The European sponsorship industry was worth an estimated €26.05 billion last year according to the European Sponsorship Association (ESA). The Irish market, meanwhile, accounted for €125.3 million.
The €26.05 billion spent on sponsorship in Europe represented a modest increase of 0.7% on 2012. The Association reported that 2013 was a good year for many European countries, with the Nordics doing particularly well and the UK, Germany and France also enjoying growth. The Irish market grew by 2.7% in 2013 with Onside Sponsorship estimating spend on rights of €125.3 million. Some markets, including Italy, continue to decline with Poland and the Ukraine experiencing a slight drop post the European Championships.
Karen Earl, Chairman of ESA said that it was pleasing to see that France had recovered from a difficult year in 2012 and that the effect of the 2012 London Olympics in the UK shows that the same level of investment has been sustained.
“It is encouraging for the UK to see brands which supported the Olympics and which may not have been traditionally involved in sponsorship, recognising the benefits and continuing their support post the event”.
John Trainor, the Irish based director on the board of ESA and chief executive of Onside Sponsorship notes that “The 2013 figures also show that non-sport sponsorship revenue remains strong. For the year, the ratio of sport versus non-sport sponsorship stands at 65:35 across Europe. France has a particularly strong non-sport sector, making up 45% of the French sponsorship market.”
