SPONSORSHIP IN SPORT

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this topic you should know the following:-

1] Examples of sponsors and what sports they invest in.

2] Advantages and disadvantages of sponsorship to the sponsor and to the sport.

3] Examples of sponsors involved in Award Schemes for sport.

WHO ARE THE SPONSORS?

EXAMPLES FROM BANKING, INSURANCE AND BUILDING SOCIETIES

Cornhill Insurance --- Test Cricket Series

Royal Bank of Scotland --- National Volleyball Leagues and Cups

Save and Prosper Investments --- International rugby Union.

EXAMPLES FROM THE MEDIA

Radio Trent ---Radio Trent Invaders National League Speedway Team

Sky --- Premier League

Daily Express --- National 5-a-side Football Championship.

EXAMPLES FROM THE MOTOR INDUSTRY

General Motors/Vauxhall --- GM Vauxhall Conference Football League (Div.4)

Lada --- Lada Classic Snooker Tournament

Freight Rover --- Freight Rover Trophy (For 2nd and 3rd divisions)

EXAMPLES FROM THE SPORTSWEAR INDUSTRY

Umbro --- England Football Team kit

Hi-Tec --- British Open Squash Tournament

Adidas --- Ivan Lendl Tennis player

EXAMPLES FROM BREWERIES AND SOFT DRINKS MANUFACTURERS

Heineken --- British Ice Hockey League

Carlsberg --- National Basketball Championship Play-Offs.

Pepsi-Cola --- Athletics Meetings (Crystal Palace)

EXAMPLES FROM TOBACCO INDUSTRY

John Player --- Cricket Sunday League

Benson and Hedges --- Cricket, Knockout cup.

Embassy --- World Snooker Championships.

EXAMPLES FROM ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

JVC --- Arsenal Football Team

Sharp --- Manchester United Football Team

Accurist --- Athletics Championships

EXAMPLES FROM THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Kellogs --- Round Britain Cycle Race

Pork Farms --- Robin Hood Marathon

Mars --- London Marathon

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER AREAS

Notts County Council --- Torvill and Dean Ice Skaters

Wrangler Clothing --- Notts County Football Team

Milk --- Milk in Action English Schools' Athletics Championships

WHAT IS SPONSORED?

As the above list shows, sponsorship is very wide ranging. It can be sponsorship of one-off events such as a tennis of golf tournament, or it can be a long-term three year sponsorship of a league such as the football league.

Sponsorship can be of individuals such as the Adidas sponsorship of tennis player Ivan Lendl. Finally, sponsorship can be of a group of individuals forming a team or club, such as the JVC sponsorship of Arsenal Football Team.

ADVANTAGES OF SPONSORSHIP

FOR THE SPONSOR

PUBLICITY - The sponsor's name will be brought to the attention of the public. An event may be named after the sponsor, or the sponsor's name will be prominently displayed on advertising boards or on the shirts of the players. The sponsor's name will be seen on the TV and in newspapers, and will be heard on the radio and in everyday conversation.

FINANCIAL - Companies who put money into sponsorship are able to reduce their tax bill.

IMAGE - It is good for a sponsor's image to be linked with a popular, healthy pastime like sport. It is also good to be associated with success (e.g. if a great athlete like Steve Cram is seen to be wearing Nike running shoes, then people will assume that Nike shoes are the best and will buy them). Companies will pay the top athletes many thousands of pounds to wear their goods.

FOR THE SPORT

EXTRA INCOME - In professional sport, sponsorship means that big prize money can be paid and events can be organised on a very large scale without the spectators having to pay huge admission prices. In amateur sport, sponsorship often means the difference between an event or team surviving or having to fold. The extra income can be used to pay for new kit, or for transport costs which otherwise would be too expensive for the players to afford. Other expensive items are league entry fees and registrations, hire of facilities and payment of referees. Some or even all of these items may be paid for by the sponsor.

