As sports continue to evolve into full-scale cultural moments, brands are finding new ways to connect with audiences far beyond traditional sponsorship visibility. From immersive fan activations and creator partnerships to hospitality experiences and community-driven programming, today’s most successful campaigns are rooted in authenticity, cultural relevance, and meaningful audience engagement. Ahead of a packed global sports calendar, we asked industry leaders to share what separates impactful partnerships from forgettable ones, and how brands can create lasting value around the world’s biggest sporting events.

Val Middleton, EVP, Head of Sport, North America, M&C Saatchi 

"Brands extract real value from major sporting moments not by showing up bigger, but by showing up more authentically. The partnerships that work are grounded in a clear brand truth and deliver something meaningful to fans, rather than interrupting them.

For example, our Lego work in Formula One with McLaren succeeded because it leaned fully into its core idea of play. That clarity allowed the partnership to cut through the noise and set expectations for a long-term collaboration fans could instantly understand and engage with.

On the other hand, our Axe work leading up to the FIFA World Cup scored because it started with the fans. Instead of creating new behaviors, it tapped into existing rituals and rewarded participation, embedding the brand into the culture of the sport.

Where brands fall short is when they treat these moments as media buys rather than cultural opportunities. The ones that win are those that either express something unmistakably true about themselves or add real value to how fans already experience the game.”

Delfina Lazzaro, Founder & Director, KOFFIE

“Sports marketing today is much bigger than sponsorship visibility during the game itself. The brands doing it right are building experiences around the event - from fan activations to creator-led content and community moments - turning sports into a full cultural ecosystem rather than a single moment on the field.

“We can already see this shift happening in cities like Miami, where major sporting events such as Formula 1 and the upcoming World Cup 2026 are surrounded by fan festivals, immersive brand activations, hospitality experiences, and social events that extend far beyond the stadium itself. Fans today want to feel connected to the energy and culture of the event, even if they’re not inside the venue. The brands creating those accessible, community-driven experiences are the ones building stronger emotional connections and long-term relevance, while also understanding that these major sporting events create a significant cultural and economic impact on the city as a whole.”

Kirsti Yess, Co-Founder, Ethos Group

“The partnerships that generate real value around tentpole sporting events are those that feel culturally additive rather than transactional. Major events like the Super Bowl, the Olympics and the World Cup have become incredibly saturated environments, with countless brands, talent and activations all competing for the same consumer attention in a very condensed window of time. Because of that, consumers have become incredibly savvy—they know when a brand is simply buying visibility versus authentically participating in the conversation in a way that aligns with the talent, audience and cultural moment. 

The brands that ultimately break through are the ones creating meaningful touchpoints before, during and after the event through storytelling, strategic talent alignment and culturally relevant content. Major sporting events naturally generate attention, but the real ROI comes from how effectively brands turn that visibility into sustained relevance and long-term audience connection.”

Jonathan O’Connor, Senior Vice President, FINN Partners Consumer Practice

"Great sports sponsorships should add to the spectacle of the event and take some creative risk. After all, you have a captive audience and media, so why not entertain them with something engaging and fun? It’s a unique opportunity to connect with sports fans while they are cheering on their team. For example, we recently worked with Ladbrokes and Ayr Racecourse to create the UK’s first-of-its-kind jockeys without horses race ahead of the Ayr Gold Cup and wanted to break the traditional mould of a festival activation and deliver something that would deliver fan engagement and earned media. ITV Racing's Rishi Persad got involved and started the race and it was one of the most watched segments on ITV Racing and Racing TV's social channels, while also delivering substantial earned media coverage for our client that aligned with the brand."