Commercial · 107 practices
Sponsorship & Partnerships
Priced inventory, proven reach, multi-year deals. Partnership revenue you can defend in any negotiation.
- 01
Build the sellable asset inventory
List every asset: shirt, LED, naming, digital, hospitality, academy, with capacity and status.
Impact high · effort low
How to do it
- Walk the stadium, the shirt, the digital channels and the match calendar with the commercial owner, noting every place a brand could appear.
- List each asset as one row in a shared spreadsheet with its location, size, audience reach, current holder and contract end date.
- Include assets you give away for free, such as programme pages or tunnel signage, and mark them clearly as unsold.
- Add hospitality, academy, community and naming possibilities, then note which assets are exclusive to one partner and which can be shared.
- Review the sheet before every sales round and after every signing, and check it shows which assets remain unsold and which are underused.
- 02
Create a tiered rate card
Named tiers with set prices and defined deliverables; bespoke becomes the exception.
Impact high · effort low
How to do it
- Take your asset inventory and group the assets into three or four named tiers, from a headline partner down to a local supporter.
- Define exactly what each tier includes: assets, tickets, hospitality, digital features and activation days, so nothing is left to interpretation.
- Set one price per tier, based on reach and scarcity, and write down the lowest price the club will accept.
- Put the tiers on a two-page rate card and give the same version to every director and salesperson.
- Treat any bespoke request as an exception that needs the commercial owner's approval, and review each quarter how many deals followed the card.
- 03
Appoint one commercial owner with targets
Sponsorship needs a named owner, a number and a weekly pipeline review.
Impact high · effort medium
How to do it
- Name one person who owns sponsorship income, and write the responsibility into their job description so the board and staff know who decides.
- Agree an annual revenue target with that person, split into new sales, renewals and upsells, and approved by the board.
- Book a fixed weekly pipeline meeting of thirty minutes, with the same agenda every time: leads, next actions, blockers.
- Give the owner authority to quote the rate card and negotiate within the floor, escalating only deals that fall below it.
- Review progress against the target monthly with the board, and judge success by whether the owner can forecast the year with confidence.
- 04
Start renewals 6 months before expiry
A renewal playbook per partner: delivery recap, upsell option, deadline.
Impact high · effort low
How to do it
- List every partner with its contract end date and mark the date six months before expiry as the start of the renewal window.
- Put a calendar reminder and a named owner against each renewal date, so no contract reaches its final months unattended.
- Prepare a one-page recap per partner of what was delivered, how the partner used it and what the audience looked like.
- Add one upsell option and a clear decision deadline, then book the renewal meeting with the partner's decision maker.
- Track how many partners renew, at what change in value, and compare with deals that were renegotiated late.
- 05
Send every partner an annual ROI report
Exposure, activations, audience and hospitality usage in one delivery document.
Impact high · effort medium
How to do it
- Agree a standard report format with the commercial owner: a few pages covering exposure, activations, audience and hospitality use.
- Gather proof throughout the season: photos of signage, social posts featuring the partner, matchday mentions and attendance figures.
- Record each partner's hospitality attendance and ticket use from your ticketing platform and guest lists so usage can be shown.
- Compile the report for each partner shortly after the season ends, and present it in a meeting rather than just emailing it.
- Ask each partner what they would change, and check at renewal whether reported partners stay more often than those who received nothing.
- 06
Map sector-exclusive categories
Define categories (bank, car, beer, insurance…) and price exclusivity explicitly.
Impact high · effort low
How to do it
- List the product and service categories your region's businesses fall into, such as banking, motors, drinks, insurance, energy and telecoms.
- Check every current contract to see which category each partner holds and whether exclusivity was promised, written or merely assumed.
- Decide for each category whether exclusivity is offered, and state the scope clearly, for example by asset, by competition or club-wide.
- Add an exclusivity premium to the rate card for each category and show it as a separate line in proposals.
- Review each quarter whether any category was sold without a premium, and whether a rival approach was turned away or sold on.
