Sports sponsorship

Ski star Manuel Feller has the highest advertising value

Manuel Feller achieves the highest advertising value for his sponsors.

(Bild: EPA)

Sport is a billion-dollar business and attracts massive attention. The companies that place their brands at ski races, tennis matches and the like for a lot of money are well aware of this. According to a Focus study, sports sponsorship in Austria has an advertising value of 1.68 billion euros. The "most valuable" athlete for the companies in 2024 was slalom ace Manuel Feller.

According to the Focus Institute, the advertising value depends on how long and how prominently a brand or sports star appears on television or in other media. This is then multiplied by standard advertising rates, such as for TV commercials and advertisements. "Compared to the previous year, the advertising market grew by twelve percent. The growth drivers were the Ski World Cup, Formula 1 and the European Football Championships," says Focus Managing Director Marcel Grell.

In second place behind ÖSV skier Feller, who brought his sponsors seven million euros in advertising value, is ski jumper Stefan Kraft, followed by Swiss skier Marco Odermatt (see chart).

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com)

Hirscher a big hit despite unsuccessful comeback
Also in the top 10 is record-breaking athlete Marcel Hirscher, who made a brief comeback for the Netherlands. He generated 3.4 million euros, the majority for his sponsor Red Bull and 600,000 euros for "his" ski brand Van Deer - despite the fact that the Salzburg native only competed in three races until he suffered an injury. In comparison, the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen, who also raced the whole year on Van Deer skis, "only" made 400,000 euros. The main reason for Hirscher's greater advertising value is that he enjoys a high level of attention and popularity despite his very brief comeback.

The ranking is clearly dominated by alpine athletes, with the exception of Dominic Thiem, the tennis player was in 7th place last year with an advertising value of 3.2 million euros after coming first in 2023.

"Krone" among brands with the highest advertising value
Audi, Red Bull and Raiffeisen were at the top of the list of brands. In seventh place is Kronen Zeitung, whose brand is strongly anchored in sport, for example in the Ski World Cup, as the most important partner of the ÖSV eagles, and as a top partner of the ÖFB.

Hahnenkamm organizer Michael Huber and market researcher Marcel Grell see sport as a huge advertising market for companies.

(Bild: Focus Institut)

In general, winter sports are also the most important sector for sports sponsorship, with around 30 percent coming from skiing, followed by soccer with around 24 percent and Formula 1 with just under 19 percent. "Overall, however, the importance of skiing for the advertising market has declined somewhat in the last five years, while Formula 1, for example, has become more important," says Grell. This is also due to sporting successes. Marcel Hirscher last won the Ski World Cup in 2019, after which Switzerland gradually replaced Austria as the most successful nation. In soccer, on the other hand, the national team created a good atmosphere in the country and in Formula 1, an Austrian team, Red Bull, clearly dominated the competition.

Downhill on the Streif is the most important race for sponsors
Among the events, the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm Race is the most important sporting event from a sponsor's perspective. According to Focus, the legendary competition had a total advertising value of almost 47 million euros in 2024. Year after year, the Streif attracts the most attention, which is also the "most valuable" race with an advertising value of 18.5 million euros. The men's slalom is worth around 16.5 million euros, the super-G 13.5 million euros. Once again, Hahnenkamm organizer Michael Huber argued against the planned central marketing of TV rights by the FIS. The ÖSV would be more successful if it remained independent.