Winter sports before table football

New ranking! Manuel Feller is the advertising emperor

Manual Feller

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

According to market research institute Focus 2024, the sports sponsorship market achieved a gross value of 1.68 billion euros. The volume thus increased by twelve percent compared to the previous year. The research was based on 1,501 sporting events. The strongest advertising figure last year was ski racer Manuel Feller, who generated an advertising value of seven million for his sponsors. 

At around 30 percent, the alpine ski circus was the most important advertising medium in 2024, closely followed by soccer with around 24 percent and Formula 1 with just under 19 percent. This means that skiing remained ahead of soccer this year, despite the European Championships in Germany. Together, the Alpine and Nordic Ski World Cup, the Four Hills Tournament and the Biathlon World Cup achieved an advertising share of over 40 percent of all sporting events. This underpins Austria's status as a winter sports nation.

Stefan Kraft

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Women at only 16 percent
Men's sports accounted for 84 percent of the advertising value. Women accounted for only 16 percent.

Skiing was also at the top in terms of individual athletes: with 7 million, last year's overall slalom winner Feller generated the highest advertising value, only really followed by ski jumper Stefan Kraft with around 6 million. In addition, comebacker Marcel Hirscher reappeared in the ranking with 3.4 million and fifth place. Overall, there was only one person outside the ski circus among the top 15 individual athletes: former tennis ace Dominic Thiem (in first place last year).

Marcel Hirscher

(Bild: GEPA)

Advertisement on ski clothing, seen on Viennese television
The dominance of winter sports was also reflected in the big winners in advertising growth: the Biathlon World Cup increased by 54%, the Alpine Skiing World Cup by 42% and the Nordic Skiing World Cup by 29%. In terms of advertising space, what stood out was that 34% of advertising was placed on clothing. Other notable areas were head sponsors with 12% and individual sports equipment with 9%.

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

In terms of advertising placement, it was clear that TV broadcasts accounted for the largest share with around EUR 1.13 billion, followed by print with no less than EUR 310 million and online images with just under EUR 236 million. Around 37% of all sponsorship activities were also attributable to domestic events, representing an advertising value of € 623 million. Vienna led the regional ranking ahead of Kitzbühel, primarily due to the soccer activities surrounding the ÖFB, the two clubs SK Rapid and FK Austria Wien as well as the Erste Bank Tennis Open.

The Focus Institute calculated the advertising time and reach (TV) or area and circulation (print) achieved by the sponsor in the media. The gross advertising value was then calculated according to the media price list; discounts were not deducted. The advertising value in online media has been surveyed by the Focus Institute since 2018; a social media survey only exists for individual customers.