- 07
Shift key deals to multi-year with uplifts
2–3 year terms with built-in annual increases and performance kickers.
Impact high · effort medium
How to do it
- Identify the partners who have renewed at least once and are happy with delivery, as they are the best candidates for a longer term.
- Draft a multi-year offer with a fixed annual increase written into the contract, so the price rises without a new negotiation.
- Add a performance kicker tied to something measurable, such as promotion, attendance or a shared activation, so both sides gain from success.
- Offer a modest benefit for committing early, such as a guaranteed price or priority on new assets, rather than discounting the fee.
- Review each year how many key deals run beyond one season, and whether the time spent on annual re-selling has fallen.
- 08
Run a live prospect pipeline
Named local/regional targets with stages, owners and next actions, reviewed weekly.
Impact high · effort medium
How to do it
- Draw up a list of local and regional companies that fit your audience, starting with businesses already buying tickets, advertising or hospitality.
- Create a simple pipeline board with fixed stages, from identified to contacted, meeting, proposal, negotiation and signed or lost.
- Assign an owner and a dated next action to every prospect, so no name sits without someone responsible.
- Review the board in the weekly commercial meeting, moving prospects forward or removing them, and add new names to keep it full.
- Measure how many prospects move between stages and how closely the board predicts signed deals, adjusting where forecasts miss.
- 09
Package digital & social inventory
Sponsored content, newsletter slots and social series as priced, capped products.
Impact high · effort low
How to do it
- List your digital assets: social posts, newsletter slots, website banners, video content and match-day graphics, with the audience each reaches.
- Turn each asset into a defined product with a clear deliverable, such as a sponsored series or a newsletter feature.
- Cap how many partners can take each product, so each slot feels scarce and the club does not overload its followers.
- Price each product on its own line in the rate card, and stop including digital extras free inside other packages.
- Report delivery to each buyer with reach and engagement figures, and review at season end which products sold out and which did not.
- 10
Develop a naming-rights strategy
Stadium stands, training ground, academy, long-term assets priced and shopped deliberately.
Impact high · effort high
How to do it
- List the long-term assets that could carry a name: stadium, stands, training ground, academy, club shop or fan zone.
- Commission or prepare a formal valuation for the most valuable asset, using reach, location, visibility and comparable deals.
- Decide the terms you want, including length, protection of club heritage and rules on what the club will not name.
- Draw up a shortlist of companies that might want visibility in the area, and approach them directly with a proper proposal.
- Review progress with the board each quarter, and judge success by whether any naming asset is being actively shopped rather than waiting for enquiries.
- 11
Build bespoke sponsor solutions from each brand's objectives
Start from what the brand wants to achieve and design a tailored activation rather than selling a fixed package.
Impact high · effort medium
- 12
Offer sponsors targeted activations to your registered fan database
Sell sponsors digital ads, personalised content and newsletter slots aimed at the club's registered fans.
Impact high · effort medium
- 13
Unbundle women's team rights into separate sponsor packages
Sell women's team rights separately rather than inside the men's package to create revenue attributable to that side.
Impact high · effort medium
- 14
Sell a sleeve sponsorship as an extra kit asset
Add a sleeve patch as a separately sold kit position beside the shirt front.
Impact high · effort low
- 15
Show partners who your fans are and how campaigns performed
Give each partner audience profile data and campaign results, not only exposure counts.
Impact high · effort medium
- 16
Keep merchandising freedom when negotiating kit deals
Negotiate clauses that let the club create its own product ranges or partner with others beyond the kit supplier.
Impact high · effort medium
- 17
Host third-party events to lift commercial revenue
Use the stadium for external events and content productions that bring new partners and income.
Impact high · effort high
- 18
Split shirt sponsorship by competition or market between two brands
Sell shirt rights separately, for example domestic league versus international and European matches.
Impact high · effort high
- 19
Offer sponsors sales-driving activations, not only visibility
Design partner activations with a measurable sales or lead goal, such as offers and codes redeemed.
