FIFA to grab huge sponsorship revenue potential of $1.7 billion

Heading into the opening weekend of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the tournament is set to see 27 official brand sponsorship partners with prime marketing rights, says GlobalData, with a total of $1.7 billion estimated to be generated by sponsorships. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that these partnerships* come at a heavy expense, with the average sponsorship cost estimated at $63.26 million over the current four-year World Cup rights cycle. This high price tag means that only the biggest international brands will be able to fund such a partnership.

GlobalData’s report, ‘Business of the FIFA 2022 World Cup’, estimates that 15 of the 27 brands partnering directly with the tournament in 2022 are making their FIFA World Cup partnership debut. Seven of the partnerships announced thus far already hold a value worth in excess of $100 million for this tournament cycle.

Jake Kemp, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting competition on the planet, bar none. While the Super Bowl often claims to be the biggest sporting show every year come February, the reality is that its viewing numbers and commercial value pale in comparison to the FIFA World Cup. No other competition offers brands an opportunity to promote their products and services on as large or as wide as a scale as the premium soccer competition. Its unparalleled position in the sports market equates to a higher price point in the sponsorship market, as the biggest brands look to ensure visibility at the biggest international event.”

The tournaments sponsorship portfolio houses some of the biggest brands in the world, with some of the currently named sponsors in 2022 including Vivo, Wanda and Qatar Airways. Big brands have been able to commit to the competition for numerous competition cycles in recent years. German brand, adidas, serves as the longest running individual partnership of the tournament, with its involvement dating back to Mexico in 1970, when it first served as the ball supplier.

Kemp continues: “While the tournament holds a diverse commercial appeal, the financial services sector is the most influential, with five partnerships. This includes two with brands involved in cryptocurrency, as FIFA capitalized on the crypto boom earlier this year before they began to struggle. A return of the US national team to the World Cup means that sponsorship from the US has been high, with American brands accounting for a third of all tournament sponsors in 2022.”

* Partnerships linked to the soccer federation and the tournament only

All data taken from GlobalData Sport platform, with further insights and analysis available on GlobalData’s ‘The Business of the 2022 FIFA World Cup’