Post-pandemic eagerness is once again undoubtedly driving some of this movement. But when considered in context with other recent Morning Consult research highlighting the growing reach of major leagues from the WNBA to the NFL, a picture of a country on a clear sports kick is painted.
And brands have taken notice.
Sports as a safe space
While professional sports have always been a sought-after marketing medium, sponsorship deals have been increasing across all corners of the industry’s ecosystem, from leagues and venues to teams and individual athletes. This recent investment uptick is likely due, in part, to a declining appetite for corporate advocacy.
Morning Consult’s latest report on brand engagement found that fewer consumers now want to hear from companies on political and social matters than in previous years. In this environment, sports properties become even more attractive for their ability to offer brands a largely neutral promotional space. That said, one particular kind of sport has been especially popular as of late: women’s.
Earlier this year, Charlotte Tilbury inked a first-of-its-kind sponsorship with F1 Academy, the women-only racing championship league founded by Formula One. Competitor e.l.f. Cosmetics quickly followed suit with a history-making motorsports deal of its own, becoming the first beauty brand to serve as a primary sponsor of an entrant in the Indianapolis 500 (female driver Katherine Legge). E.l.f. also had a massive physical presence on race day, hosting a “Lip Oil Change” zone and putting on a drone show, among several other activations.
Elsewhere, Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS continues to produce compelling campaigns as the official underwear partner of the NBA and WNBA, the latter of which yielded record-breaking viewership and in-person attendance figures during the first month of its 2024 season. Women-centric brands bought up significant ad space in this year’s Super Bowl, and even fictional female athletes are inspiring all sorts of trends.
Ultimately, it feels like sports are more closely intertwined with fashion, beauty and entertainment than ever before. And this confluence is piquing the interest of a particularly lucrative crop of noted pop culture lovers.
Game on, Gen Z
Morning Consult Audience data shows that the number of Gen Z adults who routinely engage with major sports leagues and media properties has been growing since early last year.
Approximately half of Gen Z adults said they interacted with the NFL (50%) and NBA (48%) in May 2024, up eight and 12 percentage points, respectively, from January 2023. The MLB and NHL each saw double-digit increases over the period, too.
Though these engagement figures still lag behind that of all U.S. adults, sports executives should feel assured that meaningful headway is, in fact, being made with Gen Zers’, who have long been viewed as the industry’s problem children.
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