Teaming Up For Success: Sports Stadium Sponsorships

Professional sports rank among the most profitable industries for sponsorships and brand partnerships. These partnerships, such as Nike's collaboration with the NFL or Coca-Cola's long-standing relationship with the Olympics, offer immense value through enhanced brand visibility and increased consumer engagement.

Today, we took a look at two sports partnership agreements – one between DICK’s Sporting Goods and the Boston Celtics and Red Sox, and another between BIGGBY COFFEE and the Detroit Tigers – to explore the impact of these deals. 

Key Takeaways:

• In May and June 2024, the share of Fenway Park and TD Garden visitors that also visited DICK’s Sporting Goods rose against the backdrop of a major partnership between the retailer and the Boston Celtics and Red Sox. 
• Some 35.4% and 23.9%, respectively, of visitors to Boston’s new DICK’s House of Sport visited Fenway Park and TD Garden between May and June 2024 – further highlighting the partnership’s potential.
• Following BIGGBY COFFEE’s deal with the Detroit Tigers, the average number of visits to each local BIGGBY COFFEE location grew significantly (6.3% YoY) – while visits per location remained flat nationwide.
• In the wake of the BIGGBY COFFEE / Tigers partnership, the share of Comerica Park visitors that frequented BIGGBY COFFEE also increased substantially.

DICK’s House of Sport and the Boston Celtics and Red Sox

DICK’s Sporting Goods recently announced a major partnership with Boston’s beloved Celtics (NBA) and Red Sox (MLB) teams. The partnership was announced shortly after the grand opening of Boston’s new DICK’s House of Sport venue at 760 Boylston Street – which was attended by Red Sox and Celtics legends like David Ortiz and Larry Bird. In addition to signage and logo placement at TD Garden and Fenway Park, the deal grants DICK’s IP rights to be used locally, both in the House of Sport and online. 

A look at cross-visitation patterns between DICK’s Sporting Goods and TD Garden and Fenway Park shows that this partnership is likely to be beneficial to both sides. The share of stadium visitors that also visited DICK’s Sporting Goods (nationwide) rose in May and June 2024, outpacing last year’s levels. And a respective 35.4% and 23.9% of visitors to DICK’s new local House of Sport in May and June 2024 also visited Fenway Park and TD Garden – more than the share that visited other major Boston landmarks like Faneuil Hall.

Detroit Tigers & BIGGBY COFFEE

Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, which hosts the Detroit Tigers baseball team, launched a partnership with Michigan-based BIGGBY COFFEE in 2023.

Since the partnership began, there has been a noticeable rise in visits to local BIGGBY COFFEE locations. During the 2023 baseball season, visits per location to BIGGBY COFFEE in the Detroit area were 6.3% higher than during the 2022 season – while nationwide visits per location to the chain dropped slightly compared to the previous year, with 0.3% fewer visits than in 2022%.

Similarly, the share of Comerica Park visitors frequenting a BIGGY COFFEE location at least once during the baseball season increased after the sponsorship deal. In 2022, 21.7% of visitors to Comerica Park also visited a BIGGBY; by 2023, this share increased to 25.8%.

Looking Ahead

The marriage of sports and sponsorships is a long-standing one – and harnessing location analytics can help sports leagues and teams find partnerships that resonate with sports fans.

For more data-driven marketing insights, visit Placer.ai.