2026 Unwrapped: 12 Sponsorship trends for the year ahead
Here are the sponsorship trends shaping 2026!
As we close out the year, we’re releasing the Second Annual Unwrapped: Sponsorship Trends for the Year Ahead.
A sharp look at the 12 forces that will define sponsorship marketing in 2026. These are the shifts that matter for decision makers: where investment is moving, how fan expectations are evolving, and what it will take to build partnerships that actually drive brand and business impact.
1. Brands approaching sponsorship as long-term brand building strategies (versus short-term tactics)
Sponsorship marketing is having a bit of a glow-up. Sponsorship marketers have often treated sponsorships like short-term tactics, where they jump in for a season, grab some visibility, run a few activations, and move on. But today’s reality is very different.
Brands need efficiency and scalability more than ever. Budgets are tighter, expectations are higher, and no one can afford to be “in and out” of the market. That’s why sponsorships are increasingly being used as long-term brand-building platforms, not one-off plays.
And while we know that dedication and continuity lead to a deepening of engagement and return that builds over time, what will happen as brands streamline their portfolios to concentrate investment where it can scale most efficiently? Where, and how much, will they divest? Will rights holders be pushed (harder) to deliver deeper value, richer storytelling, and year-round integration?
2. Women’s Sports: Proof of Performance Year 2+
After several years of engagement momentum, and now reaching millions of Canadians, women’s sports are no longer a “rising trend.” They’ve matured into a strategic marketplace. And with women’s sports now in an era where the headlines are about record-breaking attendance and viewership, brand partners aren’t asking “should we be here?” anymore. They’re asking: Is the growth sustaining, and what does success look like beyond the first year.
The short answer: yes, the growth is real. But the more important answer is that year two and beyond look fundamentally different from year one. The metrics deepen. Expectations sharpen. And the brands who are winning are the ones shifting from opportunistic involvement to long-term strategy building. As the space evolves, the leaders are becoming more intentional with how they invest…which is why the next phase is so exciting.
If year one was about proving the opportunity, year two and beyond are about proving the model. Brands now have the data, tools, and case studies to make women’s sports a core part of their marketing architecture. Sponsorship performance will be defined not by who got in first, but by who commits with vision, depth, and discipline.
3. The Sponsorship Reset: Choosing the Right Places and the Right Presence
In a shifting economic climate, brands are taking a hard look at their sponsorship footprint and realizing that simply “being out there” isn’t enough. The days of scattered, tactical placements and quick-hit deals are fading fast. Instead, marketers are hitting reset, rethinking both where they show up and how they show up.
Brands want a fresh, purpose-driven strategy that aligns with what they stand for, who they serve, and the cultural or category spaces where they can genuinely matter. And with many teams rebuilding from the ground up, the need for end-to-end guidance has never been higher. They’re asking tougher questions:
Does this environment reflect our values and ambition?
Can we activate meaningfully here?
Is this a place where our brand can add value - not just add a logo?
And with thousands of options across sport, cause, culture, music, entertainment, and lifestyle, the selection process has never been more complex or more critical. Relevancy is key- being where your customers are and where driving impact has the highest likelihood. For example, here are the lifestyle and entertainment properties with the strongest potential to drive impact (among those engaged) with total Canadians. Here is the list again but among Telecom switcher intenders. Notice the differences?
As brands continue their sponsorship reset, they face a pivotal question: Is your sponsorship portfolio built to make noise or to make sense?
4. Cultural partnerships in music, art, and entertainment are on the rise
From concert halls and gallery openings to sneaker showcases and community festivals, Canadians are gathering in record numbers around music, art, and entertainment experiences. Moreover, consumer spending trends in Canada show that despite ongoing economic headwinds, people are still prioritizing entertainment experiences. According to recent transaction data, spending on arts and entertainment by Canadian cardholders has accelerated significantly compared with earlier years, signaling continued resilience and appetite for cultural engagement
These cultural moments bring millions of Canadians together every year, creating shared experiences that extend far beyond ‘having a good time’ and into emotional connection and community impact. Cultural partnerships allow brands to become part of the tapestry of people’s lives rather than background noise.