Impact high · effort medium
- 20
Arm sales pitches with fan data matched to the sponsor's category
Use fan survey insights, such as travel habits, to show a prospect in that category why the fit is strong.
Impact high · effort medium
- 21
Share fan analytics with commercial partners
Give partners regular analytics on engagement and campaign effectiveness to support long-term renewals.
Impact high · effort medium
- 22
Value in-kind at fair market price
Every in-kind deal carries a cash value and offsets a real budget line.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- List every current and proposed in-kind arrangement, such as kit, vehicles, food or services, with what the club receives and gives in return.
- Ask for a market price for the goods or services, using supplier quotes or the price the club would otherwise pay.
- Record that cash value in the contract and compare it with the value of the assets the club is giving in exchange.
- Accept in-kind only where it replaces a real budget line the club would otherwise pay for, and decline it where it does not.
- Review the list each year to see which deals were underpriced and whether in-kind income is offsetting actual costs.
- 23
Onboard new partners within 30 days
Kickoff meeting, asset delivery plan and first activation date locked in month one.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Add an onboarding step to every signed contract so the commercial owner knows the first month starts the day the deal is signed.
- Book a kickoff meeting within days of signing, with the partner's marketing contact and the club staff who will deliver the assets.
- Agree a delivery plan listing every asset, who provides it and when, and share it in writing with the partner.
- Lock in the date of the first activation or visible moment, such as a launch post, a matchday feature or a signage unveiling.
- Check at the end of the first month whether the plan was delivered and the partner is satisfied, and record any gaps.
- 24
Co-plan an activation calendar per partner
One meaningful activation per key partner per season, planned pre-season.
Impact medium · effort medium
How to do it
- Before the season starts, ask each key partner what they want to achieve, such as customer acquisition, staff engagement or brand awareness.
- Propose two or three activation ideas per partner that fit those goals, using players, the stadium, hospitality or the academy.
- Agree one main activation per partner, choose a date in the calendar and name an owner at both the club and the partner.
- Add all the activations to one shared season calendar so clashes between partners are spotted early.
- Review after each activation what happened and how the partner reacted, then check at renewal whether activated partners stay more often.
- 25
Productise matchday sponsorship
Match sponsor, ball sponsor, player-of-the-match, small tickets that feed the funnel.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- List the matchday moments you can sell individually: match sponsor, matchball, player of the match, mascot, half-time moment and programme feature.
- Give each product a fixed price, a defined set of benefits and a limit of one buyer per match.
- Create a simple one-page offer and send it to local businesses at the start of the season with the fixture list.
- Make delivery easy: announce the sponsor on the screen and public address system, take photos, and send them to the buyer after the match.
- Track which matchday buyers return and which move up to annual packages, and follow up with them before the next season.
- 26
Bundle hospitality into partner tiers
Seats, boxes and events inside packages raise perceived value at low marginal cost.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Count the hospitality seats, boxes and event spaces the club can offer, and note how many are normally unused on a matchday.
- Decide which tiers include hospitality and how much, such as seats, a box on selected matches or a partner event.
- Show the hospitality in each package as a stated benefit, without a separate price that invites partners to ask for a discount.
- Agree with the hospitality team how to manage partner guests so the experience is consistent and the cost is controlled.
- Review hospitality attendance by partner each season and check that partners who use it renew more readily than those who do not.
- 27
Host a partner business club
2–3 networking events a season; B2B value between partners drives renewals.
Impact medium · effort medium
How to do it
- Survey your partners to find out whether they would value meeting each other, and ask what kind of event would be useful.
- Plan a small number of events across the season, such as a breakfast before a match, a stadium tour or a talk with a guest speaker.
- Invite partners and their guests, and introduce them to each other during the event rather than leaving them to network alone.
- Keep costs low by using existing hospitality spaces, sharing the work between club staff, and inviting partners to host sessions.
