Brands need to act quickly following Lionesses’ win

England’s victory in a major international football tournament for the first time in more than 45 years is certain to attract lucrative brand deals and endorsements for today’s players, but there’s also an important opportunity for those brands willing to play the long game. 

Why it matters

There have been false dawns before now but the figures this time are persuasive: 17.4 million viewers watched Sunday’s UEFA Women’s Euros final – the most-watched women’s football game in UK television history and the most-watched TV event of the year, the Guardian notes – while the 87,192 fans at Wembley stadium constituted a record attendance for any final Euros game, men’s or women’s.

That’s confirmation for brands that there’s huge interest in women’s football at this level, where they will surely get a return on their investment. More challenging, but potentially far more rewarding, is investment that will help ensure the long-term health of the sport at grassroots level. 

Context

• Experts suggest that sponsorship values for the England team will increase tenfold following Sunday’s win. 
• Individual players have already struck deals with brands – Lucy Bronze with Pepsi and Visa, for example. 
• Sponsorship deals in women’s sport have become more significant, such as the FA’s Women’s Super League and Barclays, and increasingly stand-alone rather than just being a bolt-on to the men’s deal. 

Key quote

"A key sponsorship element involves purpose, particularly until audiences rise outside major tournaments for the likes of regular season matches, so any activations that can impact grassroots and participation are where the big wins lie for both brands and rights holders. There’s no doubt the Lionesses’ victory is going to positively impact participation so it’s time to strike while the iron is very hot" – Alex Burmaster, Head of Research and Analysis at caytoo.

Sourced from Guardian, Metro, caytoo

^{[Image: England Football]}