United States: $1.8bn in sponsorship revenue generated by the NFL in 2021-22 (+12%)

$1.8bn (€1.6bn) is the amount of sponsorship revenue generated by the National Football League and its 32 franchises over the 2021-22 season, announced the American agency IEG, which is specialised in sponsorship consulting, on 26/01/2022. This amount is up by 12% compared to the 2020-21 season ($1.62bn in 2020-21 and $1.47bn in 2019-20).

This is the most sponsorship revenue received by any sports league, according to IEG data. Partnerships with technology companies are the most lucrative sponsorship deals in the North American league. Verizon (telecoms), an "official 5G partner" since 09/09/2021, pays $300m (€253m, until 2031-32) annually to the NFL, while Microsoft (sideline tablet partner) commits $100m (€90m) per season. Cisco has joined the ranks of the NFL's 'IT partners' in 2021-22.

The "sports betting and casino" sector has seen the strongest growth, +140% in sponsorship revenue according to IEG. The NFL's contracts with bookmakers Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel total just under $1bn over five seasons. The league also has "minor agreements" with other betting operators for…