RAISES STANDARDS - If a team is sponsored it may attract more or better players, thus raising the quality of the team. If an event is sponsored it will be better organised and may be able to expand to allow more teams/players to take part. Sponsorship often means a team or athlete can receive high quality coaching. In some cases sponsorship has allowed athletes to give up full-time work and concentrate on their sport. The top track and field stars are able to do this. Skaters torvill and dean were able to become world champions after Notts County Council's sponsorship enabled them to give up work.

STATUS - Being sponsored gives a team status. If a company is prepared to give money to a team, then people will tend to think that the team must be a very good one. The more well-known the sponsor, the higher the status of the team.

DISADVANTAGES OF SPONSORSHIP

FOR THE SPONSOR

POOR VALUE - The sponsor may feel they have not received enough publicity for the amount of money they have given. There are many ways a company can publicise itself, and doing it through sports sponsorship is fairly risky. If a team or event is a massive success and attracts media attention, then the sponsor has had good value. If the team or even was a failure with little or no media coverage, then the sponsor will have had poor value for money.

BAD IMAGE - During the time a sponsor is under contract with a sport, the image of the sport may suffer and thus damage the image of the sponsor. (Canon Electronics who sponsored the Football League for 1984-86 were rumoured to have pulled out of their sponsorship because of the very bad image of football caused by the Bradford and Brussels disasters).

ONLY 1 WINNER - It is important to the sponsor to be associated with a team or individual that is successful. Sponsors associated with teams who are failures will not get the right kind of publicity. (E.g. if team is relegated from the Premiership this is not the right kind of publicity, but if a team is champion this is a different matter).

FOR THE SPORT

DEPENDENCE ON SPONSOR - Many sports become too dependent on sponsorship. when National League Basketball was televised by Channel 4, the sport was inundated with sponsors and a lot of money, but when Channel 4 pulled out so did most of the sponsors and almost caused a collapse in the League.

MAJOR-MINOR GAP - The difference between the heavily sponsored major sports (Football, Cricket, Motor Racing, etc.) and the minor sports who attract little or no sponsorship, has grown enormously in the last two or three decades. this over-emphasis on a few big sports is bad for sport generally.

NO CONSULTATION - When there is an agreement between a large sporting body and a sponsor, the sports players may have to wear or use their equipment whether they, as individuals, approve of the sponsor of not. There is often no consultation of the people who have to wear the sponsor's name.

Most sportsmen/women are very proud and happy when they win a competition or achieve a certain standard in a sport or activity. many sponsors now help sport by encouraging the young and other people who want to improve their skills. The SCHEMES usually involve achieving standards at different levels. Those who are successful receive a certificate or badge. Some of the SCHEMES are national ones like the Five Star Award Scheme for Athletics. The swimming awards are given for variety of performances including distance, speed and survival skills. Other sports are encouraged by similar schemes.

SPONSORS pay all the costs of the administration of the scheme as well as providing the badges and certificates. The sponsor gets publicity when the certificates and badges go home to parents with sponsor's name prominent. The SPONSORS also hope to get credit from the public for encouraging young people to take part in sport and to improve their ability.

SPONSORS sometimes pay for running coaching and teaching courses which lead to official recognition. These awards are for adults in clubs, schools or sports organisations.

INVESTIGATE AND NAME 10 SPORTS, THEIR AWARD SCHEME AND THE NAME OF THEIR SPONSORS.

MAKE A CHART AND COMPLETE 15 SPORTS AND THEIR SPONSORS

As sport becomes more marketable and thus attracts sponsors, many sports have had to change to enable television and spectators to be attracted to them. For example, tie-breakers have been introduced to make tennis more exciting.

MAKE A LIST OF AT LEAST 6 SUCH CHANGES TO VARIOUS SPORTS WHICH HAVE MADE THEM ARGUABLY MORE EXCITING AND THUS ATTRACT TELEVISION, SPECTATORS AND SPONSORS.