June 3, 2026//Content marketing strategy, Insights//Alia Samhat

The true value of sponsorships lies in the stories companies tell

Sports sponsorship marketing is not new. It’s long been a way for companies to expand reach and visibility with their desired audiences. But writing a check in exchange for logo placements, ads, and executive suites doesn’t cut it anymore, particularly for B2B companies seeking to connect with clients, differentiate their capabilities, showcase impact, and engage their people. And more B2B companies are getting in the game, so to speak, especially as the nature of sports—and how people engage with them—changes.

Sports organizations are seeking to grow and connect with their fan base in new ways, create digital experiences that improve engagement and reach, improve operations and sustainability, and more. Enter the consulting firms, tech companies, logistics and supply chain leaders, and others who can guide them on how to do just that.

Sponsorships, then, become an avenue for companies to reach decision-makers with a compelling story about their brand and capabilities through a powerful, experiential, and authentic lens. Take, for example, this case study from Deloitte UK, which details the simulation technology the firm built for McLaren Racing. One challenge? More companies are getting involved, so the storytelling has to stand out. In our work helping B2B companies activate their sponsorships through content, we’ve seen how several key elements, from the overarching narrative to content formats, can distinguish them in an increasingly crowded space.

Show a different side of the sport. Sports offer some wildly impressive and historic moments and remind us what people are capable of. In those moments, viewers (including the executives who B2B companies want to reach) might not be thinking about the incredibly complex operations behind a game or event or even how fans get to experience it through a custom app, for instance. But sports are high-stakes events with massive logistical demands, emerging technology that requires intense cybersecurity, and more.

When a sponsoring company shares what it takes to make those moments happen—a true behind-the-scenes perspective—it also says something powerful about the level of trust another organization puts in their capabilities. Take this example of DHL and Formula 1, with DHL transporting “up to 1,200 tons of high-value freight per race” for the Formula One World Championship events in 2026 and innovating for more sustainable logistics. The takeaway? Through this sponsorship, DHL can reinforce its trustworthiness in high-stakes moments as well as its emphasis on sustainability.

Put people first. Case studies and business results can do a lot of the heavy lifting in business storytelling, but one of the most effective ways to tell a sponsorship story is to hear it directly from a stakeholder. When leaders from the sponsored organization share their perspective, it creates a much deeper level of credibility and connection than an overtly promotional recap of the sponsor’s services.

This genuine look demonstrates how the sponsor helped the sports organization move forward, see things differently, build something new, or more. In this video, an NFL executive discusses how Amazon Web Services, an NFL sponsor, has helped create a new fan experience; in this one, a USGA executive highlights the work Deloitte led to build a new app and transform the fan experience. Both videos not only bring the stakeholder perspective but also provide a dynamic, visual way to highlight impact and innovation.

In our experience creating sponsorship-related video content, one of the differentiators that emerges from interviews is the relationship, trust, and alignment of values between two organizations. Video is a great medium for conveying the strength of the relationship and potential of shared ambitions while also articulating measurable impact.

Establish a narrative and sustain it through content. Sponsorships provide access to decision-makers and visibility. But without a strong narrative, it can be challenging to cut through the noise or achieve goals across brand, business development, and engagement.

The storytelling examples above work well because they acknowledge a challenge or opportunity—personalizing a fan experience, creating new avenues for engagement, rising to the challenge of incredibly complex logistics, or evolving to be more sustainable. And they show how a company responds and what the outcome looks like. And while these are related to sports, that narrative translates across industries and organizations, making it an even more resonant story.

Once a company has a story to tell, they can bring it to life through myriad sponsorship content opportunities. From thought leadership to video to in-person events and activations, creative possibilities abound across channels and audiences.

Sports already have great economic and cultural value. As they become more complex, it presents opportunities for businesses to use sponsorships to demonstrate their acumen at tackling these challenges and to showcase their brands to new audiences. The ones who have a story to tell and can do so creatively are set to capture their attention.

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