Big sponsor or small sponsor? Why smart brands back agencies, not assets

New sponsors often fall into the trap of believing that bigger automatically means better. The instinct is to partner with the most recognisable team or event the budget allows, to buy into scale, prestige, and visibility. But in sponsorship, size does not equal success.

Big-name rights holders deliver reach and enhanced stature, but they rarely produce results without experience, expertise and resources behind them. The truth is that for many brands, chasing the biggest name they can afford can be the quickest way to waste most of their budget; for others, underplaying their hand can be a missed opportunity to drive meaningful growth.