As cultural events continue to attract Canadians’ time, attention, and spending - even amidst broader economic pressures - the sponsorship landscape is adapting. Marketers who invest in music, art, and entertainment ecosystems not only gain visibility but also trust, relevance, and community connection…performance metrics that brands are prioritizing more than ever before. Cultural partnerships are quickly becoming an integrated and long-term platform, where brands can show up in ways that feel meaningful, memorable, and genuinely connected to the hearts of Canadians.
How will your sponsorship strategy evolve as Canadians’ passion for cultural experiences continues to grow?
Watch the On-Demand webinar where we dive deeper into the top sponsorship trends shaping 2026.
Get a first look at what's coming in the world of sponsorship and gain actionable insights to stay ahead of the curve in this rapidly evolving landscape. ⬇️
5. Community & Municipal Sponsorship To Go Mainstream
Municipalities are reconsidering the role of corporate partnerships, shifting from traditional, low-visibility arrangements to sophisticated sponsorship programs that strategically integrate brands into core community assets. As public budgets tighten, municipalities are beginning to consider naming rights and sponsorship opportunities for high-visibility assets (ex. arenas, parks, trails, community centers, and even digital infrastructure). What used to be viewed cautiously - corporate presence on public property - is now being recognized as a practical way to unlock new revenue, in turn reducing taxpayer burden and accelerating upgrades to beloved community spaces.
The future of community sponsorships lies in deeper integration and more purposeful alignment between municipalities and brands. Cities aren’t just selling logo real estate; they’re crafting multi-layered partnership ecosystems connected to festivals, youth programs, public art, transportation, and wellness initiatives. Expect more municipalities to formalize sponsorship policies and leverage data to value assets. The results will be win-win models where businesses gain meaningful visibility and social impact opportunities, while communities receive enhanced facilities, richer programming, and sustainable funding for the public spaces that make cities vibrant.
6. The “Canadiana” Effect Continues
After an unpredictable 2025, Canada-U.S. relations – and Canadian consumer sentiment – appears to be holding firm heading into 2026. With two massive global events – the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup 2026 – putting Canada’s best vs. the world, we’re predicting an even stronger surge of engagement, passion, and sponsor impact for brands activating against properties that celebrate Canadian excellence.
It's likely that the frenzy around 2025’s 4 Nations Face-Off was just a preview of what's to come of a Canadian-pride double feature, with the Olympics set to ramp up in February, followed by the World Cup just a few months later in June – and on home soil, too.
7. The Rise of IP and Owned Programs: From Participation to Platform Building
Sponsorship is shifting from presence to ownership. As rights costs rise and traditional placements lose efficiency, leading brands are pairing sponsorships with owned IP and proprietary platforms they can control and scale.
IP turns brands from participants into builders; creating continuity, deeper storytelling, and ownership of the consumer journey. The winning model is hybrid: sponsorship delivers reach, IP delivers identity and long-term value. The brands winning today aren’t just sponsoring culture; they’re building platforms that compound value over time.
The question is no longer what do you sponsor? It’s what do you own and how does it all connect?
8. Macro Goes Micro: Niche Properties Rise
For a long time, sponsorship was simple: go big or go home. Big leagues, big events, big reach. Scale was the strategy. That’s changing, but let’s be clear about one thing up front: big partnerships are not dead. Far from it. They still play an important role in how brands build awareness, credibility, and cultural relevance. What is changing is how brands balance macro and micro to connect with consumers in smarter ways.
With tighter budgets and more pressure to prove ROI, brands are asking better questions. Not just how many people will see this? but who are we reaching, and how does this partnership actually move the needle?
That’s where niche, consumer-direct properties are gaining momentum.
Smaller doesn’t mean weaker. Niche properties deliver focused audiences that are there for a reason. These are communities built around: passion, sport, music, lifestyle, culture, and that focus allows brands to show up in a way that feels more natural and less forced.
In many cases, niche partnerships offer what big ones can’t: intimacy. Less clutter. More flexibility. More opportunity to integrate through experiences, product trials, content, and direct engagement. Instead of being one of many logos, brands can actually be part of the story.