- Ask attendees afterwards what they gained, note any business done between partners, and use this feedback at renewal.
- 28
Track all partner contacts in a CRM
Contacts, contract dates, deliverables and touchpoints, no relationship in one person's head.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Choose a CRM or shared contact system that fits a small team, and agree who administers it and who may edit it.
- Gather partner details from emails, contracts and staff phones, and record each person's role, contract dates, deliverables and recent contact.
- Record every meeting, call and email with a partner in the system, so a colleague can pick up the relationship at any time.
- Set automatic reminders for contract dates, review meetings and birthdays or anniversaries that matter to the relationship.
- Review the system monthly and check that every partner has an owner, a recent touchpoint and a next action.
- 29
Publish partner success stories
Short case studies with numbers; the best sales collateral is a happy partner.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Pick the partners who are happiest and have achieved something specific, such as extra customers, a new contact or a successful event.
- Ask each one for a short interview about why they joined, what they did with the partnership and what changed.
- Gather the facts the partner can confirm, such as their own sales or enquiries, and use only those figures in the story.
- Write a one-page case study with a photo and a quote, and get the partner's written approval before publishing.
- Use the stories in proposals, on the website and in meetings with prospects, and note which stories prospects mention in later conversations.
- 30
Create youth & academy packages
Kit, camps and community programmes, high-affinity inventory for local businesses.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- List the academy and youth assets: kit, training wear, camps, tournaments, parent communications, community programmes and match-day appearances.
- Create two or three packages at accessible prices for local businesses, with clear benefits such as kit logo and event naming.
- Ask the academy director to approve the packages and agree safeguarding rules on how children may be shown and named.
- Approach local businesses with a link to the club, such as suppliers, parents who own companies and nearby shops.
- Review each season which businesses bought academy packages for the first time, and whether any later bought larger first-team assets.
- 31
Build CSR-linked partnership products
Community and sustainability programmes partners can co-own and report internally.
Impact medium · effort medium
How to do it
- Identify the community and sustainability programmes the club already runs, and note who benefits, how many sessions take place and what outcomes are recorded.
- Choose one or two programmes where a local company could take a visible role, such as funding equipment or hosting a day.
- Write a short proposal that shows the partner what they will fund, what they will receive and how the results will be reported.
- Approach the partner's community or sustainability contact as well as the marketing contact, since the budget often sits elsewhere.
- Report the programme's results to the partner each season, and check whether they renew and widen their involvement.
- 32
Standardise contracts and deliverables
One template with explicit assets, terms, payment schedule and exit clauses.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Collect the current contracts and note how they differ in layout, deliverables, payment terms and what happens when things go wrong.
- Draft one template with a schedule listing each asset, its quantity, when it is delivered and who is responsible.
- Include a clear payment schedule, rules on late payment, termination rights and a way to handle changes in the competition or the stadium.
- Ask your lawyer to review the template once, then use it for every new deal and every renewal.
- Track how often deals depart from the template, and check at renewal that every deliverable promised is written down.
- 33
Broker introductions between partners
Actively connect partners who can trade with each other, value no rival club offers.
Impact medium · effort low
How to do it
- Make a list of your partners with a line on what each one sells and what each one buys.
- Look for natural matches, such as a builder and a furniture supplier, or a bank and a business that needs finance.
- Ask both partners for permission, then introduce them by email, explaining briefly why you think they should talk.
- Invite them to the same hospitality event or business club evening, so the introduction happens in person.
- Follow up with each partner a few weeks later, record any business done and mention it when discussing renewal.
- 34
Confirm each partner's goals in writing at kickoff
Hold a short objectives session with every new partner and record their goals so both sides plan against the same targets.
Impact medium · effort low
- 35
Use valuation data to defend sponsorship prices
Price each asset against a data-based fair market value so offers are consistent and easier to justify in negotiation.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 36
Match prospects on audience, values, goals and budget
Screen target brands on audience overlap, shared values, goals and budget before pitching, so proposals go only to realistic fits.
