
The Australian Open has successfully transformed itself from a traditional tennis tournament into a summer festival of sport, entertainment, food, and culture, creating one of the most attractive fan experiences in global sport.
Within Melbourne Park, outside the court, fans can experience:
Live music
Roving performers
Gourmet food villages
Pop-up bars
Merchandise stores
Sponsorship activations
Racquet sports
Beauty bars
Gaming zones
Tennis Australia continues to innovate, introducing new experiences annually
At AO25, it unveiled TOPCOURT – an epic new precinct with a packed schedule of gaming, live entertainment, exclusive food and drink offerings and pop-ups from the most sought-after brands such as Mecca, Australia’s largest prestige beauty retailer.
LIV Golf Adelaide has quickly become the most exciting event on the global golf event calendar by embracing high-energy, loud music and entertainment, where it’s common for golfers to do shoeys with DJ’s on stage and DJ from giant golf balls.
This has helped make the golf experience attractive to a completely new fan base.
Related: The world's best golf event (literally), LIV Golf takes over town, LIV Golf Adelaide 2025 unpacked
City takeovers
Airports, train stations, and transport shelters are increasingly becoming key activation sites for rights-holders and brands during major sports events, helping extend the atmosphere and festivities well beyond the stadium and across the entire city.
When Formula 1 came to Melbourne earlier this year, the event experience extended well beyond the track via advertising, pop-up brand activations, F1-themed events and fan zones.
Related: Formula 1 fever has hit Melbourne, Formula 1-themed events and cross-code collaborations
Earlier this year, Adelaide’s everyday public spaces were transformed into immersive AFL experiences, making it impossible for locals and visitors not to know AFL Gather Round was taking place.
Related: AFL Gather Round success
Emerging sports such as SailGP are replicating the festival-like event experience that has proven successful for other sports.
Why does it matter?
The entertainment-fueled festival experience helps sports attract massive audiences:
Australian Open 2025 - 1.22 million attendees (record-breaking)
LIV Golf Adelaide 2025 - 102,483 attendees (record-breaking)
Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix 2025 - 465,498 attendees (record breaking)
VRC Spring Racing Carnival 2024 - Nearly 600,000 attendees
Themed Rounds
AFL Gather Round 2025: 269,000+ attendees
NRL Magic Round 2025: Nearly 150,000 attendees
*These numbers are only a fraction of the overarching level of fan engagement these events attract - Thousands more fans get involved in broader themed round festivities outside of the stadium.
The opportunity for brands & sponsors
Sports is a powerful platform to deliver brand moments.
Sponsorship activations can help create new associations and strengthen positive brand perceptions when they align to sports that people are passionate about.
MKTG Sports & Entertainment has found that Gen Z expect brands to provide them the opportunity to create new stories that can immortalise their event experience on social media, and that experiences are no longer a ‘nice to have’ in a sponsorship plan to target Gen Z – they’re essential.
Brands can help enhance the live event experience, and help rights-holders attract new fans - MKTG Sport & Entertainment recently found that 1 in 2 young Australians say activations from their favourite brands make them attend more live events.
With Australia’s major sports calendar becoming more crowded, and more innovative each year, brands are ramping up their involvement.
The Australian Open has a large portfolio of blue-chip sponsors and in the lead up to AO25 it was reported that Tennis Australia was set to break new records with 50+ sponsors this year for the tournament, up from 37 in 2024 (+35%) – many of these brands invest heavily in creating unique and engaging fan experiences of their own.
Related: A look inside Australian Open partnerships, High-impact sponsorship activation with Groblox
Governments are investing
Governments are partnering with sports to help attract tourism, stimulate local economy's and showcase their cities domestically and globally.
The South Australian Government is showing an appetite to build its economy and global profile through major events and festivals, which are a significant driver for its economy, generating more than $472m in tourism expenditure annually.