At the same time, macro partnerships still do what they’ve always done well. They create scale. They signal stature. They put brands on the biggest stages and into the broadest conversations. For many brands, that kind of reach and legitimacy still matters—and always will.
The real shift isn’t macro versus micro. It’s macro plus micro. The strongest strategies today combine both. Big partnerships to build awareness and credibility. Niche partnerships to drive relevance, engagement, and connection. One creates reach; the other creates depth.
It’s the same evolution we’ve seen in media, moving from one massive buy to a more balanced, audience-first mix. Macro still matters. Micro is rising. And together, they give brands more ways than ever to connect with the consumers they’re trying to reach.
9. Athlete & Celebrity Endorsements Evolve: From ‘Who’ You Choose to ‘How’ You Activate
Endorsements today are no longer just about who you sign, they’re about how you leverage that personality to build your brand. Brands are recognizing a fundamental truth: selecting the right personality is the starting line, not the finish line. Real value comes from what happens next, specifically, how authentically, intentionally, and creatively that individual is activated. The reality is that success depends on more than a big name.
So, what does a celebrity/athlete activation “done right” look like? It’s when the athlete or celebrity expresses something deeper than a scripted endorsement. It’s when the individual demonstrates sincere pride, real familiarity, and personal usage of the brand or product.
Top-3 Celebrity Tactic Drivers: Net Increase Purchase Consideration:
The celebrity talks about the benefits of the brand (+36%)
The celebrity is seen using and/or interacting with the product (+29%)
The celebrity is visible on screen, and speaks directly about the product (+27%)
Strong recognition, appeal, and fit definitely matter. The closer the natural link between the personality and what your brand represents, the greater the likelihood of engagement. But the biggest differentiator between “checking a box” and creating genuine impact is how the personality is used.
10. The Rise of Mid-Tier & Challenger Brands
For years, sponsorship has been dominated by global brands who lock up categories for years on end, dominating market share and blocking out smaller brands who don't have equivalent resources. Today, that dynamic is shifting...
Driven by the need to stand out in crowded markets and connect with consumers in authentic, relevant ways, mid-tier and challenger brands are increasingly leaning into sponsorship to intercept their target audiences through their various passion points. Rather than chasing sheer scale, these brands are prioritizing relevance and quality — aligning with properties that mirror their audiences, values, and ambitions. Everything from emerging leagues and local festivals to grassroots programs and digital-first platforms, mid-tier brands are leveraging sponsorship as a strategic marketing tactic rather than a vanity play reserved for the biggest names.
What’s fueling this? A combination of smarter measurement, flexible deal structures, and a need from rights holders to diversify their partner mix. Data-driven targeting allows challenger brands to identify strong opportunities and justify investments, while rights holders are opening the door to more customizable, modular partnerships. In turn, brands are often activating more creatively - leaning into experiential marketing, social storytelling, and community engagement rather than logo saturation. As consumers gravitate toward brands that feel personal, purpose-driven, and present in their communities, mid-tier and challenger brands are proving that impact — not size — is what defines success in modern sponsorship.
11. The Impact of FIFA World Cup 2026: Big Investments, Big Expectations
The signals are strong for the sport of soccer in Canada - participation continues to climb, and our research shows 70% of Canadians were aware of the upcoming World Cup as of September 2025. Nearly 1-in-5 (19%) of Canadians planning to watch the tournament indicate they've rarely or never watched in past years - a massive incremental audience, if the stars align.
With so many resources being allocated to the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament, brands may have less to distribute across the rest of their portfolios. However, this once-in-a-generation opportunity will likely drive overall sponsorship spend in the Canadian industry to a new all-time high in 2026.
12. Valuing Onsite Experiences Will Gain Sophistication
"How many impressions will that deliver?" While this is often the leading question for many media assets, it continues to be referenced as a methodology to value onsite assets and experiences. Sponsorship impact data continues to prove that onsite experiences can deliver outsized returns, so the way these assets are valued should reflect their ability to generate breakthrough and deliver impact.
And that’s a wrap! We hope these insights have given you plenty of inspiration as you prepare for the year ahead.👀 Ready to dive deeper into all 12 trends? Register for our live session for a deep dive on all 12 Sponsorship Trends for 2026.
