“It’s going to be a very strong bounce back when it comes” – Nielsen Sports head forecasts sponsorship boom for football post-Covid

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic the sports sponsorship market had been expanding at a greater pace than brand investment in traditional media.

Now the factors which had been driving this shift, such as a greater search for authenticity and brand purpose, are set to become even more influential, believes Mike Wragg, global head of consulting & research at Nielsen Sports.

As a result he predicts that after Covid the amount of money being spent on sponsorship with football clubs will be larger than it was before the crisis and will be growing more quickly.

And he stresses that as clubs look to capitalise they will benefit from actively engaging in social responsibility issues, with brands increasingly focused on environmental sustainability, grassroots development, volunteering, and health and well-being.