How an honest mistake generated more sponsor value than most campaigns
Real moments beat AI polish, LA2028 rewrites the Olympic commercial rules, and the intelligence behind major sponsorship shifts. Welcome to this edition of Magnus on Sponsorship.
Welcome to the first edition of Magnus on Sponsorship.
I’m Magnus Berglund, and I’ve spent over 15 years in sports business specializing in sponsorships.
This, Magnus on Sponsorship, is my new newsletter. It aims to provide strategic intelligence for executives making high-stakes sponsorship decisions in sports.
Whether you’re buying sponsorships or selling rights, you’ll get my perspective on how to maximize partnership value.
Let’s dive in.
//Magnus
On my radar lately
Here’s a few handpicked reads I think you’ll find interesting.
AB InBev is ending Heineken’s 30-year Champions League run with a deal worth close to €200M per season, nearly double what Heineken paid. This is the first major win for new sales agent Relevent, as UEFA targets €5B in annual revenue.
I think it’s safe to say that when a legacy sponsor gets replaced at about 2x the price, it signals the market is moving faster than partnerships.
Barcelona’s renewed Spotify deal shows €75M per season through 2030, up from €62.5M, with stadium naming rights jumping from €5M to €20M (once Camp Nou hits 90% capacity).
The interesting part? The extension was already built into the original contract. Smart structuring that locks in growth without reopening negotiations should be a lesson for every major rightsholder.
Denmark’s implementing a “whistle-to-whistle gambling ad ban” during live sports starting January 2027, including in-stadium restrictions.
The question is whether this becomes a European trend, and how rightsholders in general, and sport leagues in particular, replace that revenue.
With those scouts as appetizers, let’s take a look at this edition’s highlights.
Now is the golden era of mistake-opportunities
Tennis is my favorite sport to play, no doubt about it, but I also genuinely believe it’s a trendsetting sport beyond the sport itself.
It’s not at the same level as Formula 1, but in the same category.
And it was actually this event I’ll describe now that made me decide to restart this newsletter, formerly known as SportsBizTrends. Because I think we need to catch those quick happenings and share them, as the focus turns so fast nowadays.
The event? Ok, here it is.
Taylor Fritz walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for his US Open quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic wearing his BOSS headband upside down. He completed the tunnel walk, pre-match interview, coin toss, net photos, and three sets of play, before anyone told him.
Social media exploded.
Fritz posted afterward: “Yo why’d nobody tell me that shit was backwards”.
His girlfriend Morgan Riddle commented on TikTok with a Mean Girls meme.
BOSS responded: “Still a BOSS, no matter what the angle” with hashtag “#SSOB” across their Instagram Story to 12.3 million followers.
In an era of AI-generated polish and LLM perfection, Fritz’s mistake generated more authentic engagement than most campaigns. The moment went viral because it was real, relatable, and human.
I truly believe there’s a lesson here, particularly for sponsors.
Brands that invest millions in partnerships must be ready to activate them instantly when these moments happen. BOSS turned Fritz’s human action into memorable brand presence.
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And think about what could have happened if Fritz had won… I hope BOSS would have made a limited collection.
No human is perfect, thankfully
I think athlete sponsorships will be more and more valuable and relatable thanks to this kind of events.
Consumers will crave imperfection, especially on social media. They want to see the upside-down headband, not just the perfectly staged photo shoot.
Sponsors who can move quickly on these moments will not necessarily create a deeper connection with their audience, it’s not that easy, but they will be perceived as more human and less artificial.
LA2028 opens new commercial territory
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will allow corporate sponsors to place their names on competition venues for the first time in Games history.
TOP Partners receive priority for purchasing eligible naming rights, with Comcast and Honda already secured as the first venue sponsors.
The IOC is certainly balancing tradition with commercial reality. This “pilot program” generates revenue while LA2028 pursues its no-new-build, fully privately funded model.
So what does it mean?
Qualifying LA2028 partners can retain existing venue naming rights during Games time, while up to 19 temporary venues become available for naming by TOP partners and LA2028 sponsors.
I think it’s important to note that standard clean venue policies still apply outside these naming partners. However, managing ambush marketing becomes more complex when layering venue naming onto existing rights packages.
But if there’s some rightsholder that manage to guard their sponsor’s rights, it’s the IOC for sure.
The young ones are positive
YouGov surveyed US sports fans were surveyed in September and found one-third (34%) feel positive about the venue naming rights, compared to just 18% negative.
Younger Millennials (28-34) showed strongest support at 52%, while older Boomers registered just 26%.
Not surprisingly, the fan engagement gap matters more than age. Nearly 44% of “highly engaged sports fans” favored the decision, versus only 20% of casual followers.
Worth noting, however, is that US fans are already familiar with referring to venues by corporate names, which likely means higher tolerance compared to other audiences globally.
I don’t think this is a one-off experiment
So, Comcast will host squash’s Olympic debut at Universal Studios’ Courthouse Square, and Honda Center keeps its name for volleyball, becoming the first arena to retain naming rights during the Games.
Stadium naming can anchor Olympic partnerships closer to the actual sport, compared to “building the brand connection to the Olympics in general”; temporary event presence or “high-flying” ad campaigns that targets broad.
In an Olympic context, I think this is quite special.
The question is, if naming rights prove lucrative (and acceptable), will future host cities, that might be under pressure to stage cost-neutral Games, follow the LA2028 model?
Yes, of course they will.
LA2028 might not just host the Olympics but redefine how the Games operate commercially.
Actually, I’m pretty sure this won’t be the only paradigm shift happening in the Olympic movement in the coming years.
(I also think FIFA follows the IOC’s moves closely… But let’s dig into that in another newsletter.)
More on my radar
Here’s a few more handpicked reads I think you’ll find interesting.
Uber’s deploying 5,000 drivers to support 1.5 million travelers across Milano Cortina 2026’s 14 (!) venues, with dedicated pick-up zones at every location.
This is a smart play for a geographically “dispersed” Games, but also shows how operational sponsors can integrate their services with brand visibility. It’s worth watching how this model influences future sport event partnerships.
PwC surveyed affluent fans and found 60% would spend over $250 for premium playoff experiences, with 42% willing to pay that for hospitality access like player meet-and-greets.
The takeaway is for segmentation: younger fans want exclusive, shareable moments while older fans prioritize business networking. Read the report here.
Ferrero North America is going all in on Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup activations with over $100M investment, a major shift from their usual seasonal approach.
This shows how traditional confectionery brands recognize that sports delivers the mass reach and cultural moments they need to compete in the US market.
By the way, don’t miss the Super Bowl Ad Tracker for 2026.
That’s it for today
Did you enjoy this version of Magnus on Sponsorship? If so, please forward the newsletter to someone who’d appreciate it.
Thanks!
// Magnus
PS. If you have ideas, questions, or topics you’d like me to comment, just send me an email to connect.