Sport sponsorship in Italy exceeded forecasts and grew by 1.5 percent in 2023 compared with 2022, reaching €780 million. Growth was primarily driven by Serie A, followed by investments in Lega Basket Serie A, football Serie B and volleyball SuperLega.
According to the 23th edition of Il Futuro della Sponsorizzazione (tr.: The future of sponsoring), a report from business consulting firm StageUp in collaboration with ChainOn, growth will accelerate in 2024. Experts forecast an increase of 2.5 percent this year, driven by major international events, like the UEFA European Championship and the Paris 2024 Olympics. Additional growth drivers include the initiatives toward the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the overall tennis ecosystem, which is benefiting from the success and popularity of Jannik Sinner.
Italy’s overall sponsorship sector (sport, culture, entertainment and social) grew by 2.5 percent in 2023 from the previous year and is projected to grow by 6 percent in 2024. Major sporting events will be the main growth driver, the experts said, alongside increasing interest from businesses in investing in projects connected with social and environmental issues.
