Sponsoring the UEFA Champions League: exploring the impact on brand equity among fan profiles

ABSTRACT What is the long-term brand impact of sponsoring a global sports competition? This study seeks to answer that question by examining the UEFA Champions League, the prestigious international professional football (soccer) competition of European clubs. The sponsorship effects on sponsorship awareness (recall and recognition), brand image, and purchase behaviour were investigated in a longitudinal study covering more than 17 years and more than 111,000 respondents in five countries. The relationship between fan involvement and significant brand effects were clarified for long-time sponsors Amstel, Heineken, and MasterCard with their competitors by distinguishing between four fan profiles. The results revealed the saturation level of sponsorship impact, the decay memory effect of past sponsorships, fan attitudes on sponsorship, and perceived commercialization of football. Future challenges on brand strategy, partnership models, and attractiveness of the UEFA Champions League are illustrative for sports marketers and sponsor managers in their sponsorship decision-makings in football and other domains.