Lessons from across the pond: Why Americans love their sponsors

On the occasions I get to enjoy some US sports — whether it’s the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL — I’m always struck by how prominent the sponsors’ branding is. I watched a recent Toronto Bluejays MLB game, and I could barely see the batter at the plate. The background and the players were covered in logos, and the broadcaster temporarily shrunk the screen to let a sponsor's ad take over three-quarters of it. In the UK and European sports market, this kind of brazen sponsorship would be met with backlash — yet in the US, it’s not only tolerated but embraced.

The Philadelphia Eagles destroyed the Kansas City Chiefs, and Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show went viral — that’s culture. But why are the sponsors’ messages awaited just as eagerly?