The new playbook for sports activations
How sports activations are evolving to meet rising fan expectations, driven by the experience economy, gaming-inspired interactivity, AI-powered personalisation, and emotional connection
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.
New Initiative: Sports Industry Sponsorship Openings
The Australian sports sponsorship market is full of great opportunities, but it’s busy and fragmented, often making it hard for brands and rights holders to find each other. Too often, valuable partnerships are missed because there’s no simple, centralised way to connect.
That’s why Notice is introducing a new Sports Industry Sponsorship Openings section on Noticesports.com.au, giving sports organisations an opportunity to showcase their partnership openings and offerings, and brands the ability to discover the right fit.
With an audience full of decision-makers, Notice gives your property the visibility it needs to help secure meaningful partnerships.
Your sports sponsorship opportunity, in front of the right brands and the people who make the decisions
Check it out here.
Also, welcome Basketball.com.au who are the first to list their current openings.
Quick Question👋
This weekly e-newsletter has been getting longer and longer, because the Australian sports industry doesn’t stop — and neither do the stories worth sharing.
We want to make sure every story gets the right platform, without overwhelming you in one big hit, so that’s why we’re considering adding an extra edition each week…
Rugby Australia welcomed AG1 as the official and exclusive functional nutrition partner of the Wallabies and Wallaroos for the next 3 years - the AG1 logo will feature on the Wallaroos shorts and on the balls for Wallabies home Tests this year, before featuring on the balls of both teams in 2026 and 2027
Resilience Insurance will feature on the front of the NSW Waratahs jersey thanks to a new 3-year Principal Partnership which covers the NSW Waratahs Super Rugby Pacific squad and all the NSW Academy Pathway teams
NRMA Insurance extended its partnership with Surfing Australia for 3 more years, and expanded it to become the Platinum Partner of SurfGroms, Teen Groms, Seas The Day and the RISE Women and Girls Program – Surfing Australia’s most popular participation initiatives
Melbourne Renegades secured Carnival Cruise Line as an Official Partner of both the Renegades’ BBL and WBBL teams, and the Presenting Partner of the fan-favourite Gades Arcade
South Australian Cricket Association and the Adelaide Strikers announced a new 3-year Major Partnership with SA’s largest member organisation RAA (830,000+ members) whose logo will feature on the BBL and WBBL playing and off-field apparel
Melbourne United and Mobil announced a multi-year partnership extension, making Mobil Card the 'Official partner of Melbourne United' as well as the 'Presenting partner of United in Business'
Melbourne United and Wilson Parking extended their partnership through the NBL26 season which will see 3 x lucky fans rewarded with courtside seats at every home game inside John Cain Arena
Adelaide 36ers announced Mega Rewards as the club’s new Major Partner that will see the fast-growing member benefits platform take front-of-jersey position on the club’s home kit for the upcoming NBL season
Australian athletic underwear brand Step One signed on as a Supporting Partner of Basketball Australia’s ‘Ford Aussie Hoops’ – the national grassroots basketball program for children ages 5–10
GWS GIANTS and Harvey Norman announced a 2-year extension which has a strong community focus and commitment to Western Sydney - it will also support the launch of a leadership program in 2026 dedicated to the development of female athletes and emerging leaders within the GIANTS’ AFLW program
St Kilda FC welcomed Melbourne-based ISLA Vodka to its sponsorship line-up for the 2025 AFLW season - its drinks will be available at RSEA Park during all AFLW home games this season
Gold Coast SUNS announced a 3-year partnership extension with StreetSmarts, the Queensland Government’s road safety public education program designed to change attitudes and behaviours to improve road safety
Collingwood FC and Kangan Institute renewed a fresh 2-year partnership - The new deal will see Kangan Institute serve as the Official Partner for the AFL Men’s team and Official Premier Partner of the AFL Women’s team
Hawthorn FC’s Will Day had a meet and greet with Simone Biles
Newcastle Jets announced Oz Shipping Containers as a Major Partner for the 2025/2026 A-League Season which will feature on the sleeve of the A-League Men’s kits for the 2025/2026 season, as well as on the back of their training shorts
