A new research from the Sponsorship team at Ampere Analysis revealed how powerful the Premier League is at securing international partner brands. The research found that two-thirds of English Premier League (EPL) and EPL clubs' sponsorship deals are signed with multinationals headquartered outside of the UK, with nearly 90% of sponsorship income derived from these organizations.
The major European football leagues – as a broad rule - are all relatively successful at attracting international investment, but it is the EPL that signs the most sponsorship deals with global brands.
Spain is the next most successful market at attracting international investment. Over half of La Liga club sponsorship deals, and 83% of sponsorship spend, is from groups headquartered outside Spain.
Of the largest European markets, Germany’s Bundesliga is the most domestically-centered football competition for sponsorship. Around 60% of the value and deals originate from local entities. This partly reflects Germany's larger domestic economy but also the lower relative appeal of the Bundesliga internationally.
The North American picture is different. The vast majority of the sponsors of U.S. teams and leagues are headquartered locally. This is due to the country’s powerful domestic economy, large domestic fanbases for the major leagues, and their proportionally smaller international following. Canada, despite having teams that participate in the major U.S. leagues, also sees a highly localized sponsorship market. 68% of sponsorship spend comes from local brands, indicating a latent opportunity for Canadian teams to drive additional investment from non-domestic brands.