Shirt sponsorship awareness of European football clubs: a survey among German-speaking fans

Abstract

As sponsorship revenue is a major source of income for professional football clubs and even more important during the challenging COVID-19-shaped times, this study examines the impact of several factors on sponsorship awareness of European elite football clubs. The German-speaking survey participants were asked to recall the shirt sponsors of the 15 most successful football clubs based on the UEFA's Club Coefficient Ranking. Additionally, respondents evaluated the sponsorship fit between each club and its respective shirt sponsor. Regarding all three investigated factors (duration of the sponsorship, on-field success of the sponsored club, national or international partnership), a significant influence on sponsorship awareness could be determined. On-field success, long-term sponsorships and national sponsors have a positive impact on sponsorship awareness, while the numbers decrease for short-term partnerships and lower-ranked teams (on-field success).