• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 31, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here

Major U.S. Sports Leagues Pull In Record $6.7B in Ad Revenue

  • Teams across MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS saw a 17.5% increase in revenue year-over-year.
  • Executive says individual athletes are shifting the marketplace away from leagues and teams.
San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts wears the ALS Lou Gehrig Day and Motorola patches during a game against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park.
Ray Acevedo-USA TODAY Sports

Teams across MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS inked a record-breaking $6.7 billion in ad revenue over the last year — a 17.5% increase year-over-year — according to new data from SponsorUnited.

MLB saw the most growth, with a 23% increase due to more fan engagement and new sponsorship opportunities through jersey patches; the NHL was next with 21% growth due to innovations like digitally enhanced dasherboards.

However, SponsorUnited CEO Bob Lynch tells Front Office Sports that the sports sponsorship marketplace is shifting to individual athletes rather than the leagues and teams they play for.

“Athletes and influencers are realizing that they can start to build brands themselves or partner with companies to build a brand where there’s an equity component to this,” he says. “They’re starting to be more of a business partner within this process versus just a face to a brand.

“I think it’s going to be quite challenging unless leagues and teams can start to think about introducing other new high-value opportunities that maybe we’re not even contemplating today.”

Lynch also notes that athletes’ cumulative audiences in the United States are beginning to surpass those of leagues and teams — a state of affairs that has been the norm in world soccer for quite some time.

For example, Louis Vuitton was the top-performing brand for branded social media posts with athletes, racking up almost 73 million engagements — largely thanks to just one Instagram post from Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Adidas’s partnership with Lionel Messi was the second-best performer by a large margin, with over 70 million engagements, heavily bolstered by Messi’s World Cup win and high-profile move to Inter Miami. Adidas was the most engaged brand across all its athletes, with over 228 million engagements. 

This is beginning to shine through among American athletes with NIL: 550 brands signed NIL partnerships for the first time this year.

SMU women’s volleyball player Alex Glover signed the most new deals this year with 19 — the only college athlete with more than 10. SponsorUnited also noted huge social following gains for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (635%) and LSU’s Angel Reese (3,885%), who also saw a 145% increase in brand endorsements.

The power of individuals is also showing through, with influencer-led brands making a big splash in the sports sponsorship space. 

“If you’re a brand that’s historically been No. 1 in any particular category, getting that additional sign or logo on a jersey really has a diminishing set of returns based on the lift that you’re going to see in your business,” says Lynch. “Whereas if you are a growth brand, it’s transformative in some cases to do those early deals.”

Case in point, Prime Hydration — the sports drink company founded by creators Logan Paul and KSI — inked 40 sponsorship or digital media deals this past year, most notably with the UFC and FC Barcelona.

Feastables — the snack brand founded by YouTube star MrBeast — became the first creator-led brand to have a jersey sponsorship in the United States four major leagues when it became the jersey patch sponsor for the Charlotte Hornets. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Oct 30, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) walks off the field after a win over Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.

NFL Fines Ravens $100K Over Lamar Jackson Injury Violation

Jackson missed Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury.
Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the Emirates NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena.

NBA Cup Returns for Year 3 With Increased $530,000 Prize

Players on the championship team will receive more than $530,000.

LSU Officials Vow Stability: ‘Not Broken’ With Coach and AD Gone

Officials announced a search committee and tried to correct the record.

Frozen Frenzy Ratings Climb 20% Despite Scheduling Complaints

The hockey event posts a 20% viewership bump, despite World Series competition.

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Susanna Sullivan of the United States of America finishes seventh in the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park

More Races, More Money: The New Calculus for Pro Marathoners

More races per year mean more money—but the math isn’t simple.
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.
October 31, 2025

Shohei Ohtani Card Market Is Surging—With No Signs of Slowing

Cards have spiked hundreds of thousands of dollars from their initial value.
September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium
October 26, 2025

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Louisville’s Miller Moss and several of his teammates stopped by Olympus Gaming Lounge to play EA Sports College Football 26 with fans for a meet and greet. July 11, 2025

Saudis, Silver Lake, Jared Kushner Take EA Private in $55B Deal

Electronic Arts makes “Madden,” “EA Sports College Football,” and more.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
June 25, 2025

Rockets Get $20 Million in Wiggle Room From New VanVleet Deal

VanVleet first signed with the Rockets in 2023.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

On Location is redefining the Olympic experience by creating lasting connections beyond the Games.
June 24, 2025

Timberwolves’ 4-Year Ownership Saga Ends As A-Rod, Lore Take Over

The unanimous approval brought a clean end to a long-disputed transaction.
April 20, 2025

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.