A report by Onside, the sponsorship agency run by John Trainor, points to a 43 per cent increase in deals in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year – the fastest rate of growth in seven years. There was a 58 per cent increase in sports deals and a 17 per cent rise in non-sport deals. Vodafone is once again the most popular sport sponsor.
Three gets the nod for the top non-sport sponsor for the first four months of 2022. Three in four Irish adults have a sponsor specifically of women’s sport in Ireland that appeals most to them. Nine in ten sponsors see women’s sport as an opportunity for their business in the coming years, one in five deals reported in Q1 were women’s sports sponsorships.
The report shows that 71 per cent of Irish adults agree with Three’s decision to suspend their sponsorship of Premier League club Chelsea in light of the UK government sanctions on any sports organisations with ties to the Russian government. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was forced to step aside as Chelsea owner and the club is up for sale.