Dabble was named as the Naming Rights Partner of the PDC ANZ Premier League, kicking off a brand-new era for darts in Australia and New Zealand
Scape, by The Living Company, a long-term supporter of Volleyball Australia, was announced as Presenting Partner of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships that will be held in Adelaide from 14-23 November 2025
Sunshine Coast-based underwear brand Knobby was named the Official Underwear Supplier of the Australian Olympic Team - the new multi-year deal will see the launch of a limited-edition Green and Gold underwear and base apparel collection in January 2026, ahead of the Winter Games in February
Newcastle Knights and Wests Group expanded its partnership with the Minerva Network, a not-for-profit that has supported more than 1,000 female athletes by connecting them with business leaders to provide mentoring, career guidance, and professional development opportunities
UC Capitals announced that the ACT Government is set to provide $1.7m of support for the club across the next 4 years through to 2029
Geelong Cats expanded their Wicket-powered facial authentication Express Members Lanes at GMHBA Stadium - the initiative is made possible via Wicket’s integration with Ticketmaster which allows Members to easily pair their tickets with a selfie photo
St Kilda FC sold 10,000 of their $7 three-game memberships for 2026 following the announcement of Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera's 2-year extension worth $2 million a season until the end of 2027 - If 10,000 of the sign-ons roll over their memberships at the end of 2026 at an average of $100 per membership, Wanganeen-Milera's signing would bring in $1 million for 2027
Thousands of soccer fans descended on Fed Square for Stan Sport’s official Premier League Live Site, headlined by the live screening of Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur - see more here
Australia won the rights to host the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027 in Queensland - it will be broadcast to millions across the globe
TikTok and the ATP Tour announced a strategic global content partnership focused on bringing compelling ATP athlete and tennis content to Gen Z and Millennial fans through creator collaborations and innovative content
Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) extended its broadcast partnership with the National Football League (NFL) - it will cover at least one live game each round during the regular season, and will cover the NFL’s 2026 Melbourne Game
CODE Sports signed a 3-year deal as the NBL’s official media partner which includes naming rights to the pre-season CODE Sports NBL Blitz
Australian Test cricket captain Pat Cummins lobbied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to contribute to a $100m fund to help sporting clubs withstand the effects of climate change
ASICS Australia hosted an exclusive event that previewed its Tokyo Collection with runners and ASICS athletes, putting the new MEGABLAST™ and SONICBLAST™ to the test
Football Australia and the Oceania Football Confederation signed a new Memorandum of Understanding which runs until 2029 and is aimed at accelerating the growth of football across the Pacific
It’s being reported that the NRL has chosen Grammy-nominated singer Teddy Swims to perform the pre-match entertainment at this year's grand final
Google named Stephen Curry as its new performance advisor in multi-year deal which will see the NBA superstar work with Google Health, Pixel, and Cloud to shape the future of AI-powered wellness tools and bring his performance philosophy to athletes and everyday users alike
Microsoft and the NFL announced a multiyear extension of their partnership to bring real-time game data and analysis to the sidelines using Microsoft Copilot and Azure AI
Lacoste temporarily replaced its iconic crocodile logo with a green goat in a capsule collection honouring Novak Djokovic
Guest Writer: Elias Proctor, Creative Director at FutureLabs
Today’s guest writer is Elias Proctor, Creative Director at FutureLabs, an Australian creative experience studio specialising in tech‑driven activations, games, digital experiences and media moments. Elias has been designing immersive experiences for brands across the world including adidas, Mastercard, Porsche, Netflix and the UFC.
In today’s article, Elias explains how sports activations are evolving to meet rising fan expectations, driven by the experience economy, gaming-inspired interactivity, AI-powered personalisation, and emotional connection.
