Sports marketing is looking forward to a banner year in 2026. Brands are anticipating the benefits of major tentpole events such as the FIFA World Cup in North America and the winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, while at the same time experimenting with new tactics and technologies to leverage opportunities from the increasing globalization of sports, the growth in women’s leagues a more active, immersive fandom.
As expected, the Super Bowl will kick off the year’s sports marketing activity with record numbers. NBCU already announced in September it had sold out its ad inventory in the game and reports put the ad rates at a record $8 million per 30-second spot. The company recently closed its upfront season with record sales, thanks to the NFL and the Winter Games.
And the winter games are a warmup for marketers already gearing up for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. “The LA 28 Olympics will be an incredible platform not only for sports in general, but obviously for us as a brand, because it’s the biggest sports market of the world,” said Marc Makowski, senior vice president, creative direction & innovation at Adidas. The brand is already looking at team sports relevant to North American consumers, such as basketball and volleyball, he said.
Marketers will continue to double down on sports to counter the fragmentation of media and take advantage of the unique ability of sports events to draw engaged, live audiences. But with the increasingly high price tags of sports sponsorships, they will be experimenting with social media, user-generated content and other ground-level tactics.
Sports sponsorships remain a good value for marketers, but the price tags for major leagues and tentpole events are rising exponentially; for example, Major League Baseball sponsorship revenue has climbed 68 percent since 2021, the NHL’s is up 20 percent since 2022 and the NBA’s has climbed 98 percent in five years. With such a sharp rise, many marketers interested in leveraging sports will be looking for alternatives, such as hospitality activations and other ancillary events.
“Brands are getting more creative now. (But) you still have to be careful about infringing on rights,” said Andy Tretiak, chief marketing officer of Airshare, a private aviation company that’s a partner of PGA of America tour and the Ryder Cup.
New opportunities such as Formula 1 racing can be a good fit, but they are expensive, so brands will look at ways to get involved without stepping on those official sponsorships, said Tretiak. For example, Airshare, while not an official World Cup sponsor, will focus on offering travel services and hospitality for the tournament, since this would appeal to its customer base of high-net-worth individuals and frequent travelers.
The rights-holders are becoming more flexible in how they work with brands, rather that tie them into strict packages, said Tretiak. Brands have more freedom to use those relationships, which makes the events more attractive, he said.
“Globalization with Localization”
The globalization of sports will get a showcase in 2026 when North America hosts the World Cup. The tournament is already shaping up to be a transformational event for soccer, a sport that has only recently gained purchase with U.S. fans, but is part of the explosion of fandom beyond the Big Three (football, baseball and basketball) that have always dominated U.S. sport.
In 2026, as the World Cup brings soccer deeper into the U.S. mainstream, the Big Three will continue their expansion into international markets, while also appealing to fans who are increasingly adding sports experiences to their travels.
“With fans now engaging from every corner of the world, we’re focused on creating experiences that translate the Brooklyn identity globally and meeting fans where they are,” said Andrew Karson, executive vice president of marketing for BSE Global, owners of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and Long Island Nets, the WNBA’s New York Liberty, and the Barclays Center.
“Major global moments like the World Cup or Olympics demonstrate how fans are increasingly traveling for top-tier sports experiences,” said Karson. “While the Nets won’t be on the pitch, the World Cup is a massive cultural moment that we’re excited to have in New York and strategically leverage.”
He noted that New York is one of the most visited cities in the world, and the Barclays Center has become a must-see stop for international travelers; he estimated about 20% of Nets ticket buyers come from outside the U.S. The organization has embraced that trend with an arena tours program and continues to expand its international footprint, with more than 12 million international social media followers.
“Globalization with localization,” is the biggest opportunity ahead, said Cathy Jerome, vice president of marketing & communications for the Washington Spirit, of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Sports leagues such as the NWSL, NBA, and NFL have noticed growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and are targeting these emerging markets to attract new fans and sponsors, she explained. Content can be localized to appeal to those fans by both translating it and adjusting for cultural differences, she explained. For example, she noted the Washington Spirit launched @somosspirit, a Spanish social channel on X and Instagram, to reach Latin American and U.S. Hispanic fans.
“We are providing access, growing our audience base beyond the Washington, D.C. market in the U.S. and beyond,” said Jerome.
The sports future is female
Marketers interest in women’s sports will also continue unabated, and brands will lean into new and unique strategies, not just adapting tactics borrowed from men’s sports. Adidas, for example, is studying how to “get a lot more specific for female athletes” in endurance sports, said Makowski. The brand will “start looking at solutions that go beyond what is the next shoe or the next kind of bra for her, but also what are additional solutions that she requires.”
Indeed, women’s sport will be increasingly mainstreamed in 2026, with brands adding both players and leagues to their sponsorship rosters. “Women’s athletes are being viewed in the same vein as male athletes unlike ever before, so we are capitalizing on that. We’ve seen it in all our sale numbers and overall brand awareness and expect the trend to continue,” said Jerome.
“This surge has created powerful new opportunities for designers, brands and communities alike,” said Kelly Holton, senior principal and brand activation director of Populous, a global design firm that’s created many iconic sports venues worldwide.” She noted Populous worked on the development of the Performance Center HQ, a first-of-its-kind training facility shared by the NWSL’s Portland Thorns and the WNBA’s Portland Fire which opened earlier this year, addressing the needs of female athletes, coaches and staff. The firm is also designing purpose-built stadiums for professional women’s teams, such as the stadium to house the NWSL expansion club, Denver Summit FC, expected to open in 2028.
“By crafting multi-layered, intentional experiences, both inside and outside of the venues, that authentically reflect women’s needs and preferences, we will continue to drive growth, investment and lasting engagement in women’s sports,” said Holton.
Connected and personalized
In a fragmented environment, Sports marketers will continue to focus on building engagement with immersive and interactive fan experiences and user generated content, to appeal to fans that are consuming sports content in many ways and want experiences that go beyond the game. In 2026, they will increasingly leverage technology such as artificial intelligence to improve the user experience in the arena. The biggest opportunity in 2026 “lies in continuing to elevate the fan experience,” said BSE’s Karson.
“The fan experience is becoming more connected and personalized,” said Karson. “In the arena, it’s about removing friction and amplifying key moments.”
Besides a strong focus on social media connections, BSE is also in year two of a five-year plan to enhance the fan experience at Barclays Center through upgraded technologies (such an an-in-app artificial intelligence assistant to aid fans on game day), immersive programming and hospitality, he said.
“As we look ahead to 2026, I see continued opportunity in how we personalize and localize the fan experience – whether that’s through digital touch points or in-person community-focused events – while also growing the next generation of fans who will carry that connection forward,” he said.
