Sponsorship in Sports: Types, Classification and Importance to Sports Organizations

This study provides a valuable insight into the different types of sponsorship in sports. The types of sponsorship in sports are classified into four categories: individual sponsorship, team sponsorship, association sponsorship and event sponsorship. This study also finds that sponsorship is a vital source of funding, an important source of resources and an avenue for sports organizations to increase awareness. A qualitative research methodology and a multiple case study design was adopted in identifying the various types of sponsorship in sports. Secondary data was collected from existing sponsorship literature, sports websites, sponsor’s press releases and other relevant websites. This study provides a clear roadmap for further academic studies and recommends that future studies in sports sponsorship should focus on investigating specific types of sponsorship. Additionally, past academic inquiries into sponsorship have focused on sponsorship from a sponsor’s perspective, or the effects on the audience and this has created a huge research gap in the study of sponsorship from the sponsored entity’s perspective. Keywords: sports, sponsorship, types of sponsorship, classification of sponsorship, importance of sponsorship to sports organizations.