Enjoy the read!
The new playbook for sports activations
In a world where fans can stream any game from their couch, why do they still flock to live events? How have expectations changed, and what’s driving it?
Drawing from FutureLabs' State of Brand Experience in 2025 report, which surveyed leading marketers and event specialists, here are four key tailwinds shaping sports activations today: the “Experience Economy”, the generational impact of gaming, AI’s influence on creative activations and the value of emotional connection.
The experience economy is raising the bar for sports activations
The rise of the “Experience Economy” has transformed expectations across live entertainment. Once a buzzword about consumers valuing experiences over possessions, today it means something more practical: fans are overwhelmed with options. From festivals and theme parks to streaming platforms and immersive exhibitions, the competition for their attention is relentless — and it’s projected to be worth a staggering A$18.34 trillion globally by 2028.
For sport activations, it means the bar has been lifted. Fans are no longer comparing one sport event to another, they’re benchmarking it against the best festivals, the most immersive exhibitions and the most memorable cultural attractions they’ve experienced. To keep up, sports marketers are blending technology, entertainment and culture together to capture — and keep — the attention of fans.
Let’s look at some global examples:
In Dubai, Real Madrid World blends theme park spectacle with club heritage
In the US, the NBA’s activations with partners at the All Star Weekend are getting bigger and more immersive than ever
Formula 1 is trialling AI-powered activations that let audiences generate their own race commentary
Here in Australia, FutureLabs recently worked with Seeker Agency and Pirelli to blend Pirelli’s automotive DNA with a touch of tennis, creating an immersive activation space with three interactive stations at the Australian Open.
As Notice has previously observed, this blending of sport, brands and culture can be thought of as “The Festivalisation of Sport.”
Where every moment competes with festivals, exhibitions and themed attractions, success means making something truly attention-worthy. That’s why we made Attention one of FutureLabs’ core values: because we need to value the consumer’s attention to create something that earns it.
Gen-Z fans want a role to play, not just a show
A generation raised on Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft understands entertainment as something that’s always on and always interactive, with many people building, competing and influencing the world around them.
That mindset now shapes how Gen Z audiences expect to experience sport. Good sports activations should now give fans tangible ways to influence the experience.
That can mean co-creating content that becomes part of the official event narrative, transforming a spectator suite when the crowd erupts, or unlocking prizes by visiting specific locations at a sporting event.
“Personalisation” and “co-creation” activations are being redefined with generative AI
These types of activations have always been a hit with fans, but generative AI has transformed expectations about what they can be. Experiences can be personalised in a way that feels insightful, not just surface-level, and participants can engage in creative activities that are supercharged with generative AI.
Findings from the FutureLabs Brand Experience Report point the same way, with 60% of respondents identifying real time AI and interactive systems as a top focus for upcoming campaigns.
The impact this is having on fan experience is profound. Recently, the NFL and Adobe teamed up to redefine fan experiences with AI powered personalisation.
Across the pond, the Premier League enabled fans to generate custom team badges, kit concepts and shareable social content from inside the Fantasy Premier League app and website.
The outtake? Consider how AI can be subtly incorporated in activations to make them more personalised, more creative and as a result, more memorable.'
Design for emotional connection and measurable impact
The Penske Pop Culture Report shows 63% of consumers seek experiences that connect more deeply to their personal interests. Sport is one of the most powerful forms of pop culture today, offering uniquely fertile ground for these connections because fan passion is already built in from the ground up.
So how can sports brands design activations around emotional connection? One clear example can be found at the Melbourne Cup Carnival, where FutureLabs and Frank Wild collaborated with the Victorian Racing Club on a live sentiment layer that visualised crowd mood on large format LEDs.
As the crowd reacted to moments on the track, audio sensors transformed a digital “Happy Metre” on the facade, swelling during peak moments. Inside, kinetic lights filled with colour and energy, mirroring the change in atmosphere.
