USA: $6.7bn in sponsorship revenue generated by the franchises of the 5 major leagues in 2023

The franchises of the five major North American leagues (NBA, NFL, MLS, NHL and MLB) generated over $6.7bn (€6.2bn) in sponsorship revenue during the 2023 financial year, according to a study by the American agency SponsorUnited published on 08/11/2023. This figure represents an increase of 17.5% compared with the 2022 season.

The National Football League generated the most sponsorship revenue, with more than $2bn (€1.8bn), while Major League Baseball posted the best growth in relative value (+23%).

The marketing of jersey sponsorship space by franchises alone (on the sleeve in MLB, on the front of jerseys in MLS and on pockets in the NFL and NBA) accounted for $574m (€529.7m), or 8.7% of total sponsorship revenue.
• The NBA, which has 25 of its 30 franchises displaying a brand on their jerseys, alone generated $216m (€199.5m) from the marketing of this space (or 37.6% of total jersey sponsorship revenues for the five leagues).
• All 30 MLB franchises had the opportunity to have a jersey sponsor for the first time in 2022-23. 16 of them displayed one, for an average amount of $6m…