Chances are, you’ve driven by a soccer field at some point in your life and noticed the names on the back of the players’ jerseys or you’ve sat in a hockey arena and seen the rink board advertisements, but you likely haven’t given them much thought beyond that. In this issue of the Pulse, we’ll explore the cost of sponsoring a sports team and the benefits, for the businesses doing the sponsoring, the sports teams that get sponsored, and beyond. 

Sponsoring a local sports team can be fairly inexpensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand per season, according to TeamSnap. The price of the sponsorship will vary depending on the sport, the package you pick—will your logo be featured on their website, a banner, the back of their jerseys, or all of the above? It will also depend on what league the team you are sponsoring is in, with travel teams being more expensive than house league teams. By having sponsorship options at different price points, businesses can pick a package that fits their budget. So, what are the benefits of sponsoring a sports team? Why do so many businesses do it?  

It helps get your name out there.  

Probably the most obvious benefit of sponsoring a sports team is that it gets your name out there. Having your company’s name on the back of a team’s jersey or on a banner at a sports field allows your name to be seen by a large number of people, including coaches, players, parents and any other spectators that may have come to watch the team play. This can be especially beneficial for new businesses who don’t have national brand recognition or haven’t been in the community for generations.     

It helps endear people to you.  

People want to do business with people they like, and sponsoring a local sports team is a great way to build relationships with  residents and show you care about the community. Sports is something that many people are very passionate about, so if you choose to sponsor a team that you have a personal connection with, it will be even easier for you to build genuine connections over it. 

It can help you build connections. 

If you sponsor a sports team and make it a point to attend the games, you never know who you may end up connecting with. Any of the coaches, players, parents or other spectators could be a potential client or referral partner for you, and you never know who they may know and be able to introduce you to as well.  

It helps keep sports affordable for people to participate in. 

Sponsors help offset the purchase costs of team jerseys and club equipment for sports organizations and allows them to keep registration fees affordable. Keeping the registration fees low is important, as cost can be a significant barrier to entry. In fact, according to a national survey of parents by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative and Utah State University’s Families in Sport Lab, youth ages 6-18 from low-income homes quit sports because of the financial costs at six times the rate of kids from high-income homes.  

It helps the people in your community have better health, interpersonal, educational and employment outcomes.  

By keeping sports more affordable, and therefore, more accessible, you are contributing to the people in your community having better health, interpersonal, educational and employment outcomes. Playing sports is a great form of physical activity, which the American Heart Association says can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, help you manage stress and tension, boost your energy level, and help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. According to the University of San Diego, research also suggests that former student athletes are more productive at work and see as much as 7%–8% higher annual earnings than those who did not participate in youth sports. 

In conclusion… 

There are numerous benefits of sponsoring a local sports team. Businesses should consider sponsoring a team in their area for the benefit of not only themselves, but also the community as a whole.