As Forbes and Fast Company has reported, these types of campaigns, underpinned with emotional content, succeed almost twice as well (31% vs. 16%) as those with only rational content.
In summary?
Today, sports activations are a stage where brands, culture and fan passion collide. Fans are stepping into the game with expectations shaped by the worlds of festivals, retail, gaming and digital creation. They want to play a role, they expect personalisation, and they reward authenticity.
For brands, this is the moment to build experiences that are attention-worthy, tap into emotion and deliver business insights to act on.
Those who rise to the challenge will own the moments fans talk about long after the final whistle.
Adelaide Lightning - Partnerships Marketing Manager
Adelaide United FC - Head of Commercial
adidas - Senior Manager, Digital Activation
AFL - Consumer Growth Lead
Airtasker - PR & Sponsorships Coordinator
Australian Grand Prix Corporation - Commercial Partnerships Manager
Australian Sports Commission - Client Services Coordinator
Australian Turf Club - Commercial Events & Experience Coordinator
Bastion - Senior Experiential Producer
Budgy Smugler - Partnerships Coordinator
Canterbury Australia - Sports Marketing Manager - ANZ
Cricket Australia - Digital Commercial Lead
Cricket Australia - Marketing Coordinator - Fan Engagement
Cricket Australia - PR Specialist - Fan Engagement
Cricket Australia - Senior Commercial Growth Lead
Crypto.com - Growth Partnerships Manager
Easygo - Sponsorship Marketing Coordinator
Flinders University - Associate Professor in Sports Management
Football Australia - Media Manager - Men's Football
Football Victoria - Chief Executive Officer
Foxtel Group - Digital Reporter - Combat Sports - Fox Sports
Foxtel Group - Partnerships Coordinator
Gemba - Account Manager
Gemba - Creative
Gemba - Research and Insights Consultant
Hockey Australia - Media Manager
Hoops Capital - Business Development Manager - Premium Seating
Hoops Capital - Content Producer - Graphic Design Lead
Hoops Capital - Digital Marketing Specialist
Hoops Capital - Sales Executive - Hospitality & Sport
James Hardie - Brand Activation Manager
JD Sports - CRM & Email Marketing Manager
KOJO - Account Coordinator
lululemon - Events Manager | 6 Months Contract
Lion - Sponsorship & Events Leader
Melbourne Racing Club - Racing and Media Executive
MKTG Sport + Entertainment Australia - Research Manager
Mizuno - Sport Sales Team Lead
Netball Australia - Legacy Manager (Netball World Cup)
Netball Australia - Partnership Lead
Newscorp Australia - Digital Sport Producer
Newscorp Australia - Sponsorship Manager
Octagon - Event Manager (Fixed-Term Contract)
Octagon - Managing Director, Australia
Port Adelaide FC - E-Commerce Manager
PUMA - Key Account Manager
RACV - Head of Leisure Marketing
QSport - Chief Executive Officer
Red Bull - Field Marketing Specialist, Sport
Rowing Australia - Digital Content Lead
SANCTUM - Head of Events
SailGP - Senior Performance Executive (APAC)
Seven West Media - Sport Sales Coordinator
Special Olympics Australia - General Manager, Major Events and Partnerships
Sportsbet - CRM Executive
Sportsbet - Senior Commercial Manager
Sportsbet - Senior Marketing Insights Analyst
Sportsbet - Social Content Creator
Sports Entertainment Network - Commercial Manager
Supercars - Senior Partnerships Manager
TaylorMade Golf - Communications & Email Specialist
Tennis Australia - Marketing & Communications Manager
THE ICONIC - Head of Sports
Tradable Bits - Customer Success Manager, Sports and Live Entertainment - APAC
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Lead
Two Circles - Sponsorship Sales Manager
Victoria Racing Club - Commercial Partnerships Lead
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.
super interesting!