Strategic value of networking in sport sponsorships (2010)

Sport sponsorship is interesting for organizations for more than only the value out of the relationship between sports entity and sponsor. This study reveals the network behind sport sponsorship is highly valuable for sponsors. Due to the sponsorship network centrality of sponsors increases. Relationship intensity is highly dependent of the participation of all parties. Striking results are found when analyzing the amount and type of contents exchanged. For sponsors the amount of contents exchanged with others increases, whereas the type of contents exchanged changes. Sponsorship networks facilitate the exchange of information, as well as the exchange of goods and services. The exchange of information might be of more value because it may contain information about a particular market, new product or a more efficient product process. Underexposed for a long time, the network opportunity behind sponsorships now seems to gain interest from both network scientists and practitioners. As such, as well as providing a conceptual extension to the sponsorship literature, the study also offers a route for more empirical analyses of other sponsorship networks.