Examples worth noticing:
The SA Government is investing in a new golf course to ensure it can continue to host the LIV Golf tournament until 2031
It contributed $20m for a redevelopment (alongside The Barossa Council) enabling AFL games to be played in the Barossa Valley this year during Gather Round
The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix is currently set to be hosted in Melbourne until at least 2037 and the Victorian Government is upgrading its Albert Park facilities which will feature:
14 garages
A new media centre
An expansion to the Paddock Club
New and improved sport courts and changerooms to cater for year-round community sport
*More here
Major sports events are delivering economic returns
Permanent precincts
Internationally, permanent infrastructure is being built around stadiums to give fans reasons to arrive early and stay late, and to extend the fan experience from purely match day, into a year-round one.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the“Deer District”, a 30-acre property surrounding the Fiserv Forum. The precinct consists of restaurants, bars, shops, luxury apartments, a supermarket and a gym.
Other examples worth noticing:
Dallas Cowboys - The Star
St Louis Cardinals - Ballpark Village
Atlanta Braves - The Battery
New England Patriots – Patriot Place
Recently, former OKC Thunder player Russell Westbrook became the creative director of a new entertainment district in Oklahoma City which will integrate retail, dining, public spaces, and a new stadium.
A win-win-win-win
The festivalisation trend has beneficial outcomes for stakeholders:
Sports – fan engagement, acquisition & loyalty, new revenue streams
Fans – Immersive, engaging, memorable experiences
Brands – Opportunity to connect with fans, build positive brand associations
Government – Positive economic (e.g. tourism, jobs) and non-economic returns (e.g. destination marketing)
The festivalisation of sport isn’t just an Australian phenomenon, it’s a global one, and one of many trends taking place, particularly among emerging sports – Related: The growth playbook for emerging sports
54 - Commercial Manager
Accent Group - Marketing Manager - Sports Direct
AFL - Media Rights Lead
AFL - Special Event Manager
Australian Sports Commission - Engagement and Content Lead
Australian Sports Foundation - Fundraising Support Executive
BlueBet - Events & Partnerships Coordinator
Brisbane Lions - Partnership Executive
Carlton FC - Hyundai Facilitation Manager
Cotton On Group - Digital Marketing Manager - Upstate Sport
Cricket Australia - Big Bash Consumer Growth Specialists
Cricket Australia - Videographer - Big Bash Leagues
Dabble - Acquisition Marketing Specialist
De Bortoli Wines - Sponsorship & Events Manager
Diageo - Events & Sponsorships Manager QLD/NT
Football Australia - Commercial Manager - New Competitions
Fremantle FC - Head of Partnerships
Gemba - Creative Strategist
Gold Coast SUNS - Commercial Partnerships Executive
Hoops Capital - Chief Executive Officer
IRONMAN, Oceania - Head of Marketing
IRONMAN, Oceania - Marketing Coordinator
KOJO - Content Producer
lululemon - Community Programs Lead
M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment - Earned Creative Director
M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment - Partnerships Account Director
M+C Saatchi Sport + Entertainment - PR & Communications Account Director
Melbourne Racing Club - Sponsorship Manager
Moshtix - Business Development Manager - Events, Attractions & Sport
Netball Australia - General Manager - Tournament Revenue & Experience (Netball World Cup)
Netball Tasmania - Chief Executive Officer
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)
Rebel Sport - Marketing Specialist
Richmond FC - Bequest & Philanthropy Manager
Red Bull - Field Marketing Specialist, Sport
SailGP - Partnerships Manager - APAC
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 - Campaign Coordinator
Sportsbet - Head of Product
Sportsbet - Marketing Insights Analyst
Sportsbet - Mass Media Coordinator
Sportsbet - Strategy Manager
Sports Entertainment Network - Partnership Coordinator
Surfing Australia - Head of Participation & Community
Surfing WA - Events Manager
Tennis Australia - Partnership Activations & Event Manager
TGI Sport - Account Manager
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
Touch Football Australia - General Manager, Growth & Innovation
Touch Football Australia - Senior Marketing Manager
Trek Bicycle - Marketing Manager
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Manager
Victoria Racing Club - Corporate Hospitality Account Manager
Victoria Racing Club - New Business Development Executive
Victoria Racing Club - Project Manager - Event Services
VISION Sport and Entertainment - Commercial Sales Manager
World Rugby - Event Services Project Lead
World Rugby - Media & Communications Manager (Men's RWC 2027)
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.