Impact medium · effort low
- 37
Add e-commerce and social campaigns to sponsor packages
Offer sponsors paid social, digital advertising and shop-linked campaigns as extra revenue lines beyond signage.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 38
Sell single low-cost LED board assets as entry sponsorships
Offer individual pitchside or videoboard placements so new local brands can test the club at lower cost with high visibility.
Impact medium · effort low
- 39
Prospect technology, hospitality and drinks brands for new deals
Build a target list of local technology, hotel and leisure, and beverage companies as the likeliest new sponsor entrants.
Impact medium · effort low
- 40
Open new sponsor categories such as fashion and luxury
Create an official partner category for brands outside the usual banks and drinks, such as fashion or watches.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 41
Add performance incentive clauses to a base sponsorship fee
Structure deals as a base fee plus bonuses tied to fan engagement or social results.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 42
Start every sponsor proposal from the brand's objectives
Open each pitch by stating the objective the brand is trying to reach, then show which assets deliver it.
Impact medium · effort low
- 43
Use a data clean room to measure sponsor outcomes
Combine anonymised fan and partner data in a clean room to show sponsors how fans respond, while keeping GDPR compliance.
Impact medium · effort high
- 44
Check sponsor logo legibility on boards, kit and broadcast
Review how each partner logo reads on LED boards, shirts and TV, and fix layouts that weaken recognition.
Impact medium · effort low
- 45
Give partners an official designation to use in their marketing
Grant an 'Official Partner' title and let sponsors use it across campaigns, packaging and retail.
Impact medium · effort low
- 46
Host partner fan zones on matchday
Let sponsors run on-site activations and fan zones outside the stadium that connect their brand to everyday supporters.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 47
Offer semi-name and powered-by naming options
Sell naming in graded forms, such as a combined name or a 'powered by' tag, for academy, stand or training ground.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 48
Sell branded content production as a sponsor right
Offer partners co-produced content linked to the club, such as series or interviews, as a priced right.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 49
Sell business generation rights giving access to the fan base
Let partners sell products or offers to fans through club channels, priced as a separate right.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 50
Agree objectives, audience and KPIs before signing a partner
Write down desired outcomes, target audience and KPIs in the deal brief so both sides can judge success.
Impact medium · effort low
- 51
Send prospects a proposal with scope and mutual benefits
Open outreach with a short proposal stating objectives, scope and what each side gains.
Impact medium · effort low
- 52
Send partners regular updates and celebrate wins together
Share short progress notes and results throughout the season, and mark milestones with the partner.
Impact medium · effort low
- 53
Pitch sponsors on audience and brand-image fit
Show each prospect how the club's fans and image match where the brand wants to be seen.
Impact medium · effort low
- 54
Pitch challenger brands sponsorship as a cheaper route than big ad campaigns
Target mid-sized brands that cannot afford large advertising and present sponsorship as a lower-cost way to reach consumers.
Impact medium · effort low
- 55
Run B2B marketing so prospects can budget before renewals
Keep local businesses informed about inventory early, using B2B CRM, so they can plan spend ahead of the sales window.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 56
Build sponsorship market knowledge in-house, not only via agencies
Capture pricing and buyer insight inside the club so it is not lost when an agency or deal ends.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 57
Pitch sponsorship as a story of fit, not a request for money
Frame every proposal around how the brand fits the club's impact and culture.
Impact medium · effort low
- 58
Report media value of sponsor exposure across channels
Total the value of brand exposures in broadcast, stream and social to show sponsors what they received.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 59
Sign an official family partner for the women's team
Sell a category that suits the women's team audience, such as childcare or family products.
Impact medium · effort low
- 60
Pitch women's matchday audiences as brand advocates
Show sponsors that female fans are especially likely to act on sponsorship and recommend brands.
Impact medium · effort low
- 61
Write a partner values screen and apply it to prospects
Define the values and community commitment you expect, and only partner with brands that meet them.
Impact medium · effort low
- 62
Bring a founding partner into the steering group of new programmes
When launching a new team or programme, invite an anchor partner to help design it from the feasibility stage.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 63
Create a values-led partner programme
Group a few brands that share the club's values into a named programme with joint goals.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 64
Present your data governance policy in sponsor negotiations
Share clear data collection, retention and access rules with partners as part of the pitch.
Impact medium · effort low
- 65
Tag the match archive so footage can fill partner packages
Digitise and tag historic footage so it can be reused in highlights, social and partner content.
Impact medium · effort high
- 66
Use online search lift to show a sponsor's local impact
Compare partner brand search activity in the club's home market with national averages and include it in reports.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 67
Prioritise auto, tech and telecom brands as sponsor prospects
Put sectors that fans see as appropriate sponsors at the top of the prospect list.
Impact medium · effort low
- 68
Vet prospective sponsors before signing, whatever the fee
Run a due diligence check on any new sponsor's legitimacy and reputation before agreeing terms.
Impact medium · effort low
- 69
Offer sponsors content featuring players on club social channels
Create player-led posts for partners, since influencer content drives strong brand recall.
Impact medium · effort low
- 70
Sell sponsored enhancements to the live viewing experience
Offer partners branded stats, replays or streams that improve how fans watch matches.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 71
Package non-matchday stadium use for partner activations
Offer partners stadium tours, live events and food and beverage activations on days without a match.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 72
Brief partner marketing teams on your fans' tone and language
Work with the partner's sales and marketing team so campaign messages suit the club's fanbase.
Impact medium · effort low
- 73
Run partner campaigns across stadium, print, radio and social
List every in-venue, out-of-venue and digital channel and repeat the same message across them.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 74
Attach partner incentives to fan calls to action
Add a prize, discount or reward from the partner to motivate fans to act on a campaign.
Impact medium · effort low
- 75
Pitch purpose-driven campaigns to sponsors as a sales driver
Show partners evidence that purpose-led campaigns lift sales, and propose one built on a local cause.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 76
Partner with a fashion brand for an exclusive club collection
Launch a limited club collection with a fashion or lifestyle brand to strengthen fan identity.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 77
Launch a designer collaboration capsule collection
Work with a designer or fashion label on a limited club line aimed at younger fans.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 78
Use loyalty-programme membership as a selling point to sponsors
Present the size and profile of the loyalty base to prospects as access to potential customers.
Impact medium · effort low
- 79
Add partner rewards to the fan loyalty programme
Bring commercial partners in with targeted rewards and activations that add loyalty benefits.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 80
Give partners self-service access to approved brand assets
Provide a secure library of club images and video that partners can use on their own channels.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 81
Moderate abuse on sponsored social channels to protect partner brands
Filter offensive comments on pages and communities a partner sponsors to protect both fans and the sponsor.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 82
Include earned media value in sponsor reports
Add earned media figures to post-event recaps and share them with sponsors and local media partners.
Impact medium · effort low
- 83
Partner with creators to extend sponsor reach
Work with local creators and player-influencers to extend partner content beyond the club's own channels.
Impact medium · effort low
- 84
Ask a technology sponsor to help launch digital membership
Use a sponsor's technology and involvement to cut launch cost and speed of a digital membership offer.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 85
Offer partners a virtual hospitality experience
Sell a behind-the-scenes digital hospitality product that partners can use for client entertainment.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 86
Sell sponsored livestream content on social channels
Offer partners presenting rights on live club streams, which engage sports fans strongly.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 87
Sell sponsored highlight stories and short-form video formats
Create short highlights and web stories as new sponsor inventory for younger audiences.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 88
Co-create innovation projects with technology partners
Invite a technology sponsor to build a joint fan or data project, not only to show a logo.
Impact medium · effort high
- 89
Sell sponsored original films and classic match content
Sell sponsorship of club documentaries, classic match replays or pre and post-match shows on owned channels.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 90
Run partner prize draws offering a unique club experience
Pair a sponsor with a prize such as a matchday trip to drive fan entries and brand interaction.
Impact medium · effort low
- 91
Give the women's team its own brand identity for sponsors
Build a distinct identity for the women's side so it can attract its own sponsors.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 92
Build relationships with global brands to open overseas markets
Seek partnerships with international brands as part of entering a new market.
Impact medium · effort high
- 93
Sell academy naming rights to a local partner
Offer naming of the academy or training centre as a revenue stream.
Impact medium · effort medium
- 94
Hold mid-season partner reviews
A 30-minute check-in per key partner catches issues before renewal season.
Impact low · effort low
How to do it
- List the key partners and book a short meeting with each around the middle of the season, in person or by video call.
- Prepare a brief agenda covering what has been delivered, what the partner has noticed and what could be improved.
- Ask each partner one open question about whether the partnership is meeting their goals, then listen and take notes.
- Fix any problem quickly, and tell the partner what has been done, who is responsible and when.
- Review the notes before renewal talks begin, and check whether issues raised at mid-season were resolved before the contract ended.
- 95
Benchmark prices against peer clubs annually
Sanity-check the rate card against comparable clubs in tier and region.
Impact low · effort low
How to do it
- Choose a group of comparable clubs in your division, country and size, and list the ones that publish their commercial partners and offers.
- Compare your rate card with theirs for similar assets, such as shirt, stadium, digital and hospitality packages.
- Note where your prices are clearly lower or higher, and consider differences in reach, location and competition level.
- Adjust the rate card where the evidence suggests you are underpricing, and plan changes for renewals rather than mid-contract.
- Repeat the exercise once a year before the sales season, and record what changed and why.
- 96
Track asset delivery per contract
A simple delivery sheet per partner, promised vs delivered, updated monthly.
Impact low · effort low
How to do it
- Create a simple delivery sheet for each partner listing every promised asset, the quantity, the due date and who is responsible.
- Copy the list straight from the contract's schedule, so the sheet matches what the partner expects.
- Update the sheet each month, recording what was delivered, with a date and a photo or link as proof.
- Raise any shortfall with the owner at once, and offer the partner a replacement asset before they notice the gap.
- Use the sheet in mid-season reviews and renewal talks, and check that every partner receives all that was promised.
- 97
Collect partner feedback after each campaign
Ask partners and fans for structured feedback after each activation to find what to improve.
Impact low · effort low
- 98
Draft tailored sponsor pitch emails with AI for each local brand
Use AI to write a first-draft email per prospect, then add local detail and a human touch before sending.
Impact low · effort low
- 99
Create culturally relevant partnerships beyond advertising
Look for local culture, music or community partners whose story can be told with the club, not only logo placements.
Impact low · effort medium
- 100
Offer sponsors influencer content with women's team players
Sell content with women's team players on social channels as an engagement touchpoint for brands.
Impact low · effort low
- 101
Have a partner host a personal-branding workshop for players
Ask a telecom or media partner to run a brand-building and social media education session for squad members.
Impact low · effort medium
- 102
Add automatic partner logo overlays to shared media
Set up controlled links and logo overlays so partners can use club content quickly.
Impact low · effort medium
- 103
Publish clear footage clearance rules for partners and creators
State which match footage may be reused, so partners and creators do not hold back for fear of breaching rights.
Impact low · effort low
- 104
Approach local tourism bodies for event grants and cash sponsorship
For club tournaments, ask the city sports commission or visitor bureau about grants and cash support.
Impact low · effort low
- 105
Feature the partner logo and booking link on event pages
Add a page with the partner's booking link, logo and contact details to club tournament or travel-package pages.
Impact low · effort low
- 106
Package club esports content for sponsors
If the club runs an esports team, sell its content and events to endemic and non-endemic brands.
Impact low · effort medium
- 107
Share sustainability results with sponsors and the community
Report on waste, energy or carbon programmes to partners to build trust and attract new ones.
Impact low · effort low