Sean Connell, Author at The Sponsor

Opinion: Rory Natkiel on why creativity is the real bottleneck in sponsorship effectiveness

Feb 19, 2026 | Activation

For the past few years, sponsorship conversations have been dominated by one phrase: first-party data. Rights-holders talk about it in sales decks. Sponsors ask about it in procurement processes. Agencies build capability statements around it. Data capture, CRM integration, clean rooms, dashboards. The implicit promise is that if we can just collect enough of the...

CEO Craig Scott on how Hill Dickinson assessed Everton’s stadium naming rights opportunity

Feb 17, 2026 | Planning

Understanding why sponsors choose stadium naming rights is critical for clubs seeking long-term partners. While headline deal values attract attention, the motivations behind a sponsor’s decision often reveal far more about how naming rights propositions should be shaped and sold. As part of The Sponsor's recently published report covering the fair market values of 75...

Undersell or walk away? What Chelsea and Welsh Rugby reveal about pricing power in sponsorship

Feb 4, 2026 | Measurement

The challenge of selling sponsorship in the current market is well understood. Budgets are under pressure, approvals take longer, and brands are increasingly cautious about committing to long-term deals. But recent decisions by Chelsea and the Welsh Rugby Union illustrate how different responses to that challenge can produce very different long-term outcomes. Chelsea have...

“BORING!” Kia, the Australian Open and how not to engage fans

Feb 3, 2026 | Activation

There are very few moments in sponsorship where fans give brands instant, unfiltered feedback, in real time, in front of a global audience. At this year’s Australian Open men’s final, that feedback arrived in a single word, shouted from the stands. “BORING.” It landed midway through the sponsor address, cut through the ceremony, and triggered laughter across Rod Laver...

Revealed: European stadium naming rights, fair market sponsorship values 2026

Jan 27, 2026 | Measurement

The Sponsor has today published the fair market sponsorship value of every major European stadium. Covering 75 stadiums, it represents the most comprehensive valuation and pricing analysis of European stadium naming rights conducted to date. The findings reveal a defined yet underutilised market, in which some stadium owners and sponsors are securing exceptional value...

Author: Sean Connell

Opinion: Rory Natkiel on why creativity is the real bottleneck in sponsorship effectiveness

CEO Craig Scott on how Hill Dickinson assessed Everton’s stadium naming rights opportunity

Undersell or walk away? What Chelsea and Welsh Rugby reveal about pricing power in sponsorship

“BORING!” Kia, the Australian Open and how not to engage fans

Revealed: European stadium naming rights, fair market sponsorship values 2026

Topics

Categories

Socials

More from The Sponsor