Welcome to The Sponsorship Edge. The best sponsorship deals aren’t always the safest ones, and the brands winning right now know it.
Why Rolex Is Doubling Down on Race Sponsorship with SailGP (Hodinkee) ⛵️
Rolex’s commitment to SailGP signals a shift in how the brand aligns itself with sport. Rolex is positioning itself as an influential driver in a modern, high-tech, co-ed sport. SailGP’s identical boats, data transparency, co-ed crews, spending caps, and a commitment to sustainability offers Rolex a unique opportunity. The brand can refresh its alignment with athletic associations without diluting its longtime aura of exclusivity.
Why It Matters
- Control and narrative alignment: Rather than just “buying” exposure, Rolex is stepping into a role where it helps steer the narrative.
- Selective sport choice: Rolex has long supported tennis, golf, motorsports, equestrian, and sailing. SailGP offers a fresh twist on sailing that’s more accessible, more dynamic, less elitist.
- Authenticity through structure: The league’s equal-boat rules, data sharing, sustainability goals, and mixed-gender requirements help reinforce a narrative of fairness, progress, and elite performance.
Rolex is deepening its sponsorship of SailGP to align its brand with innovation, fairness, and modernized tradition while playing an active role in shaping the sport’s narrative.
Annoyed by the Big Ad on MLB Batting Helmets? Strauss Isn’t (Front Office Sports) ⚾️
Strauss secured the right to place its logo on both sides of every MLB player’s batting helmet during the 2024 postseason. It’s the first time a brand has been allowed this kind of real estate on uniforms in MLB’s U.S. games. The deal runs through 2027. It expands into Minor League Baseball and regular-season games in Europe starting next year. The deal has drawn heavy pushback from fans claiming it violates the visual purity of the game. Strauss views the dramatic exposure as worth the risk.
Why It Matters
From a sponsorship strategy standpoint, the deal serves up several lessons:
- First-mover leverage: Strauss gains attention as the inaugural sponsor in this new category of inventory.
- Risk versus recognition: Like the 2023 Feastables jersey patch deal with the Charlotte Hornets, Strauss is willing to weather criticism. It believes the novelty translate into long-term brand recognition.
- Integrated reach: The partnership extends beyond MLB’s postseason into minor leagues and international play, multiplying touchpoints for exposure.
- Conversation as currency: Fan outrage, media chatter, and social buzz create visibility that Strauss would struggle to buy through conventional advertising. Even negative attention is attention.
The Strauss helmet sponsorship mirrors Feastables’ bold patch deal by showing how disruptive inventory, even when criticized, can deliver heightened brand awareness.
Major U.S. Sports Leagues Pull in Record $6.7B in Ad Revenue (Front Office Sports) 🏟️
2023 was a banner year. U.S. professional sports leagues pulled in $6.7 billion in advertising revenue. The uptick suggests robust demand for high-impact, live, non-skippable inventory, despite increasing media fragmentation. Sports leagues are increasingly seeing themselves as “media channels” competing for advertisers. The value of premium sponsorship spots (jerseys, in-game displays, digital overlays, etc.) is buoyed by the strength of the inflow of advertising dollars.
Why it Matters
- Leverage the halo effect of aggregated scale: With leagues reporting record ad revenue, individual sponsors can piggyback on that momentum.
- Premium inventory is more valuable than ever: Brands will pay a premium for guaranteed, visible placements (venue signage, jersey patches, broadcast overlays).
- Competition for attention is heating up: As more advertisers flock to sports, saturation becomes a risk. Sponsors must fight for uniqueness in activation, storytelling, and digital extensions.
- Data & measurement matter: The winds favor partners who can prove ROI with metrics.
Leagues pulling in a record $6.7 billion in ad revenue signals a gold rush for premium sports inventory and forces sponsors to compete through creativity, measurement, and selective placement.Sponsorship is changing, and the biggest risks aren’t always obvious.
Webinar: Where Sponsorship Innovation Meets Amplified Impact 💡
Sponsorship is changing, and the biggest risks aren’t always obvious. Join Mark Harrison and Jason Smith, CEO of SponsorCX, on October 21st to explore how brands and properties can rethink risk, maximize value, and activate partnerships that truly make an impact.
Learn practical tactics, frameworks for sustained value, and examples from emerging leagues pushing the boundaries.
We’re also donating $5 per attendee to Big Brothers Big Sisters, where Mark serves as Board Chair of his local chapter. You won’t want to miss this opportunity.
10 KPIs That Prove Your Sponsorships Are Worth It 📊
Most brands and properties track the wrong metrics or don’t track them at all. Then renewal season hits and everyone scrambles to justify the spend with recap decks and rough guesses.
This guide breaks down the 10 sponsorship KPIs that actually matter, plus a 4-step action plan to make them trackable and useful. You’ll learn what to measure, why it matters, and how to turn data into your competitive advantage.
Read our full Top 10 Sponsorship KPIs guide to see exactly what brands and properties need to track for measurable, repeatable growth.
Veteran Marketing Executive Russ Hannig Joins SponsorCX as COO 🤝
SponsorCX has appointed Russ Hannig as Chief Operating Officer, marking another key step in the company’s rapid growth. A veteran of Gabb and Ancestry, Hannig brings deep experience in scaling marketing, customer success, and team operations which will be critical as SponsorCX expands across sports, entertainment, and events.
SponsorCX CEO, Jason Smith, called Hannig “one of the most skilled and well-rounded leaders”he’s worked with, emphasizing his role in shaping SponsorCX’s next stage of growth.
Hannig will oversee marketing, HR, and customer success to strengthen SponsorCX’s mission of empowering brands and properties through data-driven sponsorship management.
Read the full press release here.
SponsorCX Recognized by Silicon Slopes Hall of Fame as A Top Utah Startup 🏅
SponsorCX was nominated for Startup of the Year and proud to be honored as one of the top three startupsin Utah.
The annual event recognizes companies for innovation, design, growth, scalability and top-tier performance. 2025 has been a year of momentum and growth for SponsorCX. And, we’re just getting started.
A big congratulations to SchoolAI on taking home the award, and thank you to Silicon Slopes for hosting such a memorable evening celebrating innovation and leadership throughout Utah.
Ready to streamline your sponsorship processes and close bigger deals? Request a demo to see how SponsorCX helps you stay organized and save time.
Questions? Feel free to reach out anytime